[SEL] Comments on Portland this year.

steve sewell sewell at oak.cats.ohiou.edu
Mon Aug 27 20:41:11 PDT 2007


At 06:12 PM 8/27/2007 -0400, Curt wrote:

>I've got to say I have enjoyed Portland much more in years past. Engine
>attendance was off 40 to 50% according to the stats they announced each
>morning. 1800 engines compared to years we recall 3800 engines.
><snip>
>I have a theory.....perhaps the splitting of the engine area into 2
>separate areas has pissed off the engine community and many are no
>longer attending. It was a damned shame seeing several acres of green
>grass under the big oak trees (the area beside the horse barn) with
>nothing there. There were not enough feature tractors to fill the area
>and it sat empty the entire week,
   <snip>

>So what do you guys think? Is the engine community disgruntled at the
>split in the engine area and no longer attending?

yes

>Or, are the engine guys aging out and no longer attending while the
>tractor guys are a younger group?

Who knows. Most tractor owners aren't seen except when unloading and 
loading. I on the other hand like to run my tractor at the shows. But I 
haven't been normal for years. (-;

>Or, are the tractor guys so well off that gas prices don't affect them?

It affects this one every time I use a $100.00 bill to fill up the diesel 
tank. )-:


>What do you think it is?

Curt: I think it's a little of all the above. I do agree that all that 
shade going unused is a waste. Not even the John Deere folks could fill it 
up a couple of years ago.

So how do we fix it. Not easy as the fairgrounds has the horse barn and 
riding ring at the entrance of the PAYING customers/parking lot. In 
business you want your big draw out front.  So, what if????

1) We put the Oil field engines out front in the "new engine' area. There 
are some trees and shade in that area. Including the clubs big F-B engine 
as it's on wheels. These are a big draw to all, even a tractor guy like me. 
I love to look at them and hear them run.
2) Bring the stationary engines into the ofes area and some of the "open 
spaces' in the feature tractor area if needed. I really think the ofes area 
is enough, maybe not.
3) Leave the tractors out in the open field as it's close to the plowing 
area and easy to get to the race track for the parade.
4) Bring the saw mill and thrashing into the shade that the feature 
tractors don't use. I have run my tractor on both the thrashing equipment 
and buzz saw for several years and see a vast decrease in folks viewing 
these displays after they went out into the sun after being moved several 
years ago.

We have to remember Tri-State is a business. If they don't make enough to 
cover costs we don't have a place to show. Those of us that display get in 
free and camp all week + for 5 bucks. Yes they need us to draw the paying 
customers. This may give the customers a bit more of a "flow". In the gate 
- ofes to the right, sale barn to the left, engines straight ahead, feature 
tractors and running displays in the shade, tractors, plowing and vendors 
to the east.

I suspect I better run and hide. (-;  Comments ???????

- Steve

Steve Sewell
Albany, Ohio USA
sewell at atis.net
sewell at ohio.edu



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