Cape Vintage Engine
& Machinery Society Newsletter
Paraffinalia No 24
January 2004
Hello All!
Technical Tips: Having discussed several aspects of Fuel Injection
in general, here is a suggestion for anybody looking for a fuel injection
pump for an engine such as the Ruston & Hornsby 1HR range, where the
mounting bolts are at right angles to the control rod, (Code /03). One
can easily buy complete pumps with the 'normal' layout, where the bolt holes
are in line with the control rod, (Code /00) as used on the Lister 'CS'
range of engines and many others. We were faced with this problem on Johan
Stemmet's Slavia engine, which has appeared recently in the pages
of Stationary Engine Magazine, and the innards of the original PAL pump
body (Left in picture) were so different from
the 'ordinary' CAV and Bosch pumps that we couldn't get replacement parts
to fit. Our Fuel Injection Specialist member, Schalk du Plessis
came up with the following solution:Take a
normal pump body and machine off the existing flange, leaving only a ring
protruding all around the base. Cut a diamond-shaped flange of the correct
dimensions, and bore it to engage the ring which was left, and drill the
two mounting holes. Cut it in half, bolt the pump down and align the control
rod with the governor linkage. The split is hardly visible and could
easily be filled.
Schalk was also
kind enough to do the job 'on the house'. Thanks a lot! Once properly aligned,
Paul Evans suggests drilling and pinning between the new
flange and the body for safety.
Robertson Show:
In last Paraffinalia I announced that this was the show where they really
know how to look after an exhibitor. At how many shows do the organisers
wait till you've set up and then whisk you off for a full-on slap-up sit-down
breakfast? Both days? Then Saturday lunch?? It's not a big show, and
it's friendly and relaxed, and we had time to catch up with friends, and
meet some new ones for the first time.
Now for the engines and machinery:
what was impressive was the international flavour of the exhibits.
Where else do you expect to find a Slavia from Czechoslovakia next
to two Bamford diesels from Uttoxeter, next to a Bernard from France, then
a Southern Cross from Australia; several Internationals, McCormicks and
Fairbanks Morse from the United States, a Sendling from Germany, and then
the usual selection of Wolseleys, with their South African names like Vetsak
and Boeresake? And a good selection of Lister models, both petrol & diesel?
Remember also, this is Ruston & Hornsby country, so there were no
less than three HRs, a 1, a 2 and a 3!
The Philadelphia Egg Grader which is now famous since its appearance
in Farm & Horticultural Equipment Collector Magazine, which was distributed
free recently with each copy of Stationary Engine Magazine and Tractor &
Machinery, attracted a lot of interest. During the show, we had some time
to do some fault-finding on the Slavia, and a story on the subject has appeared
in the pages of Stationary Engine Magazine. Don't subscribe? Ag, shame!
Peregrine Show: This was the third
time we've exhibited at Peregrine Farm Stall over the week-end of the Elgin
Festival. This year there was no Rose Show as such but there were many Open
Gardens, to occupy those not so keen on looking at old machinery! It's my
local show, so it was no problem for me to be there both days and I was
joined by a good crowd of our members on each day, with some coming
great distances to attend. As usual, the response from the public
who were just dropping in to the Farm Stall was amazing; you could see the
car doors open and dad & son would come and see what was going on, and
the 
womenfolk usually looked in, having done their shopping!
There was a wide range of exhibit, from large to small, the
Ruston & Hornsby 2Y HR powered Electric Light Machine at the big end
and at the other an Onan type LK Utility truck- model generator set, 240volts
1500Watts at 1500rpm.
In between, Kosie van der Merwe brought a
brace of Lister As, one with the unusual fuel tank in the base as found
in some of the cross-mounted-engine shearing sets (See
right, behind), Philip & Ryan Gray-Taylor
with the McCormick M and the Onan mentioned above, Steven Sokolic
had his big Fairbanks Morse ZC, Darryl Bailey with Villiers
and Wolseleys, Mike Thurgood with a selection of scale
Hot Air engines (we're looking forward to seeing his next one, now nearing
completion, a Heinrici Beta!). Denis Usher brought an International
U4 skid-unit, which had problems on Saturday but we sorted those out on
Sunday and she purred along like a Farmall all day! It was Yuri
Peila and Bill Mitchell who came the furthest, Yuri from Graafwater.
