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keith
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 313
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 17, 2011 - 10:49 am: | 
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I have recently become the caretaker of a Fay & Bowen Rocket, SN 725-C. The engine is identical to the Van Blerck Jr. and tag list it as being manufactured by the Fay & Bowen Engine Company, 2200 Diamond St, Phila, PA. That is the same address as listed for Van Blerck. Other info that I have read indicates that the Fay & Bowen Engine Company of Geneva, NY was dissolved in 1929 (They built engines and boats) and the engine portion was sold to a company in Phila. According to an article in Wooden Boat, Van Blerck introduced the Jr. in 1929. Does anyone have any info as to who developed what and was the Fay & Bowen Engine company absorbed into the Van Blerck Company? |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 2553
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 17, 2011 - 03:04 pm: |
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Keith
WOW, what a can of worms this post brings up!
Of all the marine engine companies I would say that Van Blerck is one of the wildest rides of early Engine design,technology and manufacturing to try to understand, I have not as yet done a full court press research, these are only accumulated notes that eventually and hopefully add up to a clearer view of history.
I have respectfullly adopted the archetypal name "ERNIE" for any information that changes history by refering to or repeating non factual data and saying, printing or having it quoted to the result that it now becomes the history.
Notes on van Blerck with no conclusions !
Names of Companies associated with Van Blerck
1.Van Blerck
2.Van Blerck Motor Company
3.Joseph Van Blerck
4.JVB
5.Joseph Van Blerck Motor Corporation
6.Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Company
7.Elco - Electric Launch Company
8.Fay & Brown - from a 1929 article about Van Blerck when in Red Bank New Jersey, I believe this was a typo and meant to be Fay & Bowen ??
9.Fay & Bowen
10. Navy
11. Continental Motors
12.Van Blerck designed marine conversions for some truck and tractor engines but I have not yet looked into the names !
Van Blerck Company addresses
1. Detroit Michigan
2. Monroe Michigan
3. Akron, Ohio 1920's - Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Company
4.Plainfield New Jersey - late 1920's
5.Red bank New Jersey - late 1920's
6.West Bank New Jersey - late 1920's
7.Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 2200 Diamond St in 1929-1931.
First ad of the Van Blerck Jr. engine is 1928 at the Red Bank, N.J. address.
Fay Bowen was officaily closed by the New York
courts in early 1929,the Van Blerck Jr was already under production ! was the name up for grabs then or did a moderate fee transfer rights to this well known North Eastern marine engine mfgr's name for an additional avenue to market the Van Blerck Jr. engine ??
Joseph Van Blerck is definately one of a very elite list of engine designers & mfgrs that should have a book written of his life ! where are these university historians going for subjects for their thesises ? I already know to much about Abraham Lincoln and the Boer Wars ??
Great Old marine Engine Subject here and I hope
more info can be added !
Keith possible to get a photo of the Engines tag?
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keith
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 314
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 - 09:32 am: |
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One interesting point is, a lot of the covers use fillister head screws, which my other Fay & Bowen engines have. Engine is missing the original carb.
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keith
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 315
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2011 - 03:11 pm: |
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Since there is conversation about the unknown 4 cylinder engine in Michigan, that is thought to be a Van-Blerck, I thought I would renew this thread. Hopefully with the discussion on Van-Blerck someone new might have info on the company. I am interested in the relationship between Van-Blerck and Fay & Bowen. The Van-Blerck Jr. and the Fay & Bowen Rocket are the same motor. They are revolutionary for the 1929-1930 period. 165 lb complete with trans, starter, carb and generator, ready to install in the boat. All aluminum construction, overhead cam with 4 valves per cylinder listed at 33 hp. |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 2570
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2011 - 04:03 pm: |
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In this 2008 Thread, Member "Rendo" says he has a Fay & Bowen Rocket Brochure ?
http://www.oldmarineengine.com/discus/messages/2/113161.html#POST22979
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andrew
Moderator
Username: andrew
Post Number: 1116
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2011 - 06:34 pm: |
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Keith,
I'm not sure if this has been posted before or not, and it doesn't refer to the Van Blerck and Fay & Bowen connection, but I thought I would post it in case you haven't see it.
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keith
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 316
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - 04:49 pm: |
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This adv. for Van Blerck Jr. list the weight as 165 lbs.
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bruce
Senior Member
Username: bruce
Post Number: 248
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - 04:56 pm: |
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Printers dislexia 6...9 |
keith
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 326
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2011 - 03:13 pm: |
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Found this on the WEB
http://smithcollection.com/Collections/Engines/E179.shtml |
keith
Senior Member
Username: keith
Post Number: 327
Registered: 02-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2011 - 03:16 pm: |
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This also;
http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Gas-Engines/THE-CAREER-OF-JOSEPH-VAN-BLERCK.a spx? |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 2646
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2011 - 11:37 pm: |
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Rare photo of the Dutchman 1920
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bklynphil
New member
Username: bklynphil
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2016
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 - 04:53 am: |
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Here is a 1920 Van Blerck Jr engine in a 1912 FDNY motorized steamer at the NYC Fire Museum. It's made by Wellman-Seaver-Morgan who made them under license to JVB
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