1917 Linn Tractor Number One part 5 walk around

It had started on the first crank until I wanted to film it, Gerry Fuchs operator. Driveline enters Cotta 3 speed from Rockford, IL, as mentioned the spiders would wear so on long grades holding back a load it would suddenly jump out of gear so they went to the Brown Lipe transmission by 1920, about when RAU and RBU Wisconsins were tried, with optional electric lights, but then switched to Waukeshas and acetylene. The differential is bolted direct to the back of the transmission case, this was built to Linn's specs and they supplied most of the differentials and reduction gears through 1952, as noted elsewhere final drive construction defines models/vintage of tractors, so the part number on the drive sprocket or differential can help identify vintage/model. The purpose of front toothed sprocket was for Raybestos brake bands, tempting to think they could have tried track steer but no evidence of that. I was answering questions while filming from someone not aware I could take movies with a little digital camera. The machine could carry 5 ton on back, easily pull 20 ton, had speeds of 2 mph in first, 3-1/2 mph in second and 5 mph in 3rd, cull pull a 6 point plow, farm models came with a belt pulley on the rightside running board. Continental E4 4-1/2 x 5-1/2 350 cu. in. engine called 40 hp but SAE rating 29.7. 25 years ago it was dragged up from nearby village barn and about 1/4 inch of edge taken off high ice creepers on track, this time it was moved on slideback truck by Fuchs to and from storage. The building at the time was more of an open pavillion with the tractor enclosed at rear, end to the road, so it is greatly improved and visible from West Main St. 23/51 even at night. Before that it sat unloved in a farm machinery shed many years prior to 1983 when interest picked up in it. Guy Rathbun had gotten new front wheels made up by the Amish as the originals were rotted out. This tractor did have louvered hoodsides since at least 1934, until sometime in recent decades, but these were not original anyways. It would have had a full c-cab, with track oil reservoirs mounted on the sides. Maurice Bridges had the bronze plate made up and placed on the seat. What is used for a serial number plate on the dash is actually a unused Linn body plate off a Linn built dump or ballast box. The round brass Bosch S-12 magneto ground switch is missing from the dash. Someone had removed some fittings and ignition wires from the engine, and the Rome Turney brass radiator got dented in the side, but otherwise in a good state of preservation since it returned to the village about 25 years ago.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Linn
• tractor
• halftrack
• antique
• museum
• logging
• Continental
• engine
• Cotta
• Brown
• Lipe
• Hartford
• Rome
• Turney
• Morris

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[miloskujovic]

from witch year is this?

[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.