The Red Power Charge: Show Season 2006

By Oscar H. Will Iii
Published on April 1, 2007
1 / 10
This nicely restored Trac-Lift-brand forklift was a real showstopper. The machine served for more than 30 years as a yard machine at a local lumber company.
This nicely restored Trac-Lift-brand forklift was a real showstopper. The machine served for more than 30 years as a yard machine at a local lumber company.
2 / 10
This 1946 Farmall M with Trojan Road Patrol grader attachment is typical for early self-propelled road maintainers. This unit belongs to Don Johnstone.
This 1946 Farmall M with Trojan Road Patrol grader attachment is typical for early self-propelled road maintainers. This unit belongs to Don Johnstone.
3 / 10
Chris Ryan braves the rain to parade his family's Tractor Trax-equipped Cub Cadet Model 124. The machine was restored in time for the Hemlock show to celebrate his brother Mark's life, which was cut short by a tragic accident.
Chris Ryan braves the rain to parade his family's Tractor Trax-equipped Cub Cadet Model 124. The machine was restored in time for the Hemlock show to celebrate his brother Mark's life, which was cut short by a tragic accident.
4 / 10
Kurt Lutz displayed his beautifully restored Cub Cadet Original and very rare Danco RD-300 loader at Hemlock. The loader features hydraulic lift with a trip bucket.
Kurt Lutz displayed his beautifully restored Cub Cadet Original and very rare Danco RD-300 loader at Hemlock. The loader features hydraulic lift with a trip bucket.
5 / 10
International Harvester red was the color of the day at the Red Power Charge at Hemlock, N.Y.
International Harvester red was the color of the day at the Red Power Charge at Hemlock, N.Y.
6 / 10
Tom Fix owns this lovely 1940 IH D-2 pickup. He prefers old IH models for getting around in, a preference he picked up from his dad, Lyle, who displayed a beautifully restored 1947 IH Model KB-2 pickup truck at the Red Power Charge.
Tom Fix owns this lovely 1940 IH D-2 pickup. He prefers old IH models for getting around in, a preference he picked up from his dad, Lyle, who displayed a beautifully restored 1947 IH Model KB-2 pickup truck at the Red Power Charge.
7 / 10
Friends Clayton Wing (left) and Jim Slocum demonstrate Jim's shingle mill, which was built by Henry and George Angell in about 1869. The mill is powered by a John Deere Model LUC power unit.
Friends Clayton Wing (left) and Jim Slocum demonstrate Jim's shingle mill, which was built by Henry and George Angell in about 1869. The mill is powered by a John Deere Model LUC power unit.
8 / 10
Tweed Herendeen displayed his Farmall 504 high clearance tractor. This tractor is particularly interesting because it is one of relatively few modified for bean field duty by the Chisolm-Ryder Co. of Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Tweed Herendeen displayed his Farmall 504 high clearance tractor. This tractor is particularly interesting because it is one of relatively few modified for bean field duty by the Chisolm-Ryder Co. of Niagara Falls, N.Y.
9 / 10
Ed Jablonski prefers to run his antique engines (like this 1928 International Harvester Model M) on kerosene, the fuel they were designed to burn. In his words they
Ed Jablonski prefers to run his antique engines (like this 1928 International Harvester Model M) on kerosene, the fuel they were designed to burn. In his words they "sound nicer, run smoother and smell better" on kerosene than gasoline. They blow nice puffs of smoke and the occasional smoke ring on that oily fuel too.
10 / 10
Andrew Sherwood's IH-powered 1950s vintage Adams no. 201 leaning wheel road grader is perfect for maintaining farm lanes and taking to shows.
Andrew Sherwood's IH-powered 1950s vintage Adams no. 201 leaning wheel road grader is perfect for maintaining farm lanes and taking to shows.

The first-ever Red Power Charge went off with such a bang July 28-29, 2006, that even substantial precipitation on the first day couldn’t dampen participants’ spirits. The regional show, held at the Hemlock (N.Y.) Union Agricultural Society fairgrounds, was the brainchild of the International Harvester Collectors Club’s new upstate New York Chapter 35. The club produced its first show less than two years after receiving its charter. “As one of the newest chapters, we wanted to hit the ground running,” explains Chapter 35 Director Gene Preston, Greece, N.Y. “We had a lot of momentum from the beginning and didn’t want to let it slip.” It wasn’t just about momentum, however.

Enthusiasm for International Harvester has grown to a healthy high in New York. Under President Anita DeGlopper’s leadership, Chapter 35 had grown to almost 400 members by the time the show was proposed in early 2005. With numbers like that, the club not only had the budget but also the critical mass needed to sustain a project as ambitious as the Red Power Charge. “There was plenty of anxiety in the months leading up to the show, and even during it,” says Chapter 35 volunteer Jim Bagley, Hornell, N.Y. “The rain really had us worried, but it all worked out.”

It took plenty of commitment to keep the event going during an early first-day downpour. Adopting a “show must go on” attitude, club members and exhibitors donned raingear and paraded their prized pieces on schedule. It’s a good thing they did, because the sun shortly arrived and brought on the crowds.

The Red Power Charge attracted exhibitors from several states and Canada, and visitors with an even broader geographical cross section. Machinery on display ranged from the mundane to the truly unique, but the breadth was truly breathtaking.

Making the grade

Among the more usual letter-series Farmall tractors at Hemlock were a number of very unusual industrial-type machines that used IH tractors or specialized power units for motivation. A nice Trojan Utility Speed Patrol road maintainer (grader-type) was displayed by Don Johnstone, Springwater, N.Y. This little grader, consisting of a 1946 Farmall M tractor grafted to the Trojan’s front end and blade carriage, is typical of early self-propelled graders from many different manufacturers including Meili-Blumberg, Gallion and others. Later road graders featured more integral construction, and many were powered with IH engines and transmissions – like the Adams no. 201.

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-866-624-9388