John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum

dan_41jdh

Member
Spent several hours today at the opening of the museum. Enjoyed seeing and talking tractors with some friends seen only once a year or so.

The museum is pretty neat. Deere spared NO expense making this a showplace with the highest quality displays. There were many museum employees answering questions and escorting small tour groups. They all seemed very concerned about their new facility and I was asked probably five times by different Deere folks if I liked the facility and the exhibits. When Deere decides to do something, they do it first-class, and this museum is no exception.

Personally, I would have liked to see more tractors. There were a total of 13 actual tractors, including two spoker D's, the Froelich re-creation, Waterloo Boy, R, GP, 3010, 70, 730 Hi Crop, the Dain, A, H, and 4020, plus a paint-ready tractor (no sheet metal), a B set up with steps and safety railings for kids and people to climb upon, and a new 4WD tractor also set up for climbing into. However, for the available space, they did a pretty good job of selecting a nice variety to display. There were many other interesting displays and exhibits showing history about many aspects of the Waterloo facility. And, there is a theater near the entrance that shows a movie that outlines a little of the history of Deere and the Waterloo facility.

Don't know how many people noticed the original concrete floors which were ground smooth and polished. It was interesting to see the areas where machine foundations and utility trenches had been cut into the original floor.



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The first 3010 - owned by the Kellers


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"R" with cab


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Spoker D owned by Mike Ostrander


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One-of-a-kind Model "R" Waterloo Boy owned by Travis Jorde


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The Froelich re-creation made for the 1937 Deere centenial

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I asked Jack Beck to stand next to his very nice original GP. Jack showed us a number of unusual and rare pieces on this tractor.
 
Where did they build this museum, at the Tractor
Works? I used to work at the old M Foundry but last
time I was back there they had torn it down.
 
(quoted from post at 21:05:05 12/02/14) Where did they build this museum ...

https://www.deere.com/en_US/corporate/our_company/fans_visitors/tours_attractions/vintage-tractors-and-engines-museum.page?

John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum | 500 Westfield Avenue | Waterloo, IA 50701 | (319) 292-6126
 
Looks like a great place for JD history.We have one of the best museums for a smaller [3200] town in Clarion,Ia called HeartLand Museum that houses many rare and beautifully restored tractors of all brands plus toys and other exhibits from the past.Big Bud 747 also has a home there and people come from all over to visit.I usually take most of my tractor buyers in to visit and they are impressed and usually tell more people that come.ph 515-602-6000 to schedule or questions.
 
Fudd, the museum is located in the old A-1 building which has been completely refurbished inside and out.
 
A little more about the museum - it is very
well laid out with discrete areas dedicated to
specific themes or topics, starting with
"Working the Land" which involves the evolution
of farming from people power to the earliest
mechanization and tractors, then to the next
area named "Why Waterloo" which focuses on the
purchase of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine
Company, then onto area another area dedicated
to "Drive to Thrive" which has a lot of
information about Deere's involvement in WWII.
Moving onward, one then finds a large area
named the "Product Spotlight" where a number of
tractors are displayed. There is also a
"Making a Tractor" display showing a New Gen.
tractor that was in a condition just prior to
paint (temporary steel wheels, no sheet metal
yet, etc.), then another display ("Employee
Break Room") dedicated to employees and the
unionization of the plant.
In the final area there is a display dedicated
to the historical role of dealerships and an
area called "Into the World" where a styled "B"
and a brand new tractor are both set up to let
people climb into them.
As an engineer, I was especially intrigued by a
small area in the very north-west corner of the
museum which included displays dedicated to the
engineering personnel (starting with Theo Brown
and ending with Harold Brock) and engineering
tools and drawings. There was a table with
drawing paper and a couple of stools where kids
were invited to "design a tractor" and their
drawings would then be displayed on the walls.
But under a display of slide rules and drafting
instruments is a flat-drawer filing cabinet for
drawings that includes a number of the actual
vintage drawings, many of which were ink-on-
linen. I was impressed to see the actual
drawing for the cylinder block casting for the
6-3/4" bore model "D" tractor, as well as the
drawing for the left hand spark plug shield for
the model "H", and drawings for decals of the
"circle R" and "DIESEL" for the model "R".
There were also a number of other drawings, all
residing under glass covers in the drawers.
You have to pull the drawers open to see them.
This drawing file is not very prominent, and
you'll probably miss it unless you really look
for it.
 
WHAT? no 2010? ....sorry couldnt resist! Thanks for the pictures.
I have a couple of questions.. What took place originally in the A-1 building?
Was Jack Becks GP on display at this years Gathering of the Green?
 
I understand it was finished in 1941 and was originally used as office space.

And sorry, I don't know if that GP was at the 2014 GOG.
 

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