The Stationary Gas Engine Shed Page -1

Our Stationary Gas Engine Shed holds the largest and most varied assemblage of large gas engines to be found in Wisconsin. They range from the engine that pumped the water for the nearby village of Plain, WI to engines that earned their keep pumping oil in Pennsylvania. This page and the ones that follow it will give you a sort of visual tour of our Gas Engine Shed.

This unique twin cylinder vertical engine was built by International Harvester Co. and is shown here with the pump it drove while in service to the village of Plain, WI. The club acquired it in 1973 and it can be seen in operation daily during our show.

Any engine could give trouble when new, and 90 years later they can still be fussy. This International Harvester is usually started by injecting compressed air into one of the cylinders. When it fails to start and the air tanks have been emptied, we have to start it by hand. Joe Prindle is shown here pulling the flywheel while Jon Rowsam adjusts the fuel mixer.

And here is the fruit of their efforts....

Built in 1898 by the Otto Gas Engine Works, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 20 hp engine runs at 200 rpm and bears serial number 6474. Owned jointly by several members of the Badger Steam and Gas Engine Club.

Belonging to David and Mark Beard, this 15 horsepower Pattin Bros. "Ekonomy" was built in Marrietta, Ohio and originally pumped oil in Pennsylvania. It is a four cycle engine and uses a unique pendulum governor to lock the exhaust valve open and allow the engine to coast when it reaches its rated speed. This method of governing is known as "hit and miss" and while many old engines use hit and miss governing, few do it with a pendulum mechanism. 

 
This Superior engine was built in Springfield, Ohio, and pumped oil wells before being donated to the club by Lynn Grotophorst.

  
Paul Grotophorst owns and restored this unusual engine. It began life as a steam engine, built by Farrar and Trefts. Later, a McEwen Bros. gas engine cylinder was fitted to it, converting it from a steam engine to a two cycle gas engine. Commonly referred to as a half breed, the parts painted gray on this engine are from the original steam engine and the parts painted black are from its conversion to a gas engine.

Robert Coates, of Deerfield, WI, owns this 15 hp left hand Reid engine, built about 1905 in Oil City, PA. The engine originally pumped oil on the Moose Run lease, about 6 miles north of Oil City in an area known as Foster's Corners. The engine was retired about 1979 and came to Baraboo shortly thereafter where it was owned and displayed by Verne Kindschi.

Jon Rowsam is seen here with John Davidson's Ruston Hornsby Gas engine, built in England. This engine is throttle governed, and features a WICO type EK magneto that was built in England. Sideshaft construction and a single flywheel make for a very distinctive and attractive looking engine.