helped a friend start old & extremely rare engines saturday

[Jeff in Pa]

I helped my friend Roger at the Fall Harvest Show at Rough & Tumble in Kinzers Pa ( he had surgery a month ago and isn't up to heavy pulling to start the engines )

I got to start some very rare ( and expensive ) engines today.


Started off with two hot air engines, a 4" Rider & Ericson


and a 8" made by American Machine Company ( if I remember correctly-my info pic didn't turn out clear )

I learned all the oil points including oiling the pistons before starting them. Both of these have propane burners and started quite easily once they warmed up. These engines would be used to pump water.

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Then it was onto the 10 hp White and Middleton which also runs on Propane. This is a hot tube engine.



This was a little more difficult to start but caught and started after about 6 or 7 revolutions. This was the first 10 hp I've started.

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The it was onto the Otto and Langen. This is one of the earliest engines around, it was built in 1869 This one runs on hydrogen gas and actually started quite easily. This is a very unique engine as the flame is transfered in a block to the combustion chamber where it ignites the charge. The resulting controlled explosion drives the piston / gear rack assembly up and between the weight of the assembly, the vacuum of the cooling charge and the movement of the rachet assemble, it drives the flywheel.

I was lucky enough to start this engine three times today.


The rachet assembly drops the piston as the flame pocket moves to the combustion chamber



and it drives the rack up



1868 Otto Langen - Oldest running gas engine in the USA - YouTube

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Then later in the morning we got the 10 hp Springfield running. Lots of oilers and places to oil.

[Paul B]

Those are some nice, rare, and expensive engines.

I had several hit and miss engines back before the Cub Cadets, one was a 3 hp headless Witte that ran good once you got it started. One time it would start on about the 2nd or 3rd time you pulled it thru, and the next time it might take to next Tuesday to get started. When it got to the point I couldn't con my sons into helping me load them for a show any more, I figured it would be easier to drive a Cub Cadet on a trailer than to drag an engine on one, so I sold the engines. I learned that what the builders lacked in technology when they built those things, they made up for with cast iron.........

There were hot air engines built in India in fairly recent years, and may still be available, that were used to power fans for use in houses without electricy

[Jeff in Pa]

hot air powered fan that works great.


Shame your kids weren't interested in the old engines.

[Amigatec]

I've been known to expel a little hot air myself, but the wife makes me turn the fan first.