Horseless Carriages A Big Hit At Parades

Horseless Carriages A Big Hit At Parades AG WORLD They top out at only 12 mph but Leroy Holthus’s grandchildren love to ride in the two horseless carriages he’s built And the carriages are a big hit when he drives them in area parades The rural Tecumseh Neb resident found a photo of a horseless carriage and decided to make it a winter project a few years ago Despite not being able to use his left hand Holthus likes to build things For the horseless carriage he started with wheels originally used on old dirt bikes and wagon and buggy springs attached to a steel frame The carriage body is made of Cyprus wood that he planed sanded and clear coated “Cyprus was used for fences and gates to last a lifetime ” he says Old 11 and 12 hp lawn mower engines power the horseless carriages though Holthus notes engines half that size would also work The carriages have 3 and 5-speed lawn mower transmissions controlled by slip clutches Hand-controlled drum brakes came off go-carts The most notable difference is how a horseless carriage steers “Driving with a tiller shaft is a lot more tricky ” Holthus says “The first time it’s a challenge to drive ” But after driving his first carriage in a parade the attention it drew made the challenge of building and driving it worthwhile So he built a second one with a curved front “These would be great for someone to advertise their business ” Holthus says He’ll sell either carriage for $3 500 and he plans to add more to his collection Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Leroy Holthus 62579 726 Rd Tecumseh Neb 68450 ph 402 335-0103

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