Working Scale Models Of Old IH Farm Machinery

1997 - Volume #21, Issue #3, Page #21

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Retired farmer Arie Colenbrander of Sioux Center, Iowa, says that when he was farming he dreamed of some day making miniature farm machinery.
So as soon as he retired he started building a 1/5-scale model of a 1910 Titan tractor. He went on to build a 1/5-scale model smaller Titan tractor, a threshing machine, and a McCormick Deering corn sheller. All four models really work and are belt or chain-driven. They're all powered by small Briggs & Stratton gas engines.
Each year Colenbrander and his wife, Goldie, load their miniature equipment on the bed of a 1955 International truck and travel to area fairs or car shows to put the equipment on display.
"They bring back memories to people who lived in the 1920's, æ30's, and 40's be-cause they work just like the full-sized ma-chines did," says Colenbrander. "I was 65 when I started building these models and 78 when I finished them. I had to travel to Minden, Neb., to get the measurements for the corn sheller. It took a long time to measure everything from top to bottom. They didn't cost a lot to build because I made them all from scratch. I spent a total of about $100.
"The big Titan tractor weighs 150 lbs. and took three years to complete. There's a lot of heavy steel in it. It has two belts and two chains - one on each side of the tractor. The original tractor was powered by a 45 hp 2-cyl. gas engine. I made all the pulleys but bought most of the sprockets. The smaller Titan is a 1020 that was built from 1914 to 1924. Goldie helped me paint both tractors.
"The threshing machine was originally built in the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's. As a boy I loved to run my dad's threshing ma-chine. I used 20-penny nails to make the wheel spokes on it as well as on the corn sheller. The worm gears on the thresher are off a crescent wrench. The steering mechanisms on both tractors also came from a crescent wrench.
"I bought the IH R-130 truck new. The speedometer is going around for the second time but the engine has never been touched."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Arie Colenbrander, 629 2nd Ave. S.E., Sioux Center, Iowa 51250 (ph 712 722-0496).

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Working Scale Models Of Old IH Farm Machinery AG WORLD Ag World 21-3-21 Retired farmer Arie Colenbrander of Sioux Center, Iowa, says that when he was farming he dreamed of some day making miniature farm machinery. So as soon as he retired he started building a 1/5-scale model of a 1910 Titan tractor. He went on to build a 1/5-scale model smaller Titan tractor, a threshing machine, and a McCormick Deering corn sheller. All four models really work and are belt or chain-driven. They're all powered by small Briggs & Stratton gas engines. Each year Colenbrander and his wife, Goldie, load their miniature equipment on the bed of a 1955 International truck and travel to area fairs or car shows to put the equipment on display. "They bring back memories to people who lived in the 1920's, æ30's, and 40's be-cause they work just like the full-sized ma-chines did," says Colenbrander. "I was 65 when I started building these models and 78 when I finished them. I had to travel to Minden, Neb., to get the measurements for the corn sheller. It took a long time to measure everything from top to bottom. They didn't cost a lot to build because I made them all from scratch. I spent a total of about $100. "The big Titan tractor weighs 150 lbs. and took three years to complete. There's a lot of heavy steel in it. It has two belts and two chains - one on each side of the tractor. The original tractor was powered by a 45 hp 2-cyl. gas engine. I made all the pulleys but bought most of the sprockets. The smaller Titan is a 1020 that was built from 1914 to 1924. Goldie helped me paint both tractors. "The threshing machine was originally built in the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's. As a boy I loved to run my dad's threshing ma-chine. I used 20-penny nails to make the wheel spokes on it as well as on the corn sheller. The worm gears on the thresher are off a crescent wrench. The steering mechanisms on both tractors also came from a crescent wrench. "I bought the IH R-130 truck new. The speedometer is going around for the second time but the engine has never been touched." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Arie Colenbrander, 629 2nd Ave. S.E., Sioux Center, Iowa 51250 (ph 712 722-0496).

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