Grandpas T20 (OT)

[clarkwd]

While looking for old pictures of my Grandpas MC, we found this one of him and my uncles Bud and Gil riding a load of logs down the road in Westford Hill, CT. It would have been about 1938 or 39. I'm sure it was a McCormick Deering and I'm pretty sure the tractor is a T20.
Bill

[Lavoy]

That looks to be an early T20, it has the sloping tracks, might even have been grey in color.
Lavoy

[Tigerhaze]

Neat pic- thanks for sharing!

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

It does look grey in that photo.

Yes, I know it's B&W and it's *all* grey!

Farmall Red in a B&W photo looks more like black or dark blue, and that T20 is way too light in shade, so it was probably grey.

Said the long-time B&W photographer.

Stan

[clarkwd]

As a kid about as big as those on the sleds, I used to go with my Grandpa to the mill. There were usually three adults, Gramp running the mill, one uncle taking off lumber and slabs, and one rolling up logs. The mill was powered by something like a McCormick Deering W30. My brother and I would get water for the radiator, they would drain water from the gas and add gas and oil. After they had double checked that it was out of gear and securely blocked, all the men would run with the PTO belt until it started. Smoke and exhaust would rise through the leaves and from then on all talking was done with hand signals. Us kids would stay out of the way playing in the sawdust pile listening for the lugging of the engine as the saw bit into another log.

Now I'm wondering what it was like to start the old T20. I'm sure he had to fill it with fresh water every time he used it as well as filling it with gas and oil. They did not have anything to tow it with and there would have been no way to gravity start it even if the tracks were not froze in. On a day like the one in the picture I'm sure it would have cranked hard and I would not be at all surprised if he built a fire under it to warm things up a bit.

I never heard him swear or knew him to break a bone but I'll bet the task of starting it tested him.
Bill

[Lavoy]

Dad talked about neighbors coming over to visit in the winter. They would drain the radiator when they got there so it would not freeze while they were there. Then when they were about ready to leave, grandma would boil a pot of water, and they would dump the hot water in the radiator to help warm the engine up so it would start a little bit easier. I never thought to ask dad how come they never cracked a block doing that.
Another thing he told about was putting bricks in the oven to warm them up, then there was a contraption they put them in and took them with in the car for a little bit of heat.
Lavoy

[clarkwd]

My brother related this story tonight he heard from our great aunt years ago. She said that if it was really cold and they knew they were going to need a vehicle the next day, they would drain both the water and oil, keeping the oil in a can by the wood stove. When they were ready to go they would dump the warm oil back in the crankcase and add hot water from her tea kettle. She would sit in the cab and work the controls while her Dad would crank. He did not drive, so after it started, he got in and they drove off, quite often, right over the tea kettle.
Bill

[thomastractorsvc]

I was told stories when I was a kid that they used to leave kerosene in the radiator with a loose cap in the winter as coolent. That was in northern Maine.

[Lavoy]

Dad always talked about the first antifreeze they had being an alcohol based stuff. Evaporated just terrible, not a real good idea.
Lavoy

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

I still have some cans that held the alky-based anti-freeze that I use for oddball nut and bolt storage in the shop. It was DuPont Zerone brand, and it was really pure methanol in a fancy can.

Some years back, I had this 1933 Ford 5-window coupe that I tended to commute to work in. It had a shroud around the exhaust manifold that was plumbed to a hole in the floorboard. One would just open up a door over the hole and - presto - heat. Well, air that was at least 20 degrees warmer than the outside air, anyway!

I never did drive that 33 Ford in the winter. So, the lousy heater was of no concern. It was fun defogging the windscreen, though. I carried a handtowel for that job. Just keep on wiping! Fortunately, those old buggies were narrow bodied, so one can easily reach across the windshield.

Stan