HomeMy WebLinkAbout31st Annual Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association 1992 Reunion, 1992-09-09, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1992. PAGE A-5.
Steam engines9 glory days relived at Reunion
Who can ever forget, young or old, their
first sight of one of those huge steam
engines slowly moving across the open
terrain. Impressive in both design and
All Steamed Up
The big steam traction engines are the showpiece and the pride and joy of
Blyth’s annual Thresher Reunion. These big engines operate with a steam
pressure of 150 to 200 pounds per square inch.
More tractors on display yearly
appearance, the old steam engines were all
built along the same line, but no two are
alike.
Often weighing more than 45,000 pounds
and getting up to 120 horsepower, the steam
engines operate with a steam pressure of 150
to 200 pounds per square inch.
The steam traction engine may have
reached the heights of its glory around 1910,
but you can still relive those days at Blyth's
annual Thresher Reunion.
Raymond Hallahan is in charge of the
steam engine exhibition this year. In the
past, he has acted as committee chairman
and director, and for the past two years he
has been president of the Huron Pioneer
Thresher and Hobby Association.
Raymond says he has attended every show
there ever was for the past 31 years. His
interest was started through his father, Billy
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Joe Hallahan, one of the founding members.
This year, he says, they expect more of the
large traction engines than in previous years.
Last year there were 12 present at the
weekend show.
Many of those coming this year, Raymond
says, are invited every year. The farthest
distance they generally haul from is the
Milton Agricultural Museum. They try to
stay within 100 mile radius of Blyth, he
says; to bring anything further heeds the
permission of the Committee Board. The
huge traction engines are either transported
individually or a float service is provided.
To be displayed in public showings,
Raymond says, the boilers must be inspected
annually for Dractical safety reasons.
Continued from A-4
Jeff says the show has grown considerably
over the years, estimating it to be at least a
third larger than say 10 years ago.
This year Jeff expects to have about 200
entries in the gas tractor show. The furthest
entry he has heard from so far, will be
making the journey from the Milton area.
Jeff personally knows the appeal the old
gas tractors have for the many exhibitors, for
he has spent many long hours himself
restoring two antique tractors. Like most
owners, he can vouch for the fact that a lot
of pride and hard work goes into restoring an
antique tractor to make it look, work and run
the way it used to.
He first discovered an old Oliver in an old
bam of an acquaintance, and then got a John
Deere Diesel from his father Bruce and his
uncle Bill Andrews, who make trips to
western Canada to buy old tractors.
He had to rebuild the pup engine and the
diesel engine of the John Deere, fix the
injection pumps for the engines, replace the
lights and have metal work done on the
tractor's body, put three gears in the
transmission and fix the clutch.
Jeff has just recently finished restoring a
1966 John Deere 110 lawntractor, a "mini"
to go with his larger model.
He no longer has the old Oliver, having
sold it to a couple of gentlemen from Austria
at Bill Vincent's Antique Tractor Show this
summer.
The biggest problem, Jeff says, with the
restored tractors is that after being stored all
winter the generators and alternators keep
going on them. They need to be used all the
time to be kept in running condition, he says.
He recommends a basic check every year
and a changing of all oils and fluids in the
spring. The engines themselves are usually
in pretty good shape as they have generally
been redone as part of the restoration
process.
General maintainance on the antique
tractors isn't really much of a chore, for as
Jeff explains "There's really not that much
to the old girls, not like today's tractors."
Perhaps this is their largest,appeal, the
"old girls" not only represent an era that
revolutionized farming, but also a time when
everything seemed so much simpler and less
complicated.
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II
Welcome to the 31st Anniversary
of the Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion
!p 3 1
‘Exciting gifts for that special occasion
•Collector Plates
from The Bradford Exchange
DH Ussher, Winston Roland, Frederich Dickson
•Precious Moments
•Sugar & Spice Chocolates
• Miss Martha Collection
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