Everyone pitches in at antique threshing demo
By Joan Janzen
A beautiful sunny day dawned on Kindersley as antique harvesting equipment converged in the field adjacent to the Kindersley & District Plains Museum on Sunday afternoon, September 24th. It was thanks to all the hard work of the members of the Antique Threshing Club, that this event was made possible.
There were three horse drawn wagons giving rides to children, while spectators sat in the stands and watched the activity in the field. And there was lots happening.
Photos by Joan Janzen, click for larger images and captions
It began with an older Case tractor and swather making its rounds, stopping periodically to make some repairs. Next, Lionel Story made his rounds with his team of four plough horses towing an antique John Deere implement.
Two older combines were picking up swaths in the field, while spectators viewed a 1903 steam engine which had been brought out of storage so everyone could see how it operates. But the primary focus of the afternoon was the operation of the threshing machines and the 1920 Rumely oil pull tractor.
Both youngsters and adults were pitching in with their pitch forks, loading a horse drawn wagon with sheaves, and then forking them into a threshing machine, while a crew was kept very busy troubleshooting. Their efforts were rewarded by the intermittent bursts of grain pouring out of the auger into the grain wagon.
Meanwhile inside the museum, burgers and drinks were being served to a hungry crowd.