1917 Linn Tractor Number One part 5 walk around

[LinnTractorNut]

First machine built by the Linn factory, Feb. 1917, whose temporary headquarters was a machine shop on Grove St by the bridge (now a front yard) while the new factory was built near the fairgrounds, where they had waterpower. They were meant as legal highway machines that would operatate and maintain just like any motor truck, two like this were shipped to the military in 1917, but over the years only low numbers went to military use out of about 2500 units built 1917-1952.

[Sohave]

Cool machinery, thanks for sharing. Was it ment as a civilian or a millitary tractor? Perhaps I am asking stupid but I just learned that this vehicle even existed today.

[RaybestosBrakes]

What a great way to see the Raybestos Brakes used!

[LinnTractorNut]

@RaybestosBrakes 6/3/1917 Linn ordered 20 Duplex 9-1/4 x 2 B-1 Raybestos lined brakes (2 per machine). 2/16/1918 Linn ordered a dozen brake bands of 9-1/4 x 2" B-1 but planned on switching to 18" bands by April, requiring a longer anchor bolt/stud. By June they wanted a 2-1/4" wide band for increased braking power. By July 1918 Linn was waiting for the new brakes but railroads were a mess by then due to WW1. By Jan. 1919 using 2-1/2" wide band. May 1919 Linn ref. to blueprint # 69.

[LinnTractorNut]

There were several prototypes before H.H. Linn settled in this village and gave up his dog & pony show circus to build tractors. Work in a rented machine shop began on this machine in Feb. 1917, while a 50' x 300' waterpowered one story concrete block building was put up for a factory. Linn previously built one using a single Lombard track in rear, two wheels up front, but as he was sales agent for Lombard then, Lombard secretly patented it, so Linn got mad, quit and left Maine.

[miloskujovic]

from witch year is this?

[schlusselmensch]

Lovely old beast. Is there a retard lever on the mag for starting or does it have an retarding impulse mechanism?

[LinnTractorNut]

@schlusselmensch They all came with the impulse coupling as far as I know. Originally the Continental engines came equipped with a Pierce governor but from the vibration or whatever they caused so much trouble for Linn they sent them al back, they told Continental not to ship anymore engines with Pierce equipment, They used Bosch Du4 magnetos, switching to American Bosch naturally. They did use some Splitdorf and Eisenmann mags but later settled on Scintilla/Bendix from nearby Sidney, NY.

[LinnTractorNut]

Linn worked for Lombard up in Maine, who was building crawlers before Holt did, Holt and Best combined to form Caterpillar after their patent lawsuits against each other nearly bankrupted them. Linn's improvement was to build a flexible track system that never lost contact with the ground, where Holt/Cat/Lombard was rigid, Holt used the Hornsby clutch steer system which means losing half traction power when turning, also full crawlers couldn't carry their own payload, and needed ballast.