Hobbyists Plan Chickentown Gas
And Steam Association Show
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
SOMERSET (Somerset Co.)
The Chickentown Gas and
Steam Association Show, from
9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturday
and Sunday, May 27, 28 three
miles southwest of Somerset in
the Chickentown Grove, is just
what the hobbyists of bygone
machinery, ordered. Not a hard
core commercialized event, it
rather, is a laid back family
affair with activities and home
made food to make anybody feel
at home.
“Simpler times,” is what you
get at the Chickentown Gas and
iger Raymond at the 1999 .iickentown Gas and Steam Association Show is filling
the coal bunker on a 1918 50>horsepower Fearless steam engine while an interested
child looks on.
WWW.LOWES.COM j
m,* MjKWiwrt »KkKiw»» o* t* ctwyofwort.
otoww'** Hoim omm, tat a«»
F«» th* low«‘< MM toa C*« 1-KotM*-U>WSS
Price* Mey Very Ifthere Are Market Variation*.
Steam Show and these fellows
intend to continue preserving
simpler times. That’s why they
hope to see adults and young
sters come together for a sam
pling of less stressful and more
fun, simpler times.
Seven years ago, the show
grew out of a gathering of hob
byists who had the idea of hold
ing a weekend get-together to
demonstrate the gas and steam
equipment they owned.
“It started out as a picnic of
interested hobbyists guys who
were going to demonstrate and
have a weekend of fun,” re
ported Roger Raymond, Sipes
ville, the organization president.
“We had so much tun the nrsi
time, we decided to keep on
going.”
The association six years ago
became a non-profit entity, but
they want their show to retain its
flavor.
“I would rather refine our
demonstrations than go to big,”
Raymond said.
Dave Weimer lives near Jay
Hemminger who owns the
Chickentown Grove. Weimer’s
machines consist of a little half
scale steam engine that is 40-
years old, a Farmall Cub that is
50, and a 25-year old Cub Cadet.
“Ever since I was a kid I liked
steam engines,” Weimer said.
If It doesn't say Shop*Vac,
Keep Shopping.
“There is something about those
old steam engines.”
“They hiss and puff once you
get ’em fired up. You fill the
boiler with water, grease and oil
her up, build the fire and heat
the water till it turns to steam.
Then that monster comes
alive!” he said.
Unlike today’s computerized
equipment, Weimer says if you
have any mechanical ability at
all you can get an old tractor
running without calling some
one else to do it for you.
There will be various demon
strations at the old sawmill the
association added last vear, after
earlier dismantling it at State
Correctional Institution, Laurel
Highlands, which formerly was
the Somerset State Hospital.
In its day, the sawmill pro
vided the means for Somerset
State Hospital to be as self
sufficient as possible. At the
time, patients who were capable
built furniture from the cut
lumber. Many such items were
then sent to other units in the
state hospital system, Raymond
said.
Dismantling the Farquhar
sawmill, built originally in York,
was tedious work. Each board
was numbered to ensure its ac
curate reconstruction in Chick
entown Grove. Twenty men
from the association who had al
ready undergone the required
background checks, said they
also worried about working
under nerve-wracking eyes of
tight state security.
The Chickentown Gas and
mm
IPtmS
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 20, 2000-811
Steam Association welcomes all
types of antique equipment to
the show. Privately-owned en
gines and steam engines will be
featured, including the 20th cen
tury steam traction engine that
Michael Miller of Rockwood
owns. The rare gem was built in
the early 1900 s in Boynton, Elk
Lick Township by Mennonite
preacher, the Rev. Gideon
Miller of Springs, Somerset
County.
Corn shelling, corn grinding,
and plowing will be demon
strated. There will be crafts for
the ladies, a kiddies tractor pull,
farm toys show, live music and
primitive camping. Foods in
clude chuck wagon Bar-B-Q,
apple dumplings, homemade
pies, and ice cream.
First time operators should
call Raymond at (814) 445-7070,
or Don Ream, secretary, at (814)
445-4752 for information and
registration.
The Memorial Day weekend
event will also see a 1950 E-3
Co-op tractor chanced off by the
Chickentown Gas and Steam
Association. If the winner
doesn’t want the piece, a cash
option of $5OO will be made.
The Chickentown Grove is
southwest of Somerset. Take
Exit 10 off the Pennsylvania
Turnpike. From the toll booth
make a right turn at the second
light onto North Center Avenue
and follow for approximately
two miles. Turn right onto Can
nell Drive then follow for three
miles. There will be directional
signs along the way.
w«vf> V*c* OSP* tjpv* An«t hany «(» »» '
*tr tr«fc>maim n» sh«p Vm * ofv»i»«tion
OS
V 1
I
v i
www.shopvac.cow