This week’s Back Roads is the work of The Land Correspondent Richard Siemers. Olivers and Molines

If you have a hunger for old tractors and gas engines, a good place to satisfy it is at “The Good Old Days and Threshing Show” sponsored by Pioneer Power, Inc. on the grounds of the Minnesota Machinery Museum in Hanley Falls, Minn. the 48th annual show will take place August 5-6.

Each year, organizers feature a make of tractor and gas engine (but all makes and models are welcome and on display). This year the spotlight is on Oliver and Minneapolis Moline tractors, and United/ Associated engines. (Last year, when these photos were taken, it was JI Case and Fairbanks Morse Engines.)

In the gas engine building, a blacksmith was at work in the spacious blacksmith shop. Large gas engines were pounding away with their rhythmic sound, including large black engines that had worked pumps in oil fields, and others from grain elevators. Steam floated out of the cooling system on a Fairbanks Morse 5HP.

While there was a variety of machinery, seven colorful rows of tractors attracted attention. There even was a 1947 Farmall M painted pink. The others were their original colors. The featured make (Case) changed color through the years … though the (what to my eye was) orange of the 1944 Case I grew up driving will always be the Case color to me. The Case actually started out grey. Orange apparently lasted only about a decade.

A 65HP 1916 Case steam tractor was one of the largest, along with a 1912 Minneapolis 40-80. A smaller 1911 Case Steamer with 30HP and a red and white canopy crawled around the grounds. Each day features a tractor parade.

There are demonstrations going on, though not all at the same time. Threshing, of course, but also there is a sawmill, corn shelling, silage cutter, shingle maker, lathe mill, wood planer, blacksmith shop, rope making, along with gas and diesel engine displays.

By holding the show on the museum grounds, tractors from their own collection can be displayed, and one can also tour Minnesota’s Machinery Museum. If you have an interest in a specific old tractor or gas engine, you may be able to find it at Threshing Days.

For information on the museum and the threshing show, check mnmachinerymuseum. com or find Pioneer Power Threshing Club on Facebook. v