Climbing the New England 2016

There has been behind the scenes activity to bring about another climbing the New England, A new vintage truck club has been formed - New England Heritage Traction Club Inc - out of the enthusiasm garnered from the previous show and now it is full steam ahead.
The date has been pulled back to avoid clashing with other events - Last weekend of October, being 29th and 30th, 2016. The destination has been moved 100km north to Glen Innes where we have active support from local council who will coincidently be backing the 'Glen on Wheels Festival' held on the same weekend, as well as the showground trust who can't do too much for us.

The show venue has hard standing for all exhibits, all weather show ring, covered areas, power to both exhibit and camping areas, plenty of shady trees. Breakfasts, catering, and a dinner will be provided on site. Licenced bar after public close. Plenty of space for those who like to set up their semi for camping in.
Walking distance to choice of motels.
Although the focus will be on celebrating the history of commercial traffic on the New England Highway and therefore primarily a vintage truck show the club will be encouraging tractor and machinery exhibitors to attend with a special emphasis on steam.
As before there will be a run on Friday arvo and a shorter one early Saturday morning.
You can arrive and depart when you like, set up starting on Thursday, but for the sake of paying public would prefer exhibitors stay until a grand parade lunch time Sunday. The only thing that is compulsory is that you enjoy yourselves!

For those who haven't been this way for a while the New England Highway has become something of a secret. Once the principle interstate route between Sydney and Brisbane road improvements have been ongoing to meet that need. However in recent years the major improvements to the Pacific Highway has seen most interstate traffic shift to it. The result is that we now have a highway with a good surface (Queenslanders will notice the difference after crossing the border) with only light traffic. If you are flat out at 90 it won't be you holding traffic up, it will be the caravanner in front of you.
Having said all that the mountains present much the same challenge today as they did all those years ago.

All going to plan. Next months VTC magazine will be carrying a history of the development and glory days of the New England.

mmmm, flyer (pdf) and docx isn't being inserted

2016 Vintage Truck & Machinery Show
Following the huge success of the combined vintage truck and machinery show held at Armidale in 2014 the plan to hold a similar show every two years remains on track. This year the event will be hosted by the New England Heritage Traction Club and held on the last weekend of October at the new venue of Glen Innes Showgrounds.

Climbing the New England (Route 15)
The theme of the vintage truck show is to celebrate and re-live the history of commercial traffic through the high country of the New England region. The New England Highway was at one time the principal northern inter-state route and many tales are told of the challenges met and overcome. It is expected that trucks from the 1920’s to the 30 year age cut off will be tracing the route of their forebears from as far as Sydney and Brisbane to meet up at Glen Innes for the truck show.

New England Heritage Traction Club Inc
Out of the enthusiasm exhibited at the 2014 Armidale show a group of old truck restorers got together to form a club to cater for their passion. As the name suggests the New England Heritage Traction Club Inc (NEHTC) caters for enthusiasts across the New England region of northern NSW. With the motto “heritage power at work” steam and other plant is also an interest which is promoted and catered for. The club has approval from NSW Roads & Maritime Services (RMS) for historic conditional registration of member’s vehicles and to ensure that heavy vehicles have appropriate representation to RMS the club is affiliated to the umbrella historic motoring organisation The Southern Motoring Association. The club also has affiliation with the National Historic Machinery Association (NHMA) which provides members with insurance related to heritage activities.

The Venue
This year the event is to be held at the heritage listed Glen Innes Showgrounds which ticks all the boxes for a great show with atmosphere in spades. The welcome provided by the Showground Trust was too good to ignore. The showgrounds are located just off the highway and a 2 minute drive to the CBD and a wide selection of motels. Patrons to the show will have free parking in the showgrounds.
All exhibits will be displayed either under cover or on all weather surface while swappers will have a choice of being in the open or under cover. The grand parades around the tree lined show ring can be viewed either from the comfort of the grandstand or up close from seating at the ring’s edge.

Machinery
A wide range of machinery will be on show including stationary engines, portable steam engines, traction engines, and heritage farm machinery. A tractor pull is planned which tests not only the comparable strength of the old tractors on show but the skill of the drivers in getting the best out of their machine.

Exhibitors
Exhibitors of trucks 30 years or older, tractors, and machinery are invited to book their entry in advance but will still be able to register on the day. Entry for exhibitors is free. Pre-booking puts trucks at the front of the queue for a spot under cover (max height 3.2m) and free recovery service by our sponsor Glen Innes 24hour Diesel. Exhibitors who have pre-registered will be mailed an exhibitor package containing; exhibit window numbers; souvenir exhibit guide; site map, route description and notes, and suggested meeting points along the highway.

