Carnival ride power unit

IA Roy · Aug 31, 2017

Back in the 60'same we spent a lot of time at the county fair with our calves. All the rides seemed to have an Allis Chalmers power unit. Any idea what engine that would have been?

Butch(OH) · Aug 31, 2017

They were B-125 power units, same engine as model B tractor.

Leroy · Aug 31, 2017

I think a lot of them started out on AC 60 combines and were taken off to put PTO shafts on when live power was coming about. As every one I saw had the radiator grill and clutch from the combine. If just as a new power unit it would have had standard tractor grill instead of the special combine one for dirty condition

David G · Aug 31, 2017

Very smooth running engines.

NEKS · Aug 31, 2017

Yes our county fair in the 50's had a AC engine on the Ferris wheel. Loved to hear it pull if the Ferris wheel had more weight on one side then the other. Our carnival has not had a Ferris wheel in years.

D beatty · Sep 1, 2017

Use to see a lot of allis chalmers and once in a while you would see a Farmall power unit. Today a lot of them are electric motors running a hydraulic system.

Moonlite37 · Sep 1, 2017

I was working for An AC dealer and the carnival came to town with several of those units. They wanted to hire a mechanic to keep them going. After we overhauled one of them I went and asked if thy would hire me and discovered that they did not want a full time mechanic. Yes they were the same units as an Allis Chalmers 66 combine and "B" and "C"tractors

INCase · Sep 1, 2017

the Fireman's carnival in Sharptown MD used to (maybe still does) have a ferris wheel with a IH power unit. looked like it was from an A or B/C maybe??

seems like they had another ride of some sort with a AC power unit.

i would imagine they didn't have alot of power available way back.

JMS/.MN · Sep 1, 2017

Those, like other AC engines- WC, WD, WD45, always had a very snappy governor, quick to respond to an increased load. Fun to make them bark!

Leroy · Sep 1, 2017

There were way more Allis Chalmers combines around to get the power units from than any other make. Some did have the power unit used on the McCormick combines and balers as it had a simular type clutch-PTO setup but not as many units around to get the engine from. Most other combine power units did not have a PTO and clutch connection so would not work as most drove with a belt system.

travis miranowski · Sep 1, 2017

I bought a Novo 4 cylinder power unit one time that I was told by the seller came from a travelling carnival.

Old weldor · Sep 1, 2017

I have also seen them powered by Farmall Cub engines.

JMS/.MN · Sep 1, 2017

AC B15 power unit started in 1937, using the B engine. Later updated, it became the B125 power unit. G series units were modeled after the smaller D series tractor engines. W series included the W25 (WC engine), W201 (WD), and W226 (WD45 engine. G226 was the D17 engine power unit, maxing out at 67 brake hp. Many of the larger power units were used in quarries on conveyors and gravel/rock separating equipment, etc.

Carnival ride power unit

IA Roy

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Butch(OH)

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Leroy

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David G

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NEKS

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D beatty

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Moonlite37

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INCase

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JMS/.MN

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Leroy

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travis miranowski

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Old weldor

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JMS/.MN

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