'Everything new is old again' or 'Sleeping in the truck'

[38 coupe]

I'm just confused. The low overnight here in Houston is about 80 F. What is this blanket you speak of for sleeping?

Sounds like you're prepared for a great weekend. I like old tractor and engine shows, post some pics if you can.

[GB SISSON]

Big smile from the NW corner of the Pacific Northwest. It cools down in the evenings here even on warm summer days. I was born here in Western Washington but lived in Massachusetts for seven years,'67-'74 so I have seen very warm nights and mosquitos galore. I do understand that the remainder of the contiguous states are having a genuine heat emergency and my heart goes out to all of you that are struggling to keep cool. I will get some pics of the show and my trip out there. The 6cyl cummins/onan turbo diesel loves getting out on the freeway and winding up a bit after putt-puttin around on a 58 sq mile rock.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Big smile from the NW corner of the Pacific Northwest. It cools down in the evenings here even on warm summer days. I was born here in Western Washington but lived in Massachusetts for seven years,'67-'74 so I have seen very warm nights and mosquitos galore. I do understand that the remainder of the contiguous states are having a genuine heat emergency and my heart goes out to all of you that are struggling to keep cool. I will get some pics of the show and my trip out there. The 6cyl cummins/onan turbo diesel loves getting out on the freeway and winding up a bit after putt-puttin around on a 58 sq mile rock.

[sugarmaker]

Gary,
Sure hope your show turns out great. We had a wonderful crowd at our tractor event. The truck show fizzled out, but I still have our maple syrup and gas cards to the three top truck. Maybe there was 5 all together? John and I had a good time visiting with folks and enjoying the event.
Regards,
Chris and Cheryl

[GB SISSON]

Changed oil in the red tonner in preperation of my big trip. Took exactly 3 gallons of rotella synthetic blend 15/40. Yikes. Thought I would post a few pics from 2021 and 2022, maybe entice a few Barners to head up there. It is an extremely beautiful venue. Berthusen Memorial Park. 80 acres of show grounds with many permanent structures housing a couple of sawmills, tons of steam, sometimes 15 or so Rumely Oil Pulls and what seems to be 300 or so tractors. All afternoon vintage tractor pulls. It becomes a small town for 4 days each year. We catch up on each others lives, meet the newest grandkids and tell stories in the evening about mayhem, hijinx and shennanigans from past years shows. We have serious fun after the crowds leave at 5. Like an 8hp briggs and stratton from the swap meet mounted on a barcalounger on 3 wheelbarrow wheels. Tiller steering on the front wheel. The briggs had a 6-1 reduction gear so we mounted a tire on it's output shaft and the motor was on a hinged plank off the stern. Drop the plank to the ground and off it would whizz in the dark. No brakes, but a piece of string from the plug wire.... Ok, I got off track here. Imagine that! Here are some pics of the daytime activities. The doodlebug at the steam sawmill is mine as is the big engine next to my buddy in the straw hat.

[ford38v8]

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Gary, seeing that pic of the big one lunger reminds me of one enthusiast who liked to demonstrate his toy by dropping tennis balls into the exhaust pipe!

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Changed oil in the red tonner in preperation of my big trip. Took exactly 3 gallons of rotella synthetic blend 15/40. Yikes. Thought I would post a few pics from 2021 and 2022, maybe entice a few Barners to head up there. It is an extremely beautiful venue. Berthusen Memorial Park. 80 acres of show grounds with many permanent structures housing a couple of sawmills, tons of steam, sometimes 15 or so Rumely Oil Pulls and what seems to be 300 or so tractors. All afternoon vintage tractor pulls. It becomes a small town for 4 days each year. We catch up on each others lives, meet the newest grandkids and tell stories in the evening about mayhem, hijinx and shennanigans from past years shows. We have serious fun after the crowds leave at 5. Like an 8hp briggs and stratton from the swap meet mounted on a barcalounger on 3 wheelbarrow wheels. Tiller steering on the front wheel. The briggs had a 6-1 reduction gear so we mounted a tire on it's output shaft and the motor was on a hinged plank off the stern. Drop the plank to the ground and off it would whizz in the dark. No brakes, but a piece of string from the plug wire.... Ok, I got off track here. Imagine that! Here are some pics of the daytime activities. The doodlebug at the steam sawmill is mine as is the big engine next to my buddy in the straw hat.

