Shown above is my 40 hp Superior made in Springfield, Ohio,
Serial Number 40857, with 14 inch bore and 20 inch stroke. It came
from the oilfields where it ran on natural gas. When I got it, it
was sinking into the sandy soil of Western Michigan. Top picture
shows us loading the engine in Michigan –1. to r. are Charles E.
Meyler who worked for the oil company; Gordon Stroven of
Coopersville, Mich, and his brother-in-law, Jim Sturtevant of
Muskegon. To load the engine, we jacked the front of the engine out
of the sand and slid the ramps under it. We then put pipe rollers
between the ramps and base. Then with the aid of a hand winch and
jacks on the flywheel spokes, she came right up on the trailer. In
this picture the exhaust box, exhaust pipe, magneto, governor,
pushrod and air breather are removed.
Bottom shot shows the engine a day later in Henry, Illinois.
Pictured are my children, Jon and Ruth and myself. Note the 9 hole
force feed oilier mounted on the block, also the small sliding door
to the lower right of the oilier. There is one on each side to
check the rod bearings.
My collection of Superiors also include a 20 HP, 25, 35 and a
50, besides this 40 HP. I am still looking for a really big engine,
of any kind. The 20,25 and 35 hp engines are completely different
from this one. They do not have counter weights, force feed oilers,
enclosed crankcases or the top and bottom arrangement for the
intake and exhaust boxes.
Shown are Plunket engines. Serial number on the engine is No.
27. The gent that invented this engine must have been a steam
engine man. The engine runs if it gets the notion and the little
wood pecker governor does right smart. These engines were built in
Chicago about 1906.
Don Stanley holds a honeycomb found in the cylinder of an early
day gas engine he is restoring. The engine is a 7 HP Economy, 1
cylinder that ran a buzz saw in the Crawfordville area. The 1915
engine belonged to the Carlson family of Brownsville before
purchased by Stanley for restoring. Don is a member of the Early
Day Gas Engine and Tractor Assn. and displayed the engine in
running condition along with others at this years Scandinavian
Festival in August.
Don and his two sons, Gary and Ron started collecting and
restoring small engines in October 1973. They now have twenty. The
engines are on display at Don’s show room for Travel
Trailers.
Herb Looney, a retired engineer, works on the engines in
Don’s trailer shop every day. The customers that buy trailers
are very interested in the history and where the old engines were
located. Most of the old customers know where they can find
engines.
The Stanleys now have 4 old 1 ton trucks, a 1927 Chev. 1 ton,
1925 Model T 1 ton, 1929 Model A and are just completing restoring
a 1930 Model A 1 ton.
Don’s wife and family have just completed restoring a 105
year old beautiful home in Junction City, Oregon.
Two engines which were purchased at the very outstanding antique
gas engine sale of the late Ernest Hoff Estate at Rice Lake,
Wisconsin.
These two engines are a 6 HP Economy and the other is a
Worthington Injeco bought by N. J. Hickok and Son.
4 HP Chanticleer, S.N. 321, 375 rpm, last patent date is
February 23, 1901, made by Jacob Haish Company, DeKalb, Illinois.
It has a Thordarson coil on the battery box. It is on what is
thought to be the original trucks. Also has a plate that fits on
top of the water hopper. The muffler is the big round thing on the
left side. John Townsend with the Chanticleer. The company symbol
is a big rooster, and this is stamped on the nameplate.
1-1/4 HP Monitor, type VJ, 500 rpm, S.N. 45907 made by the Baker
Mfg. Co. of Evansville, Wisconsin. Walt, Ruth and John Townsend
with the engine. This engine and a Chanticleer were purchased from
a collector about 350 miles south of here. Both are ready to go,
just need a little tuning up.
Left –a nice team of Clydes, center — is a 1944 Chev. Car and
bottom –is an Overland Car. All taken at Saskatoon 1973.
Wood splitter at the Saskatoon Show 1973.
This is a Depue 4 wheel drive manufactured by Depue Bros. Mfg.
Co., Clinton, Iowa. 1920 Model 20-32 HP, 4 cyl.
Mogul H.P. 2-1/2
Chicago Aermotor Company, H.P. 6
Before and after pictures of my Otto engine, Serial Number
15331. It is on display at Olson’s Old West Museum, Oacoma,
South Dakota
Above is a Caterpillar Fifty Gas Tractor, Serial Number
5A-401
Indiana, Nebraska and Pennsylvania ‘Fliver Fun’ Carolina
Style.
Jim Lilly and Gerald Mosbagh [Ind.] operated our 1914 T. Ford
‘commuter’. This is one of about ten unique
‘commuters’ that kids of all ages ride, shuttles Exhibitors
and Helpers to the water wheel and garden areas.
Jim and Gerald brought but kinda orphaned their Flint and
Welling gas engine as well as a shiny Brass Hoppered Domestic. They
‘Flivered’ for three Reunion days except for periods taken
by Ole Time ‘T’ers who waited in line to try their hand at
adjusting Coils, Spark, Carburetor etc. before driving a few
rounds.
Mary [Mrs. Basil Jones] [Pa.] circulates engine water with a
pitcher pump, while Elsie [Mrs. Lester Jones] [Nebr.] manuevered
pedals, adjusted spark, etc. This Rebel gave them plenty room. The
‘antic’ uses a barrel instead of radiator, cylinder
compression and exhaust whistles instead of horns, also a kiddie
operated bell.
A 1921 electric starter engine replaced the original 1914
Armstrong twister.
Our Reunions differ from most reunions, in that we depend
entirely on Exhibitors and Helpers to ‘come run some’ of
our equipment. They run 4 of 8 steam tractions, about 20 stationary
steam engines, about half of 70 gas engines, a dozen or more water
wheels and devices. Rides, Gem and Gold Panning, Garden Trails etc.
are designed to keep Ma, Grandma and all Younguns busy a full
week.
Retirees Basil and Mary Jones spend the hot summer months at
their home in the cool hills of Pa., the fall months in their
trailer home based at FARM MUSEUM CAMPGROUND. Then trailer 3 months
down in the ‘expensive spread’. They trailer back to FARM
MUSEUM for spring tune-up, Reunion and Post Reunion Fixin. If this
sounds good to other Buff retirees, why not try it. Come use our
wood, metal and paint shops. Plenty equipment needs your TLC. River
and Lake fishing plus free campgrounds for ‘Practicing
Buffs’. If you can’t come a few months ahead, ‘come run
some’ April 19-20-21, 1974.
Thank you, Jim, Gerald, Mary and Elsie.
Shown is a very rare Pioneer tractor shown at the Freeport Show
for the first time. It has a 4 cylinder opposed engine.
1-1/2 HP Fairbanks Morse blind head or without cylinder head. It
was found in Cameron Lake in the Kawartha Lakes District.
40 x 80 HP Avery Gas Tractor threshing outfit was built by Avery
Mfg. Co., Peoria, Ill. in 1919. The thresher was built in
1914 and is a 42′ x 70′. Both are the largest built by
Avery company. Owner is George Hedtke, Davis Junction, Illinois,
President of north Central Illinois Steam Power Show.
This outfit was in operation at the August 1974 New Show Site at
George Hedtke’s Farm, located on Highway 72, East of U.S. 51
jct. just 1-1/4 miles. This will be a permanent show site and
Agricultural Museum. A large storage building 60′ x 140′
was completed earlier this year. This is the first of several
buildings that will be built in the near future.
