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Blackstone 5hp portable 1905 at Peterborough 08 - IMG 3005

A Award wining restoration of a 5 hp Blackstone Portable on original trolley at the Peterborough National Tractor show in 2008

Blackstone Grinder (restored) at Peterborough 08 - IMG 3011

A restored Corn grinder displayed with the above engine providing power by a flat belt

Lister-Blackstone hay rake at Peterborough 08 - IMG 3009

A restored Lister-Blackstone hay rake exhibited at a vintage tractor show

Blackstone industrial engine Brush alternator unit at GDSF 08 - IMG 0775

A Large 4 cylinder Blackstone engine and Brush Alternator set at GDSF in 2008

Blackstone was a farm implement maker. In 1896 they built lamp start oil engines. By 1912 they had developed a new diesel engine that ran on vaporized oil and was fired by a spark. It did not need a hot bulb like most engines of the time.

By 1919 they had mounted a 25 hp 3 cylinder version in a crawler tractor, which they built till 1925. Garrett assembled some of these tractors. They were similar to an International 15-30.

By 1929 they were building diesel engines for the AGE group.

AGE collapsed in the 1930s, but Blackstone continued as an engine builder and was taken over by Lister in 1937. were they continued to build Agricultural machinery as well as Engines. The firm was then branded as Lister Blackstone.

Lister Blackstone was acquired by the Hawker Siddeley Group on 1 June 1965 and merged with Mirrlees National of Stockport in 1969. The company name was then became Mirrlees Blackstone Ltd.


The Brand was carried on for many years, and used on Large industrial engines. The Firm became Mirrlees Blackstone as part of BTR, before being sold to Alstom. The firm was then taken over again this time by MAN B&W and absorbed into MAN B&W in the 1990s, with the production facilities closed down in the UK.

Model range[]

Agricultural machinery[]

  • Corn mill
  • Blackstone No.9 Haymaker - RASE award winner (Taunton)
  • Blackstone Hay Rake
  • Blackstone Hay Turner
  • Hay rake
  • Fertilizer spreaders
  • Patent Blackstone No. 20 Swath turner - Award winning design in 1907
  • Potato spinner (Digger)

Engines[]


Blackstone 'Digger' potato spinner at Woolpit 09 - IMG 1172

A restored Blackstone Digger at the Woolpit Steam Rally 2009

Blackstone patent Swath Turner No

A Blackstone Swath Turner

Blackstone Swath Turner 'Plaque' IMG 1181

Makers 'Plaque' on the Swath Collector

Lister Blackstone spreader at Anglesey 2010 - IMG 2430

A restored Lister Blackstone spreader seen at the Isle of Anglesey Vintage Rally 2010

Engines[]

Engine list based on date at the Blackstone History pages. (to be linked up to the many photos of engines from shows - were the type is known).
Blackstone engine range
Type Description Period Power Range Fuel Type example (Image) Misc info
Blackstone 'Lamp' engine Horizontal, Overhung Cylinder, Lamp 1896–1902 1-1/2 to 20 bhp Kerosene Oil - -
Blackstone Standard RS engine and Blackstone TS engines Horizontal, Overhung Cylinder, Auto Vapouriser 1902–1919 2 to 75 bhp Kerosene Oil - -
Blackstone type RW engine High-Speed & HW Horizontal, O/Hung Cylinder, Auto Vapouriser plus Vapouriser Water Drip 1912–1919 2-1/2 to 50 bhp Kerosene Oil - -
Blackstone type VI engine VO Vertical, Auto Vapouriser and Water Drip 1910–1915 1-1/2 to 5 bhp Kerosene Oil - -
Blackstone type CC engine & TC Horizontal, O/Hung Cylinder, Dual Spray Box, Hot Bulb 1908–1912 15 to 140 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone Marine engine Vertical, Hot Bulb, Multi-Cylinder 1911–1916 60 - 120 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone type CG engines Horizontal, Girder Bed, Hot Bulb, Dual Spray Box 1913–1924 9 to 140 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone Type SFC engine Horizontal, Girder Bed, LT Magneto Ignition 1914–1923 3 to 50 bhp Kerosene Oil - -
Blackstone type 3VJ engine & Blackstone type 3VN engines Vertical, LT Magneto Ignition 1915–1923 25 to 30 bhp Kerosene Oil - -
Blackstone type AV engine Horizontal, Girder Bed, Auto Vapouriser & Water Drip 1919–1927 4 to 40 bhp Kerosene Oil - -
Blackstone type SI engine Horizontal, Girder Bed, Spring Injection 1924–1942 6 to 900 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone type LSI engine Horizontal, Girder Bed, Spring Injection, Low Compression, Fuse Start 1926–1942 8 to 55 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone type SK engine & LSK Horizontal, Girder Bed, Spring Injection, High Speed 1930–1942 6 to 900 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone type HSI engine Horizontal, (Hopper Cooled version of SI) 1926 to 1936 6 to 20 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone type BPV engine Vertical High Speed version of SI. CCC or Bosch Injection 1927–1931 20 to 60 bhp Residual Oil - -
Blackstone type BPV engine Vertical High Speed version of SI. CCC or Bosch Inj. + Pressure fed Br'gs 1931–1939 10 to 60 bhp Distillate Fuel - -
Blackstone type OPV engine Vertical High Speed, Bosch Injection, Pressure fed Bearings 1935–1938 15 to 30 bhp Distillate Oil - -
Blackstone Side Valve engine Vertical Petrol 1922 5 bhp Petrol - -
Blackstone Overhead Valve engines Vertical Petrol 1923–1935 2-1/2 to 7 bhp Petrol - -
Blackstone Overhead Valve engine Vertical Petrol/Kerosene 1923–1935 2-1/4 to 6 bhp Petrol/Kerosene - -
Blackstone Box Type engine Vertical Box Type 1931–1936 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 bhp Petrol - -
Blackstone Fuel Oil engine Petrol Engine adapted to run on Fuel Oil 1931–1936 5 to 7 bhp Distillate Oil - -
Blackstone DB type engine Vertical, Bosch Injection 1935 on 3 to 12 bhp Distillate Oil - -
Blackstone EPV type engine Vertical, Enclosed, CCC or Bosch Injection 1933 on 80 to 320 bhp Residual Oil - -
J, N, OPH Horizontal Enclosed, Bosch Injection, Hopper Cooled 1936 on 10 to 22 bhp Residual / Distillate Oil - -
J, N, OP Horizontal, Totally Enclosed, Bosch Injection 1936 on 10 to 22 bhp Resid / Dist Oil - -
Blackstone R type engine & Blackstone SP type engine Horizontal, Totally Enclosed, Bosch Injection 1938 on 26 to 50 bhp Resid / Dist Oil - -
Blackstone CPV type engine Vertical Enclosed, CAV Injection 1943 on 80 to 120 bhp Residual / Distillate Oil - -
model type date power fuel image misc notes

Preservation[]

  • A Number of restored Blackstone engines appear at steam rallies and related events as well as Stationary engine club events around the UK and also fature in museum collections.
  • A large number are also in Australia & New Zealand collections were a large number were exported to.

See also[]

Reference / sources[]

External links[]


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