Vintage steam engine by C. Cretors & Co.

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Vintage steam engine by C. Cretors & Co.

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Sold Date: 04/08/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Advertising

A real piece of Americana. This is a steam engine made by the C. Cretors & Co. of Chicago and used in on of their popcorn machines in the early 1900s. Mr Cretor practiically invented the popcorn industry in the late 1800s with his revoluntionary machines that helped make popcorn the favorite over peanuts as consession food. The engines were driven by steam and used to drive the peanut roaster drum and the agitator in the popcorn popper pan. I'm selling this for a friend and neither he nor I have a lot of history on this particular engine but I've looked at some sites and gotten some relevant infromation. First this is what I know from looking the engine over myself: made by C. Cretors & Co of Chicago the engine age is unknown, it is apx. 23 1/2" long and 9 3/4" wide,the flywheel dia. is 8",it has a throttle lever that works, has 5/8" splined output shaft apx. 3" long.T is a brass tag on the front of the engine with the Cretor company's name the engine number - 7336 which is also cast on the engine body,patents applied for are on the tag and are- Oct 10,1893; Mar 20,1894; May 19,1903; May 19,1903; May 19,1903; May 02,1906; May 26,1906; May 26,1906. It's in good shape and the owner has run compressed air through it and it works. From the pictures that I've seen it seems that the "regulator" is missing or that it might not have been on this one. The Wyandot Popcorn Museum site( ) has a lot of info and a picture of an engine almost identical to this one on the beautifully restored Cretor Popcorn Wagons. Please look at pictures, ask questions before bidding. Thanks for looking and be happy.Check out my other items !