By CINDY LADAGE
Wrenching Tales 

The city of Sedalia, Mo., and its mayor, Stephen J. Galliher, rolled out the red carpet for the admirers of Farmall red who descended on their fair city June 10-15, for the Red Power Round Up.

The theme for the 26th annual show was "Back to our Roots." The show offered a variety of wonderful tractors, trucks, toys, memorabilia and, best of all, a chance for International Harvester collectors to chat it up each other.

While at the show, collectors were privy to some pretty unusual and wonderful IH sights. One that caught attention from the minute it was unloaded belonged to Buddy Woodson of Eagleville, Tenn. – a Triple A. This tractor consists of three Farmall As all linked together to form one cool tractor.

"It will operate on a single engine or a combination of any one, two or all three," Buddy said.

The Triple A was built in the winter of 2012-13 and only took six months to complete. The idea for the Triple A came from the late Dewitt Stewart, who built one 20 years ago. Dewitt created this unusual tractor by mounting three Farmall As together on a frame with a single front axle and a single set of rear dual wheels.

"He took it around, and now it is in America’s Old Iron Museum in Bush, Louisiana, which is owned by Rawlin Williams," Buddy said.

Dewitt’s cousin Charlie Stewart and Buddy have been good friends since 1998 when Charlie and Dewitt brought Dewitt’s Triple A to the show that Charlie and his wife, Belinda, started in their hometown. Charlie is a fellow tractor collector and built a Triple Cub variation of the triple tractor.

A cool Scout was also at this year’s show with a patriotic flag painted on the door. In one building International hi-wheelers – which is an early IH truck with the beauty of a roadster – were on display.

The show offered some unusual equipment, such as an IH Power Grader and a Farmall H with a saw blade attached. One of the most unusual sights at the show was the Farmall smoker. Made from a Farmall H, the engine was removed and the smoker is now an IH grill.

The owner of the smoker is Jim Bogart of Deepwater, Mo. Jim says on his sign that the smoke goes "through and out the smokestack and has successfully smoked a variety of meats; ribs, brisket, prime rib, ham, pork loin, Boston butt, turkey and chicken."

Some old machinery is just plain beautiful; that was the case of an old IH baler at the show. One tractor that was also profiled years ago at the Pennsylvania Red Power Round Up is a Farmall Super A that was converted to a fire tractor and used at a plant in Ohio. Built by the Sutphen Fire Apparatus Co. and was used to extinguish oil fires on machines, it was purchased by a fireman, Jim Rose, in 2005.

Perhaps the most unusual sight at the Red Power Round Up was the Farmall 400 that was extended to add a puppet that appears to be driving, and makes the driver look like they’re sporting cartoonishly-long legs. The tractor was in the daily parade and drew many double-takes.

Another tractor that was not made to look unusual – but is – was the 1950 Farmall M Experimental on display. The tractor was used in the early 1950s at the Hinsdale Farm, now known as Burr Ridge, in Illinois. The book providing information about the tractor declares at the experimental farm the tractor was known as M8 because it had eight forward and two reverse speeds.

That was just a few of the unusual features that had collectors looking up and down and over and under on this tractor; it is amazing it survived over the years, since most experimental tractors were destroyed.

Perhaps the most appropriate tractor to end this column is the one that appeared to be buried. The owner had to have a lot of fun setting up this tractor that looked to be partially immersed in the soil!

Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication.