9056 Riverside Drive, Brighton, Michigan 48116
On June 25-28, the Hoosier Flywheelers held their second annual
show at Peru, Indiana.
Hosted by the Kenny Wolf family on their show grounds, this show
is destined to be one of the premier gas engine shows in the
country. The weather was great, not too hot, and cool in the
evenings, and it never rained a drop during the show. There were
over 160 exhibitors, from 18 states and Canada, who displayed 383
engines representing some of the best restorations and original
condition engines I’ve ever seen shown in one place at the same
time.
Many exhibitors came early in the week to help out putting the
show together. Everything from arranging permanent display engines
to putting up signs on the highway was handled by these volunteer
helpers. Many engines that hadn’t been run in several years
were cleaned up and run by these helpers. Their contribution cannot
go unheraldeda sincere thank you to all the helpers we had show
up.
For this year’s show, Kenny erected two new buildings for
displays. One is a large power building. Inside were several
engines that will eventually be connected to the line shaft he has
installed in the ceiling. As for this year, we didn’t have
enough time to get everything ready, but did have an 8 HP Robert
sonville engine belted to the line shaft running a stone burr, a
water pump, and an air compressor. Next year there will be more!
The other building is a small general store. Inside, Wendy has
displayed many of the items she has collected over the years.
Everything from kitchen utensils to hardware items, and even a
necktie knitting machine, were on display. Bottles, boxes and tins
from a forgotten time line the walls, although the box of Roadkill
Helper looked much too modern for the other vintage relics.
Some of the more unusual engines that showed up were a Kling
Brothers, an air-cooled Lennox, a hopper-cooled Superior, a Falk
sideshaft, a Lambert, an oddball Friend orchard sprayer, a Perkins
windmill engine, a gearless Olds, a Kahlenberg diesel, and many,
many more!
One thing done at this show that doesn’t happen at any other
show I’ve ever been at, is that Kenny has so many engines of
his own there, that he can’t get around to running them all. So
if someone wants to adopt an engine for the weekend to oil up and
run well, have at it!! This way several fellows play with and run
what might be just a dream to them.
This year we had the model tables plumbed-up with air from a
large compressor to run the steam engine models. Many thanks to Bud
Robbins for his time and efforts to get this project completed by
show time.
Kenny and Wendy donated a 1 HP United gas engine to be raffled
off during the show, and the lucky winners were Don and Jerry
Miller from Peru, Indiana. I can’t wait to see this engine on
their trailer load of Witte and Ottawa engines next year.
The Indiana Garden Tractor Pullers Association treated us to a
dazzling display of power on the weight transfer sled. What a
show!!
The Saturday activities were topped off by a huge potluck dinner
for all exhibitors. Everyone brought a dish to put on the buffet
table, and the Wolfs furnished two huge platters of ham and turkey.
What a feast!
This year’s show will be held on June 24-27, so make plans
now to be there. Mark it on your calendar and put in for that
vacation spend the week if you like, everyone is more than
welcome!
I almost forgot Consuelo has been heard from but still not
seen!