Interesting tractor in Canada

[David Parfitt]

Can anyone confirm the identity of this tractor, photographed at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in 1995? I think it's a Gilson, but not 100% sure. Would be interested to know what engine(s) Gilson used in their tractors. Any idea what on earth that smaller wheel below the steering wheel was for?? Perhaps someone has some Gilson literature they could scan?

Many thanks in advance

David

(Photo courtesy Henry Roskilly.)

[G Willikers]

David?
Looks like it could be a Gilson, made in Guelph, Ontario. Here are a couple of not so great shots taken at Austin, Manitoba Ag Museum. Their's has Waukesha, type R, 4and1/2 x 5and3/4. Dated c1918. It has Foote Bros tranny, 2 speeds, 60" rears, pinion inside Bull (ring) gear, disc type individual brakes. Rated 12-25.
Looks like they have changed the rad on the Austin one, and front wheels have flat spokes. I have some poor pix showing originals with round spokes like in your picture. I am not seeing the extra steering wheel you mention and recall nothing on Austin one?
There is also a Gilson in the Country Heritage Park collection in Milton, Ontario but it has a real oddball motor????
Hope this helps?
G.

[Ross Clarke]

It sure looks like a Gilson to me.
You're right G, I have run the one in Milton & I think the motor is some old car engine, but the name escapes me. The clutch in it was dangerous, a spring clutch like on the light weight Rumely, pull to release the clutch and hope to he!! it doesn't slip out of your hand.
This one looks like it is the only truly original one of the 3.
I can faintly see the second wheel but have no idea what it is for as the other 2 do not have it.

Ross

[JLBroadhead]

Grandads 39-57 minneapolis has that second wheel and it is a trans brake?

[G Willikers]

Originally Posted by Ross Clarke

It sure looks like a Gilson to me.
You're right G, I have run the one in Milton & I think the motor is some old car engine, but the name escapes me. The clutch in it was dangerous, a spring clutch like on the light weight Rumely, pull to release the clutch and hope to he!! it doesn't slip out of your hand.
This one looks like it is the only truly original one of the 3.
I can faintly see the second wheel but have no idea what it is for as the other 2 do not have it.

Ross

Ross!
Yes, I had the "pleasure"??? to run the one at Milton and you just reminded me why I preferred to run their Sawyer, or anything else! Also can't recall the breed of motor in it, but something just completely different!!??
I wonder if WDM has one in their collections? Likely eh? Chad Yelland, where are you?
G.

[Bud Tierney]

I've got a note on Gilson Mfg Co, Port Washington, WI, that supposedly produced the Gilson Guelph around 1918 in three sizes: 11-20, 12-25 and 15-30. Info apparently came from I&T's Vol I and/or Wendels Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors (assuming I didn't get things confused); no tech info on my note. and Gilson doesn't show in a 24 piston catalog, but it's very weak on anything other than cars and trucks.

[David Parfitt]

Bud: Can I ask what "I&T" is?

G.: Thanks for the pics of the Gilson at Austin. I have tried to lighten the photo above to show that second "steering" wheel a little better. You should be able to make it out below and just to the right of the main steering wheel.

Best wishes

David

[Randy Kvill]

It is a Gilson Style 18 15-30 tractor. Serial Number is 2004. It was manufactured in Guelph, Ontario. It is beleived to be a 1918. The engine is a Waukesha Model R four cylinder, 4.25 bore and 5.75. Engine number is 21423, date 3, 5, 1918. 30 hp at 1000 rpm. The Foote Brothers transmission is serial number 1262. The small wheel is the gear shifting handle.

It is still at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum.

Randy

[Bud Tierney]

David: The I & T volumes (Implement & Tractor?) are published (I assume) by the same company that puts out a lot of tractor/eqpmt manuals. They're along the same lines as the Wendel books except no (or very little) company background/history. Got them (Vol I 1916-25, Vol II 1926-56) out of the local library . If I'm recalling correctly they usually have a pic, either a photo or from an old ad/brochure, with a paragraph of tech info known. Naturally the larger mfr's have more models shown; it apparently had no engine info on Gilson per my notes (The independent US engine mfr's and what their engines were used in was my interest). Very nice books, well worth having, but haven't checked around to see if available or at what price.

[Craig A]

Bud..........that I&T collection is actually a 3 volume set...........and WELL worth having.
The first volume has SOME history and so forth but TONS of early ads.....
I'm not sure if it's out of print either.................

[Bud Tierney]

On the "oddball " engine question, the "passenger car, motor trucks, motor buses, tractors, compressors and marine engines" lists in the 24 piston catalog (almost all cars and trucks) lists the following under "engines": Anstad (one car), Buda, Cont, Duesenberg, Falls, Gray, Herc, Hershell-Spillman, Hinckley, Lyc, Mid-West, Northway, Rutenbur, Van Blerck, Wauk, Weidley and Wisc. There's also (off the top of my head at the moment) Anderson, Buffalo, Chief, Climax, Beaver-Le Roi, Doman, Erd, Gile (believe they made some in-line with the horizontals?), Kermath, Light, Stearns, WSM...got a list here somewhere... (plus the relatively rare truck and tractor companies that made their own engines in the teens to the 30's and are now long gone).