Cape Vintage Engine & Machinery Society Newsletter

4th Annual Winter Warm-up. 29th June 2002. Philip Gray-Taylor sent in this report: Hi, Once again Arthur Wilding's immaculate lawns and neatly laid out driveways were transformed into a sea of mud as dozens of engine-mad enthusiasts descended on his farm in cars, trucks, pick-ups, FWD's and on foot with their motley collection of Stationary Engines. The normally tranquil area reverberated to the sounds and smells of wheezing, smoke-belching people trying to make themselves heard above the din of their engines, many of them succeeding. Star of the show was undoubtedly Derick Kleynhans' newly restored Lister A and pump combination, sporting magnificent decals obtained from this writer. See Right: The weather was dreadful, just the way we like it. Here's hoping next year it rains even harder. ;-)

Great 400 Working: Nico Lubbe has made a video of his visit to the Great 400 Working. To get your copy, give him a ring on 021 913 1380. The official video is in two parts, one the preparation, the other the show itself. To order, contact Juanita Du Toit on 012 663 8879 or juanitadt@sandstone.co.za. Sandstone also has the distribution rights for the Australian 'Plough and be Counted' at Yass NSW. The videos are priced at R125 each, but if you order three,(there are other titles as well) it's just R300!

The following was added as a footnote to the official closing newsletter from Sandstone Estates, after the Great 400 Working. It's nice to be appreciated!

STATIONARY ENGINES – THANKS GUYS!!

The Great 400 would not have been the same without the heart-beat of the stationary engine collectors. They are a wonderful bunch of people – always friendly and always ready to help. It would be unfair to single out individuals, but we would like to break with tradition on this occasion and mention both Neville Botha and Johan van Vuuren who went not only the extra mile, but the extra 1,000 miles in the way that they supported other stationary engine collectors, tractor collectors and just about anyone who looked liked they could do with a bit of assistance. These guys came down to Sandstone on numerous occasions before the Great 400 to work on Sandstone’s own stationary engines. Johan organised the aircraft that were such an integral part of the event and Neville and many of the others still found time to participate in the event with their own tractors. Whilst they were not the focal point of the show, we were delighted that so many journalists have covered the Stationary Engine contribution so comprehensively. Thank you from all the Tractors Guys to the Stationary Engine Team! Perhaps we should thank them for laying on the show?

Wolseley Engines: Udo Uhlman in Greytown, who supplied much of the Wolseley information in the last newsletter has this to add: He recently acquired yet another Wolseley which had spent its working life in Kenya. It is a tank-cooled model, and must have run too cold in its working life. (Don't we all suffer from this under rally conditions?) It has a neatly machined thermostat housing mounted on the hot water outlet! He is certainly planning to keep the engine like that, the modification being authentic, from its working days.

Petters Engines: Hendrik v d Berg in Douglas has come up with this potted history of Petters, hoping for comments:

During 1868 James Bazeley Petter received an ironmongery from his Father. By 1870 business prospered and was known as Petter and Edgar by the 1870s. No longer just an ironmonger, the Foundry also known as the Yeovil Foundry, supplied agricultural implements and the famous Nautilus grate used in Balmoral Castle. It was here that James’ son Percy learned the art of casting and by 1893 he had become the manager. Percy's interest in “horseless carriages” led to the design of a single-cylinder oil engine to be used in such a vehicle. The foreman, Mr. Benjamin Jacobs played a big part in the design and development of Percy’s engine. By 1895 Yeovil saw one of the first motor cars to be built in

England

. The factory did not experience much success with the motor car. The Petters realized that the most significant part of their car was the engine, and decided to develop it for agricultural use. Demonstrated at the Royal Show of 1899 the 1¼ hp engines become known as the Petter Patent Oil Engine. Within two years the private limited company of James B Petter & Sons had been established and produced engines with an output range of 1¼ to 22 hp. By the following year they produced a tractor powered by a 30 hp horizontal engine. By 1910 Petters Limited was a well established public company. By 1912 they produced 1500 engines annually. During the First World War the demand for Petter engines reached unprecedented figures. By the end of the War they produced engines up to 400 hp in association with Vickers. The name Petters Limited become known internationally as the supplier of petrol and diesel engines for use in hoists, pumps, drainage, irrigation, electricity generation and refrigeration. In early 1939 the factory became part of the Brush Group. In 1986 the company was merged with Lister.

