Minneapolis Moline shines at Wright County Fair
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 08/19/2010 9:05 AM
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HOWARD LAKE, Minn.— Minneapolis Moline Collectors, Inc. brought their summer show this year to the Wright County Fair.
"They never had one at a fair and I thought it would be nice to have it at the fairgrounds," said Rich Otto, MMCI board chairman of merchandising from Buffalo.
Approximately 190 tractors and other Minneapolis Moline products were on display Aug. 5-7 at the fairgrounds in Howard Lake.
The show is mostly a big get-together for friends from across the country who met through the club.
"They really come to visit," Otto said.
Displayed in front was a main attraction: What's said to be the only GTX in the United States.
"There's two in the world that we know of," said Otto.
It's owned by Walter Keller of Forest Junction, Wis. The other is in a Brazilian museum.
Minneapolis Moline built the model from 1942 to 1944. They were used by the Brazilian Army to carry troops and heavy cannon guns until the 1970s. The GTX 147 6x6 model weighs 7.5 metric tons.
It led the daily 10 a.m. Parade of Power around the fairgrounds Aug. 6.
Displayed next to the GTX was another highlight of the show, an NTX owned by Clint and Kelly Stamm of Kansas.
"This is the original Jeep," explained Otto.
The NTX was built in 1944 and has four-wheel drive.
"At that time, there was really nothing with four-wheel drive," Otto said.
It was used by the U.S. military, he said.
Otto and his two son-in-laws brought some 25 tractors to the show. His dad farmed with the brand and he likes Minneapolis Molines because they were innovative.
"They had many things ahead of their time," he said, such as tractor cabs, front-wheel assists, truck-tractors and tractors that used propane.
Collectors this year came from Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Charlie Smith had one of the farthest drives. He came from North Carolina, where he grows loblolly pine trees. On the way, he picked up a tractor in Illinois bought by an MMCI friend, Dennis Solvie of Hancock. In return, Solvie picked up a tractor Smith bought in Iowa. They exchanged them at the show. It was the first time Smith got to see his new tractor in person.
It was a RTI, made in 1950.
"The Moline people are absolutely great people," he said.
Smith usually travels to the MMCI summer show, no matter where it's held. He likes how it brings together so many tractors so he can see how other collectors fix their machines.
"The county has really made us feel welcome," he said.
As the tractors got in line for the Parade of Power, Judy Clifford from Indiana got her camera ready.
"We collect the old tractors," she said. "My husband, son and I enjoy doing it," she said.
They didn't bring any to the show, but came to see their MMCI friends.