[SEL] Best Known Name in Stationary Engine World?

[Peter A Forbes]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 13:37:56 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:

>Hi Folks,

<snipped>

>OK folks, do you agree with that statement?  Is "David Edgington" THE
>NAME?  Or, if not, whose name would you offer up?  Or are the "stars" in
>the hobby local ones only?

>See ya,  Arnie
>
>Arnie Fero

I believe that it depends on your location more than anything else. DWE brought
the Stationary Engine hobby and magazine from obscurity into its present state,
but generally he was more active/effective in those areas where Lister, Petter
and other engines mainly had their markets, such as  the UK and Colonies such as
Australia etc.

Charles Wendel was similarly effective in those areas where American-built
machinery was predominant, and that still holds today. 

What has happened is that a lot of cross-pollination of engines has gone on
between continents so the picture is a little mixed up now, but I would say that
in their own fields and areas each is the main and best-known player.

As far as 'local heroes' go, there are plenty of those on both sides, and
alongside Glenn you have others with their own specialities such as Ted
Brookover (as one example) 

The picture is slightly different in the UK, as we are a different bunch of guys
when it comes to collecting and restoring, and most have more than a few hobbies
which fit alongside their engine stuff, and our lack of room, towing limitations
etc etc mean that generally we don't have as many larger engines on display as
we might.

Of all the items that have spread the word over the past 10 years, I think the
Internet and the engine Lists have to be out there in front of everything else.

Peter
--
Peter & Rita Forbes
diesel at easynet.co.uk
Engine pages for preservation info:
http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel