Union Diesel Engine?

[TFucili]

The family of a close friend of mine has owned the historic Vulture Mine, south of Wickenburg, for about 40 years. Recently, it was sold to a new owner who not only intends to resume mining, but also intends to preserve as much of the unique artifacts and history as is safely possible. On site, at the power house there remains a gen-set powered by a Union diesel engine. Sadly,the data tags have been removed by vandals. Some friends and I have been given the opportunity to get the old girl running again as a tourist attraction. I have been unable to dig up much information on the engine or the company. Many locals insist it was of German manufacture, but I managed to find there was a San Francisco based Union Diesel Engine Company. Several of the small components on the engine appear to be of US origin, so I believe it is a Yankee diesel. I barred the engine a bit, and it is free. Is anyone familiar with the Union company? It was air start, but so much of the surrounding equipment has been removed and/or stripped, stolen, vandalized, it is difficult to figure out what does what. I've never fooled with anything on this scale, so if anyone can direct me to a resource for parts lists, and engineering/repair manuals, I'd be much obliged!

 

[Alan Reagan]

Read the below article. There is a number at the bottom. THe National Park Service has the archive materials from Union Diesel and apparently they are available for research.







Alan





Union Gas Engine Company



By Stephen Canright, Park Curator, Maritime History



Over the past two years the park has taken in two groups of archival materials relating to the Union Diesel Engine Company of San Francisco. The photographs, catalogs, and company records were generously donated by Sarinda Newell, granddaughter of the long-time company President, Otto Fischer.







Formed in 1892 as the Union Gas Engine Company following a merger of the Regan Vapor Engine Company and the Pacific Gas Engine Company, it was the first successful manufacturer of gasoline engines in this country.







Daniel S. Regan was the true pioneer of the American gasoline engine business, receiving the first U. S. patent for a practical internal combustion engine in 1885. His engine, a four-stroke cycle type with a single vertical cylinder and a make-and-break type mechanical ignition system, was the prototype for tens of thousands of engines that would be built in the Bay Area, not only by the Regan and Union Companies, but by some two dozen independent manufacturers who took their design lead from Regan.







Bay Area engines were notable in the 1890s and the early 20th century for being four-strokes, at a time when two-strokes were the norm elsewhere in the country. The Hicks and the Frisco Standard models were the last survivors of these locally-built gasoline engines, remaining the preferred power for Monterey fishing boats into the 1930s.







A Hicks engine, in working condition, is on display at Hyde Street Pier. Also, moored at the end of the pier is a Monterey fishing boat.







The Union Gas Engine Company was located on Howard Street, in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco. The company was burned out in the 1906 Earthquake and Fire and then relocated across the Bay to Oakland.







After developing their first diesel engine in the early 1920s, they became the Union Diesel Engine Company and remained in business until the early 1970s. Otto Fischer was the president from about 1910 until his death in 1967, and was succeeded by his daughter, Harriet Fischer Newell.







The Union Diesel Engine Co. collections are available for research. Call the park library for information, 415-561-7080.



.

 

[NIsaacs]

There is an older guy in Jerome that has an engine of this era, only gas I think and maybe a four cylinder model with air start. He calls it big Bertha It is also attached to a generator. He is very knowledgable about this type of antique as he has acres of old trucks, buses and tractors. He runs a tourist attraction so I know he would be glad to talk to you. He also has an old one cylinder diesel (huge one) that powers a sawmill. Part of the show is to cut a board about once an hour. Awesome place!



Nick

 

[TFucili]

Thanks for the replies, fellows.

 

[HP lover]

Hi everyone, new here. Yesterday i decided to do a search on Union Diesel Engine Company and found this post. I joined just so I could reply.

So, is this engine still around? Have you been able to work on it? Any update at all?

The reason I've jumped in here is that I may have seen the last engine that Union Diesel ever made run. I went to, what was then Oakland City College's, diesel engine school. We're talkin' early 1960s Our teacher had worked at Union Diesel. One day on a field trip we went to the factory. Story then was that at one time these engines were extremely popular in tuna boats. Why, I have no clue. Anyway, someone had ordered an engine and it had been built. They were air start which, in this case, means timed pressurized air was admitted into the cylinders to get the engine turning then individual cylinders were "switched" over to diesel until the engine ran on its own. The particular engine we saw was for a boat and drove the propeller directly so it was very slow turning. Although not unique this engine was "direct reversing." Meaning to reverse the boat the engine stopped and restarted going the other direction. Kinda weird the first time you see it.