South African News: Mike Thurgood reports that the Cape Vintage Engine & Machinery Society were invited to exhibit at the recent exhibition of the Cape Town Society of Model & Experimental Engineers' (CTSMEE) 2002 annual exhibition, organised by Darryl Bailey. Two other CVE&MS members, Stephen Sokolic and Mike Thurgood had exhibitions on show. Stephen had his scale model of a Shaper running, while watching a society-owned display old Stuart Models, including a beam engine and a horizontal mill engine. Mike had his collection of scale models of Hot Air engines, including his Heinrici gamma type, water cooled; Robinson gamma type, water cooled; Ericsson beta type, water cooled; and a hot air fan, based on the Pakistani manufactured National Trading Company's hot air fan, basically a Heinrici gamma type, air cooled. See Right: Darryl did manage to do some wood-turning between his chores as organiser.

New sleeve being lowered into Clayton & Shuttleworth Trusty

On the Clayton & Shuttleworth Trusty front, I can report some progress in that the new sleeve, an accurately machined piece of heavy gauge honed hydraulic tubing has been married up to the retaining flange which was cut off the old sleeve. See Right: It is back in the engine, and fits like a glove! We are deeply indebted to Roy Hirsch of Hirsch Hydraulic Services in Cape Town for donating the tube some time ago, and to Orbit Engineering Works here in Elgin for doing a subsidised job on the machining. I note with interest that Ross Minehan in Stockinbingal, NSW allowed 12 thou piston-to-bore clearance over 6" on the replacement steel sleeve on his International Titan. When I measured the Clayton's cast iron bore in an unworn part, and compared it with the maximum diameter of the cast iron piston, I measured only 3½ thou clearance over 9"! The new sleeve has been honed to exactly the same size of the old one. Not only is the sleeve now back in the engine, but the piston, conrod and big end are assembled, and now, when you turn the flywheel, you are rewarded by seeing a

piston moving back and forth for the first time in many years! Peter Ogborne from Perth WA wrote an excellent article in a recent Australian 'The Old Machinery Magazine' about the 'real' Trusty Engine which they are working on. In the article, he stated that I had a Clayton & Shuttleworth Trusty. Just to set the record straight, it's not mine. It is in my workshop, and I am doing some of the work (play) on it, but that's all!

Terence Taylour from co. Westmeath, Ireland paid us a visit here. Philip & Ryan Gray-Taylor came out too, and we started up a few engines for his benefit and all our enjoyment. It is the first time in a long time that the Ruston & Hornsby 2Y HR-powered Electric Light Machine has been run, and as usual, she started first go! Terence had visited O'kiep in the Northern Cape the day before, and had taken photo's and details of the large MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nurnberg AG) engine there, See Right: which was mentioned in the last newsletter. It is a 4-cylinder, double-acting, D4Z 60/90 with piston scavenge. (So I was a little out with my KZ 70/120 guess, but not much!) Further details are: PSE 2950 bhp, @ 150 RPM, Ser No 14902-05 of 1929. It drove a Siemens Schuckert 2250 kVA generator, built into the flywheel. The scavenge cylinder is

between No 2 & No 3 cylinder, and it incorporates a high pressure air compressor for starting. The air bottles are underground, with just their necks sticking out.

Also up there is what is thought to be the only Cornish Beam Engine in the Southern Hemisphere. See right: He recommends that any visitor to that area should also visit nearby Nababeep, to view artifacts from the old O'kiep Copper Company railway there, like the loco 'Clara' which was used between Port Nolloth and Nababeep.

