UK NEWS

Easter Weekend at the Anson Engine Museum

Over the Easter Weekend the Anson Engine Museum, Poynton, Cheshire opened its doors signalling the start of the 2005 show season. The Curator, Geoff Challinor, assisted by a small band of volunteer enginemen were kept busy as they brought to life a selection of large engines each day. While most of the engines were happy to be awoken from their winter slumbers, there were one or two exceptions, one of which, was the 20hp Tangye gas engine, but after a little fine tuning it too came to life.

It was very satisfying to see so many big engines, up to 40bhp, running at one time; there was one point when 15 engines were running at the same time, a sight one does not often see.

Behind the scenes activities over the winter months has resulted in the museum retaining the Gardner Exhibition, which was such a great successful in 2004, for a second year. This has been done following numerous requests from enthusiast who for various reasons had been unable to visit during 2004. A selection of the museum’s resident Gardner engines were in action each day, for the enjoyment of both the enginemen and visitors.

In addition to the museums’ medium and large engines, members of two local preservation groups were on hand displaying a fine selection of rally field engines in sizes from ¼ to 5bhp.

To complete the scene Museum Trustee Geoff Baker exhibited a small selection of stationary steam engine. So all in all it is fair to say that no matter what area your preferences lie there was something to suit all tastes.

If you are visiting the UK during 2005 I strongly recommend you include a visit to the Anson Engine Museum on your schedule. Full details of opening times etc can be found at www.enginemuseum.org

I trust I find you well and hope that you have not Yingtonged your iddle-i-po? If you want some information for Paraffinalia the following very complex story may be of interest?

On the back page Wendel's POWER OF THE PAST (Vol 3 – Stover) it states the following statement "no serial numbers are available for engines built prior to March 10, 1903 that starts with engine serial number 1647. All that is know is the fact that up to this time, Stover had built 1,646 engines". He also states the task of compiling the list was extremely difficult due to overlapping between production and shipping dates?

So the two important numbers according to Wendel are S/N 1647 & March 10, 1903? Curt was kind enough to send me digital picture of pages 3 to 31 of the first Stover shipping ledger, page 1 & 2 are missing and the first serial number at the top of page 3 is S/N 535. I have done many hours of research on this information and what I have found will soon be published in Gas Engine Magazine. The Stover shipping ledgers are now in the museum of the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club of Freeport, Illinois

Curt’s friend Joe Maurer purchased S/N 974 a 3hp vertical about three years ago, this engine was shipped on Feb 19, 1903. Until recently this was the oldest known Stover still running, then in the July edition of Gas Engine Magazine there was an article about S/N 857, 1½hp vertical Stover shipped to Woodin & Little of San Francisco on Feb 8, 1903. So here were two engines that were shipped before the magic date of March 10, 1903

The owner Ron Martin had been told that it was a pre 1900 engine, obviously no one had bothered to read page 9 of "Power of the Past"? The caption for the 1½hp vertical states "Stover’s new engine line was introduced in mid-1902 and the smallest style was the 1½hp vertical engine". It would seem that only horizontal side shaft engines were made prior to mid 1902?

Then on page 12 of Power of the Past Wendel states the 1½hp vertical was rated upwards to 2hp starting with S/N 1648 (does this number ring a bell???) on July 11, 1904. Something is very wrong and I have only just picked it up, Wendel states that "No serial numbers are available for engines built prior to S/N1647 engines. so if this engine has a build date of March 10, 1903, so how can S/N 1648 have been built on July 11, 1904 some 13 months later???? This does not make any sense at all seeing S/N 1647 is the magic number according to Wendel?

Curt then sent me a picture of the pages 57, 58 & 59 and I was able to confirm that S/N 1647 a 1½hp vertical was shipped on March 10, 1903 and S/N 1648 was also a 1½hp vertical was shipped on May 6, 1903. In fact 11 of the 17 entries on page 57 are 1½hp verticals with S/N 1650 being the last and it was shipped on Feb 23, 1903. I then decided to have had a look at pages 58 & 59, the first serial number on page 58 is 1653. S/N’s 1659 & 1667 are the only 1½hp verticals on page 58, none listed on page 59.