Even then they were old technology. These engines used the common rail fuel system only it was nothing like what you hear of today. It was completely mechanical the only similarity might be the fact that there was a "common rail" fuel line that ran the length of the engine supplying high pressure fuel to the injectors. High pressure then was probably no more than a few thousand if that. The injectors being purely mechanical, normally closed, open only for injection. It's been to many years for me to go into it further. But if you're interested in the history of diesel engines look for the book "Diesel's Engine: From Conception to 1918." By Lyle Cummins. The son of the the Cummins engine inventor/developer. The engine I saw had individual cylinders bolted to a common crankcase. If I recall it was 6 cylinders. I'm guessing somewhere 18" to 24" bore???

And me? My dad had big trucks. Drove and took care of them including a few out of frame and in frame rebuilds. Currently retired but do volunteer work at the local JC diesel engine class. Sadly they don't have any new technology high pressure common rail engines to work on. Teacher is only able to talk about them, pass around a couple of injectors, that's it. But they do do tear downs, adjust valves, compression testing, study transmissions and diffs. I don't have the stats but I'd guess maybe 25% make it into the industry. There is a huge demand for diesel mechanics and truck drivers. They -are- gonna start a drivers school next fall. In shop major overhauls are pretty much a thing of the past. Engines run much longer now and the need to keep the equipment in service means exchanges are done a lot. I did exchanges also so that by itself is not new. The thing that has always been there is that it's very difficult to find good drivers and/or mechanics. Nobody wants to get their hands dirty anymore.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I was surprised my user name wasn't already in use...

Oh, and my hobby is drag racing. upper 11s @ 116 in a Syclone if you know what those are.

 

[TFucili]

The engine is still there. The mine has changed hands. I still go there from time to time, but mostly to service a modern Deere powered gen-set in daily use, not to play. It's a shame to see neat old stuff like that old engine fall into disrepair, but especially to see parts broken and stolen by azzhats who visit during tours or trespass at night. There was a rash of that after the mine was featured in one of those ridiculous ghost hunter shows.

 

[HP lover]

The engine is still there. The mine has changed hands. I still go there from time to time, but mostly to service a modern Deere powered gen-set in daily use, not to play. It's a shame to see neat old stuff like that old engine fall into disrepair, but especially to see parts broken and stolen by azzhats who visit during tours or trespass at night. There was a rash of that after the mine was featured in one of those ridiculous ghost hunter shows.

Without some parts it would be very difficult to attempt a restart. I'd have to see it. What's the value in parts of an old diesel that maybe 100 people in country ever even heard of???

Although I've never been there I know of the town/city of wickenburg by way of the Bearcat company.

http://www.bearcatmfg.com/

Thanks for the reply.

 

[TFucili]

Bearcat is going through a change of ownership. I have a lot of friends and customers who work there. They are about the only job provider left in this town. Tough sleddin' around here.

 

[SnoKing]

The town was booming in mid Feb when we drove through, I believe because a rodeo. Looked like retirement developments going in North of town. Maybe booming in the wrong word. BUSY!!!

SNOKING

 

[TFucili]

Booming is definitely the wrong word, as that would indicate a viable local economy. In February it was probably Gold Rush Days, an annual event. The current fad du jour is team roping. Ropers swarm here for the Winter and mob the town. This does not constitute a local economy.

 

[tinturtle]

On this discussion on Union diesels, I worked for a short time on the tug "Robert" owned by Campbell Towing, Wrangell, Alaska. The year was 1971. The Robert had a 6 cyl Union diesel about 13' long and 9' tall. Direct reverse. As the deckhand I had to go on the catwalk above the engine every hour to lube the open rocker arms. I think it ran at about 380 rpm. On cold mornings I had to stand on top of that catwalk and hold the rack open. The engine would backfire and about scare off the walk. Once it got going I could come out and watch the beautiful smoke rings that engine sent up. Big smoke rings. And then once it began to warm it would send smaller smoke rings up through the big ones. It was beautiful.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Very interesting thread. Speaking of the open rocker arms, About 1950 I rode a ferry boat across the Mississippi river from the boot heel of Missouri somewhere near Kennett to the Tennessee side and back and the old boat Captain had an oil squirt can and occasionally oiled the exposed rocker arms on the engine. That engine was not all that big if I remember correctly, maybe about the size of a 6-71 Jimmy. bg

 

[Wayne M.]

Great topic! Good to see the interest generated! I hope to see some pictures and learn more.
The only large engine I've ever read into detail about is the opposed crank Fairbanks- Morse. I couldn't believe that thing actually ran!
Good luck TF!

 

[TFucili]

Wow, glad to see this thread pop back up. The Union engine is still there, but things have changed quite a bit at the mine, so nothing in the works. Maybe in the future.

