The first Ageless Iron Expo is now history. Held at Ankeny,
Iowa, from July 1 to July 4, the preliminary figures come up with a
paid attendance of about 55,000. These folks came to see nearly
1,300 tractors! There were many notable exhibits, including what
was probably the largest assemblage of the relatively scarce Co-op
tractors ever since the time of production. There were OilPulls, a
Peoria, a Minneapolis-built Ford, plus many other rare and
one-of-a-kind tractors. Within the various tractor makes were
notable and rare models of Deere, IH, Allis-Chalmers, Ford,
Massey-Harris, Caterpillar, Case, and many others.
While not a highly publicized part of the show, there was an
excellent display of gas engines, along with a wonderful exhibit of
model engines, tractors, and farm equipment. The tractors pulls
were incredible, with two tracks running simultaneously; this part
of the show attracted thousands of spectators.
Perhaps one of the most notable, but unseen parts of the Expo
was the spirit of cooperation between the various tractor clubs and
other organizations. The Expo depended heavily on volunteer help,
and the exhibitors in particular gave of themselves to help make
the show a roaring success.
Those who attended gave the Expo a great ‘thumbs up’ and
for those who didn’t, it’ll be a couple of years before
there’s a repeat performance. Already we’re hearing things
like, ‘Boy, I sure wish I had brought my tractor,’ or
‘I’ll be at the next one!’
One of the comments heard most often could be summed up as,
‘I sure hope some of the people that run ‘my show’ were
here to take notes.’ The point to their conversation was that
the Expo introduced a lot of new and innovative ideas as to how a
show should be run. Most of the people at the cutting edge had
never set up a show of this kind before, but came up with their own
ideas. From some of the many conversations we had, it’s
probable that a lot of fresh new ideas will be incorporated into
other engine and tractor shows.
Another great plus was that the gathering of all these tractors
into one place permitted us to acquire numerous color samples for
our continuing list of paint color information. We picked up
several color matches using our DuPont Spectra Master book, while
the PPG people were on hand doing the same thing; the PPG people
even brought their paint color computer. The tractor restoration
clinics and the demostration for pouring new babbitt bearings added
extra zest as well.
Ye olde Reflector was delighted to be on hand. We met a great
many folks with whom we’ve corresponded for years, even though
our paths never seemed to cross. Notable among these was Alan King
who is a regular advertiser in GEM. Alan and I have a friendship
going back a quarter century, and it was a delight for both of us
to finally meet face-to-face. Judy Whiteside was on hand from GEM,
along with husband Ken, and these folks, along with Patrick Ertel
and wife, the Richard Hains, and Kurt and Jane Aumann made our
publications tent a delightful abode for a few days.
On behalf of myself, Sheila, and Allyssa, our thanks to all who
stopped by while at the Expo.
We’ve got a lot of material to cover this month, so
we’ll begin with:
30/9/1 IHC Engine and Witte Q. What is the year
built of a 3 HP International engine, s/n B48252? This engine was
imported into Japan by Taimei Shokai Company Ltd. of Tokyo, and was
used to power machinery in a tea factory in Kumamoto. It is now
owned by Mr. Nishida of Kumamoto. What type of magneto was fitted
to this engine? Where might I locate one, as the original is
missing? Also, what is the year built for a Witte 2 HP engine, s/n
B14152? Chris Madeley, 207 Park Heim Yoga Itchome, 1-19-19 Yoga
Seta-gay a-ku, Tokyo 158, Japan.
A Your engine was made in 1922. It used an
International Type L rotary low tension magneto. The Witte was
built in July 1924.
30/9/2 Fairbanks Compressor Q. See the photo of
a 3 HP Fairbanks-Morse engine, s/n 539321 with an attached F-M
compressor. Can you tell me when this engine was sold, and to whom?
Bob Mellin, Balboa Publishing Corporation, 11 Library Place, San
Anselmo, CA 94960.
A The engine is of 1923 vintage, so we would
assume the entire unit to have been built at that time.
30/9/3 Gilson Q.. I recently purchased a 1 HP
Gibon Style U, 60-speed engine. Do you have any information on this
model? It is s/n 22953. I would like to correspond with other
owners of Gilson engines like mine. Zach Nagel, 91765 S CR 380 W.,
Rensselaer, IN 47978.
A We’ve never come across anything more
than a magazine advert of this engine. Is there someone out there
with something more?
30/9/4 Road Grader Q. See the two pictures of
an old road grader we are restoring. We would like to know the
make, when it was built, or other information. Lisa Frohmader,
W9945 30th St West, Camp Douglas ,W154618.
A We’ve not seen a grader like this one.
Can anyone be of help?
30/9/5 Information Needed Q. Can anyone supply
information on a Witte 3 HP, s/n 58021? 1 also have a 3 HP
Sandwich, s/n B25390, and would like to know its age. Any other
information on this engine would also be appreciated. Jon Hodgdon,
16 Louise St., Gorham, ME 04038.
AYour Witte was built in 1922. No serial number
information exists for the Sandwich; however it was likely built in
the 1916-25 period.
30/9/6 Kohler Light Plant Q. What is the proper
paint color for a 1926 Kohler four-cylinder light plant? I would
also like to find a source for parts. My e-mail address on the
Internet is thompson@psy.fsu.edu. Ron Thompson, PO Box 96, Panacea,
FL 32346.
A We haven’t yet found a color match for
the Kohler engine line. Can anyone advise so that we can include
this information for future use?