RippySkippy
Silver Member
Warning...long post with family history included... pictures are from my cell phone, and the darn thing died before I could get any additional pictures of the festivities.
When I was younger, we grew up 3 hours (one-way) from my Mom and Dad's parents. Back then, the trips to their house was limited to "special" events, Christmas, Thanksgiving, weddings, and funerals and maybe an off farm season visit every now and again. When we had the opportunity to make the trip, we usually visited each set of grandparents who lived roughly 20 miles a part each trip. Visit one set in the morning, the other in the evening, then back home. LONG days. Looking back, not much quality time with the Aunts, Uncles, and Grand Parents....much appreciated nonetheless, and valued even more as an adult.
This thread focuses on my dad's side, specifically one of his brothers, Uncle Bob.
Everyone knows an "Uncle Bob." He's the guy that can take two pieces of steel and make it into a work of art, not one to show, but to use. He can fabricate anything with his hands and mind. As a kid I liked to hang around him, nice guy, always had a project of one sort or other in progress. I don't want you to think he's bigger than life...he's an ordinary Joe with a boat load of skill. He's had some health issues, along the way, but it doesn't get him down. He's strong, resourceful, and to those that know him closer than I know him as that person you want to be your friend. You know what I mean.
With that framework of his character, here's the beginning of my re-connection to Uncle Bob. While at the Iowa State Fair this past month, by chance I struck up a conversation with this guy, he looked kind of familiar, but not immediately known to me. Lo-and-behold, he was a friend of my Uncle Bob, named Carl. He and Uncle Bob used to come to Dad's farm to pheasant hunt when I was a kid. He has a really distinct voice and that's what I recalled first. We had a wonderful time catching up on the past 30+ years. In the course of our conversation, he shared that the following weekend (8/20) he had to go help my Uncle Bob at the Praire Homestead Antique Power and Country Craft Show (caution it loads slow!!!) just a couple miles north of Belmond, Iowa. C'mon up he says...little did he know.....
Knowing that my dad's health is failing (he is suffering from dementia, and it's pretty much kick'n his butt) the reality is all too clear that the opportunity see him in his element is a gift, Bob is nine years younger than my dad.
First let me introduce you to Uncle Bob (70 years young):
Here's his "hobby" his 1912 Steam engine. I have to apologize for not knowing the brand, I thought I had a picture of the front, but failed. He said that this steam engine was located at the Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, and for what ever reason the family that owned it at the time was wanting to sell it. My Uncle, and the Boone and Scenic Railway in Boone Iowa were the only two parties interested in purchasing the engine. The family talked to my Uncle asking his intention of the engine, which he replies was to be used and displayed and kept in working condition. That was enough that the family sold it to him. He used to haul it to the Power Show, but then was offered "free room and board" if he would crank it up annually at the show. He agreed. He fabricated the oval water tanks on each side, the fuel box (for coal and wood) on the right rear, replaced all the heat tubes, and many other miscellaneous and not so trivial fix and repairs.
He attached the engine to a "baker fan." According to Uncle Bob, it has no function other than to provide load for belt driven power sources, working on centrifugal force moving a boat load of air. With a full head of steam, his tractor could run at full power for 20 to 30 minutes. I believe he said it was 18 - 20 belt H.P. and 60 drawbar. During the night show, they'll attach a steam engine to the fan with a full head of steam pulling against the fan, they will toss a shovel full of saw dust in the firebox and watch the sparks fly out the exhaust. It's said to be quite a show. Previous shows he's ran the rock crusher, or saw mill, they just rotate around to different stations.
Here's another picture of the engine belted up:
The show annually highlights different brand of tractors, this year it was Massey Ferguson and Massey Harris. There must have been nearly 200 tractors (all makes and kind) on the ground, some parade ready, some just out of the shed, others just out of the field.
One picture I would have love to get was of a D8 Cat pulling a 16 bottom "ride on plow", quite a site. Much like this with the D8 pulling. There were demonstrations on potato digging, oat thrashing, corn shelling, apple cider pressing, steam powered saw mill, black smith demonstrations. All in all a former farm kid's delight!
At the show this year, they also had the National Plowing Championships. I was only able to get one picture of a participant, but it had the craziest plow I've ever seen. It looks like it must be made for competition plowing.
If you click the image, look where the operators right hand is behing the seat. He has hydraulic control of nearly EVERY element of the plow. Notice the back bottom is at a different angle than the first. He adjust the pitch of each bottom, the roll of the plow beam, depth of the coulter, and gauge wheel. He can adjust the left and right draft, I mean it's a work of engineering for him to get it in the ground. Notice the extended moldboard, it really helps lay the soil over and covers the trash well.
That's about all for this run, god willing I'll attend next year with a real camera, and extra batteries.
To my Uncle Bob, who will never read this; thank you for allowing me to intrude on your time at the show. It meant a lot to me, and my son (whose name comes from my Grandfather, Uncle Bob's Dad). I look forward to next year's show....
