In place of the usual piston rod guide mechanism used on most double-acting steam engines, this engine features a system of links or levers that are anchored by (and rotate from) two fixed points. The geometry of these points must be carefully worked out when building the engine. The prototype wsa built in 1985. Detailed plans for Rudy’s Overcrank engine can be found in the first volume of The Shop Wisdom of Rudy Kouhoupt.
One of the first large donations to the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum was the collection of famed model engine builder Rudy Kouhoupt. Rudy’s niece, Susan Alvaro, was kind enough to donate his entire lifetime engine collection for display at the grand opening of the museum in 2006. After retiring as a chemist, Rudy had a second career building engines and writing magazine articles documenting the process. Many people have built his models, but we have the honor of displaying all of his original prototypes. Rudy’s collection includes scale model engines, locomotives, tractors and more. Additionally, thirteen of Rudy’s model steam engines are hooked up to run on compressed air to demonstrate their function.
