August 2022

Sunny Hot June 2022 Show

The Great Stover Expo

By Paul Harvey

For a Coolspring show, four days of sunny and hot weather are unbelievable. But it did happen to everyone’s delight! No rain, no mud, no flood. Just sunny skies for all. With the COVID-19 restrictions lifted, we again were able to visit with our Canadian and United Kingdom friends. Many came! The entire show had an atmosphere that was laid back, happy, and friendly. Such camaraderie! So many engines were running, both in the field and in the entire museum. It was a great time for all.

This year we featured Stover engines and equipment. Wow! They certainly came, were displayed, and ran. I was amazed at what I saw and learned. There were well over 100 Stover engines to see. We certainly thank everyone who participated!

As I traversed the grounds, I visited with many folks and took photos here and there. I will show a few of those and apologize for all the many others omitted. I will also show some other points of interest.

I think the oldest Stover displayed is this 1905 model belonging to Phil St. Jean from Rhode Island. Recognizing what it was, he rescued the pieces from a scrap yard many years ago. Using some magic, he reconstructed this engine. Note it is running on hot tube!

Another fine old Stover. The early tank cooled models exhibited fine lines that made a very attractive machine. Note the large Stover name cast into the cylinder. Dan Stover wanted his name well known.

A very interesting early vertical Stover. The firm only produced the uprights for a short time, finally settling on the farm engine.

This early Stover uses a one-piece frame and cylinder. Must have been a challenge for the pattern maker and machine shop! Note the Stover name cast into the cylinder.

Another interesting version of the vertical Stover. All the early Stover engines displayed ran so well. Note the sump tank cover also displayed.

Yet another vertical! They all ran so well yet were so different in detail. But now let’s move ahead a few years to see what Stover has done.

I just had to snap this photo of a gent pulling so hard to start his beautifully restored engine. Yep, it started right off for him and ran so very well. This gentleman is just one example of the many folks who came to display and operate their Stovers. All their effort made our event so very good. We thank them all!

This little engine is nothing but cute! I enjoyed watching it run. Note the “Stover’s Good Engines” decal. It certainly was.

Another nice Stover! Many were restored and painted, and many were not. Some looked “barn fresh” and untouched in years. Appearance doesn’t matter to us. What does matter is that they were brought here to exhibit and to complete our display. This enthusiasm from our friends is what makes CPM great!

Gene Shepherd brought the smallest Stover, this fantastic model that actually runs. It is amazing and I actually held it. Wow!

So, departing from the Stovers, I Gatored around to see what else was happening. And there was so much! We had great vendors selling all sorts of engine parts, as well as so many other engines displayed and operating. There was a great flea market with many new and useful items. The food court had delicious offerings and was always busy. With the balmy weather, the Friday evening engine run was crowded with enthusiasts. Wish I could include all!

This Bessemer was exhibited with a for sale sign. Hmm, so let’s look a bit closer. Wow, old style frame without the oil troughs at the base. Interesting! Crosshead on center line and heavy wheels. Nice. Now, note that governor. Yep, one of our members fell in love and now the Bessemer resides here for all to watch run. Serial number 3984. That’s low! My contact found the original record card and it showed that the engine was shipped to Horton Crary & Company in Sheffield, Pennsylvania, on April 24, 1901.

Another highlight for me! The Evans that came from California finally ran, and ran so well. This engine is serial number 547 and has some unique features including a cooling water pump, a counter balanced crankshaft, a hit and miss governor, and a brass timer for battery ignition. It is still a mystery of how an engine built for the Butler, Pennsylvania, oil boom ever reached California! Here we see Tom Rapp putting his everything into starting it, as two of our great volunteers look on. I smiled all weekend!

For 2023, CPM will feature “Fractional Horsepower Engines” so this fantastic trailer load of Briggs & Stratton engines would be very appropriate. The lower field of the museum, bordering the creek, always has wonderful displays of small engines. I always enjoy!

CPM’s June Show was a tremendous event. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, yes EVERYONE, who made this show possible. We have many volunteers during the show so that all works smoothly, many terrific exhibitors and vendors, and many “unsung heroes” who work many weeks beforehand. It’s a big job but done so well. Let’s look forward to October!