I then wondered if there was a printing error and wondered if S/N 2648 was the first 2hp vertical? Curt sent me page 116 with 17 entries like pages 57, 58 & 59, it covers S/N’s 2639 to 2655. S/N 2648 is or was a 16hp horizontal engine but there are eight 2hp verticals on this page so the change is prior to S/N 2639, the first entry.

Now to something else I found on page 116 that I think it is very interesting?

S/N 2639 a 3hp vertical shipped July 16, 1904

S/N 2640 a 2hp vertical shipped May 26, 1904

S/N 2642 a 2hp vertical shipped May 26, 1904

S/N 2643 a 2hp vertical shipped May 26, 1904

They were all shipped to F. C. Southwell & Co, London. These engines are very interesting to me because about two or three years ago I was sent a copy of page 21 from the UK Stationary Engine Magazine of July 1989. The picture shows a Vertical Southwell Engine that is almost certainly a Stover, hand written underneith is the comment "Stover sold as Southwell by Lister.

The vertical engine in the picture was in the Lister museum that has long since closed, but a friend of Curt’s has found the engine and it’s new owner. The serial number on the Southwell plate is CE2010 (Southwell number?), S/N 2010 is listed as 3hp vertical and this engine is actually an 8hp vertical. Curt’s friend is going back check the engine because the Stover number that is some times stamped at the top of the cylinder and just above on the head in the area around the igniter.

According to Wendel production of the 9hp "S" type vertical began with S/N 9080 in July of 1907, If it is indeed a 8hp vertical then it is a very rare engine because only 41 of these engines were made? From memory I think Lister started to make their own engines around 1909 and as far as I am aware they are not similar to the Stover? So we now know that Southwell Stover’s were being sold as early as 1904, I wonder if there are any of these early engines still in existance in the UK?

I have corresponded with Patrick Knight in regard to Stover engines and he told me they are quite rare in the UK? I could write a shorten version about the Southwell Stover’s to go in the next edition of Paraffinalia to see if any new information is forthcoming?

Regards,

Ron.

 Netherlands News: 

The 17^th Nuenen International Stationary Engine Show, held over the Whitsun holiday weekend 15-16 May, the biggest stationary engine only rally in Europe, is for me one show I would not like to miss.

Over the years the Nuenen Show has gained a reputation for high quality engines, and the 2005 event was no exception. There were engines to suit all everyone, be they interested it early engines, odd looking engines (to my English eyes anyway) or the more popular engines from more modern times. In fact, a truly well balanced show, just about perfect.

In addition to the excellent line-up of show engines there was a sizeable Auto-Jumble where the goods on offer were nearly all engine orientated. There were plenty of engines on offer, be it an enthusiast to sell a single engine or a dealer offering a dozen or so engines. I understand that a fair number of engines changed hands over the weekend.

The reputation of the Nuenen Show has spread, and is now a fixed date on the show calendar for many enthusiasts around the world. I met people from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and of course, numerous Dutch enthusiasts.

Patrick Knight.

Captions

1. A 3hp Lorenz and dynamo, in as found condition.
2. This Brouhot was one a number of the rarer engines to be seen at the Nuenen Show 2005.

New Members:  Rob Skinner from La Habra in California asked to be added to the circulation, thanks to somebody who sent him a copy! His website is www.rustyiron.com . Kerry Young of Christchurch in NZ was passed on by Patrick Knight, who thought I could help Kerry with his National AH1 restoration. Hope so! Derick Thesnaar joins his brother Cobus on the roll. Having been warned in advance some months ago, by John Thorby (JT) in New Zealand, I eventually received a call from Richmond (Natal) from Graham Bowles. This after Peter (the Petter) Boast forgot to pass his address on to me :-) Kim Williams in Pretoria, via PGT