Branch 158 is a member of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor
Assn., Inc.
Individual dues for principal members are $20.00 per year. Dues
for auxiliary members are $12.00 each per year. Spouses and dependent
children from 12 to 18 years old of principal members are considered
auxiliary members. New members joining during each membership
period will be considered members through the end of that period.
Those with membership in a different EDGE & TA branch, may
join Branch 158 with full membership privileges for $12.00 per
year along with proof of membership (i.e., photocopy of card)
in the other branch. Dues become due and payable on January 1st
and are delinquent if not paid by April 15th.
Dues may be paid by mailing a check payable to EDGE&TA, Branch
158 along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Secretary-Treasurer
Sue Esdaile, 310 Cross St., Woodland, CA 95695.
The Baling Wire is the official newsletter of Branch 158. It provides members with reports of past events, calendar of coming events, letters, ads, club information, and tips for the restoration and preservation of vintage farm, mining, construction, and related machinery. There is no charge for ads in the Baling Wire. All ads must be related to antique engines/tractors. For sale ads will be accepted from anyone, regardless of EDGE & TA membership. Wanted ads will be accepted only from EDGE & TA members. Your input for the Baling Wire is most welcome. Send to John Boehm, Editor, 14151 County Road 98A, Woodland, CA 95695-9134; Fax 530-661-6744, e-mail: rustyacres@yahoo.com.
Dues are Due
A reminder that your dues are now due and payable. Branch 158 has some of the lowest dues in the entire EDGE&TA with principal members at only $20 and auxiliary and dual members at $12. Please help Sue with our records by renewing soon. Details are above if you want to renew by mail. .
Branch 158 Coming Events
Branch 158 Annual Meeting
Important Notice: Voting on Bylaw and Dues Changes
The Branch 158 Annual Meeting and Election of Officers will be
held on February 18, 2012 at Wallace Ranch in Woodland at 9 am.
Coffee and donuts will be served. Show dates for the coming season
will be discussed. There is a proposed by-law amendment to be
discussed and voted. The amendment fixes the number of directors
at large to two. The membership will also be asked to vote on
a dues increase to take effect in 2013. The election of officers
for the new year will follow. If you are interested in running
for any club position, please contact the nominating committee
chairman, Wilbur Reil, at 756-1018 or wilburreil@att.net. See
all of you on Feb 18!
Scheidel Ranch Spring Plow Day
Silmer Scheidel plans to host a spring plow day at his ranch.
At this time it is not known if this will be a Branch 13, Branch
158, or unsponsored event, but it will definitely happen on April
14, 2012. The location is 6201 S. Brewer Road, Pleasant Grove.
For more information, contact Silmer at 916-991-3215 or
dotandsil@yahoo.com.
Colusa Endurance Run
Want to see if you and your tractor can go on a two day, 120 mile
road trip with a bunch of like minded tractor nuts? Join us for
the Branch 158 Colusa Endurance Run, a tractor ride that will
parallel the Sacramento River from Woodland to Colusa and back
(different routes each day). The event will occur on April 28
and 29, 2012
This year we will be staying again in downtown Colusa at the
Colusa Riverside Inn. To reserve your room, please call the Colusa
Riverside Inn at 530-458-5880. Let them know that you will be
a part of the Tractor Ride group and you will receive the special
rate for the night of April 28th. We have a block of 10 rooms
reserved, but they have only a total of 19 rooms, so reserve early.
All rooms are non-smoking, no pets, and there is a 72 hour cancellation
policy on reserved rooms.
Last year, we all went to the casino for dinner, but we can discuss
where we want to go when we get there. This year, we will not
have a catered lunch, so be sure bring your own lunch with you.
Our starting point will be from the All Points Petroleum yard
at the northeast corner of Kentucky Ave. and West St. in Woodland.
There will be a locked parking area where you can leave your trucks
and trailers until our return. To get there from I-5, take the
West St. exit and go south on West St. about one mile to the traffic
light at Kentucky Ave, and turn left. Be ready to start by 7:30
am as we have a lot of miles to cover.
This event is sponsored by Branch 158. All drivers must have a
valid driver’s license and show proof of membership in any
branch of EDGE&TA in order to participate. All tractors are
subject to a safety inspection and must have a kill switch, working
brakes, a slow moving vehicle safety triangle, a fire extinguisher,
and a minimum speed of 8-9 miles per hour. NO riders unless they
are in a seat designed for a second person AND approved by the
Branch 158 safety director.
