Reeves Engines

Haston had built some 50 engines since 1950. So, in other words,
he is the grandaddy of all one-half size Reeves engines. Both mine
and Haston’s dads were Reeves dealers back in the teens,
therefore, we both liked and ran Reeves engines.

Attached is a picture of Haston’s half-size of 13 HP, and
Danuser’s half-size 16 HP. I would, and did borrow patterns and
prints from Haston, and I also borrowed his engine for other
dimensions. I started buying castings and steel in 1978, and
completed the engine in 1982.

My dad, K. B. Danuser (1871-1937) owned the following engines:
Case, Huber, Robinson, Frick, Jumbo, Peerless, and N & S. After
buying a 20 HP Reeves in 1910, all single engines had to go! He
used the Reeves up until 1937 with K & G separators. We had 4
different size Reeves engines: 13-20-25-32 HP.

All bearings are roller or ball in the one-half size 16 HP.
Crankshaft is made from solid 4140 steel, also ground mains and rod
journals. Stainless steel piston rods and valve rods, bore
3.125′ x 4′ stroke. Boiler code-welded
³/₈ and boiler plate 23 1′ flues carry
175 pounds of steam. By being code stamped, there is no problem
with boiler inspector. It has power steering, rocking grates, two
‘ injectors, and one Beisch two cylinder pump.

I know some people will say Reeves didn’t have ball bearings
or roller bearings. This is true, but had they made them in the
teens, Reeves would have had them as standard equipment. The weight
of the one-half 16 HP engine is 4000 lbs., and it will turn both
rear wheels any where both hard and soft surfaces.

Serial #8030, this engine was sold in 1915-16 and shipped to
Golden City, MO. It has a Canadian boiler and was completely
rebuilt in W.W. Danuer’s own plant.

The bell behind smokestack and rear tank was added at this time
This engine was used for threshing in southwest Missouri for
approximately 20 years. All steel gearing, weight 50,000 lbs story
in this issue by Danuser on two half-scale Reeves engines.

This was only used a year or two and his two sons joined the
army and later went to WW I. It was used in a saddle factory in
Jefferson City, and was later moved to Osage City, MO to power a
flour mill.

In 1923 or 1924, my dad, K. B. Danuser purchased the engine and
used it in threshing in the Missouri River Bottom and was also
threshed on the Northern Callaway until approximately 1930. It was
used on a sawmill for several years, and after several ownerships,
Ed Peacock purchased the engine in the late30’s. I purchased
the engine from Mr. Peacock in 1950-51, and rebuilt same. This
engine was the one that out-pulled the D7 Caterpillr. It was sold
to Norman Pross in North Dakota, and at the present time it is in
the Pross Museum.W. W. Danuser

The larger Reeves will also spin both rear wheels at any given
time. A 25 HP Reeves pulling against a D-6 Cat. Please note all
tracks are at the rear of engine. And our 32 HP out pulled a D-7.
Try either one with a single cylinder engine and you will find you
either have a slipping clutch or engine on dead center. You
don’t have this problem with a double cylinder Reeves engine.
Try it sometime with a single cylinder engine and send me a picture
like the picture on the back cover. Then I will believe more about
your single cylinder engines.

Don’t be too upset with the above statements, and I know
they are pretty bold to make, but I still say ‘All engines are
good, I just like the double cylinder Reeves much better!!’

Photographs were taken by Hawks, Inc. Photography, 1345 E. 15th,
Tulsa, OK.

Serial #6660, Built 1912. This engine was purchased by judge in
Jefferson City, Missouri, along with an Avery separator
(Yellow-Fellow), for the purpose of his two sons to operate across
the Callaway County River Bottom.

The following is a complete list of serial numbers of Reeves
Steam engines from the year 1897 to 1913.

Year

1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
serial#

436
526
646
827
1098
1533
2034
2642
3086
3640
4137
4764
5143
5504
5993
6521
6969