Swappers & trade
Traders are offered space around the show at locations to suit their enterprise and will have access to electricity. Swappers are located in the wood chop arena or in the adjacent cattle pavilion at no additional charge. The upside of the cattle pavilion for swappers is that it is all-weather, the downside being that after unloading their vehicles will have to be left outside. For rates see the registration forms below, however these are negotiable depending on specific needs.

Set up
The show organisers will be on site for preliminary set up on Thursday and exhibitors and swappers will have access for set up from 8.30am on Friday until midday the following Monday. All exhibitors are to enter by Hunter Street and to wait for instructions to their allocated space.
The club is able to offer secure local storage and transport for exhibitors who wish to bring their exhibits up to several weeks early, with a similar arrangement for their return.

Unloading
A loading dock is available and caters for all heights. A 3.5 tonne forklift and hiab crane will be on site before and after the show to assist exhibitors unload and place their machinery safely. A higher capacity crane can be made available for special lifts.
Modern trucks and semi trailers which are not historic exhibits will be directed to parking space near the loading ramp.

IPEC Re-Union
The IPEC company was a pioneer of interstate overnight parcel services which we take for granted nowadays. It was not possible for a driver to do the Sydney – Brisbane journey in one shift and so the procedure of changing drivers was used. A change over house was set up in the middle of Glen Innes (current location of the tourist centre) in 1970 and in 1974 a purpose built facility was built on the southern edge of town where the quarters could accommodate up to twenty drivers. The facility was closed in 1994 and although a bus shed has been erected and the quarters have recently been demolished the site remains largely as it was in it’s heyday. Under the theme of Climbing the New England a number of the erstwhile IPEC overnighters will be visiting the site as a focus for a re-union. If anyone knows of the location of surviving IPEC trucks from this era we would love to hear about it.

Organised run
We will be organising a run for vintage trucks on Friday afternoon and again on Saturday morning before the show opens to the public. Details to be advised nearer the time.


Facebook
For those who like to use social media you can see updates or make comments on our sponsor’s facebook page; www.facebook.com/domsdiesel

Mammoth, email the Flyer to forum@hcvc.com.au

And Someone will put them up for you...

Mammoth, can you Email me the flyer too please.
I'll put it in the newsletter.

Download this flyer in PDF.

UPDATE on whats happening
The run to the Black Mountain Roadhouse re-union during the 2014 Climbing the New England event was very popular and so the organisers of this years event, The New England Heritage Traction Club, have seen to it that once again recognition is given to the iconic place that it has in the story of New England hauliers. The new owner of the road house was right on board when the suggestion was made to lay on a reception for vintage trucks heading north on the Friday afternoon. It is an ideal location for exhibitors from the south, west, and the coast to join up for a loose convoy over the final 70km leg to the show grounds at Glen Innes. There will be an opportunity to travel over an original unmolested 9km stretch of the highway from Guyra (bypassed in the 70's), and if time permits to a detour to visit the highest railway station in Australia at Ben Lomond.
Official opening at the show will be at a special event early Saturday morning with a photo opportunity at the Australian Standing Stones, site of the annual Celtic Festival. The Celts have a "meeting of the Clans" here so we have taken the theme and arranged for the venue to be opened up for a meeting of the heritage truck clubs with representative trucks from each club placed amongst the giant stones.

Funny reading your own plans which seem to have been made ages ago. Even weirder is it is all falling into place The Friday reception at the Black Mountain road house is at 1.30 pm with a departure for the convoy straggled out between 2.15 and 2.30. Braggsy has set the schintzelburger's flight plan for a run over the Putty Rd in time to catch on the tail of the Hunter Valley crew. While the Qld Association is coming down mob handed it seems the Rocklea mob can't decide if they are Arthur or Martha so we will have to wait and see who turns up. Shaping up to be a top event.

Just had a call to effect that some joker in Queensland is putting the word around that the Glen Innes show is cancelled. This certainly not the case. We have not been getting the volume of rain enjoyed further west and although BOM is forecasting some probability of a few drops of rain it is an all weather venue so that will be no trouble.

A late development is that the IPEC re-union will be happening with possibly 20 overnighters coming to the show and visiting the old change station as well as the original Glen Innes IPEC patrol ute being in attendance.

We're still coming Steve

Lang

And judging by a call from Cam so is half of Brisbane, although a certain Inter that was bringing down some "pommy oil engine lorries" is making too much air and has already blown a booster.
Word has it that Steve's cab over Merc has a buyer and will be getting a ride north behind the schnitzelburger.