From:Mark Hill e-mail:hillm@canton.edu
Subject:Russell Hughes Date:Sat Nov 21 21:20:20 2009
I thought you might enjoy these pictures. They are of the first new running kj engine since 1931. Russell Hughes cast these great crank cases. I had the honor of being chosen to build the motor. They are perfect replicas. I met Russell at Oley almost ten years ago. He had just bought a basket case KJ with some pretty beat up cases. I asked him what he was going to do and he just smiled at me and said, "I'll think of something." Let me put this into perspective: go out into your workshop and start the pattern work. Find a foundry that will work with you and then go to work. I can't imagine the time Russell has in these. He is a true craftsman. They are perfect on the outside and beefed up and heavier where Henderson should have done. It is an incredible accomplishment. I don't know how he did it all by himself. That's right - he poured the castings, too, and did most of the major machine work. I did some of the case machine work and assembled the whole thing. Bet you can't guess who the first person I called was when it started on the first kick.