A while back at Mt. Pleasant Reunion my friend Leonard Mann of
Otterbein, Indiana, Route 2, took quite a ribbing because he was
telling some friends he had seen and worked with a large
Keck-Gonnerman engine. Some of these fellows also gave yours truly
a hard time (over that same engine). Now here is proof positive
Keck-Gonnerman built early 20’s Bore 7 – Stroke 12′, boiler
company who built them disowned them readily and emphatically. No
less authority than Frank Keck himself denied any part of the above
engine. The plain truth is – there were 6 of these built of which
the one above was the last. The Keck people did not believe in
heavy crankshafts for their double engines; consequently, the
engine above was troubled by this type of mounting, one bearing to
each cylinder. She broke her crankshaft twice in about 10 years.
Incidentally, Keck-Gonnerman did not furnish repairs for her. They
had to be ordered from New York. It is noteworthy that two of these
were sold within 20 miles of the other which left only 4 to be seen
elsewhere.
Therefore, isn’t it unlikely the Reeves No. 8091 was any
relation to the above engine at all? Like a Shetland pony to
percheron stallion – these engines were Keck-Gonnerman’s flair
at the Canadian Market. It would be fitting if someone would do an
article on unusual engines. Don’t you think?