HCEA announces convention and old equipment exhibition

The Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the construction, is hosting its 28th Annual International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition, to be held August 16-18, 2013, at the International Union of Operating Engineers’ Local 150 Apprenticeship and Skill Improvement Program Center east of Wilmington, Illinois. Wilmington is roughly 60 miles southwest of Chicago, and 20 miles south of Joliet.

The show features demonstrations and displays of horse-drawn, steam, gas and diesel-powered antique construction machinery, cable and hydraulic shovels and cranes, hit and miss engines, antique trucks and tractors, and more.

The Center is home to a pair of fully restored and operable Erie B steam excavators – a shovel and a crane. These will be the featured machines for the show.

The show is open to the general public. Anyone involved with the construction, mining and dredging equipment is especially encouraged to attend, so they can observe the ancestors of today’s machinery in action. The last HCEA show, which was held in September, 2009 at Bowling Green, Ohio, featured over 330 exhibits and drew some 5,000 attendees from around the world.

Show hours are Friday, 9:00 to dusk; Saturday, 9 to 5; Sunday, 9 to 3. Admission per person 12 or over is $8.00 daily, or $15.00 for a weekend pass. Free admission for Local 150 members and children under 12.