# The Cookstown Steam Fair



## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

So, this evening I returned, weary but happy, from the big steam fair in cookstown, Ontario.--And a very big steam fair it was. The weather Gods smiled on the event, and it was beautifull mid to high seventies all weekend, and wall to wall sun.
 I arrived Saturday morning at about 9 o'clock, with all of my little engines, and found the area that had been set aside for me and a couple of other gentlemen who were exhibiting model steam and "Hit and Miss" gasoline engines. We were set up in a VERY large tent, and the Georgian Bay Steam Club had rented a large gasoline powered air compressor for us to run our engines with.
  There were other "crafters" in the tent, spinning yarn, selling Honey Bee products, and steam train memorebilia, but as I said, it was a VERY large tent, so we weren't crowded at all.
I got the air compressor engine started, with some help from a couple of 80 year olds, (Damn, I didn't know there was an on/off switch on those things), and got the airline ran into the tent. All of my engines started up, and ran most admirably, untill about 3 in the afternoon, when one of the loctited connections on my "varying Load Machine" gave up the ghost, so it was dismounted from by display board and retired to my truck. Then this morning, shortly after I got there and started everything up for the days run, My Hit and Miss version of Chucks Horizontal sheared off that teensy-weensy 0-80 bolt that was the cam to operate the inlet valve, so it was "Hors De combat" for the rest of the day.
  I had a lot of people stopping by to look at my display, and talk to me. I could tell that about 80 percent of the people had only the vaguest concept of what they were really looking at, but they were all delighted to see so many things going "Round and round and up and down" as the engines all ran.
  The most popular thing was the "Slinky Machine"---everybody loved it. Most people "Didn't Get It" about the varying load device, so it wasn't a big loss when it expired.
The most asked question was "Why aren't you running the engines with a boiler???"---When I explained to them about the two million dollars insurance requirement to bring a steam boiler into a public place, they all agreed that running things off compressed air was probably a good idea.
  The most amusing comment was from the fellow who was absolutely convinced that I was pumping natural gas into the engines via the airlines, and that somehow all those engines were running on natural gas, because "Everybody knows that compressed air won't burn!!!'


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

I took about 60 pictures, as periodically I would shut off my dispay and wander around the grounds to see all the nifty "Stuff" that was there.---At one point I was almost ran over by a run-away team of miniature horses pulling a rather large wagon with four people on it. I was getting set up to take a picture of said horses and wagon when they ran away, and I had to jump out of the way to avoid being trampled---thus a picture of the rather wild eyed horses and not the wagon, as I leapt out of the way. There must have been well over 200 hit and miss engines and steam engines running. Some were running all by themselves, many were running all manner of agricultural devices and sawmills, and things that I have no idea what they were.


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

My display as it looked, set up in the tent. (Taken after the varying load machine crapped out.)


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## Jadecy (Aug 2, 2009)

Nice display! I'm looking forward to the rest of the pictures as well. Glad you had fun and were not ultimately trampled by horses! ;D


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A very neat and running "Epicyclic" engine that the fellow next to me was displaying---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A home made "Can crushing machine" which was busy all weekend crushing soft drink cans, operated by a kid who looked to be about 12 years old. It was belt driven by a hit and miss engine.


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A garden tiller that looked like it would require Superman to drive the darn thing---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A home made sawmill, belt driven by a small hit and miss engine---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A washing machine, driven by a hit and miss engine---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

I have no idea what this machine was doing---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

One of MANY pumps being driven by hit and miss engines---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

Some really frickin HUGE hit and miss engines--


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A set of "gang saws" being belt driven from a tractor---this was after the lumber had been sawn from logs on a big sawmill driven by a huge steam engine---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A collection of working "Hit and Miss" gasoline engines that were set up and running on the table adjacent to mine---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

An absolute MONSTER of a home brewed motorcycle---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

A tractor/belt driven shingle mill----


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

Another working scale model sawmill-----


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

The full grown working steam powered sawmill---Whoops---I lied.---Haven't got a picture of that!!!


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

Some more of the model steam engines and gasoline powered engines that were set up next to mine--


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

Some weird little model gasoline powered engines---


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 2, 2009)

So, wrapping it up, what would I say?? Well, it went well. Will I do it again?--Probably not---Setting around for two days on my butt and answering rather inane questions is not my thing. But like many things, how do you know untill you try it once and see. Thats two things I have tried this summer, the other being my 3500 mile round trip with my 1931 model A roadster pickup hotrod to the Atlantic Steet Rod Nationals in Moncton, New Brunswick.That was an epic experience, but due to rain and a (in my opinion) rather shabby National car show, I wouldn't rush to do that again either. At any rate, I have accomplished the two major things I wanted to do this summer, and they both went relatively well. Hopefully we will get better weather (Read that as no more rain.) for the rest of the summer, and the wife and I will find fun things to do with our two grand daughters. I hope you all enjoyed the pictures.---Brian


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## dsquire (Aug 2, 2009)

Hi Brian

Glad that you had a good show. :bow:

You will notice that I delivered the sunshine on time as scheduled and on budget. Boy was that a lucky call! 

Those pictures are fantastic and show the great variety of things that they have at these shows. Thanks for possting them all. I can see that 2 days in a booth can get old quick.

Cheers

Don


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## ozzie46 (Aug 3, 2009)

Nice pics and thanks for posting them Brian.


  Ron


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## Jadecy (Aug 3, 2009)

One of the "funny looking" engines is an Otto Model. 

Here is a post on youtube running: 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbs9rLF6eI8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbs9rLF6eI8[/ame]

I did not build this one. I bought this completed when we started carrying the casting sets. 

We import them from Austria:

http://www.classic-motors.at/intro.htm


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## CrewCab (Aug 3, 2009)

Good to hear you enjoyed it Brian, pictures are great ......... thanks :bow:

CC


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## rake60 (Aug 3, 2009)

Thanks for all the pictures Brian!

Rick


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## lathe nut (Aug 3, 2009)

Thanks Brain, think I could hear some of the run we were so close to them, what a lot to see and enjoy, glad you could go and share, Lathe Nut


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