[flatford8]

Any idea what the big tractor in pic 3 weighs? Imagine getting that thing stuck in the field. I’ve wanted a one lunger since the first time I heard one run.....so relaxing!.....you must really look forward to that event!!........Mark

[GB SISSON]

The week before the show is like being a kid before Christmas. Mark I am not a good judge on the weight on the big steam traction engines, but maybe 20 tons? It is not uncommon to see one of these machines tooling around the grounds with a teenager at the huge cast iron steering wheel (and a couple of her friends riding along). As far as shooting tennis balls I have a theory. If they will drop into the stack, they are not a tight enough wad for a stratospheric shot. Just before the explosion in the cylinder, I unscrew the 2 1/2" brass exhaust pipe and introduce a fairly dense 2 1/2" rubber ball into the bottom of the pipe and screw it back on. Engine fires about every 20-30 seconds, so there is time for that. Exhaust pipe is mildly warm after running all day, by no means hot. Another tip of the straw fedora to you Pete and here's a video that I stumbled upon on youtube. A visitor to the show took it of my engine running and posted it on youtube. The engine is a 1912 Stover with a 6" bore and a 12" stroke. Develops 8 hp at 300 rpms. I have altered the governor with light springs to run it at around 70 rpms. It was given to me in 1986 after sitting on a remote island with the head missing and everything stuck solid. I turned a pattern for a new head on my wood lathe and had some guys at a foundry (that makes man hole covers) pour the iron 'on his lunch break'..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot5E...BnYXMgZW5naW5l

[GB SISSON]

Once again, a good time was had by all. It's getting so that we've all camped out together for so long that we tend to repeat our same old jokes. Somehow to most of us they sound like new ones though.... I had a great run up the interstate. My speedometer doesn't work so I set my phone app spedometer on the seat. I have a little digital tach that runs off an injector line. 60 mph was right at 3000 rpm. My engine with it's heritage as a 3600 rpm generator engine still has 600 left at that speed, but 60 seemed about right, with a couple of 65s now and then when the pavement was nice. And yes, I slept like a baby and didn't notice any skeeters up there either.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Once again, a good time was had by all. It's getting so that we've all camped out together for so long that we tend to repeat our same old jokes. Somehow to most of us they sound like new ones though.... I had a great run up the interstate. My speedometer doesn't work so I set my phone app spedometer on the seat. I have a little digital tach that runs off an injector line. 60 mph was right at 3000 rpm. My engine with it's heritage as a 3600 rpm generator engine still has 600 left at that speed, but 60 seemed about right, with a couple of 65s now and then when the pavement was nice. And yes, I slept like a baby and didn't notice any skeeters up there either.

[Ray in La Mesa]

Kool pictures, especially liked the '28 AA express bed.

[cas3]

Looks like big fun to me GB. I like the tractor with double winches on the front. Must be a logging thing we don't see at my local shows here in the swamp

[Kube]

GB, Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy those very early machines. There used to be a great show near here about 25 years ago, similar to the one near you.

Looking at those early machines, it's easy to envision how easy it was for the farmers to get (seriously) hurt.

[Newc]

Just finished the Oregon show at Brooks. The 'Steam Up' ran 2 weekends and was packed. Didn't think to take photos. Newc

[cmbrucew]

Gary wasn't Holt evolved into Caterpillar?


Bruce

[GB SISSON]

Most of the guys (and gals) I set up with are my age and long since retired from Boeing, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and other outfits with a pension. They love the Brooks show, but I have always limited to just this one. It's on my list for if I retire. The AA express was one of my favorite things there. He was a Canadian guy and I walked up and asked if he went by 'John Boy'. I have owned 3 AA trucks, but never the express, which to me is the holy grail AA. The Fordson with the winch set up is indeed for logging. Two old timers saw it's debut at the show and remembered working with it and one had owned it for 20 years. A good friend of mine bought it 2 weeks before the show for 3 grand and it runs and drives very nicely. There is a huge, long rolller chain on the right side running from what was the belt pulley shaft up to the winch. No attempt at a guard. The starting crank is on the winch's driven sprocket. Holt did become Caterpillar and the cat 60 in the background puts out a flame 3' high from it's open stack in the after hours show in the dark.