Box 226, Karnack, Texas 75661
It’s show time again. A lot of new engines and displays are
out on the road now. The Rusty Wheels Engine Club recently had its
second annual show at Bradley, Arkansas. This is part of the Conway
Days celebration. The people of Bradley are very nice people and
sure make you feel welcome. Unfortunately some of our members
couldn’t attend because of an extra work load, but we still had
a beautiful display. Max Gunnels had his beautiful 1915 model T
pickup with a Stover engine sitting in the bed running. S. R.
Nichols had his grist mill running and grinding meal for the
visitors. Many never saw meal ground. Once you have used it you
always want home ground meal from then on.
We had several other engines, including the shiniest 1? HP John
Deere I ever saw and a hit and miss Wisconsin. Several antique and
custom car collectors had displays on the program. One notable
display was a 1925 Chevrolet one-ton truck. The entire show was
wonderful. Be there next year.
The Mississippi Valley Flywheelers have just finished their
eighth annual spring show. This year it was held at Houston,
Mississippi. The people there sure try to do everything possible to
help out with a show.
Our show was held in the city park and we had plenty of shade
and room. A very noticeable display was a trailer load of hog
oilers. Yes, hog oilers. I didn’t know hogs had to be oiled so
many different ways. They were painted up beautifully! I am so
sorry I didn’t get any pictures or the owner’s name and
address.
There were 430 engines, 18 tractors (12 John Deeres), 4 hardwood
compressed air engines, and a large working model steam locomotive
that was flawless. I heard them say it took 25 years to build. It
ran on compressed air for display. Many people stood in line to see
it close. Glen Patterson had his Maytag lawn mowers, Gibson
tractor, plus other items of interest. Dr. A.W. Cox had his
world’s smallest working steam powered cotton gin. Craig Ellard
had his grist mill busy grinding meal for the spectators. They know
how good homemade meal is. It is powered by a 15 HP Fairbanks Morse
kerosene engine. Skeeter Pierce kept busy shelling corn while two
more gentlemen tended the mill. We had several trailers loaded with
displays. We had several larger engines such as Everette
Spivey’s 15 HP Fairbanks Morse oil engine, Rickey Wyatt’s
1923 10 HP McCormick Deering, Pat Barrett’s 8 HP IHC Victor
hopper cooled, James Osborn’s 1914 10 HP IHC, Herman
Rieben’s(1915?) 10 HP Christensen, Jim Shakelford’s early
20’s 9 HP Galloway, Bill Allen’s 20 HP Fairbanks Morse Y
oil engine plus several more that I didn’t get to make a note
of. Other displays were cream separators, light plants, washing
machines including a Briggs & Stratton powered Haag, washing
machine motors, miniature engines, home built engines and a hit
& miss Wisconsin. What a good engine nut can’t find he will
build himself. Just look around at the shows and see for
yourself.
Must get back to my engines now.
