In grade school I lived in Montauk, NY. My family had moved there from Amityville when I was in 1st grade.
Over the hill from me was an old ice plant that was powered by a giant Atlas-Imperial diesel engine.
All throughout the neighborhood you heard it's chugga chug, chugga chug, chugga chug 24/7 for years on end. I walked past it on my way to the bus stop a half mile away twice a day and from constantly looking in open doors of the plant I became friends with old Jimmy who ran works of the plant. One day I woke up and there wasn't any chugga chug. The world seemed wrong and somehow sinister with this new disturbing silence. the sound of that engine was a heartbeat that let me know all was well with the world around me.
I got out of bed and ran through woods next to the pond all the way to the ice plant. I found Jimmy inside with a wrench in each hand and covered with grease. He explained to me that ever few years they had to shut down the engine and give it a thorough inspection and lubrication. He asked if I wanted to help and being 10 years old and in love with all things with motors I said hell yeah. We greased push rod clevises, checked belt tensions, measured compression and a bunch of other tasks. When we were done he let me throw the lever to start the big monster motor up. And back again came the soothing chugga chug, chugga chug. After this I was jimmy's part time assistant and was given my own oil can to do the oiling rounds on my way to school and again on my way home each day. There was alot that needed oiling too so it took me awhile to memorize each spot.
That engine operated continuously from 1939 to I believe 1989.
apparently it was given to a museum somewhere in the midwest and it was still in running condition.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas-Imperialhttps://youtu.be/MGYuDL34HC0read beneath Duryea's Ice Plant
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/East%20Hampton%20NY%20Star/East%20Ha...funny that they couldn't rely on nature for ice anymore due to "open winters". I guess they had global warming back in the 30s?
Dang I wish I could get the 90HP Olds for $777 now!