When I was a kid, I had a book called "The Little House" (paid link) that I loved so dearly I even dressed up as the house for a "dress as your favorite book character" day. That costume was both amazing and awful for all the reasons I'm sure you can imagine. Anyway, there was an illustration in that story that depicted what must have been a common sight around the time the story was first published in 1935. A cheerful little steam shovel happily chewing away at the front yard of a visibly distressed little house.
When I first read this book in the early 1980s, steam shovels were obviously no longer common and I was absolutely captivated by what it must have been like to live in a world alongside these noisy, coal-belching behemoths of the past.
Fast forward to a few months ago I ran across a post about a man named Bob Kelly from Lapeer, Michigan who had spent two years restoring an extremely rare 108 year-old steam shovel. And because I'm the ridiculously curious sort, it inevitably sent me down a rabbit hole of watching all kinds of YouTube videos of restored and fully functional steam shovels from over 100 years ago, including the one below.
There's even a cool video of a naked steam shovel if you want to see what one looks like without its characteristic shed.
Part of the fascination likely comes courtesy of my family's attraction to old restored machinery. My uncle, in particular, had dedicated much of his working life to the restoration and maintenance of the Vulcan Steam Train on exhibit at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture (Agrirama). More recently, my brother has been spending his free time slowly and meticulously restoring a 1953 Ford truck. So it isn't uncommon for us to get up close and personal with some of these incredible machines from the past.
As a kid, I also remember that they terrified me and I think they still do. However, I tend to find them more thrilling than anything else these days. Nevertheless, I wanted to know how I can see these mechanical dinosaurs in person and discovered there are several shows that are presented across the country a few times a year.
Of these shows, the National Pike Show hosted by the National Pike Steam, Gas, and Horse Association in Brownsville, PA (about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh) is reported to be the largest, and they actually have a show coming up in August. Their website is a little bit hard to digest so if you're interested in attending their upcoming show, here are some details:
National Pike Show
August 13, 14, & 15, 2021
$7.00 per person
children under 12 are free
$5.00 -seniors on friday
222 Spring Rd
Brownsville, PA 15417
Since the show is only about an hour away from Pittsburgh, this could also serve as an opportunity to check out The Priory Hotel, a former Benedictine Monastery that's been converted into a boutique hotel.
Given its location on the city's North Shore, you'll also have quick access to some pretty awesome museums, including Bicycle Heaven, touted as the world's largest transportation museum dedicated to bicycles.
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