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The 26th International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition (Photo Presentation)

By CE Contributing Authors August 15, 2011 View Profile

The Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the construction, dredging and surface mining equipment industries, held its 26th annual International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition in early July, 2011. Below we offer a photo presentation of the event.

Hosted by the I&I Tractor Club at their Penfield, Ill., show grounds, the show featured products built by Cletrac and Oliver. Between construction equipment and related machines, over 140 exhibits from as far away as Alexandria, Va., joined hundreds of farm tractors shown by the I&I organization. Much of the construction equipment, which dated from throughout the early and mid 1900s, worked during the show in public demonstrations.

Several very rare machines were on hand, including: a Washington Scale Co. crawler tractor; 1951 Schield Bantam ABM51 truck backhoe that was built for military airborne service; 1951 Ford 8N wheel tractor with a Dearborn motor grader conversion and berm leveler; and all three varieties of Cletrac’s raised-sprocket model F crawler tractor from the early 1920s.

The HCEA’s 27th Annual International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition will be held September 14th through 16th at the National Construction Equipment Museum in Bowling Green, Ohio. This will be a very special event, as the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owner’s Club will also be holding its annual show in conjunction with the HCEA. Over seventy machines from the Museum’s collection will be on display, with many of them being demonstrated, and the public is welcome to attend and to bring additional equipment.

The HCEA was founded in 1985, and has over 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. Individual memberships are $30.00 within the USA and Canada, and $40.00 US elsewhere. For information about HCEA and its events, visit at www.hcea.net.

NOTE: To read about each image below, wave your cursor over each photo and a caption will pop up.

Jake Jensen’s 1954 Oliver OC6 got a lot of exercise at the show.

HCEA Board Chairman Dave Geis works the clay with his 1947 Cletrac DG and 1929 Cat 15 pull grader.

Along with Oliver and Cletrac tractors, Allis-Chalmers products were numerous at the show. HCEA National Director Jim Schaus owns this 1949 model D grader, one of four at the show and the ancestor of today’s NorAm 65E compact grader. Fellow National Director Dean Wack is at the controls.

Mike Rohleder owns this very rare 1951 Schield Bantam ABM51 truck backhoe. It was designed for military airborne engineer service; it had no cabs on the truck or the carrier, apparently to conserve weight and space.

Harlan Beer and Jerry LeCount’s 1927 Autocar HP27 dump truck in action.

Darrell, Mary and Randy Reynolds displayed this 1951 MRS 72AGT wheel tractor and accompanying interpretive information. The 72AGT is an International Harvester ID9 that was converted to a wheel dozer by MRS. Taylor Machine Works, owners of the MRS brand, is now a Corporate Member of the HCEA.

Here’s a rare piece – a 1951 Ford 8N with a motor grader conversion and rear berm leveler. Both attachments were built by Meili-Blumberg Manufacturing Company (today’s M-B Companies) for Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn Implement Division. Owner Steve Parker has located 47 of the maintainers, but this is the only complete berm leveler he’s found. Larry Maasdam is the operator.

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