1908 Waterous gas engine pumper VIDEO

[Craig A]

This Waterous pumper was ordered by the Village of Rosholt, WI, on July 3, 1908 along with a #2 hose cart and 1500 feet of hose at a cost of $2500.
I don't know how many years the engine was stuck but I do recall dumping drain oil in the inverted cylinder when I was about 16 years old (approx. 1967) and it took until 1988 to get around to actually DOING something with it....
Once the piston was loose, valve box removed and cleaned up, gas tank (with the sight glass) and pipes cleaned out and replacing the water pump rotor vane springs and some other odds and ends it runs and pumps like a champ. It is rated at 250 gpm. The engine is approx. (I forget) 8" bore and 10" stroke. It is a dedicated 4 stroke engine with spark AND hot tube ignition. The original Platinum hot tube is still on it. It was NOT supplied with a burner, however, and came with battery ignition using a buzz coil using 2 sets of dry cell batteries in the event one set would fail.
The mixer consists of, primarily, a needle valve which controls the gravity flow of gasoline to the mixer. If you were to leave the valve open ALL the gas would run out.
The footboard pedal is a compression relief which acts by holding the exhaust valve open. The intake valve is atmospheric.
The ONLY means of changing the speed is by varying the timing or increasing the load.
I am willing to bet this is ONLY PLACE ON THE INTERNET where you will see one of THESE in operation!!!!! and I am pleased to offer it here!
It is a Windows Media file of just over 4 megs and runs for about 1 1/2 minutes.
Again, PLEASE right click the link below, select SAVE TARGET AS and choose DESKTOP.

http://www.flywheelers.com/pages/cra...r web 2005.wmv

[John G]

Great video Craig! $2500 was a lot of money in 1908.

John

[Ray Cardoza]

Nice camera work. I take it the oiler is for the piston?

[John Newman, Jr.]

I just want to say thanks! to Craig for making these little video clips available. I have a dial-up connection and while it does take a while to download these, its worth the wait to have a chance to see (and hear) these gems.
More, please!

[Craig A]

Thank YOU John, Ray and John!!! Just doing MY part to make this the BEST SITE on the NET for this kind of STUFF!!
In answer to Ray's question about the oil: Yes, it does lubricate the piston BUT the oil feeds into a Y which drips at opposite sides of the cylinder and there is ALSO a 3/8" pipe coming off the exhaust to heat the oiler in cold weather.... Pretty NEAT huh? In addition to that, what you THINK is THE pump is NOT THE pump but only a cast iron jacket over the pump. Plumbed into this jacket is a 2" pipe from the engine exhaust which is controlled by a diverter valve. This is to prevent the pump from freezing up in cold weather. They thought of pretty much everything!!!
In the event you were to have a hard time getting prime there is, threaded into the pump intake elbow, an oil cup to introduce oil INTO the pump to help create a better seal for the spring loaded vanes in the 5 lobe rotors. This method of pump design is STILL in use just shy of 100 years later!

[Ray Cardoza]

Interesting oiler setup hmm. I know of at least two fire departments that have a antique pumper similar to this one but IT has a 4 cylinder engine I believe 320 gpm displacement hand crank started Kick Butt pumper Litterly knock youre but on the ground. I manned a 2 1/2 inch hoseline with smooth bore nozzle (old style) off of this pumper and there was 4 others beside me on the hose and we were sliding a little bit from all the water on the ground. The other fire department has a 1874 clapp and jones steamer,unfortuanetly we could not use the steamer because it is down do to safety reasons but it has been used before. Has anyone on this site ever been to a muster? thats how I got to use the hose and to see the steamer.

[Craig A]

Ray, I am aware of at least two other Waterous pumpers: one is in Michigan somewhere (as I recall) and the other is in Iowa (preserved and watched over by Harvey Jongeling) so there are at LEAST three runners but all different.
This pumper at 250 gpm is rated at 0 feet of head. It does put out a hell of a stream through a 5/8" nozzle at about 75 psi. I WISH I had video of THAT! But I have only two hands.
The last thing I do when I run it the last time at the Fair is put a nozzle on the hose, grab a volunteer and empty the barrel....and the people LOVE it! It really DOES shoot an AMAZING stream! But there's not enough OOMPH to knock anyone on their keister!!!

[Craig A]

Here's another Waterous pumper!!!
THIS one is at Chancellor, South Dakota, and maintained by Harvey Jongeling who sent me a photo a long time ago.
I did the best I could to bring out the best in a rather poor photo.

[Ray Cardoza]

Pretty good picture!
The biggest piece of modern fire equipment Ive messed with is the monitor (big water cannon) It utilizes two 2 1/2 inch hoselines but I have seen some that use a single 4 inch. It was a amazing site until the monitor saturated the ground with all the water out put and took off accross the ground right towards me! We had a 1/2 inch tip on it when we ran it/ ran from it

[Craig A]

I have been asked by our local Fire Department to demonstrate OUR 1908 pumper at an event at our fire station around mid-October!!!
At THAT time I should be able to get some video of the pumper actually DOING IT'S THING. You'll be impressed what the old girl can do!!!!
Craig

[Ray Cardoza]

Cant wait to see another video keep them comin

[Craig A]

It's October 15th and I just got back from the big demonstration.
NATURALLY, as there was a WHOLE BUNCH of people around. the buzz coil needed an adjustment.... ....and THEN it was off to the races.

The video is in WMV format, runs 1:08 and is slightly over 3 megs in size.
Please right click, select SAVE TARGET AS and SAVE it to your computer....

http://www.flywheelers.com/pages/cra...2005 VIDEO.wmv

[MoRo]

Great Video!! Thanks!
~B~

[Ray Cardoza]

Nice video. Were they "drafting" out of the tank.

I see some cars were getting "washed" as well.

[Tom Cwach]

I have watched Harvey demonstrate Chancellor,SDs pumper several times, I last saw it run about a year ago. I think Harvey told me that it was used in 1975 to fill tankers from a farm pond to fight a rural fire. What a crude/basic/wonderfull piece of machinery.

[Craig A]

IDutter sent me these photos of another Waterous pumper..........
Maybe IDutter will post some details..............

[IDUTTER]

Owned by Malvern Fire Co, Malvern, Pa. Horses are from IDD farm, Ira and Donna. Pumper is run every year and will be at Harrisburg Farm Show in January 2007.

[Mike in NC]

Was this originally bought by Malvern Fire Company? I don't ever remember hearing about this or seeing it at any parade's.

[Joe Maurer]

Thanks for the videos Craig. The Stephenson County Antique Engine Club (Freeport Show) is featuring antique fire engines and equipment at the 2007 show the third weekend in July. Would it be possible to have you display this fine engine at our show?

Thanks again,

Joe Maurer
toadhill@aeroinc.net
815-443-2223

[mechman]

Goodday all I wonder if you are aware that the main plant for the Waterous engine company was in Brantford,Ontario Canada & St. Paul was a branch office? There is one pumper somewhere in Ontario as I seen it at a sale in my town of Campbellford several years ago & don't who bought it or where it went ( I think I could find out if anyone is interested) "All the best" Larry Healey Campbellford,Ont.