"Ol' Gertie" Rides Again

"Ol' Gertie" Rides Again TRACTORS Antiques 22-3-24 FARM SHOW reader Ray Roberts, Hillsboro, Ohio, recently told us about a friend, Russell Workman, who painstakingly restored a tractor his father had built back in the 1940's. We checked in with Workman, 83, of Lynchburg, Ohio, and here's what we learned about "Ol' Gertie", a tractor that's become a legend in the area. In 1940, Russell Workman's father, Ora, built a big, powerful tractor for his own use. Russell helped. It was powered by a 6-cyl. engine and had a heavy-duty 4-speed transmission out of a 1930 "Imperial 80" Dodge truck, giving it a top road speed of 40 to 45 mph. Workman used a junked 1928 REO Speedwagon truck for many of the tractor's main components, including differential, rear axle, brakes, radiator, steering gear, column and wheel. The rear axle was fitted with large spoked steel wheels adapted to fit the truck axle and hub. The front axle was fitted with wheels off a 1930 Pontiac automobile. A hydraulic lift mounted on front to accommodate a "buck rake" used for moving hay stacks. At 8 ft. long and 5 1/2-ft. high, the tractor was about twice the size and double the hp of many of the tractors of its day. Called "Ol' Gertie" for a Gertrude who worked in the salvage yard where many of the parts were bought, the tractor was used for field work for about 10 years. It was parked in the woods at the Workmans' farm in the early 1950's. In April 1994, Workman took a look at the rusted-out machine, which had literally sunk into the ground., and decided to restore it. He pulled it out of the woods with the help of a neighbor. All that remained useable was the channel iron main frame (which had to be reinforced), differential and front axle. Workman repowered "Ol' Gertie" with a 360 cu. in. V-8 engine and 4-speed transmission out of a 1971 Ford 1-ton truck. Front and rear wheels were purchased and rear wheels were fitted with 18.4 by 26-in. tires off an Allis Chalmers Gleaner combine. It has rear fenders from an old Oliver tractor and steering gear from a 1955 International 2-ton truck. A hood was fashioned from sheet metal, much the same as the original. The operator's seat is out of a school bus. (The original was built out of angle iron and wood planks fitted with a spring cushion out of a Model A Ford car.) Restoration was nearly complete by the time Workman turned 80 in October 1994. By this time, "Ol' Gertie" is a favorite around the area, appearing last June at the antique machinery show at the Highland County Fair at Hillsboro where she drew a lot of attention. (Portions of this article excerpted from "Iron Will", Reiman Publications, 5400 S. 60th St., Greendale, Wis. 53129; ph 414 423-0100.) Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Russell Workman, 2550 Ruble Cemetery Rd., Lynchburg, Ohio 45142 (ph 937 288-2203).

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