October 2001
PARAFFINALIA No 14
Hello All!
Saying of the month: Happy
Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
Peregrine Show: As reported in last newsletter, we were
approached to lay on a show at this well-known Farm Stall / Nursery
/ Wine Shop 'Village', as part of the 'Elgin Festival' which has grown out
of the old Rose Show, on 27th and 28th October. I reckoned it would be much
more fun than doing parking duty, so we decided to give it a try-out. The
idea was also to gauge the public's reaction to noisy, smelly things in
the parking place of a Farm-Stall. Well, you know it already, it was a resounding
success! Being right on my doorstep, it was a pleasure for me to supply
the 'core' exhibits of five engines, each driving a generator (the Electric
Light Machine) or a pump. These spent all week-end puffing away, and on
the Saturday, I was accompanied by Philip & Ryan Gray-Taylor,
Lindsay Madden, and Herman & Elana Geldenhuys. On Sunday, Peter
the Petter Boast braved some heavy showers in the early morning
and late afternoon to keep me company. Interest as far as visitors
was concerned 
was not lacking at any time, and when you see someone holding a cell-phone
to an exhaust or crank-case, then you write his name down, not to have him
committed, but to sign him up as a member! At one stage we thought we might
have to shut the Electric Light Machine down for the rest of the show, because
the wooden bung that holds the roof steady around the exhaust broke up, and
the roof started swaying uncontrollably. Just at the right moment, Jan
Renier Voûte from Pippins Guest House down the road turned
up, took the broken bits and within half an hour, was back with a replacement!
That's cooperation for you! The feeling amongst the owners of Peregrine
is that it would be a good idea to have a permanent exhibition there, housed
in some way. Ideally, an engine in the collection there should be able to
drive a generator strong enough to meet the power requirements of the entire
'village' there, in the event of a power cut, and perhaps on other occasions
too.Harvest Day, Heidelberg/Riversdale
Philip Gray-Taylor sent in this report: The Oesdag on Emile
Cronje`s farm Brakfontein, district Riversdal was the second such
event to take place and the 
first time his Massey Harris thrashing drum, restored over the previous
eight months, was in use. Arthur Wilding and I followed
Derick Kleynhans to the farm over forty or so kilometres
of gravel roads after meeting him at his home in Heidelberg. The harvesting
started with Herman Gilomee`s Minneapolis Moline U pulling
Emile`s Massey Harris self binder with his Case LA bringing the sheaves
out of the field to the thrashing drum. The drum was belted up to the DeNecker
brothers McCormick W9. This tractor is unrestored and in daily use by the
brothers. Time for a lunch break with a delicious spread provided by Derick`s
Mom and Dad. Derrick`s Dad used to do contract
thrashing in the area and was the first one up onto the trailer 
to feed the sheaves into the drum, a task he performed with the ease of
someone well used to the job. The thrashing went without a hitch, thanks
to a thorough restoration job by Emile, as did the baling of the straw in
his freshly restored John Deere baler. This machine being completed the
evening before the show. As he was uncertain how it operated, Kobus
Groenewald, who used to help his Dad with a similar machine, and
Arthur, who just seems to know these things, manned the baler and soon
almost perfect bales were coming out of the machine. To finish off the day,
Emile had his McCormick 141 and Massey Harris 90 combine harvesters, both
dating from the 1950`s in the field harvesting the last of the wheat.
first time his Massey Harris thrashing drum, restored over the previous
eight months, was in use. Arthur Wilding and I followed
Derick Kleynhans to the farm over forty or so kilometres
of gravel roads after meeting him at his home in Heidelberg. The harvesting
started with Herman Gilomee`s Minneapolis Moline U pulling
Emile`s Massey Harris self binder with his Case LA bringing the sheaves
out of the field to the thrashing drum. The drum was belted up to the DeNecker
brothers McCormick W9. This tractor is unrestored and in daily use by the
brothers. Time for a lunch break with a delicious spread provided by Derick`s
Mom and Dad. Derrick`s Dad used to do contract
thrashing in the area and was the first one up onto the trailer
to feed the sheaves into the drum, a task he performed with the ease of
someone well used to the job. The thrashing went without a hitch, thanks
to a thorough restoration job by Emile, as did the baling of the straw in
his freshly restored John Deere baler. This machine being completed the
evening before the show. As he was uncertain how it operated, Kobus
Groenewald, who used to help his Dad with a similar machine, and
Arthur, who just seems to know these things, manned the baler and soon
almost perfect bales were coming out of the machine. To finish off the day,
Emile had his McCormick 141 and Massey Harris 90 combine harvesters, both
dating from the 1950`s in the field harvesting the last of the wheat.Apart from the harvesting demonstration,
Derick had a good range of stationary engines running, namely Crossley,
Delco, Wolseley, International LB and Ronaldson Tippet and 
there was the customary line of stationary tractors which never did run.