Yuri brought his B&H (Made in Occupied Japan), as well as using the
opportunity to drop off a Kelvin twin-cylinder and a John Deere E here for
Derick Kleynhans, who couldn't make the show, as well as
a disreputable-looking Lister D for Brian Boast, Peter
(the Petter)'s dad.
This 'D' arrived with a seized
governor, and a few more broken, blocked and rusty parts, and no starting
handle. It was given a quick oily-rag restoration, and with a rope wrapped
around the pulley, started and ran at the slowest tick-over imaginable for
the rest of the two days, much to Brian's delight when he and Peter arrived
with a Petter M for Sunday's show.
For a change, it didn't rain!
Vintage & Steam 2003, Nottingham Road, KwaZulu Natal Show
was held on 3rd to 5th October 2003. This incorporated the National Show
of the combined South African Vintage Tractor & Engine Clubs, (SAVTEC),
so exhibitors were there from all over the country. Official
figures of entrants who registered were: 63 cars, 11 Commercial vehicles,
61 Stationary Engines (unofficially 70), 16 Notor Cycles, 74 Tractors and
2 Steam Rollers. Paul Deglon sent in this report on the
Stationary Engines, and Rob North supplied the photos:
An Andover V
twin, unrestored but in good running order was exhibited by Hennie
van Wijk.These engines were built by the Andover company of New
York and were supplied to the American Air Force as auxiliary power
units during the last World War. These were also used in Sunderland flying
boats and this particular unit is probably from one of these aircraft. The
engine speed of 3100 rpm is geared up to 6300 rpm, the operating speed of
the 27V 150A generator. Among the other engines exhibited by Hennie were
a 1942 John Deere LUS, (See right) a 1922 Fairbanks
Morse Z and a Lister D driving a 220V alternator. A nicely restored Bentall
was entered by Fred Rascher chairman of the Vintag
e Sports Car Club. Gerald Buitendach had his usual immaculate
display comprising a pre-war 2.5hp Bradford, a Lister A and a rare 1hp Fairbanks
Morse Eclipse, each engine driving a suitable piece of machinery. An unrestored
Coventry Climax firefighting unit was exhibited by Peter Baker
along with an early Fairbanks Morse Z and circular saw on its original trolley.
Both non runners. Nick Houston’s 1913 Fairbanks Morse Jack
of all Trades was the earliest of that make in the paddock. Other engines
in Nick’s collection were a 1920 6hp Worthington, a 1923 John Deere E and
a 1920 Massey Harris type 2. A big crowd puller was Craig Truter’s
International UD18. (See right) This 100hp
6 cylinder unit which starts on petrol and is then switched to diesel by
a complex arrangement which cuts out the magneto and increases the compression
ratio, was obtained from the Karkloof area where it drove a sawmill. Also
there was Craig’s self-contained trailer complete with a 1915 National,
a 1922 National 10V and a Jowett horizontally opposed twin driving a 220V
alternator. Les Maker’s 1.5hp 1926 John Deere E is as he
found it on a farm near Polokwane.
Although unrestored this engine runs faultlessly. There were 14 Listers
displayed by 12 exhibitors. Gerald Buitendach, Hennie van Wijk,
Peter Holliday, Paul Deglon, Hendrik Massyn, Chris Tilbury, Kevin Tebbutt,
Shaun Tebbutt, Colin Alborough, Henk Groenewald, Dieter Junge and Malcom
Anderson. Unusual !, a Lister D with a dip-stick which fitted into
a orifice cast into the crankcase, a Lister K and a 1932 Lister CS. (See right) Neville Allwright’s
1918 6hp National (See lower right) ran faultlessly
throughout the event. A 22hp National diesel driven by Alex Steyn
was a major attraction. When the safety officer was not around and the crowd
had dwindled, an empty beer can dropped into the exhaust system could be
propelled skywards to quite a height on the engines exhaust stroke. Guy
Smith’s 4YHR Ruston Hornsby, retrieved from a pump house and rebuilt
in record time, was most impressive especially on start up which appeared
to be a 4 man operation. Andrew Mason’s 5hp PB of the same
make was perhaps less impressive but ran just as well. Stuart
Turners were well represented with Piers Nicolle displaying
2 1948 generator sets of 1 and 1.5hp respectively. These were found in Zimbabwe
were they had been used for auxiliary power at mining prospecting camps.
Ron Bell’s pre-war 1hp marine unit competed the Stuart
Turner turn-out. Wolseleys and their derivatives were as usual well represented
and as usual went about their business in a quiet and unspectacular manner.
