Minneapolis Moline truck-tractor a hit on Heritage Hill

By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com

Date Modified: 08/09/2010 3:29 PM

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RIVER FALLS, Wis.— It sat on the top of a hill, aside from other antique machinery, in a roped-off section.

The yellow Minneapolis-Moline UDLX is part truck, part tractor and rare. Not many were made.

The one on display at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days was built in 1938. It is owned by Randy Bredahl.

"It was way ahead of its time," said Hungry Hollow Steam and Gas Engine Club member Kevin Reinke of Rice Lake.

People were on their cell phones, telling friends and family to come to the show to see it, said Ron DeCoux, a volunteer for the show stationed on Heritage Hill, the antique machinery and demonstration area.

Heritage Hill had more than 300 pieces of antique farm equipment. All the pieces were loaned from farmers and heritage equipment enthusiasts in Pierce County and just beyond, in an 80-mile radius of the show site.

Demonstrations were held of grain threshing, corn shredding, straw baling, shingle making and lumber sawing.

The Pierce County Historical Society and Heritage Tractor Committee shared a tent with small tools, milking equipment and other farm items.

The Heritage Tractor Committee also had miniature, working versions of farm equipment on display.

People milled through the parked tractors to the tune of popping and clicking from the antique small gas engines.

Irvin and Wilma Bird from Amery came to the show partly because Irvin's son, Irvin III, brought a John Deere 70 from 1953 to Heritage Hill.

"It brings back memories," said Wilma, looking around the display. She remembers the large amounts of food her mother would make for threshing crews.

"Boy, when the threshing crew came it was the best time," she said.

Relatives would come to help with the cooking and she would get to see her cousins.