Mark Robinson reports in the Newsletter of the Cape Railway Enthusiasts Association as follows: Wilf Mole tells us that Sandstone Steam Railway has purchased 2 or 3 of the NGG 16 2' gauge locomotives, and the real gem, the Fowler 0-4-2T. These will be transferred to Sandstone Estates in due course. With the out-of-season shut-down of Ratanga Junction (near the sea in Cape Town) we do not see anything ever coming of their one-time extensive railway plans and we are pleased that the cream of what they had collected together is now to go to a good home and a more certain future in the Eastern Free State. I wonder what will ever happen to the large Mirrlees steam sugar-mill engine, with reversing gear, that's also rusting away at the same venue? Ed.

Ryan Gray-Taylor works as a volunteer on Saturdays at the South African Airforce Museum in Ysterplaat, near Cape Town, and offered to restore for them an early 2HP Briggs & Stratton which is used to power the hydraulic system on a field gun that dates from 1946. The hydraulics were added in the 1950's and although not part of the weapon originally it was decided to restore the gun with this modification to show how it was in use for most of its life. The Briggs is not the most exotic of engines but it had to be done before going on to the next project in line at the museum, the Vincent engine from a Shackleton lifeboat!.... He has made a wonderful job of the Briggs, including making very accurate copies of the decals on his computer.

Darby Christie flagged me down and handed over some old unused KLG spark-plugs to add to Derick Kleynhans and Emile Cronjé's ever-increasing collection. One had three earth electrodes, which only goes to show there's nothing new in this world!

Johan Stemmet has been asked to get the vertical National going which we found on the farm of Pat Busch at Klaasvoogds, just outside Robertson. See Right: We 'discovered' it and reported on it in one of our SWAT articles in Stationary Engine Magazine. Johan has done some research on the engine, as follows: The engine was installed by Barry Trading Co on the farm which was at that time owned by Mr Hamilton Barry. The farm was later sold to Mr Gerhard Conradie, who installed a bigger press and a pump for it to drive. Shortly after that, the engine went into retirement and the grape pressing was done with a Farmall tractor. Restoration included making a valve with a very long stem.

Arthur Prescott sends news from the Rand Society of Model Engineers, Stationary Engine Preservation Group that they have their big 4-cylinder Pelapone going. They think it is a Type 54, which was developed as a 'no break' engine, i.e. required to run unattended for 3-month periods, for such essential services as telecommunications, airfields and lighthouses. Photo's of this engine and an 8-cylinder Parsons engine which the RSME took over from Escom have appeared in a recent Stationary Engine Magazine.

Kobus Groenewald phoned in to say that on a visit to Sutherland recently (Brrrr!) he found an interesting piece of old iron sticking out of a bush. It turns out to be a single cylinder 2-stroke Deutz, with piston scavenge! Of course, he has the engine completely stripped already, and will have to make new reed valves, and the piston needs building up where the top ring groove has been eaten away by rust! Kobus says that his interest in Stationary Engines started years ago, when his mother had an Iron Horse, with kick start, on her washing machine. When they got electricity, or a new washing machine, (or both!), his dad modified a bicycle and made a 'side-car' which housed the Iron Horse! He and his brother used to go to school and back (6½ miles) every day on it, long before either (he or the 'trike') had a licence!

Fanie Fouchè, a new member from Worcester sent in a request for information on a Jenbach engine he's been restoring. We hope to see him with it at the Big 10th Anniversary Show at Kleinplasie on the 8th, 9th & 10th August. Details on the engine plate are:

JENBACH WORKS, Tirol, Austria, Diesel Engine JW 15, Output 15 BHP, Speed 800 to 1500 RPM, Engine No 1660. Does anybody know this engine or have any information for him? He says everything that moves inside the engine runs on ball or needle roller bearings, with the exception of the big and small end bearings! Since sending this information in, there has been a request for information in the latest Stationary Engine Magazine. The name has only appeared in the magazine once before!

