Neat load coming through Naperville yesterday

I wish I still lived in Cary, IL.  I would have liked to have seen that consist.  I also always assumed that brand was a foreign manufacture.  Thank-you for correcting me.

Yes, pleased to report that they are still of USA manufacture.  Although owned by Case IH Corporation (old JI Case), which is owned by Fiat, now-a-days.  Case adopted IH's red after acquiring International Harvester's bankruptcy assets, replacing it's former orange and tan colors - - - quite visually appealing !

Great catch! I wonder if they are still building them at the old Harvester plant in Melrose Park, IL?

@mark s posted:

Yes, pleased to report that they are still of USA manufacture.  Although owned by Case IH Corporation (old JI Case), which is owned by Fiat, now-a-days.  Case adopted IH's red after acquiring International Harvester's bankruptcy assets, replacing it's former orange and tan colors - - - quite visually appealing !

Maybe now thinking, I could have been thinking of those monster Deutz Tractors (green).  I see a great deal of those on the farms south of Rochester.  Yes, I miss the Case "Orange".  There was a farmer near us in Caledonia that ran Minneapolis-Moline, and they were a similar color to the Case if I remember correctly.  Enough of reminiscing of my farm days.  Back to running my toy trains.

Always got a kick out of the Minneapolis-Moline nick-name - - - "Minni-Mo" !

Minneaplis-Moline was bought by White Motor Corp in the '60's and became a component of White Farm Equipment Co.

Frank T - The Melrose Park faciity is a Navistar truck engine mfg and parts depot. Sadly, see they're closing the facility in Nov, a victim of changing market trends away from diesel trucks to electric.  Or so they say.....

Cool pic!

They are nice tractors!
ripping a hay field for crop rotation  I love when I get to be on a tractor  I like Deere first but these case steigers are a real close 2nd

Sparty - I know the wheeled tractor's function, but what is the tractor with treads used for?

Here’s something heading to a different type of farm. I caught this on the CN line near Crest Hill, IL?. Back in December 2020. Sorry it’s through my car window.

Frank T - Yes, a different form of farming !  Wind farming.   My gosh, those propellers are enormous, looks like something from a science fiction film.  Good catch.   Presume these will be located out in the ocean? Spotted in Crest Hill (near Joliet); will keep an eye out for them.  Would they also  be on the old EJ&E line to Leithton/Mundelein from Joliet?  Where did they originate?

Yes thats the old EJ&E line heads through Plainfield. Not sure who makes them, will have to do some research. Thanks for the heads up on the Navistar plant.

@mark s posted:

Sparty - I know the wheeled tractor's function, but what is the tractor with treads used for?

Tractors with treads are used for the same function as tractors with wheels.  Just different method of traction.  I believe that some think the treads produce better traction than wheels, especially in muddy conditions, but I am not a farmer and am not sure.  I know that one can also find treads on bobcat type loaders.

@mark s posted:

Sparty - I know the wheeled tractor's function, but what is the tractor with treads used for?

@Nation Wide Lines posted:

Tractors with treads are used for the same function as tractors with wheels.  Just different method of traction.  I believe that some think the treads produce better traction than wheels, especially in muddy conditions, but I am not a farmer and am not sure.  I know that one can also find treads on bobcat type loaders.

It does produce better traction. The big thing, though, is that the contact patch of the tread is significantly larger than that of the tire so soil compaction is reduced. Also, they are more maneuverable and provide better stability.

CC Guy and NW Lines:  Thank you for the thoughtful responses to my question!   Stability is a major issue I would imagine, as safety on the farm is a problem.  Farming is a high injury work-place, statistically.

Well, I was going to say:

In the OP's picture, the machinery on the right (with wheels) is not a tractor; it is a front-end loader (absent the front-end part which might be on another car).  Now, you might be able to attach something to it in the rear and pull it, but that doesn't make it a tractor.  The machine on the left also does not appear to be a tractor in the sense that it would have to make very wide turns in a field or yard due to the nature of its propulsion, making it nearly useless for planting or reaping.  I would guess that the machine on the left is some type of special-purpose equipment.

Then I went and looked at the company's website.  There, both pieces of equipment are labeled as tractors and appear to be used in farming, much to my surprise.  Amazing what you can learn on the internet.  I do believe, though, that Caterpillar and others market similar equipment with the wheels as front-end loaders.

Chuck

@PRR1950 posted:

Well, I was going to say:

In the OP's picture, the machinery on the right (with wheels) is not a tractor; it is a front-end loader (absent the front-end part which might be on another car).  Now, you might be able to attach something to it in the rear and pull it, but that doesn't make it a tractor.  The machine on the left also does not appear to be a tractor in the sense that it would have to make very wide turns in a field or yard due to the nature of its propulsion, making it nearly useless for planting or reaping.  I would guess that the machine on the left is some type of special-purpose equipment.

Then I went and looked at the company's website.  There, both pieces of equipment are labeled as tractors and appear to be used in farming, much to my surprise.  Amazing what you can learn on the internet.  I do believe, though, that Caterpillar and others market similar equipment with the wheels as front-end loaders.

Chuck

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you’re looking at them incorrectly. The rear ends are facing each other.  Also, both of them articulate in the center and make very tight turns.

Check this out: https://youtu.be/0Zh3OBxh8Po

Coca cola Guy is right about the soil compaction issue, plus better flotation over wetter soils and, believe it or not, a smoother ride.

I had a Steiger many years ago before being sold to Case. You had the option of Cummins or Cat power and auto or standard transmission. They came in three models, the cougar, the panther and the Tiger. The one I had was powered by a Cummins and had either a 20 speed or 16 speed transmission - it's been a few years so I'm not sure about which is right. They were a very comfortable machine, which is important when you spend 10 to 12 hours a day in them, and had plenty of power. Unfortunately, the planetary gears and wheels were of a poor design and I kept loosing the outside duals. I'm sure that problem has been corrected many years ago.

I went from Steigers to Versatiles, which were owned by Ford at the time, and never looked back. I was running Versatiles when I retired and sold things off 11 years ago.

As an aside, the John Deere dealer in Akron was one of their largest volume sellers of air seeders and they would often come in on flatcars - quite a sight.

Those wind turbine blades are manufactured south of Brighton, Colorado and you can get a very good view of them loaded and ready to roll from highway 85.

Coca Cola Guy is right, they're loaded butt to butt. The outside duals for the wheeled tractor will be installed after it's off loaded.

@mark s posted:

Sparty - I know the wheeled tractor's function, but what is the tractor with treads used for?

As others have said tracks offer better floatation and less compaction. However tires typically give better traction and more power to ground.  Ride typically can be smoother on tracks.