P.O. Box 775, Quartzsite, Arizona 85346-0775
The 6th annual Hit and Miss Gas Engine Show was held at the Main
Event in Quartzsite, Arizona, on January 24, 25 and 26, 1997. The
show was part of the 15th annual Main Event Gemboree. The Main
Event Gemboree is one of the largest gem and mineral shows on
earth. Over 1,000 tailgaters and dealers from all over the globe
display the world’s largest collection of fine gems, minerals
and jewelry.
Also on display are rare items, bottles, coins, hobby crafts and
antiques. ‘Not everyone is interested in rocks and gems,’
said Howard Armstrong, owner of the Main Event and an antique
engine enthusiast. ‘That is why we have included the Hit and
Miss Gas Engine Show, as well as the classic car show, off road
racing and a number of other special events held during the
Gemboree.’
Over 200 exhibitors displayed 300 antique engines at this
year’s hit and miss show. Many of the engines on display were
once used for pumping water, grinding corn and other grains, mining
operations, sawmills, light generators and many other uses. These
machines originally replaced horses. They were economical to run
and you didn’t have to feed them.
Many of the early windmills used gas engines as back-up power
when the wind was not blowing. If the engine failed, they also had
another backup system that used muscle power for pumping water.
Sadie, a mannequin and lifetime member of the Western Antique Power
Associates, illustrated the use of muscle power for pumping water
during the show.
In addition to helping farmers in the field, gas engines also
brought convenience into the home. Gary and Pat Sandve, from St.
David, Arizona, exhibited their collection of gas and electric
powered washing machines. ‘Electric washing machines are older
than the gas engine machines,’ explained Sandve. ‘In the
big cities like New York and Chicago they had electric and the
housewife could use them. Out on the farm they didn’t have
electric, so companies developed the gas powered machines so farm
wives could use their washing machines.’ Maytag was one of the
leaders in the field, building gas powered washing machines well
into the 1950s. Special attachments for grinding sausage and making
butter were included with many of the early models.
The grand-daddy of all the gas powered engines on display at
this year’s Main Event Show was the 60 horsepower,
Fairbanks-Morse diesel 2-cycle engine. The engine was purchased new
in 1938 by the late Antonio Piani, an alfalfa rancher in Antelope
Valley, California, for $5,000. Originally, it was used to pump
water from a well on Piani’s ranch to irrigate 80 acres of
alfalfa. Piani operated the engine day and night in the summertime,
pumping 900 gallons of water a minute. The water was pumped into a
200 by 200 foot reservoir that was four feet deep. From the
reservoir the water flowed by gravity through 12 inch pipes into
the alfalfa beds.
Bud Melvin, a member of the Western Antique Power Associates,
said there are four stages to getting antique engines ready to
show. (1) The treasure hunt, looking for the right engine to
restore. (2) The detective work, finding information about the
engine and locating parts and materials to fix the engine. (3) The
mechanical phase, repairing and getting the engine in running
condition. And (4), the artistic phase, painting the engine and
making it beautiful and ready to show.
The 6th annual Main Event Hit and Miss Gas Engine Show attracted
exhibitors from Canada, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, and
Arizona. Members of the Western Antique Power Associates, Rusty
Relics Branch 30 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor
Association, Inc., and the Power From The Past Club were
represented.
The Quartzsite Show is one of the largest winter meets in the
southwest, attracting over 10,000 spectators during the three day
exhibition. Next year, the 16th annual Main Event Gemboree will be
held January 17, through February 1, 1998. Exhibitors wishing to
participate in the 7th annual Hit and Miss Gas Engine Show should
contact the Main Event at P.O. Box 2801, Quartzsite, Arizona
85346-2801, or call (520) 927-5213. The Main Event provides
exhibitors with free overnight camping during the show. Some spaces
have full hookups.
Sam Curry, from Sedona, Arizona, has exhibited for the past 5
years at the Main Event Show. ‘This year’s show,’ said
Curry, ‘is better than last year and is getting better all the
time.’