Please contact John Boehm at 530-668-9410 or rustyacres@yahoo.com
for more information.
Colusa County Fair
We will have a static display at the Colusa County Fair again
this year. The fair dates are June 7-10, 2012. If you plan to
display, please contact Wilbur Reil at 530-756-1018 or wilburreil@att.net,
before the fair, so exhibit space and setup times can be coordinated.
Old Time Harvest Days
Branch 158 will sponsor and operate the Old Time Harvest Days
on June 22-23, 2012. Since we are a small branch, this means that
all of you individual members need to pitch in to insure a successful
show. Setup should be completed before the show starts, preferably
on Thursday June 21. Earlier setup is fine if coordinated with
the show director. The show location will return to the field
at I-5 and West St., adjacent to the interchange at the northeast
corner and across the freeway from Denny’s. Engines, tractors,
and threshing will be in the smaller field. We no longer have
the large field, but we will be able to cut some of the wheat
growing there, so we will still be able to demonstrate grain binding
and threshing for the general public. Bring your gas engines,
tractors, and harvesting equipment. We will not have room for
plowing and disking at this show, but there will be opportunities
at other Branch 158 events. There will also be daily tractor parades,
blacksmithing, food, and fun. EDGE&TA safety rules will be
in effect for exhibitors. There will be a forklift available for
loading. There is free dry camping for those with self-contained
campers. For more information, contact Sue Westwood at 530-304-4735
or barstartsusie@gmail.com.
Plainfield Tractor Drive
The fourth running of Branch 158’s Plainfield Tractor Drive
will occur on July 14, 2012. Come enjoy a pleasant drive through
beautiful farming countryside, crossing historic bridges near
Winters.
Meet at 8:00 a.m. at Lillard Hall next to the West Plainfield
fire station on Road 95 west of Davis. Leave at 8:30 a.m. for
a tour south into Solano County to Lake Solano and then to Winters.
Our lunch stop in Winters Park will not be catered, so be sure
to bring your own lunch. We will return by a different route through
Yolo County. The length of the afternoon route will depend on
how hot the day is.
Directions from Davis or I-80. Go north on Hwy 113 to Covell (Road
31). Turn West and go 5 miles to Road 95. Go right (north) 1.3
miles. Lillard Hall parking lot is on the right (east).
Directions from Woodland or I-5. Take Hwy 16 west to Road 95.
Turn left (south) on Road 95. Travel about 6.5 miles. West Plainfield
Fire Station and Lillard Hall is on the left (east).
Directions from Vacaville and I-505. Travel north on 1 505.At
Winters turn right on Hwy 128 (east). Travel about 7 miles staying
on Road 31 to Road 95. Turn left onto Road 95 and travel 1.3 miles.
Lillard Hall and parking is on the right (east).
For information call Wilbur Reil at 530-756-1018. or wilburreil@att.net.
Yolo County Fair
The Yolo County Fair will be held from Wednesday August 15 through
Sunday August 19, 2012. Each year our show gets better because
of your participation. Exhibitors should be set up by 1 pm on
Wednesday (Tuesday August 14 set up is preferable). Exhibits should
not be removed until Monday August 20. A forklift will be available.
For setup, enter the fairgrounds from the East St. entrance near
the Fair office. Security is available from Wednesday through
Monday noon. See Rich Cleland for free parking passes and more
information at 530-867-7560 or vinrcrengines@live.com.
Yolo Tractor Ride: Zamora
The Ninth Annual Yolo Tractor Ride will
occur on Saturday October 13, 2012. We will meet at the Zamora
Mini-Mart (Shell gas station) which is at the Zamora exit from
I-5 about ten miles north of Woodland. Be there between 8 and
9 am in the morning. We are planning some route changes. We plan
to start the ride at 9 am and will have a 13 mile morning route
that will take us to Esparto city park. We will stop there for
lunch. You can bring a picnic lunch or there is a drive-in that
sells hamburgers and other items across from the park. The afternoon
route will take a different path through the hills west of Yolo
and back to the Zamora Mini-Mart. The Zamora Mini-Mart has a deli
and sells food and drinks, as well as having a small picnic area.
They have a large area for truck and trailer parking and we can
park and leave them at the far north end of their lot. Most of
the route is on lightly traveled country roads with a lot of different
scenery, varying from the golden hills you've seen along the freeway
to the flat, irrigated farmland of Hungry Hollow. For information,
please contact Wilbur Reil at 530-756-1018 or wilburreil@att.net
.