there was the customary line of stationary tractors which never did run. The area that the farm is in is
locally known as the duineveld, a strip of land running parallel with the
coast between Mossel Bay and Albertinia and maybe because it isn't the most
fertile land in the country many collectable tractors are to be found there
still doing a days work. In fact, most of the stationary tractors on display
were unrestored and had been driven over from their place of work. On the
way home Arthur remarked at the high number of fields we passed
that had not had a crop this year so let us all hope for rain so next
years harvest day will have a nice tall crop of wheat.
Oom Nico Lubbe
was there with his video camera to record the days events and copies can
be ordered from him at 021 9131380.
Mike Thurgood kindly sent in this report:
The Western Province Live
Steam Society, whose miniature rail track grounds are 
located in the 5th Avenue Sports Complex in Parow, Cape Town, organised
a major fund raising event which took place over the Saturday and Sunday,
December 1st and 2nd, 2001.The Cape Vintage
Engine & Machinery Society were invited to have their restored i/c engines
on display and running. On Saturday,
Darryl and Trevor Bailey came along with their Wolseley,
and an interesting ex-military spark-plug tester operated with a hand wound
magneto, Philip and Ryan Gray-Taylor with a Lister D and
their FM ZC52 and 32V generator and lighting board, Arthur Wilding
with his John Deere E with its brass carb and throttle governing, and a
Witte which everybody had fun helping to start, (See Right). Stephen Sokolic with
his big FM ZC 6HP and Mike Thurgood with his four hot air engines to scale, including a
Robinson, Ericsson, Heinrici and fan. About 700 visitors and children attended the 
expo over the two days. Whereas the children were more interested to have
rides on the miniature trains, many older visitors showed considerable interest
in the CVE&MS display, the interest being shown by the many questions
that were put to our members. The display of hot air engines surprised
quite a number of visitors for their range, which they hadn't previously seen together. (See Right). On Sunday Darryl, Stephen and Mike attended.
located in the 5th Avenue Sports Complex in Parow, Cape Town, organised
a major fund raising event which took place over the Saturday and Sunday,
December 1st and 2nd, 2001.The Cape Vintage
Engine & Machinery Society were invited to have their restored i/c engines
on display and running. On Saturday,
Darryl and Trevor Bailey came along with their Wolseley,
and an interesting ex-military spark-plug tester operated with a hand wound
magneto, Philip and Ryan Gray-Taylor with a Lister D and
their FM ZC52 and 32V generator and lighting board, Arthur Wilding
with his John Deere E with its brass carb and throttle governing, and a
Witte which everybody had fun helping to start, (See Right). Stephen Sokolic with
his big FM ZC 6HP and Mike Thurgood with his four hot air engines to scale, including a
Robinson, Ericsson, Heinrici and fan. About 700 visitors and children attended the
expo over the two days. Whereas the children were more interested to have
rides on the miniature trains, many older visitors showed considerable interest
in the CVE&MS display, the interest being shown by the many questions
that were put to our members. The display of hot air engines surprised
quite a number of visitors for their range, which they hadn't previously seen together. (See Right). On Sunday Darryl, Stephen and Mike attended.There was also a static display
of WPLSS locos and stationary steam engines in the nearby Scout Hall which
was also a great attraction for the older visitors. A very enjoyable two days was had by our members,
with good sunny weather for most of the time, although the wind was fairly
strong. The WPLSS site is large and open. However, until the trees grow
large there is a disadvantage that there is no cover from the sun - as Darryl
Bailey and Mike Thurgood found out to their cost on the Saturday!
The Society has been thanked by the Chairman of the WPLSS for
their attendance, which was a great help towards their fundraising
effort.
NEWS: Top of the list is the fact that Johan Bruwer's
Ruston & Hornsby 6X HR S/n 179185 is running again! When we first saw
the engine in June 1999, it had suffered from a leaking roof over the governor
assembly, which had seized up completely. A swarm of bees had made a home
of the base, otherwise, it was reasonably complete. Oom Johan expressed
an interest at that time to get it running again. We promised to do
what he could to help, which led to me overhauling the governor, pump, cams,
and air start valves, done as a job at work.(It's nice to be paid to do
your hobby!) The rest of the restoration was done 'on farm' and included
honing the 9¼" bore. This was done using an idea passed on by New
Zealand member of the Society, Keith Brinch, involving making
an enormous 'flap-wheel' with a wooden disc, and rubber-backed emery-tape.
