With this issue, I will turn back to my original intention of highlighting some of the engines that Coolspring Power Museum presented in days gone by. I will enjoy recalling, for all our pleasure, a column that featured engines built in the state of New York that I wrote in 2011.
There was such a variety of engines built New York from farm engines to the very heavy industrial ones, depending on location. The geographical need certainly dictated the type of engine built. In fact, over 100 makers of internal combustion engines were located in New York — wow! So, lets turn back to June 2011, and see what was happening. It should be fun.
New York
Let’s first take a virtual tour of the state, and discover the different machines made in each area.
Our journey starts in the southwestern part of the state which was a very productive oil field in the distant past. This required rapid production of engines such as Clark & Norton and McEwen Bros. to get oil out of the the ground. The Chautauqua Institute is located near this area with a summer of cultural music, lectures and relaxation. With acres of vineyards in the area, the institute, grape production and oil production all coexisted well.
A bit north we find Buffalo, an industrial city that built many different engines. Away from agriculture, one can find its well-finished and heavy-industrial engines. Examples would include Olin, Ruger, Alberger and Buffalo Marine. Of course, the massive SNOW engines were also built in Buffalo.
Northeast of Buffalo lay the magnificent Erie Barge Canal and Hudson River. Many small marine engine makers sprang up and quickly failed. But that was the the story of marine engine making along all the major rivers; small makers usually had a short life.
Dropping south, our journey travels into the beautiful Finger Lake area — an absolutely gorgeous area, alive with agriculture and tourism. What engines do we find here? The most remarkable would be the Rumsey and the George Pohl. These finely done engines had side shafts and vertical governors with nice finishes, which was probably, a good sign of the prosperity of the area.
Finally, our tour ends in New York City — hmm, a bit overwhelming. If one wants it, it is there. Among the other menagerie of the city, several engines were built here. the most notable was the Mietz and Weiss oil engine, which pioneered the two-cycle, hot bulb oil engine design. DeLaVergne was built there and pioneered the evolution of the solid injection oil engine. Koerting built huge engines for steel mill work and the like. Interestingly, they were the only other maker in the U.S. that used the Clerk cycle. They are wonderful machines.
Now, it’s time to look at some.
Mietz and Weiss engine
Following my original 2011 article, we will focus on the Mietz and Weiss engine first. It is a two-cycle direct injection oil engine, following the Carl Weiss design. It was very successful. It was manufactured by that firm in New York City. It was also one of the first running engines at the Cool Spring Power Museum, and it continues its legacy at every show. It was discovered in a dilapidated barn in southwest Pennsylvania and was one of the first engines that I rigged out and hauled on my 1946 Reo winch truck.
Star
Continuing, we will discuss the Star engine. This engine, built in New York City, is an excellent example of the eastern-seaboard design, taking note of the well-finished parts and symmetry of design. The main frame rises vertically to hold the cylinder and crank shaft. The well-finished governor adds to its beauty — a very pleasing design.
Nash
Next, we’ll consider the 20 hp, twin-cylinder Nash and its direct-connected dynamo. The Nash engine carried its name from Louis Hallock Nash, its designer, of the National Meter Company of New York City (no connection with the automobile).
The Nash that resides at Coolspring Power Museum was originally used to provide electricity in a hotel in Lincoln, New Hampshire. It was graciously donated by the family of the late Murray Clark with his wonderful display at Clark’s Trading Post.
Buffalo Marine engine
Then there’s my little Buffalo Marine engine. It’s only 2 hp, which is small compared to some of their larger engines. It’s a four-cycle with lots of brass work, aluminum and cast iron. The big lever was able to reverse the propeller of the boat to back up. They were popular in small boats on Lake Erie.
Rumsey
A typical well-made and finished New York farm engine is the Rumsey. Starting in Ripley, New York, the firm moved to Friendship, New York at about the turn of the century. They had a side shaft and vertical governor. Amazingly, a 25 hp Rumsey exists and runs at Coolspring Power Museum.
Olin
The next engine is a Buffalo-built Olin. Fred Olin patented his engine in 1894. A subsequent patent of 1896 was built as the Titusville Olin. The connection has never been explained, but the Titusville version was dedicated to the oil field, while the Buffalo version was mainly industrial. It is these mysteries that keep our engine passion so interesting. Someday, we might find the answer.
Alberger engine
A very unusual machine is our 80 hp Alberger engine. It was originally installed in the Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania water works and direct coupled through a clutch to an 8-by-12 Deane water pump. It is a tandem cylinder engine with each cylinder being single acting. This gives a power impulse on each revolution of the engine. It runs extremely well and so smoothly.
General Electric
The last engine featured is a 50 hp, four-cylinder General Electric engine built in Schenectady, New York. It is direct coupled to a generator and was used to operate the locks on the Erie Canal.
It is my hope that the reader has enjoyed this little journey back in time. Visit the Coolspring Power Museum to see these engines in person. For more information, visit www.coolspringpowermuseum.org.
