Baby "Drives" Tractor Stroller

Baby "Drives Tractor Stroller AG WORLD 28-3-24 Farm kids have always gotten an earlier start behind the wheel than city kids have. But Rick Morgan took things to the extreme when his grandson Cory was born. "We have a 1949 and a 1951 Centaur tractor that we take to shows, and we thought it would be fun to model a stroller after them," says Morgan. "When he gets big enough, we'll put an engine and hydrostatic transmission in there and make him a miniature tractor." The 26 hp Centaurs were built in Ohio from 1924 to 1952. They were known for having belly-mount sickle mowers. They had a top road speed of about 30 mph and were most often used on roadsides, rights of way, and airfields, according to Morgan. Rather than try to duplicate the exact style of a Centaur for the stroller, Morgan settled for the unique yellow paint and a Centaur decal. "We took an old lawn mower hood, steering wheel, and front axle, along with a pair of back tires off a ditch digger," he explains. "We built the frame out of steel tubing and attached everything to it." A lawn mower handle became the stroller push bar, and a baby seat was attached to hold young Cory. When Cory was very young, the seat was laid on its back. As he has grown, it has been shifted so he can now sit up and grasp the steering wheel. "It has a storage container under the hood for diaper bags and things," says Morgan. "It's about like pushing a lawn mower and about as much work." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rick Morgan 2720 Highway 49, Columbiana, Ala. 35051 (ph 205 669-9654; email: fourmilemorgans@outdrs.net).

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