Philip Gray-Taylor has taken over a Stewart Little Wonder from Simon Morris in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. See Right: He sent a request for information to Ron Wiley from Victor Harbour, South Australia. This is part of his very full reply to Philip's request:

In the USA products were sold using the "Stewart" brand name and in all other counties the name was "Cooper-Stewart", except in Australia where the name "Cooper" was used. Just to confuse the issue some products were sold under the "Stewart" brand name in Australia until the Second World War. Apart from my interest in any product with the above brand names, I am writing a history of the company that as you can see is very complex. I take the opportunity when someone like yourself contacts me to ask them if they will pass on any information they may come across, I hope you don’t mind me doing so? It is possible that you might have or are lucky enough to come across some early Cooper-Stewart catalogues? I am also interested in hearing about any engine that was sold in South Africa with any of the above brand names. I saw recently that the Sunbeam Corporation had a branch in South Africa in the 1960’s, but prior to this, was there a branch of the Cooper-Stewart Engineering Co in South Africa? Any information would be appreciated. Ron can be contacted on ronwiley@granite.net.au

Lindsay Madden phoned in from London to say he was bored with watching tennis, and was going to see the big beam engines at Crossness Pumping Station, and had his camera with him. Watch this space!

Netherlands News: Wouter van Gulik sent on the last newsletter to his address list, an extra 86 addresses over and above the original 166! Please feel free to do the same, and to copy any part for inclusion in any publication you might edit!

Patrick Knight and Tim Macaire visited the Nuenen show this year. Patrick kindly sent us this report: (Photo's by Tim Macaire.)

14^th International Stationary Engine Rally, Nuenen, This was my first visit to the International Stationary Engine Rally held over the Whitsuntide Bank Holiday, May 19-20 at Nuenen, in The Netherlands, and what an enjoyable weekend it was! After being involved with stationary engines for nearly 30 years, I was amazed at all the new names that I was seeing! In fact, that one show made me realise just how little I knew about Continental engines and their manufacturers; something I would very much like to address, so if anyone has a spare copy(s) of catalogues, handbooks etc., (preferably in English) I would be interested in purchasing same. (Address below under UK News)

Moving on to the rally.... but just where does one start as there was so much to see and photograph? While it would be impossible to go through the engines one by one, I must say that all the engines on display were well presented and where an engine had been restored, the work had been done to a very high standard.

As you can imagine there were a few engines that particularly caught my eye as being outstanding, for example, how often do you get the chance to see three inverted vertical engines? Two of these inverted engines, a 1hp Otto and a 1hp Durkopp were owned by Kees Fitters, an enthusiast who will no doubt be known to many readers of this Newsletter. Unfortunately I forgot to record the details of the third engine. Then there was the Moritze Hille slide valve gas engine and Blackstone oil engine owned by Leo Theunissen.

In the larger engine category there was a 25hp Swedish built Beijers horizontal open-crank hot-

bulb two-stroke, a 16hp Deutz, a 7-9hp HSCS, but for me the Star of the Show was a 20hp twin-cylinder Fetu-Defize slide valve gas engine dating from 1887. See Right: This engine was one of two that had been supplied to a Conservatorum in Belgium, to drive generators providing the building with electrical power. The two engines were recovered in 1999 by father and son Vic and Marcel Peumans. One engine went to America, and now resides in Coolsprings museum, while the other was retained by the Peumans family.

There is so much more that I could say about the Nuenen Rally, but where does one stop? This is one event I would strongly recommend to anyone interested in Stationary Engines. If you get the chance to go, do so, you will not regret it! P.K.

UK News: Patrick Knight is researching for an article on Capel engines. If any reader can help him with details of any engine they know of, like bore, stroke, size of flywheel, method of ignition, serial number, and possibly a picture or two. Please contact him on PatrickKnightpk@aol.com All details will be held in the strictest confidence. All replies will be answered.

Eric Brain in Bath reports that Les Cawley of the Anson Museum in Cheshire has sadly passed away. What will happen to the museum now he wonders? Paul Evans says that the museum is in the hands of three Trustees, so it ought to be all right.

