MTFCA Forum

I got registered.

Let's try a pic.
Yep, that worked. How 'bout this one?
or this one?

Thinking that TT is a bit light on the front wheels.

It had 'power steering' for sure, but I didn't have far to go.

I like your Hercules Hal,
Its good to see that Model T guys have other interests too....
Here's a couple of my Australian Made 2 stroke Sunshines.
Cheers,
Rob

Cool pics guys!
Hehehe! Yep post other interest photos quick until Chris catches on!
Is that a 4 horse Herc?
Wait. Hal, do you play with steam too?
Never even heard of a Sunshine!

I have a Cha Cha - Grin.
It is a big smile while doing the cha cha.

Nice engine Hal. I hope the powers that be won't mind us sharing a pic or 3 like that.

Period correct? I think yes. I think I need one.

Duey_C wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:45 pm

Never even heard of a Sunshine!

Duey,
Sunshine products were made in big numbers here down-under. The owner/founder of the company was a young inventor called Hugh Victor MacKay. He was a religious man hence the Sunshine name and built all sorts of stuff from farm gates, through Stationary and Portable Engines to the Header Harvester. The stump jump plough was just one of his creations. His factory in Braybrook Junction, just outside Melbourne, was an expanse of 70 acres.....under roof. In many respects, he led a life in parallel to Henry Ford, even going to court over a wage case. They had many similarities. He built residences & churches for his employees, schools for their children etc etc and eventually they changed the name of the town to Sunshine, which is now a suburb of Melbourne.
He had factories in Argentina as well as Australia and upon his death in 1926, the company slowly evolved into Massey Harris.
He's one of my Aussie hero's and there's plenty of info on him should anyone be interested in doing a little research.
Sorry for the rant. I'm off my soapbox now.....Carry On.
Rob

Thanks guys. The Hercules is an engine I restored for an older fellow who lived about 30 miles away. He loved his old engines but had gotten to where he couldn't work on them anymore. He had relatives and neighbors who would help him load them onto his trailer for a show, but I always came over a few days before a show and got them running for him and made sure they were OK. He had long been telling me of this 5 horse Hercules that he had, but it was at his brother's place and was a basket case and he wanted to get it together and running, but it had to be dug out from behind a bunch of other stuff and ........ One day, he told me he had gotten it and was ready for me to work on it. I went and got it and started working on it. It needed a connecting rod (The other one had been broken and brazed back together......crooked......) and some other things. I was real afraid he would stop the project when he knew how much it was costing, so I never told him. When I finished it, I told him don't worry about the cost and for him to just give me first right of refusal if he ever wanted to get rid of it. 3-4 years later, he said "You want that engine?" I said "Well, not unless you don't want it anymore." He said he had another engine he wanted me to restore, a Fairbanks Morse throttle governed 3 hp. He said, "You restore that one for me and this Hercules is yours. I'll pay for the parts." Well, I never charged him for the parts on that one either, but I did restore it for him. Unfortunately, only a few weeks after I got done with it, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and didn't last a week. I am so glad he got to see that Fairbanks Morse run. While the Hercules is now in my possession, I still call it "Jerrell's Engine". It means a lot to me. Here is a picture of the Fairbanks Morse at about 212 degrees. Check out the home made mixer (Carb). I asked about finding him the right mixer, but he was intrigued by someone's ingenuity and wanted to see if we could make it run with the home made one. It did. Jerrell is the fellow in the red jacket. As far as I know, this was the only time he saw it run. His son has all his engines and said he wanted to keep them running and show them and such. I offered to help him with them just like I did with his Daddy and have called him on numerous occasions to let him know of an upcoming show, but so far, he hasn't brought them.

Duey,

Yes, we play with steam too. I have a friend who has a good bit of steam stuff. The small 10hp boiler and the orange engine is mine. I have re-tubed the boiler and pressure tested it, but have not put heat to it yet. My wife and both sons have attended a steam school and were signed off to operate live steam machinery. I've yet to operate a locomotive, but have driven a traction engine. We mostly do stationary steam, though.

BTW Rob, those are neat. I had not heard of a Sunshine engine either. In addition to the 5hp E Hercules, I also have 2 smaller Economies, a 1-3/4 S and a 1-1/2 E. I would like a tank cooled or screen cooled engine one day. I assume those both have a water pump? Or did they use thermosyphon? They are neat indeed.

Great stories about your engines! Thank you for posting!
My 1-1/2 F-M runs so nice on kerosene or Diesel and blows great smoke rings out the stack. I fold up a red rag and cover the hopper to keep him hot!
I play with our club's 300-350 horse Wetherill and the 175 horse Vilter, both are Corliss type and our little crew sets up then puts the boiler and engines back to bed.
A friend's family has a nice 80 Case that's just a treat to operate!
Locomotive is on my list too. Should head out west, there was a RR that taught you how then let you!
Dallas, a gas engine, some friends and cold beer? A great recipe for easy fun! Like a good sandwich (or even a Sandwich engine!), they satisfy!