Tractors, and other work vehicles
1939 Case Tractor
This is a 1939 Case tractor donated to us by the United States Air Force. Tractors like this were used to help prepare and maintain runways and other facilities throughout WWII. We even have a picture of it when it was on display at Lackland AFB. It was prepared for storage very well. When we decided to relocate it, because it's previous, once prominent location had become a shaded picnic area near to a new concrete slab for a future building, the wheels and gears turned freely, despite years of inactivity. This leads adventurous souls to wonder if it could not be got going again.
1941 Cletrac DG-5 Crawler Tractor
This 1941 Cletrac crawler tractor was acquired by the museum in July of 2017, It was built by the Cleveland Tractor Company. It is powered by a 50 HP Hercules inline 6 cylinder gasoline engine. It weighs 12,500 lbs. It is fitted with a heavy duty winch on the rear and is rated to pull 30,000 lbs, It has a top speed of 4.65 MPH. It cost $3,300 when new, the equivalent of $57,000 in today's money.
1946 John Deere Model H Tractor
This John Derre Model H tractor was donated to the museum in 2012 by Leroy & Margie Hagendorf. Leroy acquired in it terrible shape ten years earlier and restored it beautifully. To quote from the 1939 company brochure introducing the new type, "The Model H was manufactured to "meet the demands of small-acreage farmers everywhere for a tractor that will handle all power jobs at rock-bottom cost, and meet the demands of the large-acreage farmers who have always wanted and needed economical auxiliary power to handle lighter farm jobs." The museum will use the tractor to pull hay rides at special events and certain yard work duties around our large property.
1948 Ford 8N tractor
This 1948 Ford 8N tractor is one of the most recent acquisitions at the Texas Transportation Museum. It was acquired with the generous assistance of local lawyer and museum member Anton Hajek. The 8N was introduced as a replacement for the venerable Fordson, one of which a group of local Ford Model T enthusiasts recently found axle deep in mud and which they hope to restore. The 8N will be used both for hard work and play. It can accommodate a brush hog to help keep our large grass areas under control and a box blade for road maintenance. It will also be used at our Halloween and Christmas shows to provide hay rides.
1983 John Deere 310 Front-end loader / back-hoe
Not the prettiest thing at TTM, this piece of heavy duty equipment is a sight for sore eyes when hard work is on the agenda. We use it to maintain the roads, the tracks, clear brush, dig holes and, on occasion, to retrieve other vehicles when they get bogged down around the property.