It stands to reason that at an event in which people bring 40 ton bulldozers and other heavy equipment there will be more than a few trucks lurking in the background. The national HCEA held in conjunction with the Pageant of Steam was no exception to the rule. Based on my research Mack trucks, more specifically Superliners, appeared to be the truck of choice. I was also happy to see two Titans in the crowd as I never seen those anywhere.
Did I mention yet that there were more classic tractors at the Pageant of Steam than I have ever seen gathered in one spot? Row after row of red, green, olive green, orange, and yellow. No matter your allegiance your tractor was here. I didn’t grab too many photos as they were packed in pretty tight but some were simply too nice to walk by.
And the steam. THE STEAM! I could not believe some of the iron monsters that I saw cruising the show grounds. Giant metal tires. Enormous spinning fly wheels. Chains rapped around axles to control directions. And everything had gears of all types and sizes. On nearly every corner there was a motor running, hissing or popping. Saw blades whirled. Whistles blew. If you like steam you MUST attend this event next year. If you like flea markets that cater to the parts and memorabilia surrounding steam power and old tractors you HAVE to attend this event. The vendor tents stretched over the horizon. It felt like a small city at times.
And before I forget, check out this video of a Cat 955H track loader. I totally forgot about this machine in the avalanche of equipment.
And with that folks the coverage of this fine event draws to a close…..once Autocar Mondays comes and goes. Yes! An Autocar also came out of this fine event. It truly was a magical place. I only saw a small portion of what there was to experience but it was more than enough…for now. Take a moment to visit the youtube channel of TrukLuver for more coverage of the weekend or visit this flickr album for even more great photos. You should probably do both.