Tractors!

Renewable Fuels

This 1925-vintage Keck & Gonnerman steam tractor generates 19 horsepower. It was built at the Keck-Gonnerman factory in Mount Vernon, Indiana, way down in the southwestern tip of the state.

Keck-Gonnerman got into the steam engine business in the 1870s and was a major employer in the area before finally being sold off in the 1950s.

Grand Prix Tractor Pull

Ford Versus Ferrari (Versus Porsche & Lamborghini!) pic.twitter.com/InXBqommIO

— Tamara K. (@TamSlick) October 24, 2021

Toro!

An interesting artifact is this 1939 Toro tractor. Turns out that Toro is a great example of a company identifying a niche and filling it.

"One of those companies was Toro. Created as the Toro Motor Co. in 1914 to build tractor motors, its first customer was the Bull Tractor Co. In 1919, it introduced the To-Ro cultivator. The game of golf was gaining in popularity in the early 20th century, and in 1921, Toro was one of the first companies to fasten gangs of reel mowers to one of its power units to maintain golf courses. From that point on, Toro was a leader in lawn maintenance products: first commercially and then in residential applications.

Until Toro got involved in golf course maintenance there is no record of any special tractor made to handle gangs of mowers. Model T Fords were sometimes modified for that purpose but were only marginally successful because considerable power was needed and the T’s somewhat fragile drive train was taxed beyond its capacity. Toro developed a specialized power source and continued to improve it as the years went by. By the late 1930s, Toro pretty much owned the golf course maintenance equipment and tractor niche market."

I love the streamlined art deco prow on this thing. It just screams "Hop in! We're mowing this golf course into the future!"

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Heartland...

More State Fair pics...

The big Keck-Gonnerman steam engine from an earlier post was being used to power this late 19th Century thresher.

I didn't get the details of the thresher's manufacture, but the steam engine was made right here in Indiana.

 A hideously complex array of leather drive belts obviously take skill to arrange and tension properly.

The thresher probably dates to the 1880s, while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was still some ninety years in the future. Even today, working around farm equipment is dangerous, and the price of inattention can be traumatic amputation.
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Peak State Fair

This kid swarming up onto the tractor just made my day.
Peak State Fair, right there.#IndianaStateFair pic.twitter.com/UWscQRxh49

— Tamara K. (@TamSlick) August 19, 2018

1913 Avery tractor

I find this tractor mechanically intriguing, especially because everything about it is out where you can see it. Shot with Sony a7 II and 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 lens.

This is usually under a tent awning in the middle of the tractor park, and is a dark object, so it's usually been tricky to shoot. In 2014 it was parked under the sky, however.

That State Fair was when I was still using the EOS 20D and the 18-135mm zoom as my walking-around setup. I took a lot of my favorite pictures with that body and lens.

State Fair!

STATE FAIR!

A post shared by Tamara Keel (@tamarakeel) on Aug 17, 2018 at 10:37am PDT

You know what's voodoo? Snapping a pic with your cell phone and then post-processing it in Adobe Lightroom right there on the phone.
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American-Occupied America...

I just spent a wonderful afternoon deep in the heart of American-Occupied America. The State Fair is such a mood-lifter. I look forward to it every year.

It's the politest crowd you will ever find yourself in. The kids, especially the farm kids, make you go home humming "The Kids Are Alright". The whole thing is a celebration of the people who Get Shit Done. It's a wonderful antidote to the 24/7 depressing news cycle.
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Silver King tractors...

1939 Silver King. I think an R-38?

Closeup of the sign in front of the little Silver King.

Nicely restored 1948 Silver King on the right, unrestored original finish on the left.

View of the unrestored tractor's dash.

1934 Allis-Chalmers Model WC

This is an "unstyled" WC, before Allis-Chalmers hired Brooks Stevens to sexy up the looks of their farm implements.

The cockpit defines "spartan accommodations".

1930 Farmall Regular

This clean tractor had a lot of pull.

Label

Exhausted

Steering gear

All the above pics can be embiggenated to varying degrees by clickery.
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Ford 8N Tractor

 Not exactly sure of the year and model; 1940s N-series of some sort, as best I can tell.

You wouldn't want your radiator cap blowing off in the slipstream; better streamline that puppy.
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1935 John Deere B

1935 John Deere B

 Tractors With Lugs Prohibited

Controls

Massey Ferguson 97

Massey Ferguson 97

1962 Ford 801 Powermaster 4x4 tractor

This one looks like it could drive up a tree in low gear...

It's still got that cool streamlined styling, from before everybody decided that straight lines were the Wave of the Future...

...and dig the neat badge!

Minneapolis-Moline 335

Another bit of nice postwar styling, the Minneapolis-Moline 335 was made from 1956-1961.
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Cockshutt Tractors

Cockshutt Plow Company was a Canadian agricultural equipment manufacturer that launched its own tractor line after World War Two.

The very aerodynamic Cockshutt 20 Deluxe, obviously shaped to take advantage of its 25 horsepower.

Streamliner prow

Cockpit of the Raymond Loewy-sculpted Cockshutt 570...

...which caught our eye for the interesting double-sided tachometer/speedometer.

Allis-Chalmers Model G

1950 Allis-Chalmers Model G

Spartan saddle arrangements

Rear engine compartment

This was a new one on me. Near the back of the tractor array was this elfin little Allis-Chalmers G, a rear-engine, low-budget tractor intended for use on small farms and market gardens. I had never seen one before.
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