Australian News: Rob Laurent in Highfields Qld has been sent a handbook for the South African made Southern Cross model AC Wolseley-copy engine, by Gilbert Correia at Southern Cross, Bloemfontein. He says all this information, including a full page SC advertisement from a 1967 Farmers Weekly which I sent him, help him compile a fuller story for his upcoming book on Southern Cross engines. Ron Wiley is also helping him with the 'badged' engines of Southern Cross sold by Cooper. Ian Matthews of Thuringowa, North Queensland has sent me a list of all production numbers of Southern Cross engines, with dates, as well as important info. on magnetos and piston rings on the earlier models. For details, contact him on ianm01@hotkey.net.au

Peter Ogborne reports that he has poured the new bearings for the Trusty engine they are restoring. They have been asked to take it and some other engines of the so-called 'Mullewa Collection' back there for a show in August. I hope the locals who agonised for years about handing the engines over to the WA club will be duly impressed with the progress made so far. Perhaps they'll wish they did it sooner! Peter also says that he's selling up in Perth and moving to Albany on the south coast of WA, where he hopes to start up an engine group, while keeping close ties with the club in Perth.

New Zealand News: Gordon Hayes has been sending me copies of the Christchurch Historic Machinery Club regularly. A group of them recently embarked on a tour of other clubs, collections and museums in the Picton, Blenheim and Nelson areas. Their tour finished off inspecting a 6-cylinder Dayey Paxman 600 HP engine which is looked after by the Marlborough Vintage Farm Machinery Society. Gordon reports that as each cylinder starts in turn, 'it lets out a mighty bang like a cannon going off!' It drives a generator producing 98.5 Amps at 66 000 Volts! With it is a big Harland and Wolff and similar generator.

USA News: News is that the great Charles Wendel has suffered what he describes as a slight stroke, and is recovering well, and giving the hospital staff a lighthearted hard time! We wish him a speedy and complete recovery.

Dusty Erickson in Arizona reports that he has managed to get hold of an 18 HP Mietz & Weiss. His report:

I traced it down from my schooling at the University of Nebraska back in the 70's. It was a "test" engine there for the mechanical engineering students. I knew it was sold and just kept following up on leads as to where it went. Finally managed to locate it in Washington State approx. 2000 miles from my home. It will be transported this summer some time when I have a break from business. That makes Mietz # 4 in my personal collection. He sends sincere thanks to Ron Starkey of the Stutterheim Stationary Engine Museum for sending him the details of the 2 M&W engines they have there, and would appreciate details of any others in preservation.

New Members: (Remember, being a member only involves opening and reading this newsletter, we're a no subs, no rules Society!) Ian Matthews from Thuringowa, near Townsville, North Queensland, is mentioned above. George Botha from Stilfontein, is a Lister boffin. Pat Busch from Klaasvoogds, near Robertson, and his vertical National are mentioned above, and Fanie Fouchè from Worcester, with his Jenbach Diesel. Ron Wiley from Victor Harbour SA has been helping Philip with info on the little Stewart. We met Hannes Gerber at the Winter Warm-up. We were introduced to Gerrie de Jongh from Sasolburg in the Freestate by Paul Evans in Wales! Paul does our website, and has loads of manuals on his website, www.semidiesel.com. We are hoping to meet Tinus Neethling, Herman's son with an engine at the Big Show at Kleinplasie next month.

Tractor & Engine Club All is on stream for the big 10th Anniversary Show at Kleinplasie scheduled for 8th, 9th and 10th August 2002. We are hoping for a bumper turn out of Stationary Engines!

Restored Engine CD. Hendrik v d Berg is keen to make a CD with pictures of members' restored engines. Please send your favourites to him at the address below, or if you have photo's, send to me at P O Box 41 Elgin 7180, South Africa. When sending digital pictures he asks for them in about 30k size.

For Sale / Available: Jacques Hough in Ceres has an interesting proposition: He has a horizontal open crank Tangye in poor condition which he knows he will not get to the restoration of. Also the owner of the farm where it comes from still needs to be paid at least its scrap value. Jacques is keen that it should not go on to anybody's scrap heap to lie and rot, so his proposition is to offer it to a restorer for that amount, plus a refundable deposit, repayable if restored within a reasonable period! How's that for incentive! Please contact him on 021 3133387 or 082 894 0224, or contact me.

