1215 Jays Drive N.E. Salem, OR 97303
The 1987 National Meeting and Show of the Early Day Gas Engine
& Tractor Assn., Inc. was held on July 25th & 26th in
conjunction with the 17th Annual Great Oregon Steam Up at Brooks,
Oregon. The show grounds are on 62 acres of ground that also has a
museum that is open all year round for public viewing.
The Great Oregon Steam-Up is the largest show on the West Coast
and this year was the largest ever held. They have one of the best
displays of old equipment that we have seen, Threshing with steam
and gas, steam-powered saw mill with a 150 HP Allis Chalmers
Corliss in operation, a fully equipped blacksmith shop, many crafts
and art displays, a large flea market, steam-powered flour mill,
country western music for our pleasure, a 1? scale railroad giving
little and big kids rides.
There were 27 steam engines, 178 gas tractors and over 800 gas
engines on display. The tractors were too numerous to mention but a
few were 15 HP Buffalo Pitts, 30 HP Russell, 20 HP Avery, 18 HP
Huber, 15-25 Heer, Munktells, Bull, Holt, John Deere. Cat, 15-25
Avery, IHC, Fordson. The second weekend of the show Aug 1st and 2nd
saw a large infusion of John Deeres. The Two Cylinder Club attended
and helped John Deere celebrate their 150th anniversary.
The gas engines on display included some of the finest models
seen anywhere, 65 to be exact. Other engines were from small 1 HP
Mogul Jr., Galloway Handy Andy, ? HP New Holland up to some of the
largest on the coast. 80 HP F-M, 60 HP Western, 50 HP Foos, and one
of the very few 20 HP Stickneys in existence.
The Great Oregon Steam-Ups swap area is becoming a very popular
thing. It is a good source of the parts and engines for the new
collector to find that needed item or engine.
There was a lot of wheeling and dealing going on throughout the
show.
At the National Meeting held on the first Saturday evening over
500 were in attendance. At the start of the meeting a talk was put
on by the insurance agent about liability insurance. This was
followed by a very lively question and answer session. (It is noted
that many clubs that are not affiliated with EDGE & TA are
still having some difficulty acquiring reasonable insurance.)
Following the insurance program the regular meeting was held. It
was announced that 5 new branchs have been formed this year,
bringing the total number of branches to 26.
All National Officers were reelected for 1988. Jack Versteeg,
Oregon, President; Del Seuser, Kansas, Vice-President; Menno
Kliewer, California, Sec.-Treasurer; Emil Gloor, Indiana, Dir. East
of Miss.; Les Layton, Oregon, Dir. West of the Miss.
We wish to thank all of those who traveled from near and far to
attend the 1987 National and renew old friends; and make new ones.
We will see you all next year if not before.
The 1988 National Meet will be hosted by Branch 8 and will be
held June 18th & 19th, 1988 at the Merced County Fairgrounds,
Mered, California.
