This large model of a water-cooled, single-cylinder Fairbanks Morse hit n’ miss engine was built by Jack Randall. This model features an unusual radiator that pumps water through a pipe at the top. The hot water flows from holes in the pipe and trickles down angled screens on either side as cool air flows through it, cooling the water. It is then caught in a basin and pumped back through the engine to cool it. Hit n’ miss engines were made by a multitude of engine manufacturers during their peak usage which was from approximately 1910 through the early 1930s when they began to be replaced by more modern designs. Some of the largest engine manufacturers were Stover, Hercules, International Harvester (McCormick Deering), John Deere, and Fairbanks Morse.

A Fairbanks Morse hit n' miss engine with cover.

Exhibit added: February 20, 2018 - Last modified: April 5, 2023

Presented by The Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship