By Russel Weidman (Editor’s Note - Russel Weidman is a Berks County native who was employed as a farm equipment mechanic for 21 years. The Christinas Season is upon us, and 1 find myself reminiscing my childhood. 1 grew up in a small town of Bernville in..,Berks County and lived next to the-farm equipment dealer. I could haridly wait for the week before Christmas. This would be the week when'the John Deere toys were displayed in the farm store wmdow. After along, wishful look, 1 continued my walk to school, swinging my first grade lunch box (still m my possession today). 1 was thinking that some day my dad would buy me farm toys. My dad was employed at the dealer ship and the odds were in my favor. . Christmas rooming that year found Russel Weidman a very happy boy. My dad bought me a 193*1 Model A toy tractor. I still have this tractor in my collection and it’s as good as new. 1 guess a person never stops wanting. The next item onmy list was a flat-bed tntek'r You see, Iliad to haul my tractor from the farm to the repair shop, there my dad could make the necessary repairs. PEHNSYIVANIA ASRICUUrUIIE I- WE'RE GROWING RETTCR off WIC STRAW CHOPPERS S> And Other WIC PRODUCTS WIC MOTORIZED SILAGE WAGON WITH HYDROSTATIC SPEED CONTROL A GREAT IMPROVEMENT ON EFFICIENCY ★ Electric of Gas Operated * Regular Feed Discharge or No Competitor Can Beat The Wic Choppers 40" High Feed Discharge For pi er f ormance And Cost Table-top farming has its advantages The old dump truck in my toy box, (not so old at that tune) would be the answer. The body was the correct width, but too short m length. The •mechanics’ in my mind told me that a cigar box with one end removed would solve my ‘serious problem. In the year 1948, working part time, 1 began to earn some moeny. This gave me the opportunity to start my toy collection. 1 collected scale-model toys from all of the major farm equipment companies. 1 remember a trip to the Harrisburg Farm Show one year returmng home with two shopping bags full of toys. At that age 1 was beyond the playing stage and began collecting for a hobby. My brother Leslie and 1 would unpack all the toys three or four tunes a year. Bach toy was admired and examined before repacking it in its original box. During the Christmas season, mother’s dining room became the display room. During the 1960 s 1 thought, “It is tune for a grown man to forget about toys.” I purchased few toys in that time period. But in the late 71970 s I got the fever once again. Although the excitement was still the same with each new toy, the big difference was the increase in prices. W MARVIN J. HORST S- 717-272-0871 1950 S. sth AVE., LEBANON, PA 17042 ELECTRIC BEDDING CHOPPER Wic also makes an electric 200 volt a c chopper or a 24 volt d c battery operated chopper including an automatic charger These two models are equipped in the factory with a manual starter panel and are protected by fuses to dimmish risk of accidents Very quiet these bedding choppers are mostly used on small or medium sized farm As well as being mobile the 220 volt a c model can be installed stationary Motor 220 volt a c 3 h p 24 volt d c 21/2 h p The NEW Hydra-static speed control gives you a choice of speeds from slow to fast. With a touch of the pedal the wagon moves forward or backward; release the pedal and it automatically brakes. You also have a regular feed discharge or a 40-inch high discharge from one or two sides. The WIC Silage Wagon is operated by gas or electric and available in 30-, 45- or 52-bushel sizes. With the 16-inch wheels it goes wherever you want to take it. A GREAT IMPROVEMENT ON EFFICIENCY jmzm jW| GAS BEDDING CHOPPER ■ -J ~ j) I®l The g3s P ow «red bedding "' ‘ | atl chopoer is the most popular on . , / -JST . , , Jbf .market It's operation is » * - k «BKi V*- ' jlfc'*'''*"""’?® and it easily _P«K fei~feair<..’tjS; Equipped with a" Honda 4-stroke 835 engine, the Wic bedding -1 ‘ M chopper insures maximum out r put while in use JfKVf - Mo <or 5. 7orlo h p 4- W stroke Honda 4" U Starter 5 tip manual, and 7 and 10 h p manual or electric ■ • - - start Berks County’s Russel Weidman, Bernville, holds his first toy tractor, a 1938 Model A that was a Christmas gift from his father. His next piece added to the farm toy collection was his In the years 1948 through 1952, scale model toys sold for an average of less than two dollars each. Inflation' hit the toy market. I was all too apparent that, at my age, the difference between a man and boy lathe price of the toy. - ' Since the start of my collecting, six major tractor companies have discontinued building farm tractors. The toy companies, likewise, allow then* inventories to become exhausted, knowing that the full-size tractor is no longer manufactured. Lancaster Farming, Thursday, December 24,1981—823 flat-bed truck, shown here with later models of tractors that make up his present 160-piece collection. For all those farmers who scoff at farm toys there is an advantage to table-top farming. My plow, purchased in 1946, has its first set of plow shares and shows no in dication of wear. Driving to the make-believe fields to harvest the grain, there is no need to check engine oil, water, or make ad justments. Sometimes the room becomes crowded with toys, especially at Christmas time, but there is no dust from disking or baling hay. A disadvantage with table-top farming is, that there is no tax Wic has perfected a three point hitch PTO chopper_ activated by the'power of your tractor. Easy to in stall, it is ideal for free-stalls, or in strawberry fields for mulching purposes. -DISTRIBUTOR- PAUL HORNING R.D. 1, Stevens, PA 17578 215'267-7208 deduction for depreciation. Not feeling pessimistic about my in vestment. I have since learned that my models have increased in value over the years. Since 1 have a collection of newer tractors I have retired my 1938 Model A. Today that toy tractor has a permanent resting spot upon the old cigar box truck. These two toys bring back many happy childhood memories. Looking over my collection of tractors, the old “Model A” may not be the nicests but the memories make it priceless. ct '"VV ' mm A t 4- ' .«v t: POWER TAKEOFF REDOING CHOPPER
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