Last minute preparations carried out the day before our visit by Johan
Stemmet indicated that 
the engine was not quite ready for us, and that there were a few things
still to iron out. A group of members came together first at a farm in Wildeperdekloof
in Ashton to help me load a 1X HR S/n 220951 of 1945, after which we went
on to Prospect. Everybody seemed to know what to tackle, Arthur
Wilding was busy making gaskets and fitting them to the compressed
air system, while others were oiling up, and topping up reservoirs, and
doing settings on the air start valve gear, with the help of the instruction
book. The only source of supply of compressed
air was a battery-powered tyre inflator, which was breathing its last before
the pressure in the bottle had reached 3 bar (45 PSI)! A helpful tyre supplier
was persuaded to bring and leave a petrol engined mobile compressor, which
was able to at least give us 8 bar. I was on the fuel injrection pump and
governor, and the starting control gear. 
While waiting for the compressor, we decided to try starting by hand. This
showed us immediately that all was not well with the inlet valve, as we
were experiencing too much blow-by there. With chisels and levers, the inlet
valve assembly was out, and stripped and wire brushed, and 'lapped-in' using
emery tape between the valve seating faces. At the same time, Hermann
Geldenhuys decided to withdraw the exhaust valve, and clean that
up too. The seat was in better shape than the valve, considering that when
the piston was withdrawn, the carcasses of three frogs were found in the
cylinder!Valves assembled, 8 bar in
the tank, and all systems go? Not a chance! A bit of smoke, but that was
all. Crank by hand? Not much better! Check timing, check setting of air
valve, check fuel injection pump, check injector.......why hadn't we done
that when we had the inlet valve assembly out? That was now easy to withdraw
this time, and showed us first a poor spray, deteriorating to a dribble.
Injector out, stripped, and needle valve found to be sticking from impurities
in the pipework. After cleaning up, and reassembling, making sure to line
up the marks on the body and nozzle, the injector was refitted, and sprayed
well. With the inlet assembly back on, air valves set, and Arthur ready
to give an extra oomph on the priming handle at the critical moment, an
easy start up? No way! Too much blow-by on the piston this time.
By now, we were getting a bit impatient.
Elana Geldenhuys had the meat and sausage were sizziling
away on the fire outside, and we were getting hungry! What about using the
CAV Thermostart intake heater principle? Out with the big blow-torch, held
over the inlet valve, with the air-cleaner removed. How about some extra
muscle power to augment the air, considering that we could only pump the
air-bottle to 8 bar? With Peter Boast on one end and Johan
Lesch on the other, this turned
out to be the winning combination! I don't think that a non-engine enthusiast
can explain the excitement experienced when an engine which has stood derelict
for 30 years starts up for the first time! Perhaps a doctor getting a patient's
heartbeat back? Well, you can imagine the atmosphere during that (late)
lunch! With the engine throbbing away at a steady 210 RPM, we tucked into
the wonderful spread laid on by the Bruwers!
After lunch, we went through the air bottle pumping procedure, (See above Right) making absolutely
certain that the priming lever was in the half-up position before opening
the air-valve, to prevent making the air bottle into a bomb! We then shut
down and went through the starting and pumping-up procedures again,
and eventually reluctantly shutting down and wrapping up.But our Ruston day was not over.
We had been looking for years for another engine on the nearby farm, Van
Loveren. A scruffy, dirty band bundled into Johan's Range Rover, and
off we went over the causeway, to the other side of the Breede River. (We
had always thought it was on the north side!) After squeezing through narrow
rows of vines we were well rewarded by the sight of Ruston & Hornsby
No 7 Class H, S/n 118883. (See Right) Set up
on the river bank, this had been belted up to a Bon Accord high volume double-sided
centrifugal pump S/n 6664. The engine has been flooded many times, has seized,
but is basically complete, and the owners, the Retiefs, have plans to move
the engine to the wine-tasting area, and get us to help them restore it
to running condition. Watch this space!
Philip & Ryan Gray-Taylor sent in this request:
Dear Sir, Now that the readership
has grown somewhat I thought I would try again to find out if anyone remembers
the Marendaz engine. They were built by Captain D.M.K. Marendaz in single
and twin cylinder diesel form, rated between six and sixteen horsepower
at Marendaz Engineering Corporation Limited, Cape Province, South Africa.
