Big Bud-Combine Pictures From Rantoul,Illinois

Early Thursday morning I headed 500 miles northeast to Rantoul,Illinois.My destination was the Half Century Of Progress Show held there at the old Chanute AFB on over 1000 acres with some 400 acres of crops.

I arrived at Rantoul at 7 PM and by 10 PM it was pouring rain.When I got up Friday at 6:20 AM it wasnt raining but 10 minutes later it was pouring again and rained until 8:30.The Rantoul-Champaign-Urbana area was drenched by 2-5" of rain.It also rained off and on during the day which ruined all planned field demonstrations.Just as the parade started a 2 PM a drenching rain came that even soaked thru my wallet.





Me (red coat) completely soaked standing in front of Big Bud after the sun came out around 4 PM.I asked a nice lady to take my picture as I went alone.There was a crowd around Big Bud most of the day.

Big Bud on a 15 bottom Wilrich plow which it had played with on Thursday afternoon.That was the day to have been there as it was nice and sunny.They plowed,cut soybeans,picked and shelled corn,baled hay-etc.


There must have been 30-40 combines there plus at least 50 corn pickers both pull type and mounted.I took well over 200 pictures.Its an awesome show which I will try and attend again in 2011.



















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On the way home Sat evening I stopped by Jeff City,MO for an NTPA-Outlaw Pull.Heres Esdon Lehn from Dayton,MN making his pass in the NTPA DSS class.He won both nights and has been a national champ 11 times.


Shawn Swearingens 10,000 horsepower 4 engine unlimited mod from Holden,MO.Here sits well over $500,000.He made an awesome frame twisting exhibition pass out past 300 feet.

More Rantoul pics from another forum.

http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=117348&mid=830323#M830323

Fantastic pictures, guess I'd better plan on 2011 also. Thanks for posting them. John

Daggonit I wished id known you was there Blaine I would have left home a little earlier so I could have met you face to face. Things dried up Saturday enough to pick and shell corn and they even ran a few beans late in the day. Never sen corn dissapear as fast, they had pickers waiting in line to pick. Too wet to plow though, I heard they plowed some on Sunday.

Looks like it was a great show, sounds like my luck, drive 500 miles and then get rained out, lot of neat stuff never the less.

I would like to see the 747 in person some day, it looks in real good condition yet. Never seen a 20' plow before either.

That Massey Harris combine with round grain tank and map on the side looks like it has done some traveling. Was it part of a custom crew back in the day? According to the path it must have came close to our neck of the woods in northern south dakota.

Thanks for all the pictures.

Nice pics, that guy with no hair standing next to his 303 IH is my cousin.

thanks for posting

Thanks for the pics Blaine, definitely would like to get to one of those shows. Am planning to go to the Rollag, MN show this weekend with my family.

There is a combination feature this year of harvest items and also ladies items. So my wife and daughter will be happy and the boys will be happy.

Have a great labor day weekend everybody, Brad

Hate I missed you Blaine, It would have been a pleasure to have met you. You guys are right about sunday. Those pickers were really gettin it to finish. I believe every picker in a 100 mile radius musthave been there. I have some great night shots of the big bud I'll post later with NO bystanders if you can believe it!

For anyone interested, Diamond Farm Book Publishers has a video and book available covering the Big Bud 747. Phone: 1-800-481-1353