3 replies to this topic

[psalt]

Hello,

I am looking for some help researching some early US engine designs. I am looking for information on the 1904 Welch , a 4 cylinder SOHC hemi engine, the 1905 Premier, another 4 cylinder, SOHC hemi engine and the 1910 Chalmers, a 6 cylinder DOHC engine. The Welch was designed by AR Welch, appears to be the first SOHC hemi, but AR seems to have wound up in a graveyard in 1913. The Premier is in the Indy 500 museum and I have examined it. It was designed by George Weidely, who also designed a SOHC vertical valve engine with a shaft drive to the center of the cam and a V-12. Both SOHC, inclined valve designs predate Benz, Ledwinka and Porsche, but what happened to George ? The Chalmers is a mystery, apparently there is one in the Speedway Motors collection, a gear driven 1910 DOHC, two years before the Henry Peugeot. They seem to have won a couple of races in 1909, but they were not around at Indy in 1911. Any help ?

Paul

[teegeefla]

I hate to see a thread drop off without any responses...probably because I have had some of mine disappear unanswered and ignored.

This link will take you to the Smith Collection museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. I know they have a Chalmers DOHC engine among their collection, along with a huge array of rare engines.

http://smithcollection.com/index.php

I have had the good fortune to have toured the museum and they have some incredible historic engines on display; even the pieces waiting to be restored are incredible and many are one of a kind. The Smith family are wonderful people and well worth contacting for more info.

[A E Anderson]

Originally posted by psalt
Hello,

I am looking for some help researching some early US engine designs. I am looking for information on the 1904 Welch , a 4 cylinder SOHC hemi engine, the 1905 Premier, another 4 cylinder, SOHC hemi engine and the 1910 Chalmers, a 6 cylinder DOHC engine. The Welch was designed by AR Welch, appears to be the first SOHC hemi, but AR seems to have wound up in a graveyard in 1913. The Premier is in the Indy 500 museum and I have examined it. It was designed by George Weidely, who also designed a SOHC vertical valve engine with a shaft drive to the center of the cam and a V-12. Both SOHC, inclined valve designs predate Benz, Ledwinka and Porsche, but what happened to George ? The Chalmers is a mystery, apparently there is one in the Speedway Motors collection, a gear driven 1910 DOHC, two years before the Henry Peugeot. They seem to have won a couple of races in 1909, but they were not around at Indy in 1911. Any help ?

Paul

If you have access, Automobile Quarterly has probably covered these various engines, complete with cross-section drawings. Another source is Antique Automobile Club of America, their library probably has at least some info on these engines as well. Also, for the Premier, perhaps the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum might have some information?

The trouble is, back in the day, as those early companies went out of existence, there was very little interest, apparently, in anyone retaining their archives for future historical reference.

Art

[psalt]

Thanks Art and teegeefla,

Yes, I have searched most of the Automobile Quarterly's, but they were not much help. Many of the old engine articles were written by Borgeson, attempting to correct his prior work, and focus narrowly on twin cam engines. His excellent 1981 book hints that he knew about the Welch and Premier, but no details because they were SOHC. It is odd that he credits Ledwinka for a 1905 SOHC that didn't hit the road until 1909, when the Welch mentioned on a prior page was in production in 1904. Perhaps he felt bad that Porsche gets credit for many of his ideas. His work is great, but the obsession about the 1912 Peugeot engine dominates, and the book is incomplete unless you read his subsequent articles. He never actually did publish an accurate drawing of this engine, although one can now be found from a different source. The remarkable thing is how quickly these designs were copied around the world just after the turn of the century. And how national pride clouds much of the historical record. No wonder Ferrari destroyed so many of his race cars. I will write Speedy Bill on the Chalmers, it looks like it could turn this whole story on it's ear.

Paul