One-Horse Carousel

One-horse Carousel FARM HOME Furniture 16-3-19 "I always wanted something to ride when I was a kid. That's why I built this one-horse `carousel' for my 4-year-old son, Cole. The horse rocks back and forth on a pump jack powered by an old gas engine," says Lance Talbott of Potomac, Ill. Talbott bought the horse for $15 at an antique tractor show and mounted it on a Montgomery Ward pump jack that's bolted to the frame and wheels of an old horse-drawn grain drill. The pump jack is belt-driven by an antique Deere' 1 1/2 hp gas engine mounted on a wheeled cart that's staked to the ground to keep the belt tight. Both the carousel and engine are painted Deere green and yellow. "It's just like riding on the carousel at the county fair. My son loves it," says Talbott, who collects old gas engines and antique tractors and has displayed the carousel at several antique tractor shows. "The horse rocks back and forth about 3 ft. riding on a pair of uprights welded onto each side of the pump jack. As the pump jack arms go down, the horse tilts forward. An electric motor could be used instead of a gas engine." Talbott sandblasted the drill frame which was old and rusty, then painted it Deere green (he farms with Deere equipment). His mother did the decorative painting on the horse. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, LanceTalbott,Rt.2, Box 35, Potomac, Ill. 61865 (ph 217 987-6187).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.