Branch 158 Fall Plow Day
Our Fifth Annual Plow Day is planned for November 10, 2012. This
year, the event will move back to the Woodland area, where we
have a 60+ acre field lined up. There is plenty of room for parking
and more land than we could all plow up in one day. We will have
a forklift available for unloading and loading your equipment.
The field is on the Clark-Pacific (old Spreckels Sugar) property
and is located at the intersections of County Road 100B and Best
Ranch Road, a few miles north of Woodland and just south of the
Wallace Ranch, where the Best Harvest Show was held last year.
This will be a hands on learning experience for those who have
wanted to try their hand at plowing. We will meet around 8 to
9 am. Bring your tractor and plow, disk, or other tillage implement
and put it to work. We can help with adjustments and advice.
If you don’t have an implement or a tractor, that’s
no problem. Bring your tractor and hook it up to one of our plows
or just bring yourself and we will put you on a tractor and plow.
If you have never plowed before, that is all the more reason to
show up and have some fun while you learn! For more information,
contact John Boehm at 530-668-9410 or rustyacres@yahoo.com. Rain
date is November 17, but please call or email to find out about
possible rescheduling.
T-Shirts
Branch 158 T-shirts are now available in all sizes. Contact Mike
Cristler to obtain yours!!
Show Reports
Branch 158 Plow Day November 2011
Colusa Tractor Ride
Branch 158's first outing of the year
was our annual Colusa Tractor Ride, held on May 7 and 8, 2011.
Due to scheduling conflicts, this event was held later than other
years. So we should have had nicer weather, right? Well, this
was the coldest ride ever with a strong south breeze blowing both
days. It warmed up some on Saturday afternoon, but was cold all
day Sunday. Everyone was bundled up against the cold.
It was still a successful ride with a total of eight tractors.
Sue Westwood switched off early on from her Case VAO with a leaky
rear seal to her Farmall C. Other than that, there were no mechanical
problems until Sue's front tire blew out on the way back, then
Janice Reil ran out of gas just outside of Knights Landing. Participants
included Wilbur and Janice Reil, John Boehm, Erwin Graves, Mikey
Hilton, Sue Westwood, Bob Hinds, and Dudley Newton.
The Riverside Motel made us feel at home again, even going so
far as giving each of us signed proclamations from the mayor of
Colusa welcoming us to the city and getting our dinners at the
Casino for half price. Jerry and Carol Percival once again provided
us with their fabulous lunch buffet during the ride on both days.
Our route on Saturday was partially a new one for us as we went
up Lone Star, Abel, and Westcott roads into Colusa. It was a bit
shorter at fifty miles. The route on the return was the favorite
along the east side of the Sacramento River, through Meridian
and Knights Landing. It was fifty two miles long.
Branch 158 Plow Day 2010
Branch 158 hosted a very successful Plow Day on Nov 13, 2010. Three perfects! - The location at Silmer Scheidel’s ranch in Pleasant Grove, the weather, cool and sunny, and the soil, with just the right amount of moisture. No count, but there were 30 to 40 tractors present and about 60 acres were plowed and disked. Photos courtesy of Wilbur Reil
Old Time Harvest Days 2010
by John Boehm
Branch 158’s summer threshing show, Old Time Harvest Days,
was held on June 19 and 20, 2010. Perfect weather, not too hot,
made the show much easier. We had many exhibitors and a good turnout
from the general public, considering that it was Father’s
Day weekend. Our show grounds this year was the smaller 4 acre
parcel. We had ample room for the show and were able to cut some
of the wheat for our threshing demonstration from the nearby field.
We would like to thank the following sponsors of our show. Duane
Chamberlain of Windmill Feed loaned straw bales. Jess Gilbertson
loaned us his threshing machine. Amos Metz Rentals provided the
forklift and water wagon. Greg Pollock was kind enough to let
us cut some of the grain from his next door wheat field. Denny’s
West St. restaurant paid for some of our posters and flyers. The
Woodland Daily Democrat and Jim Smith, editor, provided valuable
publicity. The Zamora 4-H provided the snack bar as a fund raiser
for their club. And Linda Street, owner of the show grounds, was
kind enough to let us use her property again this year.
Many Branch 158 members had a hand in making the show a success.
Our wet spring kept the weeds growing like, well, weeds. In April,
Don Boulet, Wilbur Reil, and John Boehm disked down mustard that
was already five feet tall. The group followed up with a second
disking and dragging in May. Finally a finish smoothing with the
drag was done by Sue Esdaile prior to the show. The result was
a smooth, weed free although dusty) show grounds. During the show,
Eddie Gray provided night time security. Mike Cristler and Greg
Reiff collected and dumped the garbage generated at the show.
