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Rolling thunder
delights 1,500
visitors
Antique Power Show
The eighth annual show will be held in Sussex, Sat & Sun May 22nd &23rd
Princess Louise Park
Featuring antique tractors, old gas and steam engines and vintage farm
equipment.
Events include: Parade 10am on Sat.
Antique auction 1:00 pm on Sat
Antique tractor pull 10:30 am on Sunday
Noon lunch and canteen available.
Admission $5.00 also Live Music Show at 7:30pm--$5.00
Phone Carl Bettle (506)-433-1699 or 433-2415
Richard Brown (506) 832-5683
Last year
Raw horsepower was
the theme when the
two-day Antique
Engine Show roared
to life in Sussex,
May 18 and 19.
More than 1,500 fans
of antique tractors
and engines packed
the grounds of the
Agricultural Museum
of NB for the sixth
annual event. More
than 80 tractors
rumbled through the
downtown to kick off
the show Saturday
morning, 20 more
than the year
before. Their newly
polished paint jobs
gleaming in the
morning sun, the
machines turned the
heads of many as
they rolled along
Main Street, in the
heart of New
Brunswick farming
country.
Just as Canadian
farms have
progressed from
small, family-run
affairs to larger
operations in the
last 50 years, large
new tractors have
replaced the antique
machines that rolled
by.
The higher than
normal entries of
tractors was
balanced with a
smaller than
expected antique
engines. The 12
"one-lungers" or
one-piston machines
on the museum lawn
were only half of
the number from
earlier events. Part
of that was due to
the PEI supporters
not being able to
make the show due to
scheduling
difficulties, said
organizer Carl
Bettle.
John Beyer of
Fredericton was back
to participate in
the show for a
second time. The
senior said that he
had heard one person
comment about how
much of a challenge
it must be to keep
the old iron engines
running. "Not just
the engines, you
have to keep the
seniors running!,"
he said.
Many spectators
shared memories with
the exhibitors from
when the old engines
were in regular use
on farms, in mills
and on boats.
Fifteen-year-old
Ashley Trecartin of
Kingston was one of
the youngest
exhibitors, with two
International
engines on display.
His father, Nelson,
had introduced him
to the hobby five
years ago. He now
enjoys tinkering
with them and using
them to cut
firewood.
John Bedell of Saint
John was having fun
showing off the
tiniest diesel
engine on display.
His pocket-sized
version with its
wooden propeller
brought smiles from
spectators. Besides
its ease of
handling, he
appreciated that he
didn't have to have
a trailer or truck
to transport it.
A noon-hour auction
of engine-related
items generated
$8,000. Twenty
machines lined up
for the antique
tractor pull
Saturday afternoon.
"We're looking for
something on Sunday
to keep interest
up," Bettle said.
The Happy Go Lucky
Fiddlers entertained
Saturday evening,
with Elmer Shay and
Ken Rossiter and
Friends playing
Saturday and Sunday,
respectively.
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