So far, they have the following information on Capt Donald Marendaz: He
was born in South Wales into a family with Swiss origins, and died at age
91 in 1988. He became a Royal Flying Corps pilot in the First World War,
and having excelled himself was subsequently locked up in the Second World
War, as a sympethiser of Oswald Mosely. In between, he was involved in the
launch of the Alvis sports-car and then the Marseal. He had two airfields,
and at government request, set up flying schools at them, trained 500 pilots,
and developed three aeroplanes, one was considered by some to be better
than the Spitfire. After the War, he emigrated to South Africa, where he
built Diesel Engines. The big questions are where, when, and does anybody
have one? (See Right)
Peter Boast has made great headway with the two-stroke Deutz Portable
which he and Lindsay Madden collected from Prince Alfred.
Derick Kleynhans has welded up the crack around the hub
of its flywheel, caused by the engine being thrown over on to its side.
I have the fuel injection equipment in pieces, and all looks well there.
Folker Streitberger has worked wonders in finding out its
history: "Dear Mr. Streitberger,
"Your E-mail from the 18. October was passed
on by Mr. Pistoll to me with the request to reply. I am pleased to do that.
Engine Serial No.
: 162.467
Year of Construction
: 1927
Design :
Vertical single cylinder two-stroke Diesel engine with
crankcase compression
Engine Type
: PME 117
Output
: 7 HP at 650 rpm
Stroke
: 170 mm
Bore
: 125 mm
Weight approximately
; 660 kg
Years of production :
1923 to 1931 and 4130 units
Colours
: Gray RAL 7037 or black RAL 9005
"This is an engine of the Motorenfabrik
Oberursel AG, in accordance with a co-operation agreement between the two
companies.
The engine is historically valuable and
definitely worth keeping.
"As soon as you give me your address I will
send you with pleasure a photocopy of the Instruction Manual and the Spare
Parts List. They are, however, only available in the German language."
What more could one ask for?
Rodney Thackwell has sent in this picture of the Fendt tractor mentioned in last newsletter. He reports it is running well with its Isuzu rings! (See Right)
Simon Morris has written in from Stutterheim, Eastern Cape, and sent pictures of their wonderful Stationary Engine Museum there, which houses upwards of 45 engines, including a big 2-cylinder vertical Allen with generator, a BIG enclosed Blackstone Diesel (TP?), and much more. All well set out for public viewing. Don't miss this attraction if you're touring anywhere near that area! They also have a Mietz and Weiss, and will be sending detalis of it to Dusty M Erickson in Arizona, as a result of the appeal in the last newsletter.
Also from the Eastern Cape, Chris and his
son Jacques Müller from Uitenhage have written in
to report that their 1923 National is running again. They also have a Blackstone
OP in good condition, except its head is missing. Can anybody help? They
also have a Fairbanks Morse ZC 52 tank-cooled which they are working on.
Louwtjie Naude wrote in from the Rand Society
of Model Engineers Stationary Engine Preservation Group, so at last we have
e-mail contact with them up there. Their Arthur Prescott
recently had an article published in Stationary Engine Magazine in England,
so South Africa is well and truly 'on the map' as far as the rest of the
world is concerned!
Sad news must also be reported.....and that is of the passing
of Oom Martinus Kleyn, the Blacksmith who not only demonstrated
his art at the Harvest Day at De Hangen last year as captured in Nico Lubbe's
Video of the occasion, but also played the Accordion at the same and any
other occasion that he had the opportunity. He also gave Pete Hundy
a large Crossley, which he and Yuri Peila are working on.(See
News item in Paraffinalia 13).
UK News: Paul Evans reports that he
is busy recovering not one but two Ruston & Hornsby 8H's complete with
the pumps that they drove. He's stripped them for removal, which will happen
soon.Remember, as reported in the last newsletter, John
Ambler in Sussex is keen to track down as many exported Crossleys
as possible, any models, from the smallest to the biggest. He may be able
to help with dating, if not exactly, then closely. Write to him on john@hawkhurst.demon.co.uk or visit http://www.hawkhurst.demon.co.uk, or contact me.
'Oom' Don Farrand wrote in to Hendrik about
an auction in England where he said a Crossley Brothers Gas Engine made in
1894 went for £62 000! Work that one out! He has written to me saying
that he's laid up with a broken hip, which is keeping an otherwise keen
82-year-old ploughman out of the tractor seat! Wish him a speedy recovery
on dfarrand@btinternet.com !
