247 Eldorado Avenue Louisville, Kentucky 40218
These are two of my gas engines, one restored (as well as I
could), and the other in an ‘as found’ condition.
The 3 HP head less Witte, although not my first engine, is the
first one I have finished restoring. It was purchased from a
gentleman, and some times GEM contributor, in southern Indiana. It
was nearly complete, and basically needed only to be cleaned up and
painted. Some new springs and a gas tank were the only new parts
needed. I am still playing around with the governor, springs and
doing a bit of fine tuning, but it runs nicely and is very easy to
start once primed. It had the original exhaust pipe and drilled
pipe cap muffler on it, but I like the bark the stack gives it.
Kinda gets back at the neighbor’s kids and their thump in car
stereos. I built the trucks to resemble original Witte trucks.
It’s taken about a year per horsepower to get it to this
condition, between other projects, and I hope that I can improve
upon that. Other wise I may run out of time before I finish the
basket case or two, and others, waiting in the garage. The
1916dateis based on the published serial number list, and was
painted on the truck prior to having ‘The Reflector’ report
it shipped in 1917.
The Jaeger is in ‘as found’ condition, and was
purchased locally from an ad in a weekly classified publication. It
is complete except for muffler. The mag is hot, the Cross Country
spark good, and the gas tank (removed for cleaning when photo was
taken) was full of vintage gasoline and other junk. Even has a
homemade, conical filter screen that fits the gas filler pipe, and
keeps the lid from closing completely. It is a 1925 2 HP Model S.
The Jaeger tag is missing, having been cut off with a chisel, it
appears. The remains of the rivets are still in the block. It has a
cast brass tag stating it was sold by Roy C. Whayne Supply Company,
Louisville, Kentucky (still in business, I believe, as Whayne
Supply Company). The paint appears to be original. The varnish that
was applied after painting has yellowed or browned, and is cracked
and crazed in spots. It does not appear to have ever been installed
on a concrete mixer, and Mr. Glenn Karch said with the Whayne tag,
it was probably sold as a replacement engine. The individual I
bought it from had it about ’10 to 15 years’ and he got it
from an elderly man who used it to run a line shaft in a small
workshop behind his house. The engine was in the shop, and the
exhaust was piped outside (explains the absence of a muffler), and
from the overall condition had always been inside. A set of skids
or trucks is all the restoration this one will get from me. As a
tip or hint for others, the black background on the brass tag of
the Witte was done using permanent ink marking pens, available
where office or school supplies are sold. I use Sharpie brand
because of the different tip sizes available, from ultra fine point
up. After polishing, cleaning and washing the brass, use the finest
point pen to trace around the lettering, and then fill-in with
broader tip pens. The finish is quite similar to the original, and
easier than trying to use paint.
