20601 Old State Road Haubstadt, Indiana47639
The last of the five Economy ‘look alikes’ are not
Sparta Economy engines at all. They are the early 1914 production
from the new Hercules Gas Engine Company factory at Evansville,
Indiana.
The same block style and most other features introduced at
Sparta in 1912 were used in early 1914 to produce the 1 HP models D
and E. The D was very similar to the previously described Sparta
Economy model CX. The differences included a cast iron fuel mixer
as shown below, with a check valve rather than the brass
Lunkenheimer fuel mixer. The fuel pipe and cap was changed to a
cast iron spout with a hinged cast iron lid. It also used the
slanting Economy decal. The model D had no tag. Sometimes it had 1
D and a two, three or four digit number stamped on the near side
crankshaft end.
It was priced at $29.95 with the Elk-hart magneto a $9.95
option. It is estimated that some 1,500 1 HP model D engines were
built, with 15 currently known. Shown at far right is a Hercules
brand model D with a sheet metal crank guard.
The last of the five ‘look alikes’ is the early 1 HP
model E Economy. The major change from the D was the addition of a
speed control device to the governor. The early 1 HP model E had
the tag located on the engine base below the side rod as shown
here. Some early E models used the same fuel mixer as the D, but
some had an early ‘J’ type mixer as shown at center. Note
that the threads are cut right onto the casting rather than as the
later ones with the casting around a pipe nipple. There is a bump
of unknown use on the elbow. There is a web where the choke
attaching screw goes. It is estimated that some 1,500 1 HP model E
engines with the tag on the base were built, with 14 currently
known. Serial numbers are in the 50,000 to 57,000 range. Number
56,656 is shown above.
If observations are correct, interest is running high among
Economy collectors for any of the five ‘look alikes.’ Since
most of the parts on these five engines, as well as those on many
of the later models, interchange, quite often as engines were
repaired parts became mixed and matched. That often adds to the
confusion of properly identifying the five ‘look
alikes.’
I am sure that several of the engines recently described will
turn up at the Classic Iron Show June, 13, 14, 6k 15 at Evansville,
Indiana.
Coming up next time is the rest of the Sparta model CX line.