[SEL] Rough and Tumble

[Jim Hardman]

Frank, and everyone...

Rough and Tumble is one of the better shows in the country, and perhaps the 
very best for steam enthusiasts.  We attended, and exhibited there for over 
thirty five years.  And it was geared to family involvement;  our grand 
children said it was their favorite week of the year.

R&T's revised rules regarding "no parking" near one's exhibit forced many of 
us out.  And the rule of "no selling from one's exhibit space" was the 
clincher.  We always had excess stuff to sell... spark plugs, oilers, coil 
boxes, etc.

Admittedly, the folks who came solely to sell had to go out into the hot sun 
across the road... and these flea market folk felt like outcasts.  The new 
rules are not all bad... but in total, the flavor of the show changed for 
the old-timers.  Leaving models and exhibit stuff unattended while one went 
to park the car seemed unreasonable to a lot of exhibitors.

The steam side of this show is unsurpassed.  Dozens of behemoths under 
steam.  A superior model building.  Wonderful permanent displays both of 
steam and IC engines.  Many of the regulars at Coolspring are in attendance 
at R&T.  The "big engine" exhibits are worth seeing.  Just watch these 
videos.

I recall entering the big permanent display building and seeing a nearly 
completed steam engine in the final stages of reconstruction.  It was 
magnificent except for the color... a brilliant day-glow chartreuse.  I 
quietly said to my wife "Who could have chosen that color..." and a voice 
from under the flywheel answered "I did!"  Shut me up quick.

Frank, these videos tell the tale.  This is still a great show.  And the 
food was wonderful.  Right in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch country, the 
baked goods brought in from local farms and the fresh melons were a daily 
treat.

Show attendance dropped after the new rules were imposed, but it is obvious 
that attendance remains strong.  The traffic on Route 30 past the grounds is 
still a buster, stop-and-go for several miles is no fun.

Frank, thanks for the good memories.  Every night our family would go out to 
dinner at the Harvest Inn smelling of hot oil and coal smoke.  Happy 
memories indeed!

Jim in Vermont


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank DeWitt LBP" <Frank at lbpinc.com>
To: "The SEL email discussion list" <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2014 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Rough and Tumble


> There are quite a few good videos of this years show.  Here is a link to
> a you tube search
>
> https://www.youtube.com/results?filters=month&search_query=rough+and+tumble+2014&lclk=month
>
> Everything from tiny models to steam shovels
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFsbbWZ-PQg
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCbLJOupBOo
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNJixBYnnUE
>
> On 8/28/2014 11:49 AM, Frank DeWitt LBP wrote:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WECWMP5vNIU
>>
>> A good video (not mine) of R&T this year. It was a great show. wide
>> variety of equipment, perfect weather, great people.
>>
>> BTW These people really know how to treat exhibitors. Besides the free
>> admision and the other stuff they provided free baked goods, coffee, ice
>> tea and water for exhibitors all day every day.
>>
>> Frank
>>
>>
>
> -- 
> The question is not, who uses faith and who uses reason? Everyone uses 
> both. The question instead should be, who has the most reasonable faith?”
>
> ― J.F. Baldwin
>
> HONOR GOD
> SERVE PEOPLE
> DEVELOP EXCELLENCE
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> FOLLOWING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES
>
>    Frank DeWitt           |  mailto:frank at lbpinc.com
>    Mechanical Design      |  Phone:  585 624 3052
>    LBP  INC.              |  Fax     585 624 1038
>    2365 Cox Rd.           |
>    Bloomfield NY 14469    |Web  http://www.lbpinc.com/
>
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