One of the little known but great events in the North Quabbin area is the annual Engine Show. The 34th Yankee Engine-uity Show sponsored by the Central Massachusetts Steam, Gas and Machinery Association. will take place on June 26th and 27th at the Orange Airport in Orange Massachusetts.
This year’s show will feature both Steam Engines and Fordson Tractors.
Steam engines have been around forever, literally back to the first century AD. Of course they’ve come a long way since then and are getting more efficient all the time.
Many different people have contributed to the development of the Steam Engine. The first commercially successful steam engines were built way back in 1712, by Thomas Newcomen, primarily used to pump water from mines. More famous are the steam engines developed by James Watt (1763-1775). Watt’s contribution was so important that the SI unit of power is named after him –everyone is familiar with the watt, right? Many, many inventors made important contributions to get us where we are today and the show always has an impressive variety of engines to view and a lot of interesting collectors to chat with.
The Fordson Tractor was the first light weight, mass produced tractor in the world. It was developed by Henry Ford and his son, Edsel and produced by Henry Ford and Son from 1917 until 1920 when the company merged with Ford Motor Co. In 1917, this 4 cylinder 20 hp engine tractor sold for $750! By 1923, over 70% of all US tractors were Fordsons. Today many people forget all about the early Ford’s with the tractor market overshadowed by John Deere and Kuboto.
This is a fascinating show for all you mechanically minded folks out there, but it is also a fun filled family day with a tractor parade, a kiddie tractor pull, a petting zoo, flea market and more!
If this is something that catches your interest, the airport is actually supporting the Engine Show by not charging any landing fees for the weekend. But whether you come by air or auto, if you need a place to stay, look no farther than the Back Road Inns of Central Massachusetts.
