Don Borneke’s Euclid TC 12. Introduced in 1955, the giant TC
12 was essentially two Euclid T6 crawlers joined at the hip. The
unit featured two six-cylinder GM 6-71 supercharged two-stroke
diesels generating 450 HP. The little crawler next to the Euclid is
a Clarkair Crawler, a specialized unit developed by Clark Equipment
Co., Cassopolis, Mich., for use by the Army during World War
II.
John Peternell moves dirt with his IHC TD 24. When introduced in
1947, the TD 24 was one of the biggest dozers available. Production
ended in 1959.
On Sept. 13-15, 2002, the Stearns County Pioneer Club of Albany,
Minn., in conjunction with the Historical Construction Equipment
Association and the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owner’s Club,
put on one of the greatest shows of earth moving equipment ever
seen. Approximately 36,000 people attended the 2002 show, the
highest attendance ever. There were over 400 tractors, 445 gas
engines, various steam engines and many miscellaneous pieces of
equipment. All the demonstrations, such as threshing, lumber
sawing, spinning wool, making homemade ice cream, etc., took place
on the regular show grounds.
A wagon ride to the west end of the display area took attendees
to the collection of antique construction equipment, displayed
alongside an impressive collection of antique trucks. On Thursday
afternoon three bus loads of exhibitors and workers took a tour of
two different granite-quarrying operations (one in St. Cloud,
Minn., where the process of crushing granite takes place and the
other in Cold Spring, Minn., where granite is sawed and polished
for monuments, mausoleums and buildings), and on their return the
amassed construction equipment started moving dirt, kicking off a
road-building project that was part of the event. Over the next
three days 176 operating crawlers, a steam shovel, two steamrollers
and three elevating graders (for filling dirt wagons), along with
trenchers, draglines and other equipment, moved thousands of yards
of dirt. The crawlers ranged from a huge HD 41 Allis and early
Model D9 to a twin-engine Euclid. A quick count of machines showed
over 307 major pieces of construction equipment on display.
Antique trucks were part of the theme for the 2002 show,
including restored work horses like this 1942 Ford cab over
1-1/2-ton dump truck displayed by Myron Felix.
Some of this equipment is housed on the show grounds, but many
pieces were hauled from all over the country, with over 30,000
miles logged by owners hauling their machines to the show. Some of
the exhibitors donated their gas money back to the club, and
we’d like to thank them for that generous gesture. That money
will be used to erect a permanent granite monument and flagpole on
the grounds noting it as the site of the 2002 National Construction
Show.
The Stearns County Pioneer Club wants to thank everyone who put
in that little bit of extra effort to make our 28th Annual Albany
Pioneer Days Threshing Show our most successful and fun show ever.
For anyone interested, the Pioneer Club produced a video featuring
construction action and other activities at the show, including the
parade of tractors, crawlers and equipment. The tapes are $20 (plus
$5 for shipping and handling if we mail them), and are available
from the Pioneer Club at Box 482, Albany, MN 56307. Thanks again to
everyone who participated in our show, and we’ll be there again
for our 29th annual show Sept. 12-14, 2003, featuring high-crop and
orchard tractors.
Contact engine enthusiast Lou Ann Peternell at: 35747
Country Road 10, Albany, MN 56307.
