127 Parkland Road, Lockport, Manitoba, Canada R1A 3K2
For a long time I tried to get my little boy interested in rusty
old iron ‘gold,’ but with no luck.
One day a fellow engine collector and restorer named Rudie read
about my interest in (rusty old iron gold) engines in the June 1995
issue of GEM.
I had a couple of questions about a Sylvester and Cockshutt
engines. He told me that for a few years now a group of engine
enthusiasts came together on a farmyard of one of them, namely
Earl, and they play with their rusty old iron gold engines for one
day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
In 1998 I decided to join them. I also asked my little boy to
come along and see the big boys play with their old engines.
It took some persuasion but finally he came with me. We took a
couple of stationary engines and a Simplicity walk-behind tractor
with a cultivator along with us.
Well, surprise, surprise! I have never seen my son enjoy himself
so much for years, starting the engines and keeping them running,
and talking with the old iron collectors. He especially liked the
Simplicity tractor with the small Briggs and Stratton engine. About
5:00 p.m. playtime was over, we loaded up and went home. On the way
home my boy said, ‘Dad, I enjoyed myself tremendously, playing
with your rusty old iron old, and I think I’d like to get an
engine of my own.’
Well, surprise again! One week later he was the proud owner of
his first engine, a rusty seized Briggs and Stratton WMB. It had no
gas tank, a broken starter plate, no spark plug in the cylinder
head. I looked at it in disbelief and I told him, ‘If you need
parts, I have some in my junk.’
Next thing I knew, he wanted an engine book for it, a spark
plug, starter plate and gas tank. Also, if I could make something
to mount the engine on, I could supply all his wants.
This picture is the end result. The little WMB started on the
third pull with minor adjustments, then it purred like a
kitten.
The little redhead in the picture is not my little boy. It’s
my granddaughter, Katelyn. She is five years old and loves big pink
Cadillacs. So, if anybody has a big pink Cadillac to give away,
please let me know.
Oh, one more thing, my little boy’s name is Ossie, he is 35
years old, and he now has ‘rusty old iron gold’ fever.
