Author	[Modern View]
Greg K 02-21-2013 16:09:53 75.105.32.53 Report to Moderator	A few days ago I posted about seeing a large engine on a generator. I got some pics of it today and some of other ones in the building. I think the large on was a 7/14 cylinder, opposed piston design. The others I believe are diesels and of 2,3,4 cylinder variations. One of those was just used last year! [Reply]   [No Email]
NEsota 02-22-2013 12:52:20 75.161.231.161 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   In 1962 while in college I operated a municipal diesel-electric plant with a max out-put of about 800 KW. (hope my decimal is right) It had a 2, a 3 and a 6 cylinder diesel powered units for generation, of the same vintage as the 2 cylinder pictured here. The holes in the flywheel allowed you to rotate the piston with a long bar, to the proper position so that when compressed air was applied to the intake, the engine would rotate and start. There was also a opposed piston engine, started with air, like the one pictured. I believe that this engine was two cycle, had a blower on it and was used a lot for propulsion in ship-board operations. All these engines were Fairbanks Morse. [Reply]  [No Email]
greygoat 02-22-2013 09:09:26 75.121.147.108 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   Sad to see the one sitting outside, not under cover. They can go to ruin quickly. Like old railroad steam engines. one generation preserves them..the next places no value on them and says, "Let's scrap that rusty trash"! [Reply]  [No Email]
JMOR 02-22-2013 05:48:24 72.181.173.171 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   This FM was moved into the town park after no longer used in Farmersville, Texas (home of Audie Murphy, WWII decorated hero & movie star) city power plant. No, not him in picture. Man to show relative size of engine/generator. [Reply]  [No Email]
jhilyer 02-22-2013 05:32:16 74.81.112.46 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   We're making new crankshafts for new 9 cylinder F-M opposed engines right now...We make cranks for GE, EMD, and ALCO locomotives & power units, and sometimes see the F-M's. The F-M cranks are so much different than the normal stuff..they look like they were designed by an artist rather than an engineer. Or maybe an engineer with artistic flair. They seem to be not as "stout" as the other cranksafts; more "elegant" in their design. In a world where many things are over-designed, perhaps these were optimized for best use of material? Hard to say; the original design is from the 1950's. [Reply]  [No Email]
LeonardWD45 02-21-2013 21:59:03 131.191.110.118 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   They have an enterprise straight 12 diesel in the power plant at where I retired from the Air Force. It is compressed air started and drives a 4160 volt generator. This generator is used to power the operations floor only of my former unit. They also have 2 India made v8 diesel generators to power the rest of the building. Leonard [Reply]  [No Email]
Dr. Walt 02-23-2013 02:27:06 12.2.223.79 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to LeonardWD45, 02-21-2013 21:59:03   At the Mine that I used to work at in Death Valley, California they had six, 12 cylinder inline Diesels, each hooked up to a generator that produced 4160 Volts @ 1000 Amps. One of my jobs was to do the oil & filter changes on these monsters. Each engine used 100 gallons of oil which had to be hand pumped into the engine. [Reply]  [No Email]
Retired Farmer 02-21-2013 20:47:10 207.200.116.74 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   Makes you wonder how they built such massive stuff back in those days, much less move it. [Reply]  [No Email]
Russ from MN 02-22-2013 06:02:09 68.235.89.10 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Retired Farmer, 02-21-2013 20:47:10   Think about the pyramids! [Reply]  [No Email]
NEKS 02-21-2013 18:45:51 71.0.220.231 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   We have four simliar to them in our city power plant and I think they will burn 3 different types of fuel. [Reply]  [No Email]
Oliver 550Dave 02-21-2013 18:26:49 74.206.93.15 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   Our Ruritan Club was given a FM 2 cylinder, 2-stroke cycle Diesel Model 32 E 12, HP 120, 360 RPM the other year from an antique engine club that was laid down. Moved it in Nov, built a new pad and shed, and had it running at our Labor Day event - Silk Hope near Siler City NC. I understand that it used to run all week at a flour mill. Started by compressed air, it does make some noise! [Reply]  [No Email]
John B. 02-21-2013 17:46:55 38.114.64.177 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   We had a big six cylinder we worked on when I was in trade school. It had a generator on it. There were two smaller gas powered generators next to it that we would start then send the current thru the generator on the big six cylinder and that would start it. The oil filter on the big six was the size of a water heater. Max RPM 625. [Reply]  [No Email]
Huskers86 02-21-2013 17:24:34 64.147.36.143 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   I think my neighboring town had a couple of those in a power plant when I was a kid. Seems to me they scrapped them out a decade or so ago. [Reply]  [No Email]
IrvIA 02-21-2013 17:16:35 207.199.229.145 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 16:09:53   That looks like the one in Mount Pleasant,Iowa. Is it? Irv [Reply]  [No Email]
David G 02-21-2013 17:26:19 205.215.206.18 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to IrvIA, 02-21-2013 17:16:35   They are all gone in Mount Pleasant, 6 new Cats. [Reply]  [No Email]
IrvIA 02-21-2013 18:37:32 207.199.229.145 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to David G, 02-21-2013 17:26:19   I meant at the Old Thresher grounds at McMillan Park. They have a big engine and generator in there. It seems to me that it looks just like it. Maybe my memory is is little off..... [Reply]  [No Email]
Greg K 02-21-2013 17:20:26 99.196.64.57 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to IrvIA, 02-21-2013 17:16:35   Nope. I didn't know they had one, now I will have to go see. These are in a small town power plant(backup generators) and have obviously been there a LONG time. [Reply]  [No Email]
IrvIA 02-21-2013 18:44:20 207.199.229.145 Report to Moderator	Re: Fairbanks Morse again in reply to Greg K, 02-21-2013 17:20:26   They've got a bunch of BIG old power units at Mt. Pleasant, some steam, some diesel, all configurations. Really neat. One's a huge Allis Chalmers. [Reply]  [No Email]