AN ENGINE restoration enthusiast blew the cobwebs off his motor collection last weekend at the Mount Gambier Spring Show.
Mount Gambier resident Bob Geraghty has followed his passion since he was a small child.
“I come to the show every year mainly to exhibit in the vintage machinery section,” Mr Geraghty said.
“I have expanded my collection to now 42 restored motors with 15 unrestored sitting in the shed.
“I always have one on the go and am just doing the final touches on a David Brown cropmaster tractor.”
Historic stationary and hit and miss motors are collector items valuable to many.
Mr Geraghty brought three of his collectibles to the show over the weekend, alternating his display every year he attends.
“Today I have the rare number 76 Kaesler engine coming from Hahndorf, very few of these engines were made,” Mr Geraghty told The Border Watch on Saturday.
“We also have a Ruston Hornsby English engine driving a 32 volt generator.
“Lastly we have the old Mount Gambier machine Putt Putt.”
Putt Putt was built in the 1940s, powered by a Petter 5.4hp single cylinder air cooled diesel engine, with two forward and reverse speeds.
“The machine was firstly used on a dump truck on the early stages of the cellulose paper mill at Millicent,” Mr Geraghty said.
“From there it went to Reichelt’s Machinery Sales and Services to be used as a tow motor for shifting farm machinery around the yard and workshops.
“For the last 30 years it was used at Reichelt’s Caravans to tow caravans and general duties.”
Mr Geraghty was then offered the machine and rebuilt it for shifting and pulling vintage engines.
“It is a great hobby to have and I get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” Mr Geraghty said.
“We get an excellent response from the general public answering and talking to people all day.
“Young people are surprised by the 32 volt engine and many have never seen anything like it before and are quite fascinated by an old engine choofing away.”
Mr Geraghty plans on returning to the show next year and will continue sharing his passion with the community.
“I tell them everywhere we use an electric motor now days, we used to use an old engine to do the same job,” he said.
“The older people come along with stories about different engines and it is very interesting.
“It keeps an old bloke busy and out of the pub, you meet so many people hunting parts and regain contact all the time.”
Mr Geraghty uses his personally restored truck to transport his motors.
