Owls Head Museum

[john112deere]

I went over to the Owl's Head Transportation Museum yesterday for an event called "Earth Movers and Shakers". I was hoping for a field full of antique construction equipment, but it was kind of disappointing- only a few pieces of heavy equipment, and mostly still new enough to be typical of what's in service today.

In fairness, if I didn't make my living designing roads, I'd probably have less up-close-and-personal time with a lot of this stuff and it would have been neater. The first time or two you see a concrete pump set up, it's a lot more interesting.

There was some cool stuff, though- and it's a terrific museum, that was worth the trip anyway.

(Sorry, the pics are huge. I'll try to resize them later.)

IH Transtar:

Diamond T:

Doodlebug:

F-100:

These two Fords were museum vehicles being used as tow-rig and support for a WWI radial aircraft engine they fired up for the crowd to see.

Couple SnoCats:

I was hoping for a field full of stuff like this:

An old Pete pulling an old Huber. Both appear to still be on at least limited duty for a construction company.

 

[john112deere]

There were also lots of nice old cars to see, mostly from the museum's collections but also a few that were just there for the show:

Stout Scarab:

I wouldn't call it pretty, but the Scarab pioneered a lot of really inventive features that took everybody else decades to rediscover. Only 9 were ever built, and this is one of five known to exist.

I've lost track of the name of this thing, but they were driving it around the back lot when I got there:

This REO 5 cutaway is all-original (unless you want to count Mr Tobey cutting the back off as a modification- it left the factory as a touring car):

The museum staff did starting demonstrations on the cars above (and a few more), and gave a few people, mostly kids, rides in them. Again, I've probably spent more time around cars with cranks than most people twice my age, but I think it's terrific to demonstrate and let people get close and watch.

Mercedes-Benz:

Pierce Arrows were always my mother's favorite when we used to go to car shows:

"Safety Fast"

This A could use a little love:

Jaguar XK 140:

Nice old Ford:

Studebaker:

Model Ts were used for lots of things:

 

[john112deere]

When they say "Transportation Museum" they mostly mean cars, motorcycles, and planes.

Unfortunately, they couldn't fly the antique planes because of fog and wind, but when the weather is nice they do take some of them out:

Fokker triplane:

 

[john112deere]

Somebody had trailered this Rickman out:

 

[john112deere]

In case anybody forgot that Fords haven't always used the blue oval:

I think this is my favorite Ford logo:

 

[fatherdoug]

Beautiful pictures. That triplane sure is an ugly old Fokker.

I also like the emblems on the 50's trucks. Thank you for the pictures.

What was the stand for at the top of the little hill, with the stairs leading up to it?

 

[john112deere]

I assume that little stand has something to do with the runway just behind it, but I don't know.

When I first got there the fog was lifting and winds were calm, so I was hoping to see some of those old birds take to the skies...but then the wind changed.

 

[Beach66Bum]

Great pictures for us to see, thanks Ian!

check out the rifles in the gun racks on the F-100

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Awesome pictures man, great post.

Ryan

 

[taxreliever]

Cool pics thanks!

Sent from my not so smart phone using Forum Runner!

 

[FordF-SuperDuty]

If I'm ever in that neck of the woods, I'd make it a point of going there.

 

[taxreliever]

I've always wanted to go and it's not that far from me. I see 8t advertised all the time. Would be good to go when the kids get older.

Sent from my not so smart phone.

 

[john112deere]

Would be good to go when the kids get older.

I was really impressed with their outreach to kids. They had demonstrations of vehicles (watch them start a car with a crank kind of thing), and once they got them running they'd give a handful of rides around the lot, with preference given to kids. Model T rides all day, too.

I'm a car-nut without particular regard to age, but a pre-war car is different in a way that something like a dentside just isn't. It may or may not be your cup of tea, but it's sure as hell worth experiencing once.

And more kid-specific stuff, too- building foam gliders, little pedal cars, and some goofy airplane things with pedals and cranks that stayed still but had parts moving around when you played on 'em.

20 years ago I'd have been in heaven. (That might just be for event weekends, though...at least most of it.)