Steam men with gas?

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

Originally Posted by Keven Withers

Highwheeler
Is that Imperial in your earlier post still around? Keven

Kevin,
I have been gone from "over there" for 24 years. I got you a phone number for Guy Jr. from my Judith Basin area phone book and I would hope he could help you. If you want to e-mail you, I will give you that number.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

This first picture is of a 30-60 Aultman-Taylor farming in eastern Montana, courtesy of my friend, Doug McDougall.


This is a picture of a 30-60 Hart Parr "Old Reliable" seeding on the Ralph Pebl farm, courtesy of my friend Richard Rorvig.


The late Max Tyler sent a copy of a picture he had of Hart Parr tractor #1.


I took this picture of Hart Parr #3 in 1964 at the Smithsonian Institution. Notice Case #1 is behind the Hart Parr.
Gary

[Kevin Small]

Hello. This is my first post here in the Old Lugs and Cleats Forum. I have learned a great deal about these grand old tractors here and I’d like to share some photos with everyone. Photo #1 shows a 1921 30-60 Model “E” Rumely Oil Pull #2399 owned by my friend Dennis Powers of Ogden, Iowa. This photo was taken in 1990 and Mark Pederson is steering the “E” through the parade.


Photo #2 shows the late Norman Pross running his 1911 40-70 Gaar-Scott gas tractor through the parade with Jim Briden riding along on the left side of the tractor. Afterward, they belted the Gaar-Scott into Jim’s 42x70 Avery threshing machine and threshed for a few hours. That was the first time I had ever witnessed a large steel wheeled tractor threshing and I really enjoyed seeing Norman on his favorite tractor. Mark Pederson now owns the Gaar-Scott.


Photo #3 shows WMSTR’s 30-60 Case gas tractor that was donated by the late Norman Pross and is one of only 5 30-60’s in existence.


Photo #4. I think this old 1950’s photo is of Norman’s 30-60 Case; however I’m not positively sure. I do believe this photo shows one of the surviving 30-60 tractors. I think Norman told me the tractor came out of Oregon? I hope that John Tysse could help me with the details on this photo. As you can see the cleats are removed and it looks like is had been sitting there for quite some time.


Kevin

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

Kevin,
Hey friend, I have another Rollag photo that should go with yours here. It is of the six cylinder 60-90 Twin City tractor there and I took it last September. It may have been Norm's, as I think it is now Mark Pedersen's
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

I took this picture of an 8-16 IHC at the Tyler Ranch near Moore, Montana in the 1950s. It was a very complete, original tractor that I loved to see running. They later traded it to Clarence Young of Great Falls, Montana where it was part of a trade on a 10 Ton Holt crawler.


This is a round radiator 20-50 Aultman Taylor taken at Havre, Montana, pulling grain wagons.


This is of a Big Four tractor pulling a combined harvester cutting grain near Fort Benton (the world's innermost port), Montana.


You tell me what this one is? It is a gas tractor threshing in the Fort Benton, Montana area. Also notice the header and barges present, where they were threshing with bulk grain instead of shocks and bundles. Some of you are likely so sharp with gas tractors you can tell by a lug nut, gas tank or radiator cap what kind of tractor this is? I am not real proficient with gas tractor identification.

[MoRo]

Gary,
I'm going to rely on memory of things told me, so forgive me if I pass along information in error.
Grain harvested by headers was not shocked. It looks like they're cutting and threshing all at one time, in the picture you posted. Sometimes when the threshing rig wasn't in the area, they'd cut the grain and stack the heads. Then the machine was pulled up to the stack and the heads were pitched directly from the stack into the machine.

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

Originally Posted by MoRo

Gary,
I'm going to rely on memory of things told me, so forgive me if I pass along information in error.
Grain harvested by headers was not shocked. It looks like they're cutting and threshing all at one time, in the picture you posted. Sometimes when the threshing rig wasn't in the area, they'd cut the grain and stack the heads. Then the machine was pulled up to the stack and the heads were pitched directly from the stack into the machine.

Monte,
Did I say it was shocked? I didn't mean to...I meant to say it wasn't shocked or in bundles. Grain was cut ripe standing in the fields, elevated into the barges and hauled to where it is being, or would be, threshed. My dad and his brothers used the header and barges sometimes too. I am sending a picture below to show the rig up close. (Then I'll get back to steel wheel tractors, Craig.)

