Information please

I am interested to find any information about this beastie.

Might be worth a letter to the folks at *cough* Stationary Engine Magazine (SEM) too ..

*takes cover just in case!*

This is one of the generators generally referred to as the "Iron Horse". Originally designed by Johnsons (as in outboards) they were built under license in many corners of the Allied world during and just after the Second World War. Personally, I have vistually identical examples made by Douglas in Bristol, BSA & OMMC etc. They came in voltages from 12 Volt to 240 Volts & if anyone wants to dispose of a mains one sometime, I'd be interested!

You paid about the right price for a scruffy, unrestored example & as yours looks in pretty good, complete & original condition, I'd say you did well!

All mine start very readily & run all day in frugal fashion. They can be relied upon to do so after six months of being used as a door stop & have only been taken to the event in desperation because the more esoteric device I'd intended to take obstinately refuses to start......

WARNING! They are heavy little lumps.

Regards,

J. Kim Siddorn, Regia Anglorum

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This computer is protected with daily updated anti-viral software, but it is the resp>

One thing to add. The main constituants of OMMC were Evinrude and ELTO which merged in the late 1920's, plus Johnson a few years later - plenty on the 'net if you want to dig deeper into the company history.

Nick H

Not wanting to upset him but I have recently bought one for £15.00 :-)) and had to remove the preserving wax from the fuel line to get it going. Does it have the carry frame with it. If you want I have a manual I can copy.

Thought you'd gone Lister only - did the magpie instinct prove too strong?

Nick H.

I have but when you are offered it you don't say no especially as it is small and compact.

"campingstoveman" wrote

That's a yes then ;-)

Nick H

Nick,

I keeps my batteries charged on the caravan and is a display as well so not quiet magpie-ish :-))

Martin P

Didn't PTFE have one of these? I seem to recall an article in SEM about its restoration.

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

PL> Didn't PTFE have one of these? I seem to recall an article in SEM PL> about its restoration.

Mr. T-E has been very quiet lately, I hope he hasn't electrocuted himself with one of the old radios I pressed on him at Lamport! Gord that seems like an age ago.

nickh=== Posted with Qusnetsoft NewsReader 2.2.0.8

Yes a while back.

Many thanks, I should have known that you would have some answers. You have given me a few more clues to throw at Google. After a little fettling and elctrickery it starts and runs nicely but the mechanical governor seems to be inoperative so a little bodging was needed to keep the speed down.

From other comments it seems that these are by no means a rarity, like my Douglas SV54 they are rarely seen but there are quite a few lurking in various sheds. Maybe if I display it at the next outing it might tempt a few more out of hiding.

Yes please and many thanks for the offer. Mine is mounted on a wooden base with a pair of carrying handles.

I will email you my snailmail address or you could email me scans by removing the NOSPAM from my address.

wrote (snip)

Classic case of a 'Cinderella' engine which, when it come to what to take to a rally, tends to get passed over for something bigger, older, shinyer, etc etc. Aside from this sometimes creating a false impression of rarity, to my mind the essence of a good rally is variety - so bring 'em out!

Nick H

Now I think of it, we've not heard from Arthur Griffin recently. You still lurking Arthur?

Regards,

J. Kim Siddorn,

Kim and all,

Nice to be thought of :-).

I'm still around, though very much a lurker (in the shed) these days. I've done more with engines during this sodden Summer than I've done in a couple of years. Farm work on our slopes has been pretty much impossible until the last week, when shearing and silage harvesting were done. I had planned to do pasture topping last night, but somehow I made some hot-bulb studs for the 8hp Petter S I'm rebuilding instead...

I hope to see some of you at the rescheduled Welland or Onslow Park (Shrewsbury) if the weather permits it.

Returns to shed...

Regards, Arthur G

Is this the beastie that sat on the running boards of the Saracen ACP in the '50s and '60s ? (and many similar UK mil vehicles needing to power wireless)

Thats the one.

The Johnson Iron Horse engine originated in 1935, powering washing machines pumps and lawnmowers in the USA. The Johnson factory in Canada attached a 12 volt [1] generator and called it the Johnson Chore Horse. These sold to the allied military in great numbers during WW2. Johnson merged with Evinrude just before WW2 and became OMMC, later shortened to OMC.

After WW2 the Iron Horse engine production declined and production ceased in the USA and Canada in 1952. The Chore Horse was built under licence in many places during and after WW2 and production of the

24 volt BSA version, for example, continued well into the 1960s until the Army got transistorised radios that needed less power. The little beasties continued in military service until the last valve radios were scrapped in the 1970s.

This is as far as Google searches take me, Army museums would probably have more information.

[1] Other voltages including 110V AC were sold, mainly to civilian markets. Military 24 volt variants were used AFAIK post-WW2 when this beacme the standaard voltage for Army vehicles and radios.