|
History  HISTORY OF BUCHANAN ENGINES By Donald Hunter F. L. Buchanan Limited began in the flourishing economy of the 1920s during the development of the wooden pleasure boat era. Beautiful mahogany varnish-finished power boats were being built by some of the best boat companies on the North American continent. Ditchburn Boats Ltd. and Port Carling Boat Works shipped boats to many countries around the world. Minett Shields, Greavette Boats Limited, Grew Boats Ltd., Ross Boat and Canoe Co., Hunter Boats Ltd., and Duke Boats Ltd. all built well-known pleasure boats. These craft required the latest in high-powered marine motor power, and Buchanan was one of the highest quality suppliers. The company began 1923 when Fred Buchanan established the F. L. Buchanan Engineer and Machinist Company - a small machine shop operating in Orillia, managed by Fred Buchanan with two machinist employees. Their first marine engine was a single cylinder, four-cycle with hand crank or optional electrical starter, complete with a reverse gear. The unit developed up to four hp and was followed closely with the production of ‘The Firefly’, a two-cylinder motor developing 10 hp and complete with electric starter and a reverse gear. It was manufactured in 1925 and 1926, primarily to meet the demand of Port Carling Boat Works who were building a two-pointed end lapstrake craft on a production line. They named this craft ‘The Johnston Special’, since it was a 16’ craft similar to that which had previously been built by William Johnston at Port Stanfield on the Muskoka Lakes, and which was known as a Dispro or Disappearing Propeller boat. It was apparent that the small machine shop could not cope with the increased demand. A new plant at 129 Front Street South in Orillia was financed and built in 1926. The new building was built of brick and concrete construction, complete with a machine shop, motor assembly area and engineering office, a motor test area, a stock room, and administration offices. The company was incorporated and named F. L. Buchanan Limited. Fred Buchanan was the President and General Manager, which included design engineering and supervision of production. His brother, Frank Buchanan, joined the company in 1926 as the General Sales Manager. Miss Phemie Beaton was in charge of accounting and administration while J. Cowden Whitfield ran the engineering office from the early 1930s to the late 1950s. Frank’s son, Bob, joined the company in 1948 as part of the sales force and worked with the company until 1968. The company progressed rapidly during the 1920s and continued expansion of its motor models in spite of the depression of the 1930s. From the time the new plant was built in 1926, Buchanan engineered, designed, and manufactured their own reverse gear units which were attached as an integral part of each motor. The company also engineered and manufactured their own water jacketed manifolds and bronze helical gear water pumps, installed on all Buchanan marine motors. Other than the motor blocks, electric starters, ignition system, and generators, the Buchanan motor was an Orillia-built product. The manufacturing of four-cylinder marine motors began in 1927 with the Baby Four. This was a complete motor with reverse gear and electric starter (as all subsequent motors would be) and developed 13 hp. The Baby Four was manufactured to compete with the Wisconsin four-cylinder motors being shipped to Canada from the U.S. Following the Baby Four were:
The Buchanan Company manufactured a high quality line of marine engines that developed over the years as the wooden pleasure boat industry also grew from the early 1920s to the 1960s. During the mid-1950s, it became apparent that wooden built hulls for pleasure craft would give way to mass-produced fibreglass built hulls and that there was no way the old methods of construction could compete. Fibreglass hull design changed pleasure craft running lines as well as power units that were built on large production lines creating lighter and more powerful marine motors; many of the newer motors were equipped with inboard/outboard stern drives. Forty-five years of dedication and hard work to build F. L. Buchanan Ltd. Had taken its toll on Fred Buchanan’s health, and the decision was made to sell the company in 1965. At the same time, many of the wood hull manufacturers were closing shop or downsizing their staff to a few expert builders who would work with expensive custom-built boats. Grew Boats Ltd. of Penetang, Ontario was one of a few who re-organized and built fibreglass boats. F. L. Buchanan Ltd. was sold to Gill Wallis and Associate in 1967, and the new owner attempted to