I am not a writer. I am a gatherer of history and try to describe (not always my best) what happened... sometimes. I have tried to break bad habits like, "throw the cow over the fence some grain" but I don't always succeed.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

I have always gotten a kick out of this picture I took at Antique Acres, Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1992. This boy appears to be 9 or 10 years old and is driving his grandpa's Rumely Oilpull around. I REALLY belive in helping young people who want to learn what makes us old timers tick. Nothing does my heart more good.


This picture shows show host, Lance Barnes and his daughter Lanceine Barnes-Ziegler with their Rumely Oilpull at Belgrade, Montana. Lanceine runs the stationary hay baler her dad is lining up to power.


This picture was one of the late Haston St. Clair's collection and shows a later style 40-65 Reeves gas tractor at the Reeves factory. This tractor had the same engine as it's Twin City counterpart had, as that is where Reeves got their engines.

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

This first picture is of the Rumely Oilpull belted to the hay baler Lanceine Barnes-Zeigler is about to start pitching hay into at the Belgrade, Montana show.


This second poor picture is the only one I have of my dad on a 15-30 McCormick Deering in Montana's Judith Basin, pulling their combine of that same manufacture. The combine wasn't any good, according to Dad and the engine ended up running the line shaft in the old log shop at the ranch, replacing the upright boiler and steam engine that had done the job.


This is a picture of a Case tractor plowing in eastern Montana. I have several pictures that show old tractors sporting a US flag, indicating the pictures being taken during WWI.
Gary

[Sawyer-Massey 11-22]

Originally Posted by 20 Reeves Highwheeler

The first picture is of a 40-65 Hart Parr that belonged to Fred Thurston in North Dakota. His 80+ year old son Donn is in our local iron club. Donn says this is a 30-60 Hart Parr revved up to 320 RPM and re-rated at the Nebraska tests. I don't know, but that is what he said.

The second is of an, so I was told, 8-16 Case three wheeler here in Montana spreading natural fertilizer.

The third is of Mike Tyler's Fordson Trackson at Moore, Montana.

I took this last picture at belgrade, Montana at the Barnes Steam and Power Show several years 2-bottom plow with the late Vince Dailey's 1918 tractor.

I am going to a funeral at Missoula for a couple of days, so I'll "see you" when I get back.
Gary

Gary:

I have been following both this thread and all the other threads that you have posted photos on. You have collected a wonderful number of photos, both vintage and current, but most importantly, you have documented the time, place and people. To that I say well done.

With regards to your photo of son Mike on one of those infernal combustion contraptions, it is difficult to tell from the smile on Mike's face, which one is the "Happy Farmer".

Be well,..................Robert

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

Robert,
Thanks for the Kudos. I developed my addiction in 1952 and there is no known medical cure as of yet. My wife has gotten somewhat "vocal" about my addiction a time or two since I subscribed to SmokStak. I seem to be able to manage my addiction at this stage. This is therapy for me and it is a way for me to leave a little history behind, as I sure love history. I don't remember doing particularly well in history in school, but the photos and running engines is living history. I figure if Harry or Craig don't delete my stuff and send back my subscription check, I'm still good to go here?

My wife wrote a very nice 260+ page book with 300+ historical photos about my grandparents, involving the old 1881 homestead near Lewistown. She wrote it and I did the photo work. The one thing I ran into at that time is: my ancestors wrote down little to nothing on or about their photographs. I have tried to do better since I started collecting pictures, but this project "sealed it" for me.

Now that beautiful, clumsy smiling farmer tractor... Mike damaged his right arm that night, trying to steer it into and out of the furrow. He went to the doctor after returning home in Helena and fought "tennis elbow" for several years and I'm not sure, but he may still be able to tell the weather, due to that Happy Farmer.

Thanks again Robert.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

This first photo is from a postcard I have that was taken in the Conrad, Montana area and shows a square radiator Aultman-Taylor 30-60 pulling a gang plow, but parked at the farmstead.


I took this picture of Carl Mehmke in the mid 1990s, when he got out the old D-8 Caterpiller his dad, the late Walter Mehmke, bought in (I believe?) the 1940s, which became their main farming tractor at that time. He is also tied onto the three disk plows this Cat pulled at that time. Carl seemed right at home cranking the pony, down through the hood, then making dust like he did in his younger years. About the only thing that isn't original is the Donaldson "pre-cleaner".
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

This is a picture taken near Conrad, Montana several decades ago on the Mort and Emil Christensen farm, showing some of the gas tractors and steam engines they owned at one time. Some of you were likely attendees at their auction sale of about 15 years ago? I was sick and couldn't attend.


