60-Bottom Plow Sets New World Record

60-Bottom Plow Sets New World Record AG WORLD 29-6-23 Bill Jansen, Dieterich, Ill., realized a whimsical ambition of his last August at Rantoul, Ill., when he put together three old-time Case 110 steam engines and had them pull a world record 60-bottom plow. The previous record had been a 50-bottom hitch. He's not going to argue that it's practical, but it certainly turned out to be a popular spectator sport. It was the top attraction at the Half Century of Progress show held at the National Aviation Center near Rantoul. Plowmen stood on the platforms of the John Deere gang plows to operate levers which lowered the plows into the ground. Getting the hitch together was no small task. Bill was smitten by the steam engine bug back when he was three years old and started going to shows with his grandfather, a steam engine operator. Even so, it took several years for Bill to line up the necessary steam horsepower to pull off last summer's feat. Ron Holland of Forest City, Iowa, owner of the middle steam engine in the hitch, had been invited several times but he said no until he was satisfied that enough insurance was provided. Holland became interested enough that he took hundreds of photos, including those illustrating this story. He took the bird's eye view from the basket of a cherry picker bucket. The Case steam engines were all built early in the last century. There are only 25 of them left in the world, yet 15 of them are still operational. The Case engines in the photo are owned by Carl Tuttle of Howell, Mich.; Graham Sellers of Coldwater, Mich.; and Ron Holland. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bill Jansen, 21467 E. 1100th Ave., Dieterich, Ill. 62424 (ph 217 925-5325).

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