Steam-Era Report

By Staff
Published on January 1, 1968
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John Smith's 10 hp McCormick-Deering engine, built in 1920,  runs a drag saw at Steam-Era in Milton, Ontario, 1967. 
John Smith's 10 hp McCormick-Deering engine, built in 1920,  runs a drag saw at Steam-Era in Milton, Ontario, 1967. 
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A 1912 Sawyer-Massey 20-40 hp, made in Hamilton, Ontario. Ownedby Gordon E. Smith, Orillia, Ontario.
A 1912 Sawyer-Massey 20-40 hp, made in Hamilton, Ontario. Ownedby Gordon E. Smith, Orillia, Ontario.

Steam-Era for 1967 is over for another year. Some of the
readers of GEM might recognize the name — it is an annual steam
and gas exhibit and demonstration held at Milton, Ontario, Canada
(near Toronto). Now in its seventh year, this show, which is put on
by the Ontario Steam and Antique Preservers Association, is enjoyed
every year by an average of 30,000 visitors from all over Canada
and many parts of the United States.

This year, the gasoline-kerosene section of the show was
extremely successful. Under the capable direction of Ross Calder
(gas tractors) and Hector Kyle (gas engines), over 40 gas tractors
and and 75 gas engines turned out to make the show a tremendous
success. The tractors, ranging from a huge Minneapolis Western
plowing tractor to a tiny McCormick-Deering, showed their abilities
on the sawmill, baker fans, and threshing. This Minneapolis was a
new exhibit at the show this year. Sherwood Hume from Milton,
brought this tractor from the American west in pieces. Literally,
everything had to be rebuilt, but the complete restoration took
only a matter of months. Much credit must go to Sherwood for his
excellent job of restoration.

Another large tractor was a type “E” Rumely Oil Pull,
owned by Norm Schell of Woodstock, Ontario. It certainly deserved
the first prize that it received. Norm also has a variety of old
style Rumelys and other tractors, including a rare Townsend. Of
course, these are not the only interesting tractors, but two of
approximately 40 very antique exhibits.

Gas engines are becoming a very important part of any exhibit of
farm machinery. Steam-Era is no exception. Over 70 of these
machines chugged for three days. They ranged in size from 1 to 22
hp., air and water-cooled upright and horizontal, portable and
stationary. Many makes, common and rare, were represented at
the show, including Monarch, Gilson, International, Lister,
London, Mogul, Fairbanks-Morse, Gould, Shapley and Muir, Jumbo,
Stover and Massey Harris.

The largest engine was a 22 hp Gould, Shapley, and Muir two
cylinder, made in Brantford, Ontario. This engine is owned and
restored by Hector Kyle of Ayr, Ontario. Other unusual engines
included an 18 hp Fairbanks Morse, a 2 cylinder Temple ‘Master
Workman’, a 6 hp National and a 4 hp Tuerk.

My family exhibits in the gasoline section included my
father’s 20-40 Sawyer Massey tractor and my 10 hp
International (McCormick Deering) gas engine. Incidentally, this
engine and a very old hand fed thresher were found in very good
unrestored condition and purchased for $35.00 Even some of the
original IHC tools were in the tool box and the decals were quite
plain. It ‘played’ with the 1867 vintage dragsaw at Milton
this year. Actually, I think about a 5 hp. engine would have been
sufficient.

I have only touched on a few of the many activities at the show. There was also a display of gasoline powered equipment, a wide array of
portable and traction steam engines, road rollers, models, antique
cars and trucks, and domestic and agricultural antiques.

May I extend an invitation to all GEM readers to come to
Steam-Era in coming years.

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