This is an old early Aultman Taylor 30-60 gas tractor which shows the pneumatic starting system's air pump handle. I tried to describe the starting process, from memory of what I was told in a magazine and kind of got put in my place. I will try again... There was a dog that locked the crankshaft; and the air tank shown, vertical on this engine, was filled with air to turn over the motor when the dog was released. I think I am safe in only saying that much, so you sort of get the idea, if you've never actually played with one of these systems.


These are a couple of engravings out of the Aultman Taylor catalog, showing the hand pumped compressor.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

This picture shows the Dotseth wives on Montana's highline as they tend their husband's 25-50 Minneapolis gas tractor.

This is of the Dotseth family and neighbors on the Montana highline homestead.

This is a picture of my wife's grandfather, Jeff Simpson's Rumely Oilpull and Holt combine, cutting grain just outside of Moore, Montana in the Judith Basin. His son, Ralph, is on the left and Jeff is on the right, standing on the ground. I'd often wondered when combines started coming with unloading augers. This has to be an early example?

This is a picture of Jeff Simpson's Rumely Oilpull pulling grain drills, seeding on his farm near Moore, Montana.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

I took this picture several years ago at Belgrade, Montana of "someone's" John Deere two cylinder Lindeman crawler. It was beautifully restored and my friend Joe Fisher was admiring it.

This is a picture I scanned from an ancient text book of an IHC 10-20 titan on an Illinois farm.

This is quite a scarce photo postcard of a 40-80 double radiator Hart Parr plowing and is courtesy of the late Mort Christensen.

This is R. Pebl's 30-60 Hart Parr pulling five binders, cutting grain. If you look closely at the rear binder, it still has a buggy whip in its socket. This picture is from my good friend Richard Rorvig.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

Crawler time: I am sending a picture of my former TD-18A tied to an IH A160 truck that tried to cross a wet spot during harvest. I took care to chain to the springs and axle, so as to not pull the rear end out of the truck.

Craig, said I could put these next three pictures here too, since they are from my gallery. The first is a Best 25 Tracklayer, then owned by Carl Kirsch on the west coast and courtesy my friend, the late Max Tyler.

This picture is of, I believe, the same 25 Best and a 45 Holt, then owned by Carl Kirsch on the west coast and courtesy the late Mort Christensen.

This last picture is of a Holt 120 - 6 cylinder Caterpillar, courtesy of Max Tyler. These were built for Austria, pre-WW1, and were not imported due to that war.

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

This is a picture of Carl Mehmke's 40-80 Avery I took several years ago while there for an annual plow day.

This is a picture of one of the TD-18's I once owned. This shows it sporting a new cab and pulling a pretty light load, a Model T garage in 1965.

This is a round radiator Aultman Taylor photographed near Havre, Montana anf pulling grain wagons.

This shows a Big Four 30-60 tractor pulling a combined harvester in the Fort Benton, Montana area and FtBenton is the world's innermost port.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

This 40-80 Avery appears to have a rotted off exhaust stack. It is freight in eastern Montana, courtesy of my friend Doug McDougall.

This is Albert Stordahl on the Williams' farm near Conrad, Montana. He was the grandfather of my only daughter in-law, Pam.

This is a 20-40 Case plowing in eastern Montana and pulling a Case power lift plow, courtesy of the late Mort Christensen.

This is a postcard of a 30-60 Hart Parr pulling binders on the Schuster place near Glendive, Montana in 1910 and thanks to the late Mort Christensen.
Gary

[20 Reeves Highwheeler]

The motor of the 6 cylinder 120 hp Holt crawler.

The late Mort Christensen had this picture of a 120 hp Holt Caterpillar farming on Montana's highline. The tractor was intended to be exported to Austria, but WWI put a halt to the contract by the US Government.
Gary

[Craig A]

Originally Posted by 20 Reeves Highwheeler

This is a 20-40 Case plowing in eastern Montana and pulling a Case power lift plow, courtesy of the late Mort Christensen.

That's not just ANY 20-40 Case Gary! At that time the tags were stamped "Case 40"................period. But the thing that made me take a GOOD look was the "high" intake manifold which is indicative of an early 20-40 and THEN I noticed it ALSO has a Pickering governor, making it a very early model.
NICE one gary...............