Simon Morris in Queenstown has a number of engines to dispose of, including a JAP, and a V12 Rolls Royce Meteor! tracker@xsinet.co.za or 045 839 5238 or 082 499 1924.

This was seen recently on the web, from Busch Engineering and sent in by Paul Evans: We have collected and repaired Lister and Petter engines for more than 30 years. We have a lot of old stuff such as original D type spares. We are in Johannesburg in South Africa. Drop us a line at +27 (0)114936077/74 or fax +27 (0)114932613 or e-mail Buschco@icon.co.za We would also consider selling the whole lot!!!

Wanted: Pierre du Toit is looking for a pet/par fuel tank for a Wolseley and a carb for a 2-cylinder Petters. Gordon Hayes in Christchurch, NZ is desperately looking for a fuel pump and injector for his Ruston & Hornsby 1YHR. He is looking for the genuine articles, lost while sent in for overhaul. (Haven't we all experienced this?). Those engines are scarce in NZ. Can anybody help Gordon bring another engine to life, to the exacting standard he sets himself!

Dusty M Erickson in Arizona, our Mietz & Weiss enthusiast says: I would love to place a note asking to purchase anything related to Mietz & Weiss: ie; Mufflers, fuel pumps, belt pulleys, steam domes, hot bulbs, old photos, literature, etc.etc. dusty@gameguns.com

Sandstone Estates have come by a 'rail-car', (a 2 foot gauge rail chassis) and are looking for the rest! That is, a 1920's or 30's tourer motor car or maybe just the body of one, which they will adapt to fit. 'A promise for a ride with champagne in the presence of two beautifully presented Edwardian Ladies is guaranteed for its inaugural drive in the Eastern Free State'. juanitadt@sandstone.co.za

What's On: Please check with the organisers before travelling to these events!

27th July, 2002, Engine Day at Koos Kriel's in Potchefstroom. Contact Dawie van Vuuren on 083 758 2236

8th, 9th & 10th August, 2002. Tenth annual show of the Tractor & Engine Club of the Westen Cape, at Kleinplasie Museum, Worcester.

13th & 14th September, 2002. Yearly gathering at the Bathurst Agricultural Show Grounds, Bathurst. Contact Marius Meiring on 082 657 1066

20th & 21st September, 2002. Free State Farming Museum Festival, on the grounds of Glen College. Contact Coenie de Beer on 051 943 0125.

19th, 20th, 21st & 22nd September, 2002 are the dates for the fundraising bash at the Mamre Spring Festival, in aid of the restoration of this historic mill. Contact me, or Bea Heymann on 021 761 4619.

21st & 22nd September, 2002 are the dates for the next Steam and Vintage show in Nottingham Road, Natal, organised by Sam Hewett. The venue is the same as last year, but this will be the last as the area is set for re-development. Rob North reports that it's within the so-called Midlands Meander, so there's plenty to do for those who aren't interested in old iron.

20th & 21st September 2002 are the dates of a 160 km Tractor Road Run organised by the Southern Cape Tractor & Implement Club. Starting from Riversdale, via Herbertsdale, Van Wyksdorp, and through the Garcia Pass back to Riversdale. Contact Herman Giliomee on 028 722 1869.

1st to the 5th October 2002 are the dates for this year's Robertson Show. Details to follow which day/s we are likely to exhibit on.

? December 2002. Another Old Time Harvest Day atBrakfontein, near Riversdale, on the farm of Emile Cronjé. 028 713 2892

25th to 28th April, 2003. Wings, Wheels and Whistles Show at Sandstone Estates, (Incorporating the Clocolan Show, April 25, 2003)

Please remember your name-tags, even if you are just coming along as a spectator!

Andy Selfe, Sec. (021)8592430 (home & manual fax) e-mail aselfe@mweb.co.za