Australian News: Robert Laurent from near Toowoomba in Queensland, is getting on well with the preparations for his latest book on Southern Cross engines which were made there, as well as here in Bloemfontein. If anybody has any information on S/C, please contact him on: blueflyer@cnnet.com.au, or contact me. At the same time, he is interested in the history of a huge Deutz engine at their local Heritage Village, for which no information was available. In an example of how this society works, Folker Streitberger, who runs the Deutz Office here in Cape Town, has been enormously helpful in contacting the right people at Deutz in Cologne. He seems as interested in this engine, which generated electricity for Toowoomba, as we all are!
Australian News: Robert Laurent from near Toowoomba in Queensland, is getting on well with the preparations for his latest book on Southern Cross engines which were made there, as well as here in Bloemfontein. If anybody has any information on S/C, please contact him on: blueflyer@cnnet.com.au, or contact me. At the same time, he is interested in the history of a huge Deutz engine at their local Heritage Village, for which no information was available. In an example of how this society works, Folker Streitberger, who runs the Deutz Office here in Cape Town, has been enormously helpful in contacting the right people at Deutz in Cologne. He seems as interested in this engine, which generated electricity for Toowoomba, as we all are!
Peter Ogborne writes in from
Perth to say that they recently had a commemoration of the first Steam Train
to cross the Australian Continent. The Western Australia club was asked
to exhibit some machinery at the station for the VIP's, so they took along
'Arthur' the Steam Portable into which they have ingeniously fitted a new
welded boiler within the old boiler shell, a Hornsby Ackroyd, and the Trusty
engine they are busy working on. Although it's not finished yet, is starting
to look like an engine.
New Zealand News: Ian Gillon has decided to pack up and relocate to Christchurch, where we wish him the best of luck, and hope that he makes contact with Keith Brinch, and the rest of the engine club there.
New Members.(Remember, membership involves opening and reading the newsletter only, no rules, no subs!) Folker Streitberger has been mentioned so many times above, so I just mention his name here! Chris Müller and his son Jacques in Uitenhage are also mentioned above, so are Louwtjie Naude and Simon Morris, both representing larger groups.
Tractor & Engine Club I attended the latest planning meeting for the Big 10th Anniversary Show at Kleinplasie scheduled for 8th, 9th and 10th August 2002. We have been allocated a very pleasant place under trees near the stadium, from where we will be able to see Gawie van Schalkwyk 'doing his thing' with the threshing tackle in the arena. I have approached BM Power Products, the distributors of Stihl equipment, to have a trade stand next to us.
For Sale / Available: Folker Streitberger reports that his son has left him to dispose of a 1954 International Bakkie, which was his project, until other interests lured him away. Please contact him on folker.streitberger@freemail.absa.co.za of contact me.
Mike Thurgood has four unused castors, with built-in brakes, for which he is asking R20 each. Contact him on mikethurgood@yebo.co.za
Wanted: Chris and Jacques Muller are
looking for a cylinder head for a Blackstone OP. Please contact them by phoning
041 961 0115
Directory of Services/Spares. Hermann Geldenhuys is drawing up a list of suppliers of goods and services to our hobby. . Please contact Hermann with details of your favourite suppliers, so that the rest of us can support them too. His home number after hours is (028) 212 3304, or e-mail geldenhj@telkom.co.za
What's On: Please check with the organisers before
travelling to these events!
Helderberg Steam Trains are offering
trips from Somerset West to the Steenbras Siding, just over the top of Sir
Lowry's Pass over the Christmas period. How about geting a party together?
Trips will commence this week on 14/15 and then on 21/22 and 28/29 December.
January sees trips on 4/5. R90 for adults
and R60 for kiddies 3 - 15 yrs.
Coaches are normal suburban type and one 1st class
mainline sleeper coach with compartments.
Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th January 2002.
There is to to be a Car Show at Timour Hall in Plumstead, and the Crankhandle
Club have approached us to set up a Stationary Engine Exhibition there on
the Sunday, which is 'their' day. (The Early Ford Car Club's day is the Saturday).
It should be fun to make some noise along with the old cars, especially
as there is no talk this year of another Constantia show.
19th 20th & 21st April 2002.Great 400 Working, Sandstone Estates, Ficksburg. It's hoped to get 100 stationary Engines there, as well as the 400 tractors.
8th, 9th & 10th August, 2002. Tenth annual show of the Tractor & Engine Club of the Westen Cape, at Kleinplasie Museum.
Please remember your name-tags, even if you are just coming along as a spectator! (I have made a whole lot more, and will give them out whenever I first see you, so turn up and claim it!)
Andy Selfe, Sec. (021)8592430 (home & manual fax) e-mail aselfe@mweb.co.za Our website: www.paraffinalia.org