Tuesday Torque: Half-Breed Oilfield Engine

Oil production in this country began while steam was still king, so naturally, steam engines were used for drilling and producing oil.  As gas engines came into vogue many of the oilfield steam engines were converted into gas engines.  The engines in remote, out-of-the-way places have survived in sufficient numbers that  they are a hobby unto themselves with engine collectors.  This is a two-stroke engine, and the lower end of the cylinder performs the intake function that is handled by the crankcase on modern two-stroke engines.