Why didn't I have my camera?

I wondered the same thing, but then it was pretty much dark, hard to take outdoor pictures, and I would have probably forgotten to use it anyway.

Saturday evening, at the end of the tractor pull, which was a pretty good show, the Jansen family was getting ready to make an exhibition pull with Herb Beckmeyer's Advance Rumely steam engine. The pull had been a good one, it was nice to see a younger generation on the track with the super stock tractors. The Johnson & Johnson team performed well making it into to the pulloff. Dirk and Derek Harms' "Old Mother McCormick's Beast #3" carried on the tradition of their father Darius who successfully campaigned "Old Mother McCormick's Beast, and Old Mother McCormick's Beast #2" many years ago.

Anyway, back to the steam engine on the track. In the fading light, we could see the Jansens stoking the fire for the pass down the track, and were unprepared for the show to come. As the flag dropped, the throttle opened, and off she went with shower of sparks from the stack. Contrary to expectations, the shower of sparks did not diminish, but soon became a river of sparks and flame from the stack, around the smokebox door, and everywhere else. The crowd came to their feet in stunned silence at the sight. The show continued the length of the track, when they had to stop. The end was met with thunderous applause as the old engine unhooked and returned to the pits. Many spectators said it surpassed the fireworks that followed courtesy of Hogan-Walker John Deere of Watseka, Illinois, and several anonymous friends of John Deere.
The steam engine show was intentional, and was the result of massive quantities of sawdust added to the firebox just before opening the throttle. Bill Jansen commented later that it "really cleaned out the flues in the boiler".

And I didn't have my camera!

(If someone reading this has photos or video, please leave a note in the comment section)