When I was younger, we grew up 3 hours (one-way) from my Mom and Dad's parents. Back then, the trips to their house was limited to "special" events, Christmas, Thanksgiving, weddings, and funerals and maybe an off farm season visit every now and again. When we had the opportunity to make the trip, we usually visited each set of grandparents who lived roughly 20 miles a part each trip. Visit one set in the morning, the other in the evening, then back home. LONG days. Looking back, not much quality time with the Aunts, Uncles, and Grand Parents....much appreciated nonetheless, and valued even more as an adult.
This thread focuses on my dad's side, specifically one of his brothers, Uncle Bob.
Everyone knows an "Uncle Bob." He's the guy that can take two pieces of steel and make it into a work of art, not one to show, but to use. He can fabricate anything with his hands and mind. As a kid I liked to hang around him, nice guy, always had a project of one sort or other in progress. I don't want you to think he's bigger than life...he's an ordinary Joe with a boat load of skill. He's had some health issues, along the way, but it doesn't get him down. He's strong, resourceful, and to those that know him closer than I know him as that person you want to be your friend. You know what I mean.
With that framework of his character, here's the beginning of my re-connection to Uncle Bob. While at the Iowa State Fair this past month, by chance I struck up a conversation with this guy, he looked kind of familiar, but not immediately known to me. Lo-and-behold, he was a friend of my Uncle Bob, named Carl. He and Uncle Bob used to come to Dad's farm to pheasant hunt when I was a kid. He has a really distinct voice and that's what I recalled first. We had a wonderful time catching up on the past 30+ years. In the course of our conversation, he shared that the following weekend (8/20) he had to go help my Uncle Bob at the Praire Homestead Antique Power and Country Craft Show (caution it loads slow!!!) just a couple miles north of Belmond, Iowa. C'mon up he says...little did he know.....
Knowing that my dad's health is failing (he is suffering from dementia, and it's pretty much kick'n his butt) the reality is all too clear that the opportunity see him in his element is a gift, Bob is nine years younger than my dad.
First let me introduce you to Uncle Bob (70 years young):
Here's his "hobby" his 1912 Steam engine. I have to apologize for not knowing the brand, I thought I had a picture of the front, but failed. He said that this steam engine was located at the Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, and for what ever reason the family that owned it at the time was wanting to sell it. My Uncle, and the Boone and Scenic Railway in Boone Iowa were the only two parties interested in purchasing the engine. The family talked to my Uncle asking his intention of the engine, which he replies was to be used and displayed and kept in working condition. That was enough that the family sold it to him. He used to haul it to the Power Show, but then was offered "free room and board" if he would crank it up annually at the show. He agreed. He fabricated the oval water tanks on each side, the fuel box (for coal and wood) on the right rear, replaced all the heat tubes, and many other miscellaneous and not so trivial fix and repairs.
He attached the engine to a "baker fan." According to Uncle Bob, it has no function other than to provide load for belt driven power sources, working on centrifugal force moving a boat load of air. With a full head of steam, his tractor could run at full power for 20 to 30 minutes. I believe he said it was 18 - 20 belt H.P. and 60 drawbar. During the night show, they'll attach a steam engine to the fan with a full head of steam pulling against the fan, they will toss a shovel full of saw dust in the firebox and watch the sparks fly out the exhaust. It's said to be quite a show. Previous shows he's ran the rock crusher, or saw mill, they just rotate around to different stations.
Here's another picture of the engine belted up:
The show annually highlights different brand of tractors, this year it was Massey Ferguson and Massey Harris. There must have been nearly 200 tractors (all makes and kind) on the ground, some parade ready, some just out of the shed, others just out of the field.
One picture I would have love to get was of a D8 Cat pulling a 16 bottom "ride on plow", quite a site. Much like this with the D8 pulling. There were demonstrations on potato digging, oat thrashing, corn shelling, apple cider pressing, steam powered saw mill, black smith demonstrations. All in all a former farm kid's delight!
At the show this year, they also had the National Plowing Championships. I was only able to get one picture of a participant, but it had the craziest plow I've ever seen. It looks like it must be made for competition plowing.
If you click the image, look where the operators right hand is behing the seat. He has hydraulic control of nearly EVERY element of the plow. Notice the back bottom is at a different angle than the first. He adjust the pitch of each bottom, the roll of the plow beam, depth of the coulter, and gauge wheel. He can adjust the left and right draft, I mean it's a work of engineering for him to get it in the ground. Notice the extended moldboard, it really helps lay the soil over and covers the trash well.
That's about all for this run, god willing I'll attend next year with a real camera, and extra batteries.
To my Uncle Bob, who will never read this; thank you for allowing me to intrude on your time at the show. It meant a lot to me, and my son (whose name comes from my Grandfather, Uncle Bob's Dad). I look forward to next year's show....
