Popular antique engine show this weekend

This weekend's eighth-annual Antique Tractor Show off of Stephanie Way in Minden is much more than a collection of rusty farm equipment.

"The variety of things that will be on display is extremely vast," said organizer Bill Ramsden. "From the era when they first started applying the power of engines to everyday items -- we'll have everything from butter churns to saws, pumps and washing machines."

Ramsden expects an 1890 "grist mill" grain grinder from Washington state and the last known "Little Bull" tractor in existence to be displayed. There will also be a 24,000-pound, one-cylinder engine from a mine on Nevada's eastern border and a turn-of-the-century meat chopper from Virginia City.

"It's probably middle 1890s," Ramsden said of the chopper. "It's about the size of a 55-gallon drum. To the best of my knowledge, that chopper was being used in Virginia City at the turn of the century."

Its owner still uses the machine to chip branches and make compost.

"A few entrants came in today for the pre-1900s category," Ramsden said. "One of them I unloaded just about two hours ago weighs about 8,000 pounds."

He holds the event on 10 acres of his land off Heybourne Road in northern Douglas County.

He said he expects about 300 exhibitors from Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon and maybe Nebraska.

"The show is advertised to many national organizations," Ramsden said. "We have had interested parties from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and England. Almost every year, we get someone from a foreign country. It's actually a worldwide hobby."

The 3,000-plus expected visitors will ride in from the parking area on wagons pulled by tractors driven by members of Ramsden's Early Days Gas Engine and Tractor Association.

"We'll just keep changing drivers and changing tractors," he said.

The club is a national organization with 170 branches, some with more than 3,000 members. The local group, which started two years ago, has about 100 members.

"The (national) club was actually formed many years ago to preserve the history of our industrial revolution," Ramsden said.

New this year will be a 1,200-square-foot replica of a 1900-vintage general store and a fan built in 1920s used to test horsepower on tractors.

"When they get done with the tractor pull, they can come around the corner, turn 90 degrees, and try the fan," Ramsden said. "Some of them have never belted into a fan before so it will be pretty interesting to watch."

The Carson Valley Sertoma Club will sell soda, water, beer, hamburgers and hot dogs.

IF YOU GO

What: Antique Tractor Show

Where: 2838 Heybourne Road, off Stephanie Way, Johnson Lane

When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $3 for adults, children under 12 free.

For information: 267-4816

Get there: Take Highway 395 south toward Gardnerville, turn left onto Stephanie Way just past Cradlebaugh Bridge over the Carson River.