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Dec. 2002 News Letter Articles
Slow Ride
By Mark Landis
This year at the Big Knob Fair there came a surprise slowly, very slowly, from Paso Robles California on its way to New York city for September 11. King Remsberg III left Paso Robles on June 14 2002 riding a John Deere LT 150 riding mower. His cruising speed of 5.3 MPH didn't’t break any speed records (not fast anyway). He is trying to raise $100,000.00 for the US Troop Fund. Proceeds will benefit the currently detached U.S. troops in the Middle East, in the form of care packages.
King himself is a former member of the armed forces, who honorably served the U.S. from 1988 to 1992. He knows first hand what a morale builder care packages can be.
I checked out his tractor at the fair. He was pulling a small trailer topped with a flashing yellow light. The trailer also carried all his gear, gas cans, water, food, tent, sleeping bag, etc. The tires were well worn and about due for replacing, for I think I heard the forth time. It is unimaginable that he will put approximately 4500 miles on this little mower.
King stayed a few days with us at the fair, getting the grand tour by Frank Rape. He also got some replacement tires for his tractor.
He did finally make it to New York on September 11, according to his web site at www.ustroopfund.org. To find out more and see color photos of the trip and find where to send donations, Log on to his web site. To date he has raised over $25,000 and is still looking to raise the full $100,000. You can also send donations to “U. S. Troop Fund”, Box 37, Landingville, PA 17942.
Editorial
By: Mark Landis Editor
Like Jason from Friday the Thirteenth, Freddie Krugger from Nightmare on Elm Street, or a bad penny, “I’m Ba-a-a-ack.” Harold Sprul bought an old farm, and has a lot of work to do to get it up and running, so he doesn’t have the time to do the News letter. I was asked by him earlier this year if I would take over for him as Editor, but I really didn’t have time myself. As the year went on, I was talked into it by Melvin Eisenbrown, after he couldn’t find any one else to do it. So I am back. For those of you who don’t like my editorship, too bad, you had your chance. For those of you who are new members, and haven’t had a chance to read my stuff before, let me apologize in advance.
It’s been a while getting all the ducks in a row to get started, since I now have help that I had to make arrangements with. So if you are reading this, I finally got every thing lined up so sit back, get comfortable, and read the latest BKATEA news letter.
I will try to continue all of Harold’s features, such as the list of up coming events, Want ads, Melvie’s Minute, and Wayne Harleys report. So if you have something to buy, or sell, see the form elsewhere in this News Letter, send it off to me, and I will get it in the next News Letter.
I would like to thank Trudi Dunlap in advance, for all the help in getting this news letter going. I would also like to thank all the people who have contributed articles for the let
I didn’t make it to any of the pulls this year, or the Car Cruise, or the Picnic, so if you have any reports on these events please send them to me.
Please as always if you have any comments, or something to contribute, feel free to e-mail me at mark33@nauticom.net (Be sure to mention in the subject what your e-mail is about, and if you are sending me photos send me a e-mail letter separately to let me know. (I will not open an e-mail with an attachment unless I know that it is not a virus.))
As always enjoy, and see you at the meetings. Happy holidays from BKATEA Quarterly.
Think Small
By Mark Landis
I remember in 1976 when my Grandfather was auctioning off his Garage business. He had a Farmall 1936 F-12 (my brother Wayne now owns it) that he was selling. It was in good shape, was running, and had a good coat of road line yellow paint, but he couldn’t get over a $200 bid . My dad bid $250 just to keep it from going for nothing, but that is all a 37 year old tractor was worth back then.
My dad later bought a Farmall 1945 H for $600, that needed a valve and ring job bad (My dad drove it back home from where we bought it, and he was black with oil that sprayed from the exhaust.). It came with a set of 14” two bottom plows and an old steel wheeled running gear for a wagon. I recently bought my 1948 Massey-Harris “22” in need of some work, off a friend at work for $250. But these kind of deals are getting rarer and rarer, as people find out that everybody is looking for Antique Tractors. The prices keep going up and up, as the tractors, without a home, become fewer and fewer.
At this years show, and at many other shows that I have been to, I have seen more and more folks interested in the small Lawn and Garden equipment. I have watched them walk by a really nicely restored farm tractor with out a glance, then stop for several minutes and look intently at an old beat up lawn mower.
The point here is why not collect small lawn and garden tractors and other small equipment. I think the reasons why there are so many people interested in these items at shows are two. First, believe it or not, not every one out there has worked on a farm or with Farm tractors, but almost everyone has cut grass or tilled a vegetable garden or used some other type of lawn and garden equipment. Second, all these tractors seem to be the same after a while, “Seen one, seen them all.” Lets face it I have been to a lot of shows and seen, not just the same brands and models of tractors, but the same exact tractors.
