Friday, August 14, 2015

All Steamed Up part 2

Walking around the area was a caution, you had to be aware of the drivers.  There is a reason that most of them are men... Those things are a monster to get turning one way or another, brute force is really an asset.  Quite a few of the rigs had 'chain drive'.  This amounted to a large logging style chain wrapped around the steering gear, which you more or less yarded on with levers to turn right or left.  This is NOT a Mini Cooper!

The various engines would roar to life, and they would parade around the outer perimeter of the area, then go back and park, to let others out.  Parking was its own unique experience, backing is possible, but slow and very cumbersome...

I went over to the stationary engine area, there was more than a few pumps.  Farms had to have water pulled up, and this was pretty much how they did it.  (And is that not a cute "fence post"???)  You would be amazed at how many of the machines just had a big old strap that would make some other machine work... OSHA wouldn't be pleased, but it was really a pretty effective way to get things going. (For these demos, they would put a hose in the pan to pull up water, then run it through the pump, to pump it in the pan... To pull it up again!)


Other than the amusement factor, (the little bird blew the exhaust out of its beak, giving it a Hee Haw-esque effect while the engine was running), I was not entirely sure what this small engine did.  I didn't see a sign, but I am guessing it was just a small power generator, for a small pump or washing machine.


This was rather cool to watch, it was a model of an actual Farmall, and the gent set it up on a pivot, so as the tractor moved, it would be continually turning, and it had tiny disks on the back.  If you look closely, you can see where the wheels and the disks were actually starting to 'plow in'.  Little Babushka stayed on very well, too!


Some gals were selling a quilt (I didn't win, sigh), and had some turn of the century sewing items to go with the other engines and such on display...


And someone with a sense of humor decided we needed Singer Farmalls, and John Deeres!


Next up, tractor pulling, and parade of vehicles...

3 comments:

Sharon said...

Cool stuff, Cat! I imagine this was an all day or maybe all weekend event? Cute idea to make a tractor our of an old sewing machine! Sorry you didn't win the quilt.

messymimi said...

Sorry you didn't get the quilt, but it still looks like you had a fun time!

stephen Hayes said...

Sorry your quilt didn't win. This looks like Americana at its finest.