It’s always nice to get together and go for a trip and your executive is always looking for ideas to make this happen. This year the Orono Heritage Tractor Club invited HAHC members to join them on a bus trip to the “Wheels and Tracks in Motion” event which is held at the Simcoe County Museum, just west of Barrie Ontario, on June 13th. Price for this dream getaway was only $50, and with advance ticket sales only the seats filled up quickly.
The Simcoe County Museum is a By-Gone Days type of museum which is open year round. It has an impressive collection of artifacts, housed in-doors, that show how we went about our daily lives in the past. It also has a collection of pioneer buildings, set up in similar fashion to Lang Pioneer Village, and includes a working train station and many agricultural artifacts. Several times per year the museum partners with the Historical Construction Equipment Association of Canada host an impressive display of construction equipment from the past, with many shown working. And that is what drew club members on this trip.
Members going were asked to get up early so as to meet the bus leaving Orono Fair Grounds at 8am. This meant being there at 7:45 with members carpooling from Roseneath, Port Hope etc. Although the day started off overcast, it was mild and dry. The tour arrived at the museum around 9:40 and after checking through the gates members were set loose to take things in at their own pace. And by the afternoon it was sunny and hot, perfect for this outdoor show. And there was lots to see!
There was more than 100 pieces of construction equipment, either operating or on static display. Everything from steam shovels to 1040’s drag line excavators, 1970’s Sno-Cat’s to grading and earth moving machines. There were also many trucks, steam traction engines, stationary engines, rock crushers and more. It was a lot to take in and I think all who went will agree that it was well worth the trek. With everyone straggling back to the parking lot on tired feet, the bus headed for home around 4pm. Thanks go to Glen Middleton of the Orono Club for organizing this outing.