The good news to follow up on post #8 is the buyout of Bearcat has gone well, the new owner, Etnyre, has kept the local operation here, and is actually expanding. Bearcat is booming, and that is a darn good thing for Wickenburg!

 

[Road Rash]

Tinturtle may have been wrong on the rpm. I was an Engineman in the USCG aboard the White Sumac buoytender, which was a converted army oceangoing tug commisioned in 1943 I think. Anyway, f/Hitler was welded into the bulkhead in the emergency steering hold.
The engine was the same, but was wound out at 305 rpm, giving the 130 ft., 33 ft. beam boat a speed of 7 knots with a 30" propeller.
There was brass control to polish, leaks all over to clean up in port, a big torque multiplier wrench to tighten head bolts to 600 ft-lbs, a jacking bar to prep the engine position, a centrifugal oil cleaner with nasty cones to clean that spun at very high speed, steel accumilator bottles that had to be bled off during operation (air from cooling water), the exposed injectors in "cages", and a.lotta air for starting.
We had to take the bearings out through the crankcase hatches, pour molten lead into them, retorque with plastigauge strips, disassemble, and scrape off where the strips were over-width until the new babbit was smooth.
I may recall it being 300 horsepower if I'm not confusing it with rpm. I transferred in 1973, got out in '74.
As I recall, there was no head gasket; just a greased loop of thread or string. Yes, you.did have to stop the engine, air shift the camshaft sideways to a different set of lobes to run it backwards.
The boat has new modern diesels now and I can't find out anything right off as to the location of the Union.

 

[Newsa]

Hi everyone, new here.

Anyway, someone had ordered an engine and it had been built. They were air start which, in this case, means timed pressurized air was admitted into the cylinders to get the engine turning then individual cylinders were "switched" over to diesel until the engine ran on its own. The particular engine we saw was for a boat and drove the propeller directly so it was very slow turning. Although not unique this engine was "direct reversing." Meaning to reverse the boat the engine stopped and restarted going the other direction. Kinda weird the first time you see it.

Air start is interesting and somewhat confusing since air is a compressible substance. But i imagine the air starting the engine was scorching hot and helped warm up the cold-starting engine fast!

There are many stories of older (single or double cylinder) diesels stalling midway through the compression stroke/compression cycle and accidentally running backwards. Turns out that the hot partly compressed fuel/air mix sitting in the compressiion cycle of a stalling diesel turned it into a power stroke/power cycle/combustion cycle as it accidentally ran backwards.

 

[jhenderson]

Ingersol Rand builds air starters for virtually every Cummins engine produced, right up to 2016. They also make them for Detroit. They're very popular in off-road applications. They were also popular in heavy trucks into the 70s as they were more powerful and more reliable than 12-24,volt electric systems of the time.

 

[Road Rash]

Air start is interesting and somewhat confusing since air is a compressible substance. But i imagine the air starting the engine was scorching hot and helped warm up the cold-starting engine fast!

There are many stories of older (single or double cylinder) diesels stalling midway through the compression stroke/compression cycle and accidentally running backwards. Turns out that the hot partly compressed fuel/air mix sitting in the compressiion cycle of a stalling diesel turned it into a power stroke/power cycle/combustion cycle as it accidentally ran backwards.

I remember that even our old Triumphs and BSA's would try to run backwards momentarily when shut off hot.
There wouldn't be any real power there, but with the reversible cam it would: essentially like turning rhe whole motor around.
We started ours with cold air and likewise the old hit or miss engines you see at shows. Heated would be better tho, and some tank engines and stuff they would shoot something into the intake and light it with a torch to help the start.

 

[TFucili]

Ingersol Rand builds air starters for virtually every Cummins engine produced, right up to 2016. They also make them for Detroit. They're very popular in off-road applications. They were also popular in heavy trucks into the 70s as they were more powerful and more reliable than 12-24,volt electric systems of the time.

There was a small truck terminal down the road from my folks' house when I was growing up. They had a whole fleet of R-Model Macks with air starters(no idea if they were I-R)and you could hear them all night long.

 

[mwilson]

Ingersol Rand builds air starters for virtually every Cummins engine produced, right up to 2016. They also make them for Detroit. They're very popular in off-road applications. They were also popular in heavy trucks into the 70s as they were more powerful and more reliable than 12-24,volt electric systems of the time.

Easy to boost TOO!!! Hook the Emergency Trailer Air line from a running truck to the extra glad hand that the air start trucks always had. Push the Red Brake button in and fill the dead one up with air pressure......

Saved weight, smaller alternator and one/two batteries instead of four.