upgrade the operation with new high-speed machinery to compete with the larger companies now producing marine engines. This was unsuccessful, and the new owners were forced to sell the company in 1968. Pal Engines Inc. purchased the Buchanan plant, machinery, and operation in 1969 and moved their special machinery in for engine re-building in 1970. This company carried on the Buchanan tradition, assembling and servicing many of the Buchanan marine motors, but a big part of their business was engine rebuilding for both the marine and automotive trades. John and Edith Parry, together with assistant Fred Ritter, had begun a small but successful automobile motor rebuilding business in East Oro, in 1938. In 1948, they purchased part of the Burns Glass Company on Dunedin Street in Orillia. By 1956, it was developing rapidly and the engine rebuilding was moved out to the Parry’s new plant in the Forest Home Industrial Park, built in 1958. This new company was named Ingenious Devices Ltd. By 1963, the motor block part of the business had established its own identity as Pal Engines Inc. It was now operated as a separate company. Further expansion required that they move to bigger space, and, under the direction of Fred Ritter, they purchased the Buchanan Plant in 1969. Under Fred’s guidance, his sons Bruce and Rod Ritter ultimately ran Pal Engines until they discontinued operations in 1997. Parry Automotive Limited of Orillia absorbed the Pal Engine re-building part of the business, ceased operation, and integrated with their own engine rebuilding operation. Engine block rebuilding and assembly was not new to this company, for they had been supplying F. L. Buchanan Ltd. with assembled blocks as far back as the late 1950s. Parry Automotive was an important part of the Parry operations. Edith Parry had taken over the ownership of the Orillia part of the operation in 1958. Her ability expanded and diversified the company, providing an excellent service for automotive parts to automobile garages throughout the area. Peter Van Kessel, as a very young man, joined Parry Automotive in 1957 and gradually worked his way into administration positions. He began purchasing stock in the company until he had 49% of the shares and became a partner in 1966. Edith Parry owned the other 51%. When Mrs. Parry passed away rather suddenly in 1977, Peter Van Kessel took over the management of the Orillia operation and ultimately purchased Edith Parry’s 51% of the shares from the estate. By this time, they had a division in North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. The company has continued to grow and has increased its parts service and engine rebuilding divisions. The engine rebuilding division is very modern, using the latest in automotive machinery and technology to compete with others in the automotive and marine engine industry. Separate operations were established and controlled by John Parry in Barrie, Guelph, Durham, Brampton, and Newmarket, Ontario between 1958 and 1963. It is important to note that Parry Automotive Ltd. had a significant part to play with regard to the high standard of quality that the Buchanan engines enjoyed. Beginning in the late 1950s, Parry Automotive supplied Buchanan with built-up engine blocks to the stage of Buchanan assembling their own manufactured marine parts to complete the Buchanan engines ready for the market. Parry Automotive, to this day, rebuilds Buchanan motors sent to them from many parts of Canada. Some of these motors are performing continuously in marine work, while others are for antique hulls being restored. Peter Van Kessel speaks well of the long association with the Buchanan operation over the years. The Buchanan manufacturing era ended with the death of Fred Buchanan who died in 1968, followed by Frank in February, 1987. Bob Buchanan had been in the Buchanan organization from 1948 to 1968 and remained in the marine motor business selling Volvo Marine units for Atlas Polar for two years, Dominion Auto Marine for two years selling Chrysler marine motors, and Seamark Industries selling Boston Whalers until his retirement. He lives in Coldwater, Ontario. Special recognition and thanks is expressed to Bob for the valuable documents, sales literature, and family history that he provided to the author so the details of this all-Canadian, Orillia owned company could be recorded. Reprinted with permission of Classicboat magazine, which is a quarterly publication of the Toronto Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society. For more information about Classicboat or ACBC-Toronto, please visit www.acbs.ca
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||