WILSON 5hp OIL ENGINE – c. 1919

One of Museum’s rarest engines is the “Wilson” built in Aberdeen Scotland. There are only around a dozen left in the world. They run on kerosene, owing to the scarcity and cost of petrol in that era. Starting was a major operation. While heating up the “Hot Bulb” with a blow lamp, fuel would be dripped onto the inlet valve seat, and, with the flywheel being turned rapidly the air-fuel mixture would be drawn past the “Hot Bulb” and compressed in the combustion chamber. If all factors were correct, the mixture would ignite and the 4-cycle operation of the motor would begin. Once the engine was hot enough, the blow lamp would be turned off and the magneto ignition would take over.

C. F. Wilson & Co made the engines from 1902. While they were simple in design and cheap to run, the Crossley and Hornsby companies had by this time, cornered the market in the UK, so most, if not all, were exported to the colonies.

The blow lamp-style engines only lasted a short period, being replaced by either petrol or diesel engines that had higher horse power and quicker starting.