Wilbur Reil laid out the show grounds, set up the fencing and
signs, hauled the bales, and did countless other administrative
tasks to make the show happen. I would like to thank Sue Esdaile
for helping me put together and test the binder prior to the show.
And I really appreciate the help from Sue, Tim Morris, and Katey
Taylor in cleaning up the threshing machine after the show, an
itchy and not very fun task!
Don Boulet doing ground preparation a few weeks before the show
Janice Reil and her teddy bear display
Bob Hinds and John Paur binding wheat
Young helpers learning to pitch bundles. Photos courtesy of Katey
Taylor.
Plainfield Tractor Ride
by John Boehm
Another year, and another good mid summer tractor ride. We completed
the West Plainfield to Winters tractor ride on July 17, 2010.
The weather was not as hot as it could have been and cooler than
last year. We met early morning at the fire station and ran a
reverse of last year's route, driving around Lake Solano by mid
morning, then on to the park in Winters for lunch. The lunch was
delicious and catered by Jerry and Carol Percival. No one went
hungry. Jerry had a scare as we were packing up to go. A large
tree limb decided to give way and dropped into the parking space
next to his pickup. No damage was done, but if he had parked in
the next spot, it would have been trouble. We returned along Putah
Creek and over the Stevens bridge back to the fire station. We
shared the route with lots of bicycles out for their training
rides. No mechanical problems. We all made it back safely.
Participants this year included Wilbur and Janice Reil, Dudley
Newton, Tim Morris, Katey Taylor, Eddie Gray, Don Boulet, Joe
Freitas, Sue Esdaile, Erwin Graves, Bill Uhrke, and John Boehm.
Eddie Gray and Bill Uhrke
Assessing the tree limb damage (there was none)
Tractor view of the Stevens bridge. Photos courtesy of Katey Taylor
2010 Yolo County Fair
by Richard Hunt
This year’s fair has come and gone. It was a fun yet somber
event, honoring Floyd Percival and his love of old machinery.
The idea behind this year’s display was to bring as many
pieces of equipment that Floyd had owned over the span of his
collecting years. Equipment of note that were previously owned
by Floyd included a 9 HP Alamo, 12 HP Associated, 8 HP Associated,
7 HP Economy, 6 HP Galloway, 4 HP Associated, 2 HP Sparta Economy,
a Taylor Vacuum, 2-3 LB belted up to the ole’ corn grinder,
Massy-Harris Pony, and the center piece, the 15 HP N. Forgive
me if I overlooked some other equipment.
Many of the Percival Family came out and ran equipment at
the show. Wayne, Jerry, Wayne Jr, Houston, Carol, Paula, Penny,
Mike were all present including girl friends, grand/great and
great-great grand kids. Lori Cleland made a beautiful memory poster
with a write-up about Floyd with some great pictures. All together,
it seemed to be the general feeling of the group that we honored
Floyd with the display and I think we all felt his presence.
In addition to the pieces already mentioned, Sue brought
tractors, Jess Gilbertson brought a Best 75, tail seat 60 and
top seat 60 from the Wallace collection, John Boehm brought 4
standard treadJohn Deere B’s, Tim Morris and Katey Taylor
a JD H. Joe Freitas brought his JD BW and Don Boulet his JD BO.
Stan and Kevin jumped back into the engine collection area and
brought 2 engines, Wilbur loaded his area, as usual, with many
engines including his 60 HP Western. The Plubell’s brought
a nice Witte diesel and made it run during the fair, Pat Garrison
and Frank Nichols loaded up the corner adjacent to Wilbur’s
engines, Gus Gustafson brought a nice anvil collection, Ray Cordova
and Chris Berlin brought a IHC M and 6 HP Fairbanks. Mike Cristler
hauled engines for Chris and even brought some of his own. And
Rich and Larry Cleland, along with myself, filled in the empty
spaces with engines, corn grinders’ water pumps and a water
tower.
All together, we had 41 engines (9 of which were 8 hp and
larger), 20 tractors, 8 fire engines and 2 old trucks. Rich increased
the size of the two main engine sites to 75 feet by 63 feet and
63 feet by 63 feet giving almost 8700 square feet of engine display
area. This year Rich wanted to see 5 to 6 feet between each engine
so that the visitors could see each engine clearly. This worked
out very well and also gave us plenty of room to operate.
Jackie Tranchida, anchor/reporter, Channel 13 and 31, visited
on Saturday morning and interviewed Rich and I. The interview
was aired on Saturday night, all 20 seconds, and was very well
done by Miss Tranchida.
Yolo County Fair Management was very happy with the display this
year and said it was the best they have ever seen. Branch 158
Directors, as well as the Fair, would like to see this exhibit
grow and develop into the best show around. This is something
we can accomplish, with help from other area branches. Next year,
we would like to see more engines belted up to more equipment,
more tractors and other farm related items. We have a large area
that would allow us to double in size from this years display.
In the coming months, we plan to start working towards recruiting
displays for next year’s show. The theme will be engines
with grinders, water pumps, shellers, crushers, line shafts, drills,
saws, oil pumps…………..well, you get the idea.
On behalf of the Branch 158 Board of Directors, thanks to each
and everyone that contributed to the success of this show. I know
that everyone wanted to make this show something extra special,
and they did a most excellent job.
Rich Cleland and Richard Hunt with Ch. 13 reporterJackie Tranchida
Jess Gilbertson has got to be the only person able to start a
bar start Best 75 with his foot instead of a bar!
Craig and Gil Plubell
Group photo in front of Floyd’s 15
hp Fairbanks-Morse N. Top row Mike Cristler, Wayne Percival, John
Boehm, Mike Hilton, Chris Berlin, Gil Pllubell, Ray Cardoza. Middle
row, FrankNichols, Stan Gladney, Janice and Wilbur Reil, Craig
Plubell, Wayne Percival, Jr.. Bottom row, Kevin Nixon, Rich Cleland,
Richard Hunt. Photos courtesy John Boehm and Richard Hunt.
Floyd Percival passed away February 13, 2010. He was born in Meeker, Oklahoma on December 22, 1926 and grew up on a farm near Shawnee, Oklahoma. Floyd's parents grew corn, grain, hogs, and cattle. With all the chores that needed to be done, Floyd certainly was not spoiled. By the time he was ten years old, he was out in the field with a pair of bib overalls and a team of mules. Floyd still had the overalls to the end, though I suspect they were a few sizes larger by then. The Dust Bowl hit Oklahoma hard, so in 1938, Floyd and his father left the farm and moved to Capay, California. He married his first wife, then in the mid 1940's, his sons, Wayne and Jerry were born. He found work on a pipeline, then at a copper mine in Arizona. But a big, hot hole in the ground and no trees was a bit too much and he soon found his way back to California. He worked at various ranches in the Madison area for the next fifteen years. For a time, he also had a gas station in Esparto. In 1958, Floyd was remarried to Augie and they had five daughters. In 1959, he started work as a mechanic for the City of Woodland. He retired in the mid 1980's as the foreman of the vehicle maintenance shop.
Floyd never forgot his roots in farming. He was introduced to collecting antique engines and tractors by Cliff Hardy. Floyd joined Branch 13 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association shortly after it was formed in the mid 1970's. Over the years, he served as Vice President for three years, President for three years, and many more years on the board of directors. More recently, he was instrumental in founding of Branch 158 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association. He had been on its board of directors since 2004. He was also a volunteer at the Heidrick Ag History Center.
I first met Floyd when I joined Branch 13 in 1979. Then when we moved to Woodland in 1992, I really got to know him better. I started going in to the morning coffee group at Denny's once in a while. Floyd was always there and welcomed and encouraged me to come. Today I am still not much of a mechanic, but was really a greenhorn back then. Floyd always had the time to willingly and patiently show me how to do the various jobs involved in bringing an old machine back to life. Floyd really became a mentor to me. More recently, I got a grain binder and a threshing machine for our shows. Once again, Floyd was the man with the needed knowledge to set up and operate them. He took his time to instruct me, but I think he had fun getting the old machines going, too. I know that we will all miss his vast store of knowledge, his tales of how things were done in the past, and his helpful encouragement.
Floyd was a quiet leader who could and did get things done. For many years he ran the antique machinery display at the California State Fair Farm, coordinating the display, supervising all the helpers, and putting on a good show for the spectators. He was not content to keep doing the same old shows over and over again. Not one to sit around, he challenged us often by pushing us to start new events and expand older ones. For instance, six years ago, he told us that he was going to go on a two day 120 mile tractor drive, whether or not we joined him. We thought he was crazy when he first proposed it, but he persisted, and this drive has now evolved into the Branch 158 Colusa Endurance Run. Those of us who have participated now realize how doable it really was and that it was not beyond our capabilities. We have repeated this ride every year since then.
