Raspy
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2006
- Messages
- 1,655
- Location
- Smith Valley, Nevada
- Tractor
- NH TC29DA, F250 Tremor, Jeep Rubicon
I love Witte generators.
Back in the mid 70's I was looking for some obscure parts and walked into a shop that serviced Wittes in Reno. They had a large Nevada map on the wall with thumbtacks all over it. Each one marked a spot where a Witte was on duty.
I stared at that map, talked to the guy about these magical engines that run on and on, and fell in love with Witte generators. I still want one. Every so often I see one somewhere and drool all over it.
Around that time I worked at a ranch in Lovelock Nevada. There was GMC (Detroit) 2 cycle 1-71 generator there that someone had taken apart the injection system on, years before I arrived. Many years later I went back to try to get it. It's still there as far as I know and has now not run for about 50 years.
Even earlier, in 1970, I was a lighthouse keeper. We often had power failures and had to start the backup generator to keep the light on. We had an ancient Buda genny with just enough compression to start if you were really persistent and threw caution to the wind with the starter. In the pitch blackness of the late night, with the wind blowing at 100 MPH, the lighthouse dark with no navigational aid for ships, I would hold the starter on as the engine cranked and cranked. Finally a pop would reduce the starter load for a second. Then another. And another. Then several in a row. Finally, the engine would just hold it's own, maybe. Me standing in the darkness and this poor old thing trying to wake up. Wind howling and the building creaking. Finally it would show some life and come up to speed. A throw of the switch and light was restored. The engine room would light up and the navigational light would come on. I never insulted it with ether, but always wondered if it was going to run. Meanwhile ships were out there looking for the light from 25 miles out. I wondered if they realized their safety was dependent on a very tired old diesel and my persistence.
Back in 1999, I was in Hawaii. Lounging at a remote beach on the Big Island one day I struck up a conversation with a fellow that was trimming trees and keeping things nice near the beach. He showed me an old building that was part of a plantation from many years ago. Inside was a very nice old one lunger diesel engine and generator set. I wanted that engine badly for my place over there, but it was part of a park and he couldn't let it go. Heck, I was willing to get it started just for the fun of it.
Big, slow turning, one-lunger diesels are one of the finest forms of machine ever invented.
Back in the mid 70's I was looking for some obscure parts and walked into a shop that serviced Wittes in Reno. They had a large Nevada map on the wall with thumbtacks all over it. Each one marked a spot where a Witte was on duty.
I stared at that map, talked to the guy about these magical engines that run on and on, and fell in love with Witte generators. I still want one. Every so often I see one somewhere and drool all over it.
Around that time I worked at a ranch in Lovelock Nevada. There was GMC (Detroit) 2 cycle 1-71 generator there that someone had taken apart the injection system on, years before I arrived. Many years later I went back to try to get it. It's still there as far as I know and has now not run for about 50 years.
Even earlier, in 1970, I was a lighthouse keeper. We often had power failures and had to start the backup generator to keep the light on. We had an ancient Buda genny with just enough compression to start if you were really persistent and threw caution to the wind with the starter. In the pitch blackness of the late night, with the wind blowing at 100 MPH, the lighthouse dark with no navigational aid for ships, I would hold the starter on as the engine cranked and cranked. Finally a pop would reduce the starter load for a second. Then another. And another. Then several in a row. Finally, the engine would just hold it's own, maybe. Me standing in the darkness and this poor old thing trying to wake up. Wind howling and the building creaking. Finally it would show some life and come up to speed. A throw of the switch and light was restored. The engine room would light up and the navigational light would come on. I never insulted it with ether, but always wondered if it was going to run. Meanwhile ships were out there looking for the light from 25 miles out. I wondered if they realized their safety was dependent on a very tired old diesel and my persistence.
Back in 1999, I was in Hawaii. Lounging at a remote beach on the Big Island one day I struck up a conversation with a fellow that was trimming trees and keeping things nice near the beach. He showed me an old building that was part of a plantation from many years ago. Inside was a very nice old one lunger diesel engine and generator set. I wanted that engine badly for my place over there, but it was part of a park and he couldn't let it go. Heck, I was willing to get it started just for the fun of it.
Big, slow turning, one-lunger diesels are one of the finest forms of machine ever invented.