I am looking for information about my little tractor. I found it in a junk pile and restored it. It was made by the Pony Tractor Co. in Lincoln, Neb. Called the Junior tractor, it is serial no. 732. Can anyone tell me what year it is, what its use was and its value?
– Ron Smith, P.O. Box 184, Lamoille, IL 61330; (815) 638-2075
Good as new
In the summer of 1995, my father, Russ Goodwin, and I acquired this 1945 Farmall B that my grandfather used as an overseer on a Waynesboro, Ga., farm. After my grandfather’s death in 1955, J.P. Rollins, son of the landowner, used the tractor. In the winter of 1985, while in his possession, the engine block cracked and was not repairable. He had told my father that he could have the tractor when he was ready, so we made the trip from Loganville, Ga., leaving early one morning, and brought the tractor home.
It was not until December 1996 that we began to restore the machine – the only connection between my grandfather and me. The tractor was in bad shape. At the shed at my parents’ house, we began breaking it down and removing dirt, grease and – most of all – rust. Many hours were spent sandblasting and priming the original metal. The goal was to restore the B as close to original as possible.
Once we had the tractor dismantled, we knew what parts would be needed to make it operational again. We bought a 1947 Farmall A in December 1997 for parts, including the engine, fenders and pedals. Other parts needed were ordered from companies, made by family and friends, or obtained at tractor shows.
Not long after the purchase of the A, the engine was fixed and started up by the hand crank. What a way to start a machine. After the completion of the engine, the wheels and tires were mounted, and in January 1998, I drove the tractor out for the first time.
From that point on, the final cosmetic touches were made, and finally, in August 1998, the Farmall B was ready to participate in fairs, town festivals and tractor shows.
The restoration of this tractor was a way for my father and me to spend quality time together. During the two years that it took for us to restore the tractor, he had heart, back and knee surgeries. I’m happy to say that the tractor and my father now are good as new.
– Bill Goodwin, 215 Old Good Hope Road, Good Hope, GA 30641; e-mail: bill_Goodwin@emory-healthcare.org
Hay trolley recovered
I tore down a barn about 10 years ago and salvaged the hay trolley, cleaned and painted it. I haven’t been able to locate the piece that locked the hook into the trolley, and I am wondering how to rig up the trolley. The name on the side of the trolley reads ‘Stowell Mfg. & FDY Co. South Milwaukee, Wis.’
– Dean Nichols, 508 28th Ave., Moline, IL 61265
Correction
In the October 2002 issue of Farm Collector, in the story ‘Canadian Taste in Old Iron – Big and Bold,’ some of the information on the Phibbs’ combine was reported incorrectly. The combine was purchased in 1953, David’s father’s name was Rex Phibbs, and Jim Heaslip’s surname is ‘Heaslip.’
