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The Winton Engine Company Model 129-6 was a four-stroke cycle airless
injection six-cylinder marine diesel engine with 12-1/2 inch bore
and 16 inch stroke. The 129-6 was constructed of chrome nickel iron,
and weighed about 60,000 lbs. Unlike many Winton engines of the
period, this type was only built as an inline six cylinder, there
were no four cylinder or eight cylinder versions. This engine series
was introduced around 1927 and continued in production to the early
1930s. The rating of the engine was revised several times during
the period of its manufacture, commonly applied ratings include
330 BHP at 300 RPM, 400 BHP at 375 RPM, and 450 BHP at 375 RPM.
The installation of this engine on the preserved historic tugboat
LUNA was typical of the applications of the Model 129-6, with a
pair of the engines rated 330 BHP each driving 213 kW generators
that supplied power to a double armature main propulsion motor rated
at 516 H.P. at 125 R.P.M.
Total production of this type of diesel engine was probably less
than 100 engines. Today only two are known to still exist, on the
tug LUNA, based in Boston, Massachusetts. Unfortunately these engines
were damaged when the tug's engine room was partially flooded prior
to the current restoration project.
The Winton Engine Company was formed by Alexander Winton, the builder
of Winton Automobiles, and was located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was
acquired in 1930 by General Motors along with one of its primary
engine customers, the Electro-Motive Company. Winton Engine subsequently
became the Cleveland Diesel Division of General Motors in 1937,
and was disbanded around 1960. The rights for the Winton and Cleveland
Diesel engines were acquired by Hatch & Kirk Company of Seattle,
Washington in 1977. They still build parts for some of the engines.
The Electro-Motive Company became the Electro-Motive Division of
General Motors (EMD), a major builder of diesel locomotives and
marine engines. It still operates as Electro-Motive Diesel, an independently
owned locomotive and engine builder with facilities in La Grange,
Illinois and London, Ontario.
Here is a link to the tugboat Luna website:
http://www.tugboatluna.org/
Here is a link to a website that has information
on another old Winton Diesel:
http://members.aol.com:80/wpc104/index.htm
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