Two-Cylinder Expo XXI
June 23–25, 2011 ~ Waterloo, Iowa
The Two-Cylinder Club’s 21st Expo was held in Waterloo, Iowa, on June 23–25, 2011. Relatively cool weather,
and occasional mist during setup and the first day of the event, caused no problems. The mostly indoor
feature of the National Cattle Congress facility allows for about 275 exhibits under roof in two excellent buildings;
the Swap Meet and Auction are on a fine asphalt surface with good drainage; the Swap Meet for weather-sensitive
items such as literature, decals, artwork, and collectibles is held in a third building; seminars are held in a fourth
(air-conditioned) building; outdoor exhibits are on good turf with plenty of shade trees; and all of this is right down
the street from the original John Deere Tractor Works site.
Our concern this year was not weather related, but instead was the general economy. Fuel costs had dropped about
15¢ a gallon from previous weeks, but still hovered near $4.00 a gallon. We expected about 260 to 280 exhibits, and
were surprised to see the approved applications pass the 300 mark. Especially so when considering the number of
people who had phoned, wondering if it would be okay to sit out the 2011 Expo and plan instead to come in 2012.
Next year is the 175th Anniversary of John Deere’s first steel plow, and will be the 25th Anniversary of the first Two-
Cylinder Club Expo. It will be the 22nd Expo, not the 26th, because there was no Expo in 1988, 1989, 1991, or
1993. The first Expo, in 1987, celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the 1837 steel plow.
The Expos went to an annual status in 1994. At first, participants wondered why it became an annual event. There
are several reasons…
The Two-Cylinder Expo is more of a Concours d’Elegance type of event than a typical tractor show. There is no
tractor pull, parades have been few and always tastefully accomplished, there are no events tailored for children
(although there is a petting zoo on the Cattle Congress grounds), and there are no field or machinery-in-action
events. Instead, the Expo is the best of the best when it comes to quality of exhibits. Sure, it’s true that many fine
exhibits appear at shows all across the country, but fine exhibits are the standard — the norm— at the Two-Cylinder
Expo, and that’s how it will continue to be.
This common interest in top quality, whether superbly restored or an exceptional original, is what draws John
Deere enthusiasts to the event. (The most distant visitors this year were from Tasmania.) And, this common interest
has developed the Expo into something of a reunion. Not a closed reunion, certainly, as first-time exhibitors are typically
greeted with a welcoming handshake and assistance in setting up that you would expect from old friends.
Some things have changed over the years. People at the first Expo in 1987 will be 25 years older next year. Those
aged 45 then will be 70. As good as the exhibits were that first year, they have continued to get better. If the Expo
was held every second or third year, people just finishing a project might have to wait quite awhile to show it. So,
from the perspectives of providing an annual opportunity to participate in the finest show of its kind, and the continually
evolving reunion that results from it, we look forward to 2012. |
