HAVING only ever seen one other engine like it in Australia, Mackay resident Peter Robinson expects his 2 3/4hp Ruston Hornsby engine will be of great interest to people attending the 6th Queensland Heritage Rally in Ayr later this year.
Peter is a member of the Pioneer Valley Machinery Preservationists (Mackay), one of three machinery enthusiasts clubs hosting the rally, which is being held for the first time ever in north Queensland. Peter will be working as a volunteer at the rally, and demonstrating his engine, along with some other pieces from his extensive machinery collection.
“The Ruston Hornsby engine was used to drive a chaffcutter on a local farm in the 1930s,” Peter said.
“These engines are quite rare. I have only ever seen one other like mine and the funny thing was, it was quite different to mine, even though it was the same model!” he said.
At the Heritage Rally, Peter will be using the engine to drive a 1920s Silver Manufacturing post drill which was rescued from the dump at Crediton and given to him.
One part of his large engine collection that won’t be making the trip to Ayr is a 1925 Republic model 19C truck, which Peter has spent years more than 30 years restoring. With a top speed of 24 kilometres per hour and a fuel consumption rate of 50 litres per 100 kilometres, he says the fuel costs and time to drive to Ayr and back (about 13 hours each way) mean it is not practical to display the truck.
“My truck is not the standard model, it has optional extras.
“It has electric lights and pneumatic tyres on the front. The standard lights with this model were kerosene lanterns and all the tyres were solid rubber. I have the solids on the back.
“It does not have the optional extra windscreen, bumper bar or electric start. It starts by hand crank but it does start easily.
“For the technically minded, it has a four cylinder Continental engine of 310 cubic inch capacity.
“The gearbox is a four speed Fuller and the differential is made by Eaton. Republic owned Eaton at the time the truck was made. Fuller gearboxes and Eaton diffs can still be found in many trucks today.”
Peter said there are a few other Republic trucks scattered around Queensland but most ended up staying in Michigan in the US where they were made.
Ayr Showgrounds is the site of the Rally. Running from July 25-27, the event will attract heritage machinery enthusiasts from across Australia.
The rally is being organised by the Burdekin Machinery Preservationists (Burdekin), North Queensland Machinery Preservationists (Townsville) and the Pioneer Valley Machinery Preservationists (Mackay).
