Massey Discussion Forums > Massey Talk > M-H Tanks/Racine
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Hi Alan,

Surprisingly the Purdue Ag Alumni Assn has a "New Old Stock" Areomotor windmill in their collection.  Probably one of the more common makes available.  I believe they are still in business if you want a new one!!

Gary

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

John,

You and Malcolm have been asking about the water towers (tanks) in Racine.  I am currently in St Louis at the Gateway Farm Toy Show and a friend of mine from Racine is here.  I asked him about thetowers (tanks) and he is sure they have disappeared from the skyline!!  He thought that a section of the parts depot building was still standing but was not sure.

Since none of our Racine friends are repsonding, I might just have to take a drive to Racine sometime this Spring. 

Ony's best friend moved to Racine several years ago because her husband had been transferred the the J I Case plant after they closed the plant in Terre Haute, IN.  So the plant was still open as late as ten years ago.  With her connection that is my hook to make the trip!!

GTE

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Gary,

Good of you to try and get some info on the Racine site.  Takes an IN man to shame the WI men into action I fear!!!

John

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Here's the big brute from the MH Racine "tank" stable.  It's the M44 self propelled howitzer weighing in at around 36 tons.  In one shot on the flat it is seen on the Racine test track.  It was claimed that this machine bearing a 155mm howitzer could be put into action faster than any other piece of field artillery at the time whether they be towed or self propelled.

The other shot shows it hill climbing on the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.  The specifications when it was designed and built  called for it to climb a 60% slope and fire on a 30% slope.  It was also demonstrated on MH's Racine test track on 12th August 1954.  Amazing that these were being made when "I was a lad"!

John
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Even in wartime the boys have to have some fun!  Two shots of the Racine tank assembly man signing in the New Year by graffiti-ing a tank under assembly with their names and thoughts for the enemy!  They certainly add a human touch to the whole business

John
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Tonight we have some top MH celebrities to show. 

The four people standing by the M5 tank are L-R > EG Burgess, Jas. S Duncan, WK Hyslop and CPMilne.  These really were top board men in M-H and of course James Duncanwas the President who steered MH so succesfully through the war years.

In the second shot showing board of directors visiting the Racine Tank plant  they are
L-R > JF Lash, CW Webster, WK Hyslop, ADJ Forster, JH Gundy, HB Housser, CP Milne, James Duncan and EP Taylor.  A powerful group indeed.

I wonder what they really all thought of having to make tanks instead of tractors?  But many companies did make a lot of money making armaments as a diversion from their normal activities, and of course supplies of materials were guaranteed in strict times, whereas for normal agricultural products they had to negoitaite for raw material supplies which were often restricted

John

John
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Does anyone have a photo or advertisement of a M-H windmill? 

I checked T. Lindsay Baker's Field Guide to American Windmills, and find no mention of M-H among 112 most popular US manufacturers listed.  This is an excellent book with detailed illustrations and engineering design notes.  However, it doesn't include manufacturers elsewhere in the world.  Could it have been produced by a Canadian firm?

It seems a little odd to me that M-H would sell windmills and engines to power pumps and do other work.  Although it's likely that some of the M-H dealers would have also sold windmills and pumps along with grinders, shellers, separators and such.

It also seems likely that a enterprising dealer would also have used windmills as a place to post advertising for his "big ticket line" - Massey Harris.

 

Jerry Thomas

Batavia, IL

RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Yes indeed - M-H definitely sold windmills and over a long period of time.

Reproduced here is a page from their 1939 "Farmers Handy Catalogue" showing the windmill that they were offering at that time - and as you can see in two sizes and up to 50 ft high

In my book "Massey Legacy Volume 2" if you look to page 193 you will see twoM-H windmills featured - one dating back to 1895 and developing 2-4 hp.  Not bad for the time?

John
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

John:

Maybe your looking in the wrong places for a Massey Harris Windmill. Here is a picture I found of one I believe is in a Windmill Museum in South Africa.

Joe
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RE:M-H Tanks/Racine

Joe,

That's a nice tit bit of information on the windmills!  I wonder if there were any down under in Australia as well?  Over here we never had them or only very rarely in isolated places and then mainly for generating a bit of electricity.  I was always surprised that there wasn't one in the Ontario Ag museum as there are other makes there.  And I don't think any of the large MH collectors in Ontario have any.

Back to tanks here is a shot in the factory of the men assembling the M44 155mm Howitzers for the Army Ordnance Corps.  It was demonstarted for the first time on MH's Racine test track on Thursday Aug 12th.

Last year in my searching for MH tanks I did locate one of these in Switzerland. It was in superficially very good condition externally but had suffered from acetylene blow torch activity internally cutting out some vital components!  It would have cost a fortune to put right to original condition.  Also the usual problem - no manufacturers name plate.  The guy was asking £75,000 and the thought of transporting the 36 ton beast back to here was, to say the least, logistically daunting and financially prohibitive

John

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