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| Two-Cylinder visitors find refuge from storm in tractors |
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Wrenching Tales
By Cindy Ladage
There are many things that could be said about this year’s 20th Two-Cylinder Expo; first, there was rain and more rain, and second – it was glorious.
This expo celebrated the 50th anniversary of the end of the two-cylinder era and the introduction of the New Generation tractor. The venue for this celebration was the National Cattle Congress, which was celebrating its centennial.
The National Cattle Congress is located in Waterloo, Iowa, and the show was a quiet affair with most of the tractors thankfully housed indoors while thunder boomed, lightning flashed and rain poured down. Outside, vendors and exhibitors had a rough go on late Thursday, June 17, and on and off all day Friday, but got a break Saturday.
Inside, collectors gathered and moseyed along aisle after aisle of pristinely restored antique tractors, and the occasional beautiful truck.
The National Cattle Congress is a great place for the show and has a lot of historic significance. The first Dairy Cattle Congress opened at Waterloo on Oct. 10, 1910. According to its website, “the responsibility for the success of the show rested largely upon the shoulders of Hugh G. Van Pelt, general manager of the first five Dairy Cattle Congresses.
“Both local and out-of-town manufacturers were urged to exhibit their products. Breeders and dairymen from far and near were importuned to enter their stock.
“Van Pelt himself went to the Illinois State Fair at Springfield and secured ‘A special train which brought 13 carloads of the choicest cattle’ directly to the Waterloo show.”
For the show, a coliseum – a large circular building 160 feet in diameter and of steel construction – was created, and it was the biggest building in Iowa without a post. There have been some changes over the years: the Coliseum no longer exists and the show was moved in 1912 to the current grounds, with current buildings.
What has remained is that the grounds are still home to the National Dairy Cattle Congress and an array of other events such as the Two-Cylinder Show. This site has ample grounds for tractors like the John Deere 720 diesel with the John Deere 883 rollover disc, that was sitting on the lawn outside of the art building. (The tractor was owned and restored by Mike and Bryan Koskela of Astoria, Ore.)
Not all visitors came from as far away. Don Holland of Carthage, Mo., was on hand with his 1957 JD 320 U. “I have had this since 1964. Mark Meyer restored it. He spent a year on it,” Don shared. “I found it at a dealership in southwest Missouri. They bought it from the Kansas Highway Department.”
The tractor, when he first bought it, was thought to be a 420, but once he had it broken down, he discovered it was a Utility 320 U with spacers in the wheel. Dan’s 320 U was a working tractor, until recently. “I used it a long time ’til I decided to have it restored. This is the U’s first big show,” he explained.
Also at this year’s show was Lynn Erickson, of Mora, Minn. Lynn brought his 1946 John Deere GM and shared the history of the tractor on a sign by the machine.
He said he saw the GM sitting off the road for sale. Wanting the machine, he made an offer for $900 knowing this was under the value, and he was sure he would never have a chance at the tractor.
When he arrived home from a getaway, he checked his messages and found he was the only bidder and they had accepted his bid. The next hurdle was checking in with the wife.
“I asked my wife last,” he said, “but she said yes.”
Besides beautiful tractors, there were also great trucks such as the one Chris Aspergren of Aspergren Construction Services brought to the show. He had his 1954 B-50T Mack that was restored by Mark Steffenhagen.
These were just a few of the sights and sounds at this year’s show, where it was great to be a fan of JD green.
Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication. |
| 8/11/2010 |
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