#15, 2nd Street SE, Cut Bank, Montana 59427
I am a mechanic for a large farm equipment company here in
Montana and a fellow by the name of John Weathered, a rancher up
along the Canadian Line, had this old W-30 rusting away in his back
yard. I finally asked him what he planned to do with it and he said
I could have it if I came and got it. So I borrowed the
company’s delivery truck and hauled it to Ft. Benton, Montana
to the State Tractor Pull and I won first place in my class. Well,
John was so proud of me!
He said he knew where there was an old Titan just across the
line in Canada. So the next weekend we went to see the folks and I
made a deal with them for $350.00. The owner’s name was Brack
Christie. I borrowed the delivery truck again and went after my
tractor. Well, when I got back to customs, of course I had to stop
and check through. The customs agent said that I couldn’t haul
scrap down from Canada into the U.S. so it took us a little of
convincing to make them believe it was a farm tractor. That was
September 28, 1980. Well, needless to say, I made it home with it
okay and started right to work on it evenings and weekends.
When I began work on it, I started a diary and kept track of the
dates and the time I spent and what I did- mistakes and all! It was
a real tough one; everything on it was frozen up except the oiler
and it was full of mouse bed and barley. You couldn’t even turn
the steering wheel.
Well, after 418 hours and burning a lot of midnight oil, she was
ready to go to work. The picture on the cover was taken before I
even started it up as I didn’t want it to get all oily before I
got a picture of it. Needless to say, it cranked right up and ran
real well. I ran it in our Lewis & Clark Parade here and won
first prize in 1981. I ran it this year in two parades and won
second prize both times being beat out for first by a Case steam
engine here and a $10,000.00 model A Ford at Valier, Montana.
I also took it to the State Tractor Pull at Ft. Benton and made
a real good pull-just for exhibition. It was a great crowd
pleaser.
Since I started in 1980, I have collected 45 old tractors; 16 of
them are on steel wheels and I am currently restoring a Rumely
16-30 #4430 and an old Lion about 1915.