Floyd did start to slow down some in the past few years as health problems started to take more of a toll on his body. But he was active and alert to the end, just the way he would have wanted it. Even though he could no longer drive due to failing eyesight, he was usually eager to ride along when I went to deliver or pick up another old tractor. He enjoyed seeing the countryside and sharing in the discovery of some new old iron. Two weeks before his death, we found another tractor that he was interested in buying. We were making plans to take a look at it, when we found out it already had just been sold, so that was one that got away. He still had projects he planned to complete, ideas for the shows, and words of advice and encouragement.
Floyd was one of my best friends. And one could not have asked for a better friend. He was always helpful. I have never seen him get mad at anyone. Upset, maybe, but not mad. Floyd may not have been rich in monetary terms, but he was rich in the knowledge that he had of people and things. He understood how people thought and knew when they were not being honest with him, but usually did not let on that he did. He had a wealth of knowledge about old time farming methods and tractor and equipment repair. This knowledge he was willing to share and we have all learned much from him over the years. Floyd was a great father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and a true friend who will be greatly missed.
President's Message
Hello everyone, we have several nice shows coming up this season.
Take a look at the 2012 Calendar. Most shows will be the same,
but there are a few changes happening.
Our annual meeting location this year will be at the Wallace
Ranch and we hope to have some running equipment on display if
the weather cooperates. Old Time Harvest Days, the June harvest
show is back to the West St./I-5 field on Father’s Day weekend.
The fall tractor ride will alternate back to Zamora this year,
with some route changes. And finally, our Fall Plow Day will be
moving back to Woodland, with a 60 plus acre field at the old
Spreckels (now Clark-Pacific) property just south of the Wallace
Ranch. Silmer Scheidel will continue to host a plow day at his
ranch, but this event will move to mid-April.
Let's all try to get out and attend these events, I am looking
forward to seeing you there!
Rich Cleland
EDGE&TA, Branch 158 President
Financial Report
Minutes of Branch 158 Meetings
Board Meeting
November 30, 2011
Attending: John Boehm, Rich Cleland, Lowell Coppin, Wilbur Reil,
Sue Westwood
1. MSC minutes of the 2011 annual meeting.
2. Treasurer’s report presented. There is currently $2,460.36
in the checking account. There are currently 45 full members
and 9 dual members.
3. Show schedule discussed, MSC the calendar for 2012 as presented
by John Boehm, with clarification that the Old Time Harvest Days
will be June 22-23 and the annual meeting on February 18 will
be at Wallace Ranch. Additional items discussed:
a. Silmer Scheidel would like to have a spring plow day instead
of a fall one. Consensus was that we should have only one plow
day per year, and suggest that Branch 13 sponsor the spring one.
There’s not much going on in November except our plow day.
MSC to keep the second Saturday in November as our Branch 158
plow day at the Clark Pacific property in Woodland, and if Branch
13 doesn’t pick up the spring Scheidel plow day, then we
will sponsor it as our second plow day.
b. We will continue to have the June show at the West Street
location. Greg Pollock has already planted wheat in the adjacent
field, and has agreed to let us use some of it for our show.
We will sell the wheat, like we did last year, and give him the
money for it. Sue will be the show contact, and Rich will organize
the small engine display and provide fuel. Sue will contact Richie
Bros about sponsoring the show with about a $500 donation to cover
toilets and allow them to put up one of their banners. Jess will
be asked to provide a threshing machine. Mike Cristler’s
4H kids will be asked to provide food, and Rich has a contact
with a caterer if they can’t make it. Vendor booths will
be sold at $50 per space. The show will be a Friday & Saturday
show.
c. John will contact the hotel in Colusa and make sure they set
aside a block of rooms for our April tractor drive.
4. T-shirts discussed. There are plenty in stock, we just need
to make sure they get to the shows and events. We also need club
applications at the shows. Rich can provide a table and canopy
for a booth.
5. MSC to propose a bylaws amendment at the next annual meeting
that sets the number of directors-at-large at two (no more than
two, no less than two). The proposed amendment will be in the
next newsletter.
6. Wilbur Reil will serve as nominating committee at the annual
meeting. Rich C. has secured Wallace Ranch for our meeting, and
will obtain coffee and doughnuts. Mike C. will be asked to bring
the t-shirts to sell.
At the annual meeting, we will propose raising the dues to $25
per member, $17 per associate/junior member, and $17 per dual
member beginning in 2013.