There was Paul Deglon’s Southern Cross AC, the Wolseleys
of Stewart Campbell, Martin Hampton and Dieter Junge and
the Vetsaks of Chris Tilbury. Fuller and Johnson were represented
by Stewart Campbell’s 1910 pump jack and Colin
Rowlett’s award winning 1925 model. Not to be forgotten was
Derick Kleynhans' Hercules 4-cylinder engine from a Sunshine
harvester, sent up from Heidelberg, Western Cape, which gained third prize
in the National competition and Dennis Fields' Lauson engine
which was judged the overall winner.!
Harvest Day, Brakfontein:
A good crowd gathered at Emile Cronjé's farm
Brakfontein, between Riversdale and Heidelberg on 6th December to enjoy
a day amongst old working harvesting equipment. Emile had planted a field
of Korog, and had harvested some of it previously and an immaculate
round stack had been prepared, next to which a 3-knife McCormick Deering
threshing machine was belted up to a McCormick W9.
But first we were shown 'the old way' with sickles and
scythes, and tying the sheaves with locally grown reeds, which have to be
bruised first, otherwise they snap when tying.
Then came the reaper binders, vividly demonstrating the
difference they must have made to farming in those days. 
What had taken hours to reap with sickles and scythes was done in seconds.
Three immaculate binders were in operation, drawn or driven, in the case
of the PTO models, by tractors which would have been used in those days.
Sheaves were then collected, and we were shown how to make stacks in the
land, to protect the cut crop from bad weather, until such time as it could
be brought in. These sheaves were then loaded on to a trailer, and taken
to the other threshing machine, a Massey Harris, appropriately driven by
an MH K55.
The threshing then started, one machine working from the
stack, the other from the trailer. Several people were on
hand to demonstrate the skills of the time, bagging, weighing and sewing
the bags. Co-organiser, Herman Giliomee explained that
often the strings would have been cut from the sheaves before threshing,
and two second-hand strings would be used to sew one bag, each from
the outside to the middle! A wooden-framed Ballarat stationary baler was
set up for baling the straw, its trestle nearby for preparing the wires.
Having had our fill of that, it was back to the land, and
a small army of six self-propelled harvester-threshers went into action,
some headers, some pick-up models, assisted by a Sunshine HST tractor-driven
header harvester. For the pick-up models, a 
Cockshutt No2 platsnyer was preparing windrows. It's really good
to see these machines, which are normally ignored by preservers, operating,
and as with Emile's Case SP12, immaculately restored.
Derick Kleynhans had brought a selection
of engines, and Trevor Bailey and Steven Sokolic
each brought one more, so we had the background accompaniment of them all
day. Derick then belted up his newly restored Krupp plate mill to his Crossley
1030, and a bag of freshly harvested grain was fed through that, to produce
what the pundits said that, had it been wheat and not Korog, which
is grown as animal feed, would have produced an acceptable loaf!
Throughout the day, refreshments were served by a hard-working
team of local ladies, for sale at very reasonable prices. We were a long
way from a take-away!
South African News: 
Chris Dry and Dirk Genis from Hazyview in the Far North of this
country sent in this story of their escapades: I thought that it is about
time we give you some news from our part of the world. Somehow you guys seem
to have all the fun and action in your part of the country. My friend Dirk
Genis and I have for some weeks been trying to lay hands on stationary engines,
and we have in the last six weeks been really fortunate in securing a Fairbanks
Morse Model Z 6 HP which is in good condition as the engine is
reasonably intact. We have also been successful in getting a total of 7
Wolseleys. However with our travel we located 3 Blackstone's that were used
to generate power on a farm and were still standing in the original building
were they served time. After a couple of weeks ( which felt like months
) the owner agreed to sell us all three machines.
Operation Blackstone was underway and as you can see from
the photographs it was quite a "trek". It was time for the old Merc to start
earning her keep, and after checking everything from oil levels to propshaft
bolts and tyre pressures we were ready to leave on the first long trip with
her. With the enthusiasm and the organizing ability of Dirk we left on Friday
the 3rd October fully laden with Unimog, cables, slings, winches, tools,
grinders and with Coleman's that were packed to the brim with food by our
supportive wife's. The recovery of the engines kept us busy the Friday and
the Saturday and we were back home on Sunday to enjoy a much needed scrub
and afternoon nap. Recovering these heavy engines is hard and "black" work.
Two of the engines we will have running but the third
one will be used for spares as the block has cracked from top to bottom
through the journals.
