Route 1, Box 39M Mason, Tennessee, 38049
The Mid-South Flywheelers had their second annual show at the
Agricenter International located near Memphis, Tennessee, August
20th-22nd, 1987. David Rayburn displayed our only steam engine. He
ran his horizontal stationary engine on the compressed air supplied
by a diesel engine. Children and grownups both really enjoyed
It’s almost spring and times really have changed. A
dilapidated steam tractor, that had been used as a portable sat in
front of a business on one of the main streets of Memphis for
several years. Many times one or another of our members have
practically stopped traffic as they drove by slowly. Last fall one
of our members finally convinced the owner to sell. Memphis
Manufacturing Company was hired to rebuild the boiler and the
engine. As the work was progressing, our member heard of a Huber
traction engine for sale. He bought it too!
Other members were also busy working with steam. Joe McCraw
bought a vertical portable York that another member, John
Alexander, had begun turning into a horizontal engine. Joe did a
fine job this winter. He has his own foundry and cast several parts
in bronze that really set off the engine. Now he’s restoring a
pre-Civil War 30 saw Eagle cotton gin which he plans to power with
his steam engine. Still another member, Tony Bakken, has started on
a miniature traction engine.
Our show this August should be bigger and better with the
addition of live steam, as well as the other items our members have
purchased and restored such as hay presses, more gas engines of all
sizes, drag saws, bark saws, and hopefully some horse and mule
people will exhibit their farm equipments
