One great engine, of course, is never enough. But Steve's second Rider-Ericsson takes a different course: it's a fully operational 1/3 model of his big Rider-Ericsson.
"It's kind of neat to have a little guy that can set next to the full-size engine," he says.
The model, just recently completed, has a two-inch bore and one-inch stroke, and is 16 inches tall at the top of the flywheel. The kit engine was composed mainly of aluminum castings of the major components. All the brass, bronze and steel parts were made from stock material. The model engine is constructed and operates exactly like the full-size engine, including the burner. More ornate legs on the model are the only difference. Propane is used to fuel the model.
Building the model - the second one he'd done - was not exactly a day at the beach.
"You have to do every bit of machine work that would have been done by the original manufacturer," he says. "It's a real education. I'm not a machinist per se; I just learned what I know from watching my dad."
Model building has its attractions, he says.
"I don't think I'll have models as a mainstay," Steve says, "but as I get older, they're a lot nicer to move around than full-size engines."
Still, there's always a wish list.
"I've only seen two or three other Rider-Ericssons," he says. One was simply too large to consider buying.