Annual Meeting
EDGE&TA Branch 158
Annual Meeting
February 19, 2011
Heidrick Ag History Center
Board members in attendance:
John Boehm
Larry Cleland
Rich Cleland
Lowell Coppin
Sue Westwood
Erwin Graves
Wilbur Reil
1. Opening
Pledge of Allegiance
Introduction of board members and general membership
2. Treasurer’s
and membership reports
Presented by Sue Westwood
3. 2011 Show Schedule discussed:
a. Colusa Tractor Ride,
May 7-8. Reservations are available at the Colusa Riverside
Inn, special rate of $55 for Saturday night. Jerry Percival
is catering the entire weekend (except Saturday dinner) for $16
per person.
b. The Best Show: Harvest
Spectacular, July 1-3. 65 acres of harvesting and construction
equipment at Wallace Ranch north of Woodland. Saturday dinner
at the ranch. Exhibitors are asked to stay through Sunday.
The board also decided to maintain the show field on I-5/West
St..
c. Yolo Tractor Ride:
Plainfield, July 16
d. Yolo County Fair, August 17-21.
Saturday night dinner at the fairgrounds
e. Seventh Annual Yolo Tractor ride,
October 15. Route will begin at Richard Hunt’s place
west of Clarksburg, and will include two ferry crossings.
Bring your own lunch on this one.
f. Fall Plow Day, November
12. Silmer Scheidel’s place in Pleasant Grove.
Silmer’s son put together a DVD of last year’s event.
Additional events discussed:
a. Dixon May Fair.
Houston Percival presented information about this event. Area
clubs have been asked to provide equipment. This event is
currently scheduled for our Colusa Tractor Ride weekend.
b. Colusa County Fair, June 9-12.
Wilbur Reil presented information about this event. They
would like us to have exhibits there for the four days of the
fair. Thursday and Friday nights, the fair opens at 5:00pm.
Fuel has been offered.
c. Oregon House Vintage Tractor
Days, April 30-May 1. Sue Westwood presented information
about this event. Two days of tractor drives and tractor
games.
4. Heidrick Ag History Center.
Presentation by new Director, Loreli Ostman. There will
be numerous changes at the museum, such as: obtain a grant
for a tractor sculpture, use of the adjacent parking lot as a
travelling exhibition space, and a remodel of the events center.
There will be a July 14th members’ reception.
5. T-shirts. Mike Cristler
will head a t-shirt committee. Logo discussed, and ideas
include use of an engine and a tractor (one on the front, one
on the back) for the logo. Ed Beoshanz suggested using a Best
tractor, due to the tractor and family connections to Yolo County.
John Boehm and Rich Cleland will assist with the shirt design,
and it will be determined at an upcoming board meeting.
There was support of a front pocket in the shirt.
6. Officer Elections:
It was noted that, per our bylaws, the board should only have
a president, vice-president, secretary/treasurer, editor, safety
director, and three directors.
The results of the election:
President: Richard Cleland
Vice president: Richard Hunt
Secretary/Treasurer: Sue Westwood
Editor: John Boehm
Safety director: Wilbur Reil
Board members: Lowell Coppin, Mike Cristler, Tim Morris
7. Meeting adjourned.
Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor
Association
Branch 158
Branch 158 Annual Meeting
February 20, 2010
Board members in attendance: John Boehm, Larry Cleland, Rich Cleland,
Sue Esdaile, Richard Hunt, Wilbur Reil
1. Introductions
2. Floyd Percival Memorial: A moment of silence was requested
by Richard Hunt.
3. Treasurer’s Report: Sue Esdaile presented the calendar
year 2009 financial report and made the bank statements available
for viewing. John Boehm reported that the board has decided to
keep a reserve of $2,000 in the account.
4. 2010 Show Schedule was announced and discussed.
5. Officer Elections: Wilbur presented the slate of officers,
who were unanimously elected: President, Rich Cleland; Vice President,
Richard Hunt, Secretary/Treasurer, Sue Esdaile, Editor, John Boehm,
Safety Director, Wilbur Reil; Directors, Larry Cleland, Lowell
Coppin, Mike Cristler, Erwin Graves.
6. A request was made for T-shirts. Rich Cleland has the shirts
and will bring them to the next show.
Branch 158 Board Meeting
May 6, 2010 , 6:30pm
Board members in attendance: John Boehm, Rich Cleland, Lowell
Coppin, Sue Esdaile, Richard Hunt, Erwin Graves, Wilbur Reil.
