The Village Squire, 1981-08, Page 14Steam buffs They're a
A popular saying among wives and
families of steam enthusiasts is. "The
only difference between men and boys, is
the size (some say price), of their toys,"
to which these ardent steam buffs can be
heard to reply with a shrug of their
shoulders. "Can't help it. it's in my
blood."
The steam era started a come -back on a
bright sunny day in August. 1957. when a
handful of enthusiastic buffs gathered at
the farm of Stuart Hunter near Court -
right. Ontario. to share their memories.
knowledge, and. of course. their huge.
cumbersome. noisy steam engines. This
was the first Western Ontario Steam
Thresher's Reunion. Word of the organi-
zation spread quietly and steadily. dis-
persed like a cloud of steam. until now we
find steam shows across the province. For
those who like to attend all of them there
just aren't enough weekends.
What is it that attracts these people?
Why do they drive hundreds of miles,
spend a weekend camping out next to a
rural fairground , usually without ade-
quate washroom facilities, often in a
muddy field, or worse still, if it is hot and
dry, with the inevitable dust sifting into
the camper? The cost, too, for transport-
ing those huge awkward engines on a big
float is fairly steep. Then steam buffs
spend hours greasing, oiling, polishing
and preparing for the show. And just
what is it that entices the public to reach
into their pockets to pay admission
(upwards of 5,000 passed through the
gates of Brigden last year) to watch these
old traction engines operate and parade
around the race -track?
This is a typical steam show in
Southwestern Ontario. Most shows are at
least two days long and usually at the
local fairgrounds where there is plenty of
space for both large and small engines.
The infield is usually reserved for
stationary machinery, such as small
gasoline engines, chopping mills, fann-
ing mills, a saw -mill busily sawing logs, a
shingle -splitter hard at work. and many
other pieces common to the agricultural
community of a few decades ago. An
interesting part of the show is always the
collection of antique cars. You might even
spot a special prize such as a 1930 Model
A, complete with a rumble -seat, often
referred to as 'the mother-in-law' seat.
There is sure to be a souvenir booth, as
every steam -oriented household must
possess a coffee mug, a flower -pot or an
ash tray depicting a steam engine. There
will be food concessions, since it seems
the fresh country air does sharpen
appetites. And, of course, the inevitable
flea -market, where what is one person's
junk can be another's treasure. Inside,
the buildings will feature priceless
collections of antiques and memorabilia.
Most wives of steam buffs are vitally
involved, having long since come to the
decision that if you can't beat them, join
them. For many, membership in the
organization means total immersion,
because they are active throughout the
year, holding regular meetings, a gala
annual banquet and election of officers. A
newsletter informs members of upcoming
events, bus trips, neighbouring shows,
etc., and information on who has what to
trade or sell. It could be a complete
antique tractor or some specific used part
like an engine for a Rumley Oil Pull 25-40
or power take -off for a 10-29 McCormick
"The only difference
between men and
boys is the size
of their toys"
Deering etc. To the outsider the jargon
sounds like a foreign language, and for
the wife who doesn't share her steam
buff's enthusiasm, life can be very lonely.
In fact, rumor has it that more than one
marriage has suffered to the point that
when a choice had to he made. he chose
his steam engine.
One feature common to all steam
shows is the daily parade when every
mobile vehicle lumbers past the judges
and the packed grandstand. It's a
thrilling sight to see these huge iron
monsters belching soot and smoke as
they huff and puff down the race track.
The proud face of the operator breaks into
a wide grin as he hears the commentator
describe his pride and joy.
George Patterson, of Bothwell, with his
George White Jr. steam engine. can
usually be seen in these parades. This
belching tea -kettle on wheels is dubbed
Junior because it was designed and built
to scale by the owner to half the size of his
original restored George White engine,
vintage 1923 or 24. Both the man and the
machine are unique. George has been
involved with farm machinery all his
life, with steam through a good part of it.
During the '20s and 30s he owned and
operated his own grain separator (thresh-
ing machine) and steamer, doing custom
threshing for Lambton County farmers.
Those were days when there was an aura
of romance about the harvest and the
thresherman was a real hero. Today a
huge combine whizzes around the field
and in no time the harvest is complete, all
done by one person and a machine. Back
then, there was always great excitement
and preparation for threshing day.
George has operated a saw -mill on his
farm for years, so it was natural he
should construct a portable sawmill to
take to the Brigden show in it s early
years. This he powered with his big
steam engine, bought in 1967, which was
"in pretty rough shape. probably been
sitting idle for 35-40 years." George
restored it, completely rebuilding the
boilder for it to pass government
inspection standards. He has been known
to show off his expertise at the saw by
slicing a juicy ripe watermelon, very
neatly too, with his huge circular saw,
then to calmly resume sawing the next
2-3 ft. diameter log waiting on the skid.
Since he finished building his half-size
engine in 1976 he concentrates on
demonstrating it at shows. It took George
more than two years to build, but as he
will quickly tell you, "it's not that I'm
slow, mind you, but that fella from the
Department of Labour had to inspect
everything 1 did - even had to have
blueprints, drawn exactly to scale, before
I could start work. Quite often I had to
wait two or three weeks for him to come
before I could go on with the next step."
This of course was frustrating for
George, but regulations covering steam
boilers are quite rigid for safetey's sake.
There are few rural communities that do
not have at least one tragic story in their
past of a steamer blowing up, causing
severe injuries and much grief. This little
10 -horse power engine is now four years
old and at 78, George is busy building
PG. 12 VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1981