The Citizen, 1998-09-09, Page 23Visitors are invited to browse
through our many shops and
boutiques, enjoy a meal at one of
our fine eating establishments and
take a nature walk along the
recently constructed Blyth Brook
Community Greenway Trail. We
trust your visit will be enjoyable
and we encourage you to return to
our Village in the future.
ESTABLISHED 1877
Congratulations to the Huron Pioneer Thresher
and Hobby Association
on their 37th Annual Reunion
771E CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1998. PAGE A-3.
1998 HURON PIONEER THRESHER REUNION & HOBBY SHOW
Rumely restoration a family hobby for McBrides
HIS BABY
Housed at Wayne McBride's "Rumely Oil Pull Tractor Retirement Home", is this 1929 Rumely which McBride will be
showing at this year's Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion and Hobby Show. The Rumely is the feature tractor at this year's
event.
By Allison Lawlor
Citizen sluff
The sign on the side of Wayne
McBride's barn says, "Rumely Oil Pull
Tractor Retirement Home".
The sign was a gift from his family.
They know the family farm in Kippcn is a
place where many old tractors come to
rest after a life of hard work.
This year McBride will show his 1929
Rumely Oil Pull Tractor at the Huron
Pioneer Thresher Reunion and Hobby
Show.
This year's feature tractor is the
Rumely, so there will be all different
Rumely models at the show.
It isn't the first time McBride has
brought his Rumely to the reunion. The
tractor has been running for the past five
seasons and has visited shows in Blyth
and Mitchell•several times.
When McBride bought the tractor back
in 1989 it was mostly in pieces. He bought
it for $4,500, but after re-building it with
his two sons, the tractor is now worth
close to $10,000.
McBride was fortunate to have help
from his sons. His son Brad, a tool and
dye maker, was able to make parts for the
tractor which are no longer available.
"It's a hobby for us," said McBride, "it's
not a money making thing. The grandkids
get involved so it's more of a family
thing."
Passing on a loge of old tractors through
the generation is what it's all about, said
McBride.
"It all starts with, 'my dad had one, I
want one, where can I get one?"
The McBridcs re-built their first tractor
in 1985. It was a 1940 Allis-Chalmers
model A. They took the tractor to Blyth
the next year and won a trophy for it.
Wayne's father also had an Allis-
Chalmers tractor.
In 1989, McBride bought the Rumely
tractor. Before rebuilding it he talked to
people who had worked with them and
looked at old pictures. He learned the
tractor came in three colours, forest green,
grey and dark blue. McBride decided to
paint his tractor dark blue to try to mask
the dirt.
"The engine is dirty. It's almost
impossible to keep the tractor clean."
The Rumely Oil Pull model Y350 has a
two-cylinder engine and runs on gas or
diesel at 600 rpm. Built in 1929, in La
Porte, Indiana, it wasn't sold until 1935.
Weighing close to seven tonnes, riding
CONTINUED ON A-4
• Friends • Threshers • Tractor Men • Neighbours & Visitors
The Village of Blyth extends a warm welcome to all visitors
here to celebrate another Thresher Reunion
THE VILLAGE OF BLYTH
AND
THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION