TRACTORS
Waterloo / Cletrac
Peter Donaldson’s 1953 McCormick Super C Farmall
Peter was in Van Lahti’s Café next door to Village Crier Gallery. He had time to view my twenty-two Pen & Ink prints of antique tractors and steam engines on exhibit and to read their stories. Thank you Candace Van den Dries and Katie-Sue for letting me share my art with your clients. When Peter left the café he came to our gallery and commissioned me to sketch his McCormick Super C. I was happy to accept.
Dave and I waited for the next sunny day and made our way to Peter’s farm. We had a great visit. Dave took lots of photos as reference for my rendering. We made a second trip to confirm some details and bought a bottle of pure maple syrup from Peter’s bush. A wonderful experience all around.
McCormick-Deering Farmall F-12
This McCormick Deering Farmall F-12 was on exhibit at an antique tractor show in eastern Elgin County. Dave and I were excited to attend and see and photograph more antique tractors for me to draw or paint. There were tractors of every make lined up like little tin soldiers all in rows. The day was hot and humid and I welcomed the tractor pulled wagon ride to view all the exhibits. I spotted this cleated steel wheeled Farmall and asked Dave to make sure we had a photo of that one. This tractor is from the mid nineteen thirties. The cleats were supposed to give better traction.
The Cletrac
I first saw the Cletrac at an exhibition in Milton and then at ploughing matches in N. Dumphries and Elgin County. It is unlike any tractor I had ever seen. This unit is likely from 1918. After World War I the Cleveland Tractor Company advertised the tractor as a ”Tank Type” tractor.
“The Cleveland Tractor received some modifications in 1918, the most significant of which was the substitution of the Buda engine with a Weidely M power unit and the strengthening of the track frame – this new version was to become known as the Model H.” - info from the Farm Collector.