Two Cylinder Club Trip -
October 14, 2009
Thirteen personnel traveled on a one-day trip, October 14th, to the Larsen Test Museum, Tractor Test Station, and Speedy Bill’s Museum of American Speed on or near the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The fifteen-passenger bus was two short of a load. Does that say anything about the group? The weather was cool and rainy most of the day, but everything was indoors so the weather wasn’t much of a factor. Some of the tractors in the museum included: 1909 Ford (poor performance that led to Nebraska Tractor Test Law), Waterloo Boy Model N (Tractor Test No. l), 1915 Heider (Friction drive with sliding engine), 1917 Moline Universal (First with starter, generator, battery, and lights), 1918 Fordson (Early tractor with enclosed crankcase, transmission and differential), 1929 Allis Chalmers U (First tractor utilizing pneumatic tires) and 1943 Ford - Ferguson (First with hydraulic 3 point linkage lift). The museum also showcased Historic Tractor Test Lab equipment and instrumentation, original conservation tillage machines, early agricultural implements, and early hand tools.
The test lab was not really in operation because of the weather, but we did get to go through the facility and see the test track. As written into Nebraska law, the purpose of the Nebraska Test Laboratory is to evaluate tractors as to how well they perform, as they are advertised to do. The lab checks such things as the drawbar horsepower, PTO horsepower, 3 point hitch test, sound test, and fuel consumption.
In the afternoon the group visited the Speedy Bill’s Museum of American Speed located near the University of Nebraska. The three-floor museum contains the Smith Collection of racecars, displays of different engine designs and modifications, toys, pedal cars (unrestored and restored) along with two pedal tractors. All items were beautifully displayed and well worth your time if you are in the area. The two-hour guided tour capped off our trip. We were supposed to salute the University of Nebraska Memorial Stadium as we drove by, but were too tired to salute. Thanks to Ken Buell for setting up the trip and being the driver for the day.
Individuals going on the trip included: Ken Buell, Gene Rogers, Bob Antes, Don Hrabik, Glenn Ratzlaff, Bill Eagleburger, Larry Lundgrin, Cal and Evelyn Rothenberger, Justin Read, Andrew DuBois, Joe Dubois and Gary Dubois.
http://museumofspeed.net/index.shtml
http://tractortestlab.unl.edu/