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Author Topic: Congratulations...!!! to anyone who won these 2 very rare Jensens ?  (Read 480 times)

Randy Tucker

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Hi Mike. The 20 power plant I just bought has the same commentator on it. I will get a picture of it posted. I was thinking it was homemade and was planning to redo it till I seen yours is the same way. So now I guess I will leave it.

Nick

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Thanks everyone! If I have a spare moment, I check eBay.  ;D

I check even when I don't have a spare moment and I still missed them  ;)
Nick

Randy Tucker

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Here are pictures of my engine that is made like yours. The other thing that made me think it was homemade is they used coated wire instead of cloth covered wire. All that I have seen from this time period had cloth covered wire. But here we have 2 now the same way. So I don't know.  It has been suggested to me that maybe it was sent back to Jensen for repaire and this is what was done to fix it.

RedRyder

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It sure looks like Tom Sr.'s work to me.

Gil

Junkologist

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Randy,
Your commutator and brushes look exactly like the one I just got, even the way the top brush sits crooked. Does the light blink when you run the engine? Mine does and I believe it’s due to the fairly wide gaps between the commutator segments. My earlier Big Power Plant has a much more refined commutator with very small gaps and no screws, the wires are soldered. The light doesn’t blink at all on it. At least, it’s not perceptible.
Mike

Check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cletrac

Randy Tucker

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Yes it blinks bad. Like you I have a earlier big power plant that is made alot better and doesn't make the light blink. That is why I was thinking this was done by someone at home. But now there is 2 of them just a like I guess it was done by Jensen.

Junkologist

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Yep, must be original. Not very likely that two different hacks at home built something identical. Mine has a mixture of earlier and later parts, so these may have been engines that Tom Sr. just threw together to use up parts.
Mike

Check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cletrac

RedRyder

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One of mine has the same rigging.




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Junkologist

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Gil,
Does your boiler have the hollow screws for the sight glass and steam dome?
Mike

Check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cletrac

RedRyder

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Gil,
Does your boiler have the hollow screws for the sight glass and steam dome?


No, there are solid screws. These came in 2 sizes which are 5-40 and 6-32. Hollow screws are believed to have appeared immediate post war due to the existence of very rare riveted boiler machines with dark blue paint and hollow screws. There are also some also very rare examples with dark blue paint, rivets, and small solid screws (1930's style). This piece with the robins egg blue paint and hollow screws is the first I recall seeing with hollow screws and the 1930's light blue paint. It could be he (Tom Sr.) just didn't want to bother to repaint a left over engine base Mrs. J. had painted pre-war.


Or..... One must ask..... Did he begin experimenting with hollow screws pre-war?
Based on my observations over the last 20 years and info gathered over the last 30-40 years, it is more likely someone brought the engine back for a boiler repair or replacement in the early post war period. I would like to know what other machines, if any, have hollow screws with robins egg blue paint, with the exception of the 2 newer boilers I had converted to riveted that retained the hollow screws.


Gil

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Interesting. This riveted boiler I have shows no evidence of ever being repaired or converted from solid screws to hollow screws. It was made just like any other hollow screw boiler except for the rivets, soft solder, and the inserted ceramic heater. It doesn’t have and never did have the soldered in bushings that solid screw boilers have. It seems more likely that to me that Tom Sr. was experimenting with the hollow screws before he started silver soldering the boilers and may have had a surplus of ceramic heaters to use up, which would account for the blanket heater designed firebox I have. Given Tom Sr’s track record for mixing early and late parts, this seems the most plausible explanation to me. I find it hard to believe that very many of these engines were sent back for repairs. I’m sure some were, but I think it would have been a pretty big expense to invest in something that was just considered a toy at the time. We will never know for sure.
Mike

Check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cletrac

RedRyder

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I would agree that yours was originally built just the way it is, especially since the newer style hollow screw boilers have different hole locations on top than the earlier designs with solid screws. It was also most likely assembled post war with the firebox having the heater retaining screw holes. I believe it is precisely as it came from the factory. Furthermore the steam line lines up perfectly with the dome location on top of the boiler. If you substitute a newer boiler for pre-war you must bend the steam line or move the firebox, neither of which are done here. Mike, you have a very rare Big Power Plant!

Regarding the commutator.... they appeared like that before the later bases with mounting tabs appeared. One of mine has mounting screws through the base and the screws holding the comutator parts in place.

Gil

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is what keeps me on the edge of my seat looking for that next odd variation that came out of that little shop in Jeanette, PA. So fascinating! ;D
Mike

Check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cletrac

Randy Tucker

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Well no one has ask about the 10 that was put back on Evilbay.  Needless to say it brought a lot more $199.00 but I ended up with it. So now I have 13 different model 10s now. Got to get a least one more to get away from the number 13. I've cleaned it up a little and run it. It is really in nice shape.

Nick

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Very Nice Randy  8)
Nick