Historical Equipment Association Show A Complete Success

By Staff
Published on February 1, 1994
article image
1927 Caterpillar Sixty pulling two 1929 Baker Maney scrapers; 1926 Caterpillar 5 ton pulling one 1930 Euclid scraper.

Submitted by Louis and Erma McMaster P.O. Box 6 Hickory,
Pennsylvania 15340

On August 6, 7 & 8, 1993, the Historical Construction
Equipment Association held their eighth annual convention and
second outdoor equipment show in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Hosted
by Lou and Erma McMaster and Bob Shaffer, the event was a huge
success by all accounts. It was a glorious weekend for anyone
interested in old construction equipment. The lovely wooded
fairgrounds and delightful summer weather provided the perfect
setting for the operation of vintage construction machinery. A
large crowd of people came from more than 30 states and Canada to
enjoy the western Pennsylvania hospitality. Many equipment owners
stepped aside to let those who had operated equipment as their
trade have a turn at working the machinery again. Others climbed
aboard to test their skills on different equipment.

Dean Redd, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, displayed over 15 pieces of
machinery including his Keystone skimmer shovels and his 1926 Erie
steam shovel. Lou and Erma McMaster, Hickory, Pennsylvania, brought
12 pieces to the show, including Lou’s recently acquired 1955
Caterpillar D4 Angledozer and the newly refurbished Cat 60 and 5
ton. Howard Ball, Beverly, Ohio, displayed a 1957 Diamond T 662
tractor hauling a 1941 Cletrac BGS 5 ton. Buck Guyther, Edgewater,
Maryland, brought a 1946 Bucyrus-Erie 10B dragline that put in a
lot of time moving dirt. Bob Kelly, McDonald, Pennsylvania,
displayed his 1927 Byers Bearcat, and Steve Weaver, Midway,
Pennsylvania, had a recently completed 1932 Cat 22 tractor. Bill
Rudicill, next year’s show chairman, brought a nice
Bucyrus-Erie 10B from Peters-burg, Kentucky. Altogether, more than
50 pieces of old and unusual machinery relived history moving the
earth in Brownsville.

Beckwith Machinery, a major sponsor of the event, displayed some
new equipment, which created an interesting contrast of
machinery.

Inside the tent, construction equipment was displayed on a
smaller scale. Jim Owensby, Cochranville, Pennsylvania, displayed a
beautiful Cat 60 large scale model and Lee Hitchcock of Liburn,
Georgia showed the history of the Yancy Tractor Company. Keith
Brooks, Albermarle, North Carolina, displayed literature and toys.
Dealers briskly sold construction models and toys. An Ertl 988B
wheel loader was the show’s official tractor and brandished the
H.C.E.A. Show logo inside the bucket.

On Saturday night a delicious catered dinner was served to over
200 equipment fans. Mike Hunyady, up-and-coming heavy equipment
auctioneer, gave an interesting and humorous account of the
auctioneering trade. Master of Ceremonies Lou McMaster presented
the Best In Show Trophy to Jim Litts of East Stroudsburg,
Pennsylvania, for his 1941 D7 military dozer.

The H.C.E.A. show was held in conjunction with the National Pike
Steam, Gas and Horse Association’s annual August show. This
show features farming methods of the past in an atmosphere of a
county fair. Great food, hand-made crafts, and many spectators
provided an ideal backdrop for the antique equipment show.

Next year the show will be held in Bellview, Kentucky, which is
certain to bring an entirely different crop of old equipment
together for a weekend of enjoyment for all historical construction
equipment enthusiasts.

Membership information concerning the Historical Construction
Equipment Association is available through: H.C.E.A., P.O. Box 328,
Grand Rapids, Ohio 43522.

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-866-624-9388