Went to a pretty neat WWII Reenactment in Ohio.

Will Herring · Aug 22, 2013

Shot some video and took some pictures. They did a simulated D-Day landing that was very impressive. This was up in Conneaut, Ohio over on Lake Erie just by the Pennsylvania border. Thought I'd share.

VIDEO --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1oUgWS3Q5M

I've been to several WWII reenactments, but this one was one of the most impressive ones I have been to. Right up there with the one in Rockford, IL.

And to try and keep this a bit less off topic... Did see quite a few fixed up tractors for sale on the way to and from though. Does anyone know if any tractor companies converted over their tractors for the war effort in any way? Tractors of the era like the Allis Chalmers WC or anything like that? Or maybe made engines for other vehicles or converted over to build tanks or trucks?

Deere Scotty · Aug 23, 2013

I have books with pictures of an Allis Chalmers torpedo, John Deere Factory grinding gears for Sherman tanks. Some others as well; but would have to research where exactly. Its been several years since I have read most of them, & my memory fails me at this time!

wally_mi · Aug 23, 2013

great pics. i used to go to finley armed forces weekende for years. i had a ford gpa. thats an anphib. jeep, very rare. i have droped out of the club. thanks wally

just another old geezer · Aug 23, 2013

My limited knowlage on the subject of manufacturing goes like this: Almost all manufacturing was converted for the war effort. IH made m1 garand rifles atillery gun mounts and the M4 artillery tractor. They did build an occaisional farm tractor, but they were rare. It if rumored that John Deere armored two tractors and outfitted them with machine guns. this was on an exparimental basis. they were evaluated by the defence department and rejected for being too slow.

ericlb · Aug 23, 2013

i think both ih and ford redesigned their smaller tractors for use as aircraft tugs and others for various warehouse duties

Will Herring · Aug 23, 2013

Did some digging and I see that Allis Chalmers made M1, M4, M6, M7, and M19 for WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Tractor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M6_Tractor

Looks like they also made the Ontos in the '50s that was used in Vietnam.

RGMartin · Aug 23, 2013

(quoted from post at 07:55:03 08/23/13) IH made m1 garand rifles atillery gun mounts and the M4 artillery tractor.

IH Garands are all post war.

fixerupper · Aug 23, 2013

I restored a half track like that maybe 15 or 20 years ago. The owner of the half track also has a wrecker like the one backed up to the half track in the picture. It's runnable but unrestored. The half track has a White engine and New process gear train. The wrecker has a big continental engine but I don't know much about the rest of it. Jim

fixerupper · Aug 23, 2013

Will, I restored an M4 High Speed Tractor a few years ago. Drove it in the local threshing show parade a couple of weeks ago. It's difficult for the driver to get into it, especially when he's 6'2",62 years old and has a bad knee. It's impressive to drive but uncomfortable for the driver. When you get it up above 12 or 15 MPH everything starts rattling till it's deafening. Top speed is 35 and I got it up to 30 one time going downhill. Engine is a Waukesha 817 CU gas inline 6. Powertrain behind the engine is a clutch, torque converter and three speed forward and one speed reverse transaxle. Bring lots of money with you if you drive it. The tags list a range of 100 miles on a 125 gallon gas tank. Lesse, that's .80 MPG if my figures are right. Jim

Will Herring · Aug 23, 2013

(quoted from post at 21:58:07 08/23/13) Will, I restored an M4 High Speed Tractor a few years ago. Drove it in the local threshing show parade a couple of weeks ago. It's difficult for the driver to get into it, especially when he's 6'2",62 years old and has a bad knee. It's impressive to drive but uncomfortable for the driver. When you get it up above 12 or 15 MPH everything starts rattling till it's deafening. Top speed is 35 and I got it up to 30 one time going downhill. Engine is a Waukesha 817 CU gas inline 6. Powertrain behind the engine is a clutch, torque converter and three speed forward and one speed reverse transaxle. Bring lots of money with you if you drive it. The tags list a range of 100 miles on a 125 gallon gas tank. Lesse, that's .80 MPG if my figures are right. Jim

Wow. That is a ridiculous amount of fuel consumption. Very neat that you have an M4. I'm not sure I've ever seen one in person before. Have you owned it for a long time or did you recently get it before you restored it?

(quoted from post at 21:46:09 08/23/13) I restored a half track like that maybe 15 or 20 years ago. The owner of the half track also has a wrecker like the one backed up to the half track in the picture. It's runnable but unrestored. The half track has a White engine and New process gear train. The wrecker has a big continental engine but I don't know much about the rest of it. Jim

Very neat. Is it used for reenacting? You are correct; there was a nicely restored 10 wheel wrecker backed up to the half track there.

fixerupper · Aug 23, 2013

The M4 isn't mine. I restored it for the same person who owns the half track and wrecker. The owner of the M4 wanted me to make a 15 gallon gas tank for it. The old 125 gallon tank was still good and reasonably clean, but it was too big for the 'few' gallons he puts through it. After I had the machine assembled I put five gallons in the tank. That lasted two days of just running it while I tuned it up and checked the myriad of hoses running to and from the torque converter and coolers. The engine has two big Zenith one barrel downdraft carbs. It wasn't much more complicated than any other machine except for the fact that it's so darned big and you have to be an agile little monkey to get in and out of it to work on anything. Jim

Will Herring · Aug 25, 2013

(quoted from post at 22:32:52 08/23/13) The M4 isn't mine. I restored it for the same person who owns the half track and wrecker. The owner of the M4 wanted me to make a 15 gallon gas tank for it. The old 125 gallon tank was still good and reasonably clean, but it was too big for the 'few' gallons he puts through it. After I had the machine assembled I put five gallons in the tank. That lasted two days of just running it while I tuned it up and checked the myriad of hoses running to and from the torque converter and coolers. The engine has two big Zenith one barrel downdraft carbs. It wasn't much more complicated than any other machine except for the fact that it's so darned big and you have to be an agile little monkey to get in and out of it to work on anything. Jim

Very impressive. It's nice to see old equipment like that still up and running, especially the odd pieces like half tracks and vehicles like the M4. This guy a reenactor or just collects?

Went to a pretty neat WWII Reenactment in Ohio.

Will Herring

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