1. MSC to adopt amended minutes of annual meeting, February 20,
2010 , and last board meeting, December 11, 2009 .
2. Treasurer’s Report discussed.
3. Youth Outreach Program:. Rich C. and Richard H. agreed to head
a youth outreach committee in order to find ways of reaching out
to local youth.
4. Old Time Harvest Days discussed. Flyers handed out. Field needs
to be disked and dragged. Denny’s contributed $100 for printing
flyers. Our cost is $48. More event sponsors needed. Toilets discussed.
Rich C. obtained a donation of a forklift and water wagon from
Metz Rentals. John B has obtained permission for us to harvest
some of the wheat from the other side of the olive trees. Steam
engine certification requirement discussed. Any steam engines
at the event will need to provide Branch 158 with engine and operator
certification. We need to make sure that all equipment operators
are club members. The 4H kids in Mike Cristler’s club will
be asked to be the sole providers of food and drinks at the event.
Night security discussed. Publicity discussed. Sue will set up
an information
table about Branch 158, including copies of the newsletter and
a signup sheet. Barrels will be put out again for donations. Parking
discussed.
5. July tractor drive discussed. Start at 8:30 am at Plainfield
Fire Station (Lillard Hall). Wilbur will arrange for parking there,
and Jerry will cater. Cost of lunch will change to $8 per person.
6. Yolo County Fair discussed. Rich C is arranging for a memorial
to Floyd at the fair, and asking people to bring tractors and
engines that Floyd had owned. Pizza will be provided on Friday
or Saturday night for exhibitors. Bring your own gas.
7. Plow Days. Our three acre site is too small for a plow day.
Wilbur and John visited Silmer Scheidel’s property in Pleasant
Grove. There is enough space there to plow. We have also been
offered the Rio Linda site. A firm decision will be made.
8. Zamora Tractor Drive . The RH Phillips winery is closed. The
new route will end in Esparto Park for lunch. Clarksburg was suggested
for next year (parking at Richard’s and travelling on the
ferry). Lowell suggested the Sutter Buttes.
9. EDGE &TA National Show in Paso Robles discussed
10. T-Shirts. Rich C will get some more printed to fill in any
missing sizes and bring them to the next show.
11. Paperless newsletters. We can’t go completely paperless,
because many members are not on the internet. John will explore
this idea in order to save on postage.
Oil for Old Tractors
Today's modern motor oil meets "SJ" specs - the oil
that our old tractor engines were designed for something like
SA or even earlier. Usually we get told that newer oil is better,
but is it true? And if true, better in what way? Engine oil contains
many additives, and the primary anti-wear and anti-oxidation additive
is a chemical by the name of zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP).
ZDDP, while good for engine wear and reduced corrosion is bad
for catalytic converters. New oils have less ZDDP to make the
catalytic converters live. But this is a compromise which results
in more engine wear and internal corrosion. Older engines want
a good big dose of ZDDP to keep engine wear down. New engine oil
may be good for catalytic converters, but it's not as good for
your engine from the point of view of reducing corrosion. Fuels
of today often have oxygenates - MTBE or Ethanol - added to them.
A trace of these oxygenates gets into the engine oil, and apparently
these chemicals are tremendously corrosive, and they attack gaskets,
seals, and certain metals. No problem for automakers; they choose
new polymers and alloys that are immune to these attacks. But
what's to prevent the attacks and the corrosion in older engines?
For a seldom used engine, corrosion is a much bigger problem than
wear, even the wear from starting an engine that's been sitting
long enough to drain oil off most of its rubbing surfaces - because
one little patch of rust on that same rubbing surface is doomsday.
While you could design a custom oil for this problem, the best
off the shelf oil is 'heavy duty' oil intended for Diesel trucks.
Instead of SJ, look for combinations that begin with C (for Compression
ignition). CG-4 is the latest. While the oil part of these diesel
oils has the same lubricating qualities as passenger car oil,
the most common heavy-duty viscosity is 15W-40; more syrupy. But
the diesel oils get bigger doses of additives; up to 80% more
ZDDP, the anti-wear/anti-corrosion additive, and 30 to 50% more
detergent, dispersant, and corrosion inhibitors. Good news if
you have sticky rings, erratic compression, and blue exhaust smoke.
This high-detergent oil will quickly free them up.For corrosion,
heavy-duty oil is the silver-bullet solution. So, older conventional
oils protect your older engine better than newer oils and the
best modern oil for the engine of your old tractor is oil designed
for diesel trucks!
From Material Supplied by Warren Berg