[AT] Reactions to pictures posted from Portland

Sun Aug 29 10:16:45 PDT 2010

I was looking for some actual data, and maybe Gene Dodson will chime in. 
They announce through out the show how many tractors, featured tractors and 
engines and so on, are on display.  I don't think 3,000 - 3500 engines is a 
stretch. Tractor 1500-2000. My guess the featured tractor this year, Massy 
Harris, had close to 70 tractors in their display.  The wooded area might 
only be 90 yards long, but surely is wide enough for a football field.  The 
fairgrounds is county owned and is approximately 160 acres. The campground 
owned by the club is close to 320 acres and that is where the 15,000 people 
come in and stay.  Then there is a daily flux of another 8-10,000 people at 
the gate.  The open field is along side of the fairgrounds and is owned by 
the club. I think it is 160 acres, over 1/4 mile long and not real wide. 
Vendors, it took me 2 days to cover "most' of then with a golf cart. 45-50 
rows, 40 yards long. This is not including the area of glassware and women's 
'stuff' They can look for days. Now go into town, right outside the 
fairground on one end, blocks and blocks of vendors set up, yard sales. I 
did not even know this existed until this year.
All in all it is HUGE. It will not miss 3/4 mi square by much, campgrounds 
and show.  Many unique displays in the campground alone.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=&daddr=40.439747,-84.968329&geocode=&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=19&sll=40.440205,-84.967763&sspn=0.001517,0.003484&ie=UTF8&ll=40.440205,-84.967763&spn=0.001517,0.003484&t=h
see if this link, gives you an idea.
Paul-46555
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Grant Brians" <sales at heirloom-organic.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 12:18 PM
Subject: [AT] Reactions to pictures posted from Portland


>I looked at the pictures Paul posted with great interest and also the
> written words about the show. I had several reactions and also questions 
> in
> response.
>     Living here in California where we are separated from the midwest and
> eastern members of the list by 1,000 to 3,000 miles and have different
> climates I first noticed all of those "STRANGE" so-called narrow front
> tractors! The first time I saw one of those locally had to have been about
> ten years ago because they were barely purchased here ever.
>     Second, even at the Tulare show (California Antique Farm Equipment
> Show) they are an almost rare exception in the show in the sea of wide
> fronts, tricycles (by far the most common antique cultivator tractor
> configuration here because of irrigated crops) and lots and lots of 
> tracked
> tractors - mostly but by no means exclusively Caterpillars. Another thing
> that surprised me was the relatively large number of Cockshutt pictures.
> They were not sold in California new at all and few have travelled here.
>     Third, was a comment in Paul's message below that caught me eye and
> seemed odd. He says that Portland had almost a football field of displays 
> in
> the tree area and larger in the open area. What size is the show? Tulare
> fully fills slightly over 2/3 of the 100 acres of display space at the
> showgrounds. There are typically close to 1000 tractors at the show. Then
> there are the antique trucks, vendors, auction - usually about 500 lots on
> Saturday with two rings going for most of the auction. How many attendees
> are usually there? I saw the 2007 figure of 15,000 attendees and have 
> heard
> that the attendance this year and last had plateaued at slightly off the
> 2008 figure
>     Last, I will admit that the grass and trees were very nice to have on
> the grounds of the show - something that will not happen at our typical
> shows here due to our weather patterns. I hope all had a fun time at the
> show and look forward to inviting any list members to our California
> activities and I do welcome list members to the farm. I won't even require
> them to go to work for me! LOL.
>             Grant Brians
>             Hollister, California vegetable farmer
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of Paul Waugh
> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 9:13 PM
> To: Tractor
> Subject: [AT] Portland
>
>
> I came back early. Weather was great, cool and no rain!!  One of the 
> largest
> crowds I have seen in a while, for displays and spectator. We were under 
> the
> shade trees, where it was real nice.  Part of the open field went to
> Caterpillars,  their first year to have a designated area.
>
> Under the trees, was a sea of people and tractors, close to a football 
> field
> in size, the the open field had that many more.
>
> There was a good group around the fire, and I would not be able to name 
> them
> all, but at least 9-10 with a few spouses.
>
> http://www.atis.net/forums/album.php?albumid=32
>
> Paul-46555
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