Nowadays it is inconceivable to think away the internal combustion engine as a power source and although electricity has by now made a lot of engines superfluous we can't do without them.

Almost every car, lorry, buss and boat or ship moves through the power of a two or fourstroke internal combustion engine, and thousands of generator sets provide us with our daily need of power to.

According to the books it all started in 1680 with the Dutchman Christiaan Huygens who tried to tame the mechanical horsepower we a piston and a cylinder.

It was almost 2 centuries later before the gas engine of Etienne Lenoir, the first explosion engine to be economically successful became a fact.

It took Nicolaus A.Otto, who succeeded in 1876 to develop the first four stroke engine, to bring a revolution.

The not so easy to handle steam engine had a fierce competition from these gas engines.

The first engines where Hugh colossal things with sparse hp's, Otto's 1 hp engine for instance weight 875 KG and the 12 HP one had a weight of five and a halve Ton's (5500Kg)!!!

It didn't take long for people too realise that that the engine could be improved and especially made lighter so it could also move wheels. Gottlieb Daimler was one of the most importand inventors in that.

In those medieval days engines had much more allure, they weren't only mend to run well, they needed to look attractive to look at to, something inherited from the steam era.

Therefor it may come as no surprise that these beauty's of the old days now are sought after by many a collector.

A stamp is easier to collect of course then a 12hp Otto but believe it or not, there are now for collectors even clubs and magazines and rallies.

This International Nuenen engine rally is the best in the Netherlands and highly rated beyond our borders to.

It takes place every year on Whitsuntide, Sunday and Monday.

Some two hundred collectors with their engines come together from all over Europe to show off their pride and joy.

Stationary engines made before 1900 and some very heavy diesel engines that weigh tons will be there and running to look at.

Absolute topper will be the gas engine with a strength of 20 horses and developed by the old concept of inventor N.A.Otto.

With a weight of nearly eight tons it'll be a prominent eye catcher.

The engine build on license of "Fetu-Defize" from Luik (Liege België) will be running of and on.

The engine works with "slide valves" a primitive and ingenious system to give the engine an internal cobustion.

Curious?? The best way to learn how it works is to come and look.

Other exhibited engines are from all makes and designs, British, German, American, French, but also Dutch engines can be seen running.

Names like "Brons", "Kromhout", van Rennes" and Bolnes will ring a bell for older engineers.

Hobbyists will not only run their engines but they'll let them work to, they'll pomp and work a dynamo and even saw wood.

A mood of utter geniality are rule in this mechanical feast, were people are ready and willing to inform and explain to visitors what they don't understand.

Two stroke, Four stroke, magneto's hottube and hit and miss governing you can see it all on the international Engine rally held in Nuenen, near Eindhoven at the location of "De Boschhoeve" .

Kees Fitters