| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| 1014211 |
Posted - 07/09/2011 : 09:22:41
I love watching you guys restore the tractors, taking them from what some would call junk to original condition. Even though it wasn't a restore job, and it certainly isn't a GT, we repainted my dad's Case steam tractor a couple years ago so I thought I'de share a few pics. i think this was right at the limit of our capabilities. My dad's John Deere could not lift the rear wheels, but when my brother and I pushed up on the loader arms it would go up, and then was able to hold it. It was a balancing act. But my brother especially put a lot of time into hammer drilling that cast iron, and it looks great now.
The engine in 2004:
The after:
The process:
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ASEguy |
Posted - 07/17/2011 : 21:19:45
Great pics Byron. Looking back on high school pictures makes one reflective. Can you imagine an OSHA inspector walking up to that machine with those kids on it today?  Great pics. |
| ByronC |
Posted - 07/17/2011 : 20:22:54
quote:
Originally posted by oldsarge
Byron,as a DOM I'd like to know,Can Laura still strut?
That caught me off guard at first because my first wife's name was also Laura.
The last time I saw Laura,(in the photo) she has to be the most beautiful girl that graduated in my class and kept her looks into her 50's.. Lucky Gal... She is 1/4 Indian and her Mom was also beautiful. |
| oldsarge |
Posted - 07/17/2011 : 18:21:03
Byron,as a DOM I'd like to know,Can Laura still strut? |
| 1014211 |
Posted - 07/17/2011 : 09:16:52
Byron, again, very cool. Thanks for sharing. My family has had 3 traction engines, currently we have two. I love seeing the history of these machines. Many were lost to steel reclamation during the war (an unfortunate necessity) or just plain wearing out or sitting out in the environment. My family bought a 22 horsepower Minneapolis in 1994 I think, and that is as far back as our history goes with the machines. So we are very grateful for others maintaining these machines before we could get a hold of them. Much like our GT's, only a few of us have had our machines since their "birth". Anyway, my dad traded the "Minnie" for the 65hp Case, and then I think in 2003 my dad and brother went together to get their 20hp Universal. Very nice photos, I will include pictures of both garden tractors and the steam monsters from the upcomming show in two weeks. Thanks again.... |
| ByronC |
Posted - 07/17/2011 : 07:11:02
quote:
Originally posted by 1014211
Byron, that is awesome! Share all the photos you have, I love them. One question, do your rear wheels have tracks on them? They look perfectly smooth? I know when they plow they need traction, was your engine used on the road enough you needed them smooth? Just wondering, again, very cool photo!! Have you said what became of that engine? Is it still in the family?
None of the three still had the cleats on the rear wheels. My Step Dad never had any plows to pull with it. We just thrashed wheat with it every summer.
Check this crew out on top of the Thrasher.
My buddies....
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. You will get a laugh at this one from my Marching Band Days at Shelbyville High School.. Just had to slip this one in... lol :)
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| skunkhome |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 23:07:18
We have been saying for years that we need to write down come of these stories we have heard and told over the years as in 15-20 years the will all be lost. |
| Talntedmrgreen |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 22:51:47
Wow, some interesting stuff. All I know was that my Grandfather was born on the farm and lived there for his first 20 years. He died before I could appraciate more than the hunting and fishing stories. I wish I knew what they used in the '20's and '30's. =[
My other Grandfather was never very close, but that side of the family was mainly railroad engineers and I found out today that we need to swing by and pick up some momento's. Everything over there is railroad...glad you guys have those memories! |
| 1014211 |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 20:50:54
Byron, that is awesome! Share all the photos you have, I love them. One question, do your rear wheels have tracks on them? They look perfectly smooth? I know when they plow they need traction, was your engine used on the road enough you needed them smooth? Just wondering, again, very cool photo!! Have you said what became of that engine? Is it still in the family? |
| ByronC |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 16:50:49
Jon,
Here's a pic of me driving the 65HP Case when I was 12 or 13..
Funny to look back at the photo's. Seem's like a different life ago. Well, it was 40 years ago... lol
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| oldsarge |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 15:17:59
You young whippersnappers ain't seen nuttin' yet!!! |
| 1014211 |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 12:26:35
That's cool, Phil. Thanks for sharing. It is amazing how progress works. People from 150 years ago would be awestruck at the advances that have been made. with me being 34 years old tractors have been in use my whole life, but think of the progress that people 80-90 years old have seen! how much has changed in their lifetime is amazing. |
| skunkhome |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 09:45:58
Speaking of back in the hay day, my dad grew up in the first two decades of the 20th century and lived wheat harvest using horse or mule drawn mowers on 720 acres of cultivation in north central Kansas. Everyone worked harvest... He started up walking behind the mowers smacking rats with a club while still in diapers ( that is the sourse of a favorite saying all us kids remember well..." you can go back to your rat killing" ) and progressed with each year to other tasks such as making twists to fire the boiler on the steam engine (I think in later years they fired with oil), driving the mowers, bundling the stalks of wheat or hauling water from the ankle deep creek miles away to feed the boiler. The tanker had to be bucket loaded and delivered back to the hired engine and thresher in time to prevent a shut down. He said that by the time you got the tanker off loaded it was time to go bucket load again. There was hell to pay if you failed to make the turn around in time. That creek was dammed up in the 1960's and is now a huge man made lake, Lake Wilson. |
| ASEguy |
Posted - 07/16/2011 : 07:33:30
Nice steam engine. Enjoyed the pics. I went to a thresherman's show Thursday in Rosebud, MO on Thursday and saw several steam tractors. A lot of them had covers. They are very large pieces of farm history. One gentleman there said he saw three hooked to a 55 bottom plow and they pulled the plow. |
| B-16_IC |
Posted - 07/10/2011 : 22:42:10
Steam people are some of the most cautious and crafty people at a show, they have to be! I've seen some scary pics of explosion aftermaths from back in there hayday, I'm sure it's images like that that keep steam people vigilant. I've been thinking I should go up to the Mt. Pleasant Iowa show this year again, haven't been for years lot's of steam there!
http://www.oldthreshers.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.calendar |
| 1014211 |
Posted - 07/10/2011 : 18:13:29
I remember that event. Some of the guys in our club knew him. I think alot of that accident was his stubborness, he knew he was low on water but just wanted to get the engine to the grounds. That being said, these engines obviously demand a great deal of care and respect. |
