HCEA Announces Convention and Old Equipment Exhibition
Gearheads love classic equipment. From old timey steam excavators to pristine antique tractors, the 28th Annual International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition has something for every type of equipment connoisseur. The Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the construction, dredging and surface mining equipment industries, is hosting its annual expo from August 16-18, at the International Union of Operating Engineers’ Local 150 Apprenticeship and Skill Improvement Program Center (19800 West Arsenal Rd., east of Wilmington, Ill); Wilmington is roughly 60 miles southwest of Chicago and 20 miles south of Joliet.
The show features demonstrations and displays of horse-drawn, steam, gas and diesel-powered antique construction machinery, cable and hydraulic shovels and cranes, hit and miss engines, antique trucks and tractors and more. The hosting venue is also home to a pair of fully restored and operable Erie B steam excavators — a shovel and a crane. The show is open to the general public. Anyone involved with the construction, mining and dredging equipment is especially encouraged to attend, so they can observe the ancestors of today’s machinery in action. The last HCEA show, which was held in September, 2012 at Bowling Green, Ohio, featured more than 330 exhibits and drew some 5,000 attendees from around the world.
The HCEA was founded in 1986 and has more than 4,300 members in 25 countries. In addition to its magazine and hosting an annual working exhibition of restored construction equipment, it operates the National Construction Equipment Museum and archives in Bowling Green. Information is available at www.hcea.net or by calling 419-352-5616 or e-mailing info@hcea.net.
