Mind boggling engineering and meticulous craftsmanship-by-hand will be on display August 24-26 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The “Western Engine and Model Exhibition” hosted by The Bay Area Engine Modelers features over 50 exhibitors displaying their life’s work – hand crafted, scale model piston driven miniature engines that work and run just like those that power life size cars, steamships and motorcycles.
The exhibit is one of several featured attractions at the Goodguys 26th West Coast Nationals presented by Flowmaster.
The highlight of this year’s exhibit will be Jerry Kieffer’s 1/8th scale 1947 Harley Davidson knucklehead motorcycle. Kieffer, a Wisconsin resident will not only bring the motorcycle to Pleasanton but will also bring along the handmade miniature tools and lathe he made from scratch to manufacture the bike’s miniature parts.
Other highlights include Bay Area sculptor Michael Cooper who will display a helicopter and a one-off 4-engine machine, Dwight Giles and Ken Hurst with new supercharged V-8s, Bob Kradjian of Hillsborough who has a quantity of teaching exhibits that keep the kids fascinated and more.
Paul Knapp, who runs a Model Engineering museum located near Phoenix will bring over 60 historical engine models. Knapp has models that stretch back to the 1930’s when internal combustion engine modeling was starting to take off. John Gilmore and his all brass locomotive is sure to be another highlight of the exhibit.
One such model is sure to boggle minds. Modeler John Garris will display his radio controlled boat and tow truck rig. Garris can, with radio control, drive the truck and boat on a trailer, to a launch ramp, back the boat into the water, release it, remotely start the 4-cyclinder engine in the boat, run the boat around and then bring it back and load it onto the trailer never touching the rig from start to finish. It is all completely remote control and all hand built.
The Western Engine Model Exhibit will be located in the Agricultural building of the Pleasanton Fairgrounds near the Court of Four seasons plaza and will be open all weekend. There is no separate fee for the model engine show. It is included in the price of admission to the Goodguys 26th West Coast Nationals presented by Flowmaster.
The WEME Show model engine exhibiot at the West Coast Nationals fills the Agricultural building with over 50 exhibits
Jerry Kieffer is bringing his 1/87th scale Harley Davidson from Wisconsin. It will blow your mind!
This up close view of a supercharged V8 engine model gives you an indea of the meticulous craftsmanship these models possess.
Posted on August 9, 2012 by goodguys