712 La Vista, McAllen, Texas 78501. Reprinted from Rio Grande
Valley Old Farm Equipment Club Newsletter, Rust Bucket
Ramblings
Saturday, December 7, 1991 dawned with cloudy skies and 400
North Taylor, McAllen, Texas remained overcast throughout the day.
The thermometer hovered around a pleasant 78 degree mark.
Antique machinery was neatly displayed in well cordoned areas.
Much evidence of safety awareness was apparent by the crowd
control, carbon dioxide fire extinguishers and absolute supervision
of the live demonstrations: hay baling, corn grinding, knife
sharpening, water pumping, fodder grinding, and sugar cane
pressing.
As last year, over 2,000 visitors were appreciative and
considerate. There was no litter and the cordon lines were honored.
Lots of excitement too!
Alfred Townsend’s restoration of the 1911 37 HP single
cylinder, vertical Fairbanks-Morse diesel engine has reached the
‘running in’ stage. Alfred harnessed the hydraulic system
of a Case tractor to a hydraulic motor whose friction pulley
pressed against the big engine’s flywheel exerted enough power
to cause a normal RPM. Checking the efficiency of the oiler and
some newly installed oil lines was accomplished.
Static displays included a variety of machinery: Red Mc
Guffin’s immaculate Model A Fords; Marvin Baker’s 1928 6
speed special IHC 1 ton truck; Alfred’s bevy of Case tractors,
a sweet running Avery, a morphodite ‘Model A Ford’, and a
1928 Caterpillar 10.
C. K. Koelle (the broom king) displayed three of his John Deeres
and was supplemented by Sam Pletcher’s prize winning A John
Deere; Herb Vogel displayed his Oliver 60; Albert Meier (Stonewall,
Tx) brought in a well-restored 1933 LC Case.
The multitude of engines ranged from 37 HP down to
1/2HP. Tillie and Irwin Kretzschmar of
‘Tic Toe Ranch’, Floresville, Texas, had their small
trailer loaded with engines; Alfred had about 50 of his engines on
display; Sig Johnson, Marvin Baker, Joe Cook, and Charles Magurean,
Jr. also showed some of their engines.
