Ruston & Hornsby PB Engine History

Discovered a Ruston & Hornsby PB engine in a friend's barn this week (see photos).

Engine turns over freely with the flywheel but top of magneto (Lucas??) and plug lead is missing.

Engine was purchased for £5 by my friend's father back in the day and was used regulary for driving sheep shearing and cattle feed chopping (swedes & mangles) machinery.

Engine Number: 235765
Class & Size: PB 3 BHP
Speed: 600/700 RPM

Any information on year of manufacture and details of original purchaser would be of great interest.

Also any ideas of where we could get a replacement magneto top?

Needs some TLC.

David P

Send a polite email to Ray Hooley at rehooley@ntlworld.com with the number and he will tell you the build date and who it was supplied to.  Ray is the 'wrong side' of 90 so be patient, he usually responds within a day or so though.

Pete.

Pete,

Thank you for the prompt response.

Can you just check the email address provided - is it @ntlworld.com or @ntlworld.co.uk?

David P

djpeng wrote:Pete,

Thank you for the prompt response.

Can you just check the email address provided - is it @ntlworld.com or @ntlworld.co.uk?

David P

Oops, it's .com Sorry.

Pete.

Pete,

Thank you for the contact details.

Ray came back to me with the following information:

Engine Sold: 12th March 1945 to J.H.Morris & Sons in Hereford (who were agents for R&H).

Engine was purchased secondhand by my friend's father for £5 around the 1950s and was used extensively on the farm where it still resides in Herefordshire.

Needs some new magneto bits (Lucas type) which I will try and source and get it running on my next visit.

Thanks again for Ray's contact details - all interesting stuff.

David P