GREENTOWN – Like a bandit from the Old West, Andy New tied a bandana around his face, hopped behind the levers of a steam engine and took off across the grass near the Pioneer Village area at the Howard County Fairgrounds Sunday.
It was hardly a high-speed getaway, however, as New steered the 120-year-old, 10-horsepower Russell and Co. steam engine the grandfather of his passenger, Nicholas Heffelmire, bought for $310 at an auction 40 years ago.
As New systematically cranked levers up and down the antique engine, it swerved around orange road cones set up for an obstacle course.
Through a dark smoke screen spewing from the engine, about a dozen onlookers heard Heffelmire shout, “Hard left,” as the vehicle lumbered around a cone.
One spectator shouted, “Better get power steering for that thing,” as others covered their mouths from the throat-scratching smoke.
The engine crept over the finish line for the Blind Race, one of the tractor games at this year’s Wildcat Creek Antique Engine and Tractor Club show.
“Toward the end, my arm was getting a little tired,” New said as he clenched his fist and pumped his biceps to restore feeling.
Heffelmire’s was one of about 200 engines and tractors – about half as many as last year – that showed up for the show, which will close its third year today with a tractor parade at 1 p.m.
Boyd Mozingo, one of the directors for the show, speculated many of the farmers who have previously attended were catching up on lost time.
“We think [the lower attendance] is because a lot of farmers are still in the fields,” Mozingo said. “April was a little too wet.”
Fair director Bill Johnson, who spearheaded organizing the event, said he doesn’t plan to change the weekend for the show next year.
“It’s a three-day weekend [with Memorial Day], and it’s one of the first tractor shows of the year,” Johnson said.
The most common tractors this year were John Deeres, the featured make.
Mark Redding, a retired John Deere mechanic, said he brought his to the show from his home in western Howard County near Burlington.
“I’m the owner of a pretty special little tractor,” Redding said as he gazed at the green machine that stood beside him.
Over among the International tractors, Norm Wisher discussed how he thought his McCormick International Farmall was built in 1940, but he discovered earlier in the day his was actually built in 1944.
“Tractor guys are the best to talk to,” Wisher’s son, Todd, said as his father walked away.
• Daniel Human is a Kokomo Tribune staff writer. He can be reached at (765) 454-8570 or at daniel.human@kokomotribune.com.
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