On page 5 of the April 2007 issue of Farm Collector,
George R. Pinkowski asked a question about the rails on an F-20. I
have been writing a book about my experiences growing up on the
farm. Dad had an F-20, and in the book I describe what these rails
were used for and how they worked. Here is a paragraph from the
book on the subject:
The tractor had a cable-actuated wheel brake on the rear wheels.
The shaft that went through a front wheel casting to the front
wheels had an arm keyed to the shaft and moved with the front
wheels. This arm was about 8 inches long and extended toward the
rear of the tractor. The end connected to the cables that went to
the brakes. When the front wheels were turned to the left, the end
of the arm moved to the right, which applied the left wheel brake
on the tractor. Turning the steering wheel would engage the rear
wheel brake in the direction of the turn, making a tighter turn.
There was only a hand brake on the right side, controlled by a
lever with a lock. This would lock the right wheel when the tractor
was used for belt power.
– James Moss
210 E. Graham Ave.
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