Details: Blackstone OP, Engine serial no: OP23792 HP 24 RPM
650 With Stamford Generator Serial no R54276/1 KVA 17.5
Blackstone SP, Engine
serial no SPG62F243 Spec no 111050
Type SPE HP 50 RPM
450
Unfortunately the engine frame (block) on the SP has a
crack through the main journals and covers.
Blackstone TP, Engine serial no T64429 Spec no 71150 Type
TP HP 77 RPM 420
If there is anybody interested in spares on the SP E they
can contact Dirk or me on the following numbers
CHRIS 083 632 9242 DIRK 082 600 5420
We had a wonderful weekend and arrived home safely. The only setback was
a blowout on the Unimog. We are looking for
manuals on the "P" type Blackstones or any technical information.(Here I have been able to help. Ed.)
Dave Menasce sent in this report after a
visit to George & Koos Botha's Lister Museum in Stilfontein: Clem
Davidson, Dad and I started out at about 8 in the morning
and got to the Botha's farm by 10:30. We took Clem's bakkie (pick-up, ute)
as we KNEW that we would bring back some or other treasure.
The visit started with a trip
round George and Koos' Lister Museum. Dad had to try his hand at starting up the JP4
generator set and had a smile from ear to ear as it 
rumbled into life. Here's
me standing next to the JP 3 and JP 4. (See above right)
The museum has, to
us anyway, a most amazing selection of engines. To quote Koos
Botha: "There are many more types of Listers made than
we have here, especially in the
paraffin types. The diesels , I think we have about all
of them." . There are too many engines to photograph so
we took a photo of the rarest
diesel engine: a twin-cylinder Lister Marine (CE, see right). George and Koos hope to eventually have every
engine restored and running. Next
we went off to look for more treasures and found all kinds of unknown
[to us that is] Listers.
After several cups of coffee and several slices
of mom's home-made chocolate cake, George gave us a demo of how to strip
a Lucas magneto and then we went in search of more treasures in the yard.
There was a Guldner, a Petter type
S [sadly missing some vital parts thanks to vandals before it was rescued]
and a Ruston Dorman 1YBA [not made in Lincoln either]. We can't even find
this 
particular Guldner's model in Dad's German Stationary Engine book,
so it must be a rare one.
Finally here's a picture of Clem standing next
to a Mirrlees Blackstone 475 Bhp engine (see right)
that powered two belt driven alternators. Dad then offered me
a Wolesley WD to rebuild so we toured Koos's scrap yard and found two reasonable
WD blocks and a host of genuine Wolseley parts including an original petrol-paraffin
tank and caps and then Magriet called us to a lunch of delicious home made
sandwiches and country baked bread. George had to go, so Koos, Clem, Dad
and I finished the day's events with the purchase of some Wolseley spares
for my engine and exchanging manuals and other data. A wonderful day was had by all.
From the Newsletter of the Cape Railway Enthusiasts Association, we hear
the disturbing news that British American Tobacco SA has announced its decision
to close the Heidelberg Motor Museum on 31 December 2003.
However, the collection will be kept intact and maintained for a further
period of three months to allow the Lesedi (Heidelberg) Local Municipality
and other stakeholders to source an alternative sponsor.
Mozambique
News: Chris Baragwanath has recently been on a business trip
to Pemba in Mozambique and brought back some pictures of the impressive
electric generation plant there. The remote towns have yet to be connected
to the grid, which is powered by the Cahora Basa hydro-electric power station.
German
News: In the last Paraffinalia, mention was made of a seed
dresser made by Neuhaus, of Eberswalde, which we discovered on the farm
of Sakkie van der Merwe on the Britstown side of Victoria
West. Christian Schupp responded by saying:
Perhaps I can find some information about the
Neuhaus seed dresser. Eberswalde is in Eastern Germany south of Berlin. If you
are interested, I will look for more information.
To which I replied, Yes please! Christian's
reply:
I sent
an email to the municipal museum in Eberswalde and today I received a letter
from there. They sent a copy from an ad in an old brochure "100 years of
the Forestry University" (see right). It says: Preparation and
dressing machines for SEEDS of all kinds grain, horticulture,
legumes, beets. Dry seed dressers, storing, transportation
and drying installations.
F.
Neuhaus Ltd. Eberswalde Machine Factory.
The firm is listed in the trade register of the
1920's and 1930's.
For
further information they told me to contact the Barnim county archives.