Some other good reasons to collect them is, that there were allot more of this small equipment made, so there is a better chance that you can pick some up, some where. The storage space you need to keep this equipment is much less, so you don’t need a big building to keep it. Another reason is that you can pick it up for next to nothing or even free. The parts are fairly easy to come by, and generally cheap (unless it is the magneto).
The parts are usually interchangeable between many brands, and types of items, since many used the same engines. You don’t need large equipment to haul them to shows, a pick-up, or small trailer will do nicely. You don’t need 5 people to help you move it around when your working on it. You don’t need a large garage to work on them even in the winter.
Some of the old equipment has of course been scrapped, as a matter of fact there is probably a better chance that Grandpaps mower was scrapped, but Grandpaps tractor was saved. But since these items are small they can “get lost” for years on a large farm, and become part of the tractor shed, or barn. I have a friend who goes around getting lawn mowers from the trash on trash day, fixing them up, and selling them. One day a lady saw what he was doing, and asked him to come look in her shed. To his surprise there sat a David Bradley tractor and a National Mower riding reel mower. When he asked her what she wanted for them she said “Just haul them away.”
Not only are garden tractors good candidates for collecting, but there are many other types of garden equipment. Rototillers, push mowers, reel mowers, garden tractor implements, push cultivators, corn shellers, rotary mowers, chain saws, and many others.
Some people choose to collect maybe one type of item, may be push reel mowers. There is a web site dedicated to old lawn mowers. Another to Rototillers and I am sure many other specialty web sites. Some people may choose one brand, Gravely, Cub Cadet, David Bradley, Rototiller, etc. Some people may choose one model of one brand. Some people , like me, collect whatever they like, and can get a deal on. I am partial to Gravely and Rototiller myself but I don’t limit myself to just that.
So I am sure, some where out there, is just the right small implement, waiting for you.
Remembering Silo Filling Days
By Jim Goehring
My earliest memories of silo filling were in the fifties. Our first forage harvester was a New Holland with a Wisconsin, gasoline powered, air cooled engine. It was co-owned by my father, and his cousins, Elmer and Arthur Goehring.
On our farm and Elmer's, our Farmall M tractor pulled the harvester and wagons. We had two forage wagons. The forage wagons were quadruple purpose wagons. With no sides on, they were hay wagons. With the 2-foot sides they were corn wagons. With the 5-foot sides they were the silage and grain wagons. The grain would drop through a valve in the floor on the side, half way back.
When hauling silage, the tailgate would open, and two men would hoe the silage off into the table of a forage blower. The silage was pulled back to the rear, with an end gate up front attached to two cables, that wound around a shaft at the rear, which was turned by an electric winch. The other wagon used a heavy canvas on the floor that wound up.
Our forage blower was an Allis-Chalmers belt drive. The fan was small, but being belt drive it turned very fast. We used our Farmall F-20 on the blower. We used a funnel on the end of the blower pipe gooseneck. There was a rod attached to the funnel to guide the silage, keeping it level. I was standing on the tongue of the wagon while we were chopping, when the Wisconsin engine put a rod through the block. We then bought a #3 Gehl chopper from Elmer Eisenbrown.
2003 Show Thoughts
By Wayne Harley
It's not too early to start thinking about our 2003 show, which will be held July 18-19-20 at the Big Knob Grange. Our 7th annual show of antique tractors and equipment will feature the AGCO White heritage line of tractors, implements and miscellaneous items. We have the potential to exceed the numbers recorded for our 2002 show for exhibits, I believe. The brand names that would be included are Oliver, Cletrac, Hart-Parr,Cockshutt, Co-op, Blackhawk, Minneapolis-Moline, Twin City, New Idea and,of course, White (WHE0). Over the next few winter months (when you don't have a lot to do) may be a good time to start getting ready for the '03 show. I'd like to see us continue the tradition we have of the BKATEA to make every annual show the best one yet. Let's all do what we can to make it happen!
2002 Show Cakewalk Prize Contributors
We acknowledge and thank the below listed business and individuals who contributed items which were awarded as prizes in our 2002 show cakewalks. Please try to patronize these contributors as your way to thank them.
