Fairbanks 208

Pumping units are all over the Southern Illinois oilfield, so this is a common sight for me. Much of the country does not have oil wells putting away, so I thought it would be good to share one with the True Blue vistiors. That is a Fairbanks-Morse 208 engine, and it burns gas from the well head. These engines have a closed crankcase, with a splash oil system, and Timken roller bearings instead of the plain babbit bearings you see at antique engine shows. The radiator on top of the cooling tank serves as a condenser for the coolant that boils off. The pumper (person who checks the well every day) checks the oil and antifreeze as part of his routine every day.