On the off-chance, I contacted Charles
Rickens of Rovic-Leers in Cape Town, because some of the other
equipment in Sakkie's mill was supplied by them. Charles came back
with the following:
Yes, at some time
in its long history (since 1926!) Leers did market Neus
aat products, probably in the years just before WW2, I'm
not sure. More recently (1960/70/80's) Leers marketed Seed
Cleaners from Goldsaat, a company in "West" Germany but I have a feeling
Goldsaat might have had a connection with Neusaat. Neusaat possibly became
Fortschritt in East Germany after WW2.
Goldsaat
still exists, goldsaat@t-online.de, the owners now are a family called Metzen-Begon.
Perhaps they can give you more info.
So I passed on that information to Christian,
who wrote:
I got an answer
from Mrs Bohl from Goldsaat (www.goldsaat.de).
It seems to have been a good hint. Goldsaat is an indirect predecessor of
Stahl-Neusaat, Eberswalde. They have some matierial from this time and could
send a manual of a similar machine and some old brochures, but not of the
same type. The machine is called "Beizer Poppelsdorf". Beizer means seed
dresser and Poppeldorf is the name of a castle in Bonn, the former
capital of Western Germany. In Poppelsdorf Castle there is an agricultural
Institute. She also wrote that perhaps there are brochures of the Beizer
Poppelsdorf, she connot give you in original, because they own only a single
one of them they want to keep for their own. I asked Mrs. Bohl to copy or
scan them. In return Mrs. Bohl would like to have some more information
about the farm and photos of the seed
dresser. She seems to be a great South Africa and Namibia fan. She already
was there several times. Thank you Christian and Charles, I have passed
on some scanned photos to Christian to send to Mrs Bohl, and all the
above information to Sakkie.
Patrick Knight also published
a request for information on the Tigris Mill which was at the same location,
in his magazine Farm & Horticultural Equipment Collector. We look forward
to response on that, while Nils-Eric Sjöstrand in Sweden
has promised further information on the Ellwe 2-stroke diesel engine which
drove the mill and the dresser.
UK News: Paul Evans reports that his Museum is officially open,
so next time you're in the Cardigan area, contact him at http://www.internalfire.com Internal
Fire, Museum of Power, Tanygroes, Ceredigion, Wales. Tel: 01239 811212.
There are some BIG engines there! A word of thanks to him is due again
for hosting and paying for our own website, www.paraffinalia.org Ray Hooley
has been most helpful with dating the various Rustons which keep turning
up. First it was a pair of 5VCRAs, Nos. 183044 & 183045 which were spotted on a farm near
Clanwilliam. He says they were sold to Ruston agents Hubert Davies &
Co. Ltd. on 8th March 1937. If required, he has offered to supply a set
of VCR publications. He was also able to give us the weight (4.8 tonnes),
shoud it be necessary, either to transport them, or to calculate a
scrap-related price for them! :-) Next, a pair of more humble
1V SHs, Nos 360325 (28th October 1952) and 377495 (25th March 1954), which
we came across on the historic farm Eensgevonden, near Worcester, Western
Cape. The farm has tourist cottages, and these could be interesting
additional attractions. (See Right). He adds that both are rated at 11 HP @ 1500 RPM.
New
members:
Mike
Torrance joins his brother Charles on the roll.
Charles has been looking for information on the Ford-badged Kirloskar engine
he has from India, which was featured in the last Paraffinalia. He was contacted
by Mangesh Deshpande, who runs a firm called Cube Power
(Pty) Ltd in the same town as Kirloskar is made, and has sent Charles specs
he needed to set up the engine. Kirloskar has written to ask for 'before
and after' photographs of Charles' engine! At the Robertson Show, we 'signed
up' Johan De Villiers and his family, (Johan had spent
his school holidays restoring a 7 HP Bamford diesel) and Philip
du Preez from Stanford, who's at school in Worcester. Nice to see
interest 
at that age! Also Duncan Robertson from Bonnievale, who
Keith Johnstone had told us about at last year's show.
Duncan's actually a motor bike man, but has a Wolseley restoration under
his belt, and is looking for something more challenging. He's hooked! Kobus
van der Merwe from Ceres also looked in at the show, having been
put on to us by Annes Geldenhuys. He has an air cooled
Ronaldson & Tippet amongst other engines, not many of them around! (Fellow
from McGregor?) Tigue Little was researching for a
thesis at the University of Cape Town, and needed some information on Hot
Tube ignition. Interesting subject. Information in the pages of the reprint
of Gas, Gasoline & Oil-Engines by Gardner Hiscox, which is available
from Camden Miniature Service, was just what he was looking for. The
University library couldn't help with a copy, but your Society Technical
Library could, courtesy of the late Rolf Bosch, whose passing
was reported in Paraffinalia No 4. Terry Jenkins wrote
in: G'day from Melbourne, Australia, Put me on your mailing list
please.You are definitely my kind of people. He has some BIG
engines. Sally at Eensgevonden, is mentioned above.
Brian Boast joins his son Peter on the
list. Paul Nutt wrote
in and asked to be included on the circulation. He runs the JAP Help Line
in Stationary Engine Magazine. Fred & Sue
Harvey, (See right) are the new
editors of the North West (England) Stationary Engine Association Newsletter,
having taken over from Les Scaife. They have put us on
to Richard Crook, another member, who helps with their
computer problems :-) Cronje Dietrichsen from Bethlehem,
Freestate rang in looking for parts for his two Fm zs, see Wanted below.
Johan Koen introduced himself at the Kleinplasie show,
he has a Stuart Turner 5 HP @ 1650, P5M Serial no: A11A 721 which he is
interested in further information on.
Wanted: Volunteers! Robert
Page of the Friends of Mostert's Mill sent this
in: Reading in Paraffinalia about mealies being shelled
and the corn being turned into mealie meal at the Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg,
reminded me that I undertook, on behalf of the Friends of Mostert's Mill,
(See right) to enquire whether there might
be any possibility of recruiting a couple of stout fellows from your organisation
who might be interested in learning all about a really
ancient piece of machinery. We are desperately short of trainee millers
and would appreciate any publicity you might be able to give us that could
result in our recruiting a couple. In return for making themselves available
on Saturdays, on a fairly regular basis, our apprentice millers learn to
become millers in the ancient, indeed medieval, way and in the process enjoy
loads of fun and good fellowship. And, of course, there is the serious business
of operating, maintaining and preserving a priceless old wind driven
machine. Contact Robert on
twopages@sybaweb.co.za
On the
subject of windmills, Wilf Mole kindly sent me his copy
of Windmillers' Gazette, a quarterly publication published in Texas by world-renowned
windmill authority, T. Lindsay Baker. The theme of this
issue was Power Mills, i.e. those used to drive machinery rather than just
pump water. The magazine is full of period advertisements and photographs.
It is only available by subscription, at $20 per year. The Editor writes
as a footnote: Fill out this form and send it to us here under the mesquite
trees in Texas. If times are hard for you, send whatever you can spare.
No one should go without the Windmillers' Gazette simply for lack of money.
Send whatever seems fair! Contact Windmillers' Gazette, PO Box 507,
Rio Vista, Texas 76093 USA. www.windmillersgazette.com
And while
on the subject of Texas, General Tecumseh Sherman
is said to have made this comment: "If I owned Hell and Texas,
I'd rent out Texas and live in Hell." Ed :-)
What's
on: Plough and be Counted 2.
11th April (Easter) 2004 at Cootamundra, NSW. The Australians are aiming
at getting together 2500 tractors from 1903 to 2004!
Wanted: Cronje
Dietrichsen, a new collector from Bethlehem, Freestate, has recently
acquired two Fairbanks Morse engines, a ZC and a ZD, for which he is looking
for parts, including magnetos for both, main bearings for the D and carb
parts for the C. Please contact him on 084 484 3365 or PO Box 197, Bethlehem,
9700.
Ron Wiley from Victor Harbour,
South Australia is researching Cooper-Stewart and the Chicago Flexible Shaft
Companies, and has been writing articles on the subject which have been
appearing in The Old Machinery Magazine in Australia. His particular interest
at the moment is how the early Stover engines were imported to Australia,
as well as the UK and Europe, and perhaps South Africa as well, prior to
mid 1917, when Cooper Engineering began representing Stover. Several engines
are turning up with the names of exporters, or perhaps 'Catalogue Houses'
on their name plates, such as Dunn's Review, Gerherd & Hey, and we found
a Cooper Stewart advertisement in the (later) Ironmongers' Standard Catalogue
from the UK. If you've got a pre-First World War Stover, contact me please,
or Ron direct on ronwiley@iinet.net.au
We are in touch with Curt Andree,
who has access to the Stover records, so even if your's is not so old, drop
us a line!
Andy Selfe (021) 859 2430 Weathertop Farm, PO
Box 41, ELGIN 7180, South Africa aselfe@mweb.co.za