Auntie Ann's - Beaver Valley Mall
Brew's Tavern -Rochester, Pa
Bruster's Batting Cages - Bridgewater, PA
Cranberry Cinema - Cranberry, PA
Duro Water Pdts. - Sewickley, PA
Dingbats - Cranberry, PA
Frankenstein Bldg. Sup - Zelienople, PA
Frontier Falls - Rochester, PA
Home & Garden Party - Jenny Fessler, Freedom,PA
Hughes Wheel and Axle - Zelienople, PA
Lutz & Myers - Ellwood City, PA
Krestals Donuts - New Brighton, PA
Kwik Fill - Cranberry, PA
Mary Kay Cosmetics- Jennifer Bonzo, Rochester, PA
McCormicks Hardware - Zelienople, PA
McMahons Cycle Sales - Beaver Falls, PA
Meredith Battery - Harmony, PA
New Dimension Comics - Cranberry, PA
Outback Steakhouse - Erie, PA
Partylite - Alison Leonberg, Baden, PA
Rita's Italian Ice - Cranberry, PA
Smardt Equipment - Prospect, PA
Walden Books - Beaver Valley Mall
Wexford Hair Design - Wexford, PA
Yeck's Pumpkin Patch - Roy Yeck, Freedom, PA
Meetings Highlights from
Jan. - Nov. 2002
by Wayne Harley, Secretary
2002 has been an eventful year for BKATEA members as evidenced by ourregular monthly meetings at the Legion and the committee meetings that I have attended. As always, we've had good attendance at our meetings andgood participation in discussion. Here is an overview of some of thethings we've talked about and the decisions that have been made.
At our October meeting we approved a change in the term of BKATEA memberships by establishing a permanent expiration date for every member.When your membership expires in 2003, whatever month that is, your newyear of membership will start from that date -even if you don't renew for 6 months or whatever. In essence if you delay paying your dues for 6 months, your $10.00 will only buy you 6 months of membership, until your permanent expiration date. If you fail to renew your membership for more than a year, you will have to start over again as a new member. This policy change was first approved by the BKATEA Executive Committee in September and will take effect January 1, 2003.
Early in the year we approved a change relating to our definition of antique tractors by model year that relates to derby pulls only. The change makes up to and including 1959 model tractors eligible to competein derby pulls. The logic given by those who wanted the change adapted is that the additional horsepower of tractors that began after 1957doesn't make much difference when it comes to derby pulls. For transfer pulls, the definition of antique tractors remains up to and including 1957. We really only had one derby pull this year (because of inclementweather) so I don't think we've really seen if the newer antique tractors will walk away with the trophies at our derby pulls.
A lot of discussion has taken place over the last few months about establishing a BKATEA Junior Division, probably for 8-12 year old kids. One of the prime activities that is envisioned for the Junior members to do in our Association would be to compete in our pulls with stock garden tractors. Fred Herzog, a BKATEA member who has a garden tractor transfer pull sled, first suggested that we establish a Junior Division. A special committee has been formed to research the pros and cons of a BKATEA-JD. Serving on the committee are Al Urban, Ron Rape, Fred Herzog, Dave Reader, Al Frederick, and Skip Ruckert. A major question relating to the JD is whether our insurance company (Allied) will cover BKATEA members age 8 to 12.
Election of officers for the term July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2004 was accomplished at our June meeting. Mel Eisenbrown was re-elected President. Rusty Zahn was elected vice-president. Frank Rape was re-elected treasurer and I was re-elected to be Secretary. We, the officers of the BKATEA, are in our positions to serve all of you themembers. As Mel often says at our meetings, "It's your club." Attend our meetings, share your ideas, come to our events, help us to make the BKATEA an organization that you are proud to be a part of. Hey, we can have a lot of fun as well.
If you've missed some of our meetings this year you may not know where we've spent money this year.
We gave $100 to the Unionville Legion early in the year as a donation for the use of their meeting room each month. Prior to the Legion Car and Tractor Cruise in August we gave them another $100 to help with the expenses of that event- and to get our name on the event t-shirts.
A donation of $200 was given to the Beaver County Dairy Promotion Board to help them purchase the new milkshake trailer that made its first appearance at our annual show in July.
We also made a donation towards redoing the truck loading dock at the Big Knob Grange- and helped with the labor.
Then at the time of the Big Knob Fair we made a $50 donation to the US Troop Fund, the cause for which Desert Storm veteran King Remsberg III was riding a JD garden tractor from California to NewYork City. (He was with us the Saturday of the Fair.)
One last thing I wanted to mention is that the BKATEA again sponsored the Best of Show award for Dept. 24 at the Big Knob Fair. The award was won (again) by a BKATEA member, Jim Glies. See you at our future meetings!
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