Some new scenery for me for this show: the Pacific Northwest. They seem to be able to grow anything there. I went to this show with Farm Collector Editor Leslie McManus and it seemed like everywhere we drove our mouths were open in awe at all the bounty. Blueberries, cherries, grass seed, flowers, grapes, apples, hops, Christmas trees, wheat and barley and beautiful parks. A lot of the wheat grew on steep hillsides, not like what I’m used to seeing here in Kansas.
The Antique Powerland’s 41st annual Great Oregon Steam Up in Brooks, Oregon runs two weekends in a row. This year featured the 20th annual show for the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (ACMOC). Lots of Caterpillars made the trip to the show.
The club has an Antique Caterpillar Machinery Museum on the grounds, but there are several other museums as well: the Antique Powerland Museum, the Northwest Vintage Car & Motorcycle Museum, the Oregon Electric Railway Museum, Oregon Two-Cylinder Club, Pacific Northwest Logging Museum, Pacific Northwest Truck Museum and others. So many people are involved to make this a diversified and interesting destination.
I had the opportunity to meet many Farm Collector and Gas Engine Magazine advertisers from that area..
Bob and Carmen Banke of Shelf Pet Models, www.shelfpetmodels.com (who also have a wonderful foundation close to their hearts you should check out, www.SeeYaLater.org), Tom Stuart engines, tomsengines@aol.com, Randy Rockwell of Rocky’s Model Engines, http://home.earthlink.net/~randyarockwell, Craig Pember of Craig’s Alternator Service, www.craigsmagneto.com, Gary Martin of Martin Model & Pattern, www.martinmodel.com.
I saw some interesting engines.
I also found a few vehicles on display used by the Yellowstone Park Co. to take visitors around the park and one used by the Bonanza crew.
1921 White model 15-45 GN, used by the Ponderosa Ranch.
This was a favorite attraction, with rope attached to several different steam whistles, kids could come by and pull on each rope to blow the whistle, they loved it!
Other activities at the show include logging demonstrations, parades, threshing, chainsaw carvers/sculptors, flour milling and steam crane operating.
For more information, see www.antiquepowerland.com.
If you have a chance to attend this show, you can take in a variety of equipment, museums, sights and sounds with the added bonus of some gorgeous scenery! Don’t forget to head east of Brooks and drive by McMinnville to see the Spruce Goose airplane at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, and go whale watching in Depoe Bay!
See you down the road!