'How Your Hobby Started'

Pictured is Charles Conklin, Canal Winchester, Ohio, and his very unusual 1 hp. Mogul, Jr. There were several Moguls at the Tri-State meet at Portland, Indiana, but none of them had a water hopper like this one.

A number of engine combinations were offered for specialized applications, such as a hand truck mounted type A hopper-cooled unit. There was a Venturi carburetor to adapt the engines to burn gas for fuel. A concrete mixer of somewhat unusual design mounted on a long hand truck, and truck mounted orchard sprayer with the Type A engines were available. A gear driven hoist with a 6A engine all mounted on a cast iron sub-base made a compact unit for contractors, as well as a high pressure piston pump and various models of portable units on horsedrawn trucks. For the grain grower there was a Champion Harvester with a Type A engine.

When the horseless carriage was being developed a horizontal single cylinder lightweight engine was designed that developed 5 hp. at 500 R.P.M. that would propel the curved dash car at 20 m.p.h. These were built in large quantities for the Oldsmobile by Henry M. Leland. Drodge Bros, built the transmissions. The Oldsmobile was the first car built in this country to be driven across the United States.

Ransom Olds had many 'irons in the fire.' In 1905 another patent No. 792,158 was issued to him which covered 'a vaporizing device for explosive engines.' This was another method or model of a carburetor. It was assigned to the Olds Motor Works.

One of the most unusual engines at the Tri-State meet at Portland, Indiana, was this 5 hp. Richmond Standard serial number 1667. I would hate to guess the weight of this engine.

Standing by his 1924 Ottawa 4 hp. log saw is Zane Prifogle, Cannersville, Indiana. This is one of several engines that he brought with him to Portland in August.

Here is a 6 hp. IHC Famous engine. It was laying on its side in a pasture and is a little rough but all there. The man I bought it from bought it second hand in 1921. The five muscle men who helped me load it from left to right are: Jim Renander, Clarinda, Iowa; Norman Mier, R. R., Clarinda, Iowa; Scotty Kurtz, Oregon, Missouri; Mike Kurtz, Industrial Arts Teacher at Clarinda, Iowa, and Emmett Kurtz, Oregon, Missouri.

Here is a picture of my six horse Novo which I have just purchased and is yet to be restored. I am a junior collector and so far I have seven engines. I enjoy your GEM very much. Keep up the good work.

In the stationary engine catalogs collected by Roger Kriebler of Mainland, Pennsylvania, and Tom Graves of Tigard, Oregon, much helpful historical information on the Olds engines has been obtained. Charles Bibler of Findlay, Ohio, has also contributed much information in the preparation of this Olds story. From these catalogs the following engine specifications of the Olds Motor Works Type A are available: