Coolspring Power Museum Publications

In addition to preserving and exhibiting historic internal combustion engines, Coolspring Power Museum also documents engines, engine technology, and engine manufacturers through a number of publications.

The Flywheel is our monthly on-line publication that covers a variety of topics related to the history of internal combustion engines.

Iron & Oil Review is our quarterly newsletter available to Members of the museum.

Bores & Strokes booklets each describe a particular engine, manufacturer, or type of engine.  They are available at the museum gift shop and back issues are available by mail order.

CPM Video documentaries present the stories of many engines at the museum and on location.  They are available at the museum gift shop.

Now Available from Coolspring Power Museum

Flame Ignition: A Historical Account of Flame Ignition in the Internal Combustion Engine by Wayne S. Grenning.  This book is a scholarly work describing flame ignition as applied to reciprocating engines, from early experiments to later successes such as the Deutz and Crossley versions of the four stroke cycle perfected by Otto in 1876. Wayne discusses problems encountered by the early entrants into the gas engine industry, highlighting solutions discovered by the various players.  He also goes into more arcane subjects like the constant pressure cycle introduced by Brayton that survives today in the gas turbine engine, to a look at toy non-compression engines produced during the same early days as their full size brethren.  In eight chapters, Wayne shows details of engines built by Clerk, Sombart, Forest and others, gives technical details on the construction and operating features unique to flame ignition engines, and highlights the struggles other manufacturers endured to avoid infringing the Otto patents. The section on the four-stroke-cycle engines is by itself over 300 pages long, covering 30 different companies. It has 67 pages describing the activities of Crossley Brothers in Manchester, England and another 53 pages dedicated to Gasmotoren Fabrik Deutz from Cologne, Germany.

The book is printed in color on semi-gloss paper for enhanced picture reproduction.  Book size is 8½ x 11 inches with dust jacket.  Please contact us at giftshop@coolspringpowermuseum.org for more information.

About the Author:  Wayne Grenning has been interested in engines for decades and has restored many early engines, flame ignition and otherwise, as well as creating operating scale and full size models of a variety of early flame ignition and non-compressing engines. A fixture at Coolspring during the shows, Wayne has gathered all of his knowledge together into this book as a technical and historical reference to this important chapter in internal combustion engine history.

USA and international customers may purchase the book on-line via PayPal:

Flame Ignition Regular Hard Bound, 875 pages, $79.95 + shipping and handling.

Flame Ignition Leather Bound, $149.95 + shipping and handling. Limited printing.

Sorry, our website only allows the purchase of one Flame Ignition book at a time. If you want to order multiple books, please e-mail your request to: giftshop@coolspringpowermuseum.org.

For international orders only (outside the USA): The shipping cost for two books purchased together on  one order is less than the combined shipping costs for two books purchased separately. If you have a friend who wants the book too, consider ordering them together.

Mail orders (inside the USA): You may print and complete our order form to purchase your copy of the Flame Ignition book (USA orders only).  The hard bound edition is $79.95 + shipping and handling.  The leather bound edition is $149.95 + shipping and handling.

Shipping and Handling: For orders inside the USA, the shipping and handling charge is $18 for one book (hard bound or leather bound).  For international (outside the USA) orders, the shipping and handling charge is $89 for one book (hard bound or leather bound). Please be aware that, upon delivery, the destination country may collect applicable import fees and tariffs.  Please contact us at giftshop@coolspringpowermuseum.org to obtain shipping and handling quotes for orders of multiple books.

Description of Item: Flame Ignition - Hard Bound

Description of Item: Flame Ignition - Leather Bound

Copies of the Flame Ignition book are also available for purchase at the museum gift shop.

The Ball Gas Engine Catalog

We are currently offering a reprint of a catalog for the Ball Gas Engines.  The Butler Engine & Foundry Company of Butler, PA, produced the Ball line of two-cycle engines in sizes from 12 hp to 35 hp.  This 44 page catalog describes specifications and general design details of the engines, provides instructions for engine installation and operation, and contains parts lists for the engines.

The reprint is 10 ½ by 7 inches paperbound.

Copies of the Ball Gas Engine Catalog are available by mail order for $15 each plus shipping and handling.

Print and complete our order form to purchase your copy of the catalog.  Copies are also available at the museum gift shop.

Description of Item: Ball Gas Engine Catalog

The Snow Engine - Including a Brief History of Worthington Engines

Coolspring Power Museum's 600 hp Snow engine is an impressive exhibit!  Learn more about this engine and the company that built it in The Snow Engine booklet.  This publication describes engine serial number G329 which the museum obtained from the Roystone Station of the National Fuel Gas Corporation following 79 years of service.  It provides a history of the Snow Steam Pump Works and the engines it produced, some as large as 5400 hp.  It also describes the history of the Worthington engines produced by the successor of Snow. The Snow Engine booklet is 16 pages in length and includes photos and illustrations of these amazing machines.

The booklet is 8½ by 11 inches paperbound.

Copies of the The Snow Engine are available by mail order for $10 each plus shipping and handling.

Print and complete our order form to purchase your copy of the booklet.  Copies are also available at the museum gift shop.

Description of Item: The Snow Engine History

Cooper-Bessemer: 165 Years of Engine & Compressor Innovation

Cooper-Bessemer was a leader in designing and manufacturing very large gas engines and compressors.  Author W. Norman Shade had an inside view of this company and its products with a 32 year career in product development, culminating in a position in upper management.  In this publication he provides a history of Cooper-Bessemer and describes a number of its lines of large reciprocating engines and compressors.  He also covers the history of Cooper-Bessemer turbomachinery. The Cooper-Bessemer booklet is 56 pages in length and includes photos and illustrations of Cooper-Bessemer's engines and equipment.

The booklet is 8¼ by 10¾ inches paperbound.

Copies of the the Cooper-Bessemer are available by mail order for $19.95 each plus shipping and handling. 

Print and complete our order form to purchase your copy of the booklet.  Copies are also available at the museum gift shop.

Description of Item: Cooper-Bessemer

Bores & Strokes Volume 30: Those Fabulous Foos Gas Engines

This volume of Bores & Strokes celebrates the history of the Foos Gas Engine Company.  Author Kieth Monnier brings together a collection of photos of a variety of Foos engines and memorabilia, includes a technical description of Foos engines, and gives a history of the Fulton Ironworks, successor to Foos. Volume 30 also includes a reprint of Preston Foster's Bores & Strokes Volume 10, as well as a musical treat!  Pages: 103

Copies of this publication are now available to museum members and for over-the-counter purchase at the museum gift shop.  Bores & Strokes Volume 30 will be available for mail order when Volume 31 is published.

Copies of back issues of Bores & Strokes are available for purchase at the museum gift shop and also by mail order.  See our Bores & Strokes page for more details.

Gas Engine Magazine Preservation Series

Coolspring: Discovering America's Finest Antique Engine Museum

Edited by Christian Williams

From Ogden Publications and the editors of Gas Engine Magazine, this book is an overview of Coolspring Power Museum and an overview of 11 of the museum's exhibit buildings with many of the engines in the museum's collection.  The book is available for over-the-counter purchase at the museum gift shop and is also available directly from the publisher.  Pages: 96

The book is 8½ by 11 inches paperbound.  ISBN 978-0-941678-88-9 

Coolspring: Discovering America's Finest Antique Engine Museum - Volume 2

Edited by Christian Williams

From Ogden Publications and the editors of Gas Engine Magazine, this second volume of Coolspring: Discovering America's Finest Antique Engine Museum is an overview of Coolspring Power Museum's five newest exhibit buildings and features 39 engines from the museum's collection.  The book is available for over-the-counter purchase at the museum gift shop and is also available directly from the publisher.  Pages: 112

The book is 8½ by 11 inches paperbound.

NOTE: Ogden Publications offers a package of the two books.  The package is available directly from the publisher.