The Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA) announced that it is holding its 31st Annual International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition. The show will be held at the HCEA’s National Construction Equipment Museum, 16623 Liberty Hi Road, Bowling Green, Ohio, from Friday, Sept. 13 through Sunday, Sept. 15, and is open to the public.
The show features live demonstrations of antique construction machinery powered by horses or mules, steam, electricity, gas and diesel. Equipment and vehicles built or powered by International Harvester are being featured, along with the National Construction Equipment Museum’s unique collection of more than 60 machines. Many of the machines being shown were built in Ohio communities, including Marion, Galion, Lorain, Euclid, Cleveland and Columbus.
Members of the Black Swamp Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society will be showing their vintage trucks on Saturday, and they’ll be joined by members from other chapters in the area. The show also includes an exhibit of antique farming machinery owned by members of Power of Yesteryear. Other attractions include hit and miss engines, historical displays, memorabilia vendors and a huge sandpile for kids to play in.
All owners of antique construction equipment, trucks and engines are encouraged to bring their machines for display; past shows have had equipment from as far away as California. The last HCEA show in Bowling Green had more than 330 exhibits.
Show hours are Friday, 9:00 a.m. to dark; Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission per person aged 16 or over is $10.00 daily or $20.00 for a weekend pass. Admission is free for those under 16. All proceeds go to the organization’s operating fund, to help fulfill its mission of preserving for public education the history of the construction, surface mining and dredging equipment industries.
The Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1986, operates the National Construction Equipment Museum in Bowling Green, Ohio, and the museum includes a unique Archives that encompasses sales literature, photographs, repair manuals, business records and more for more than 3,000 manufacturers of such equipment from the 1870s to the present day.
For more information, visit the HCEA’s website at www.hcea.net, call 419-352-5616 or e-mail [email protected].