Northern IL Steam Show

[cheesy]

Mrs. C, our youngest curd, her other half, babybel and myself made our annual trek to the Northern IL Steam Show today. Coal smoke, wheat chaff, cast iron, roast corn and brats were in abundance. Along with leather clad bikers, lycra clad cyclists, conservatives, liberals, 4H-ers', punks, and anyone else who has a soft spot for old farm equipment mingled in enjoyment.


I had planned on riding the Maggot there yesterday with a couple of other guys but one guy got sick, one had a better offer, and the Maggot decided to dump it's throwout bearing on Friday. So drove today.







The Northern IL Steam Club has been putting this show on for 57 years.

Little flickr set. http://www.flickr.com/photos/2149929...7635033494052/

[katoranger]

I will have to check out all the pictures later. Like the Speed Cat.

[FastDoc]

Great pics. I LOVE that old type of equipment. So mechanically.....honest ;-)

Nice mix of people. It's good the liberals did not want to convert the coal to solar LOL!

[SpudRider]

Egads! The Maggot dumped its throwout bearing!

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Egads! The Maggot dumped its throwout bearing!

It's all better now.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by cheesy

It's all better now.

[el_brio]

Hey Cheesy. Another hostage of the state of Illinois here. Was this show in Union at the RR museum by any chance?

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by el_brio

Hey Cheesy. Another hostage of the state of Illinois here. Was this show in Union at the RR museum by any chance?

Nope, not Union. It's on the old Taylor Marshall farm between Sycamore and Burlington on Plank Rd.

[MICRider]

I see there were some old hit and miss engines present as well! They are my all time favorite engine, I can watch and listen to them for hours, mesmerizing!

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by MICRider

I see there were some old hit and miss engines present as well! They are my all time favorite engine, I can watch and listen to them for hours, mesmerizing!

No argument there. I had about 14 when I was in high school. Maytags to a 3hp Gray. I gave the collection to my Dad and he has continued to show them until this year. His shoulders are so racked with arthritis that he can't start the big ones anymore. So I told Dad to sell the big stuff off. He made a pretty good penny, too. There was an 1913 air cooled Ideal Model R (3/4hp), on it's original frame, in the collection. The buyer handed Dad a blank check and told him to write in the amount. Let's just say that the $5 investment I made in 1968 paid off in spades.

Now the collection is down to several oddball small engines, many that are also hit n miss, mounted on a 5 x 8 trailer.

[cheesy]

Time for the annual trip to the N. IL Steam Show in Sycamore, IL. This year is different because Mrs. C said, "Hey, let's take the bike." That sound you heard was my jaw hitting the floor.

Anyway, as far as mileage goes, it's less than a 50 mile round trip between the grounds and Chez Fromage. Once we cross the Randall Rd., it's wide open country roads for the entire trip. Dairy air and corn cobs.

After we got the CX parked in the MC parking area, we spotted my daughter, son in law, and grandson coming in through the main entrance. We knew they'd be there, were just surprised that they'd get there at the same time.

So, babybel is now at the age where EVERYTHING is interesting. If he can touch, sit on, climb over, or lick it, he's there. Here he is on an old steam valve, pretending he's riding it.


His second cousin had a McCormick-Deering tractor at the show and set the kid in the drivers seat. Think he was excited?


We didn't get into the hit n miss engines because we spent most of the day around the tractors.
4.3l Chevy powered Ford 9n


Something we'd probably see at katos' place.


Can you say Mike Mulligan?


Flat head v8, with Offy heads, powering a Ford 9n.


I love the smell of coal smoke in the morning.


When the shift was made from steam to internal combustion, the new IC powered tractors still looked a bit like the steam tractors. This is an Avery.


As we were leaving, look what we found parked next to the Maggot. A well loved SilverWing.

[Weldangrind]

I like the idea of a 4.3 powering a 9N, but I'm in LOVE with the Offy-headed flatmotor 9N.

[Weldangrind]

That Model A looks as if it has been squashed.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by cheesy

I nominate this for Best Pic of the Week.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I nominate this for Best Pic of the Week.

You beat me to the punch; I was going to make a similar comment. I love the little guy's hat.