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Cable

Wheel Horse Company’s Museum

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Cable

Ed Cole took photographs of the collection in 1991 to orient Minneapolis Saint Paul employees to the different products made over the years. Toro has now closed the South Bend plant.  The museum tractors were at the Ireland Road plant, the dusty ones were at the distribution warehouse in Elkhart. Ed’s photos are shown as forty-four images in the gallery album “Wheel Horse, Inc. Museum Tractors.â€



What is the disposition of these tractors today?  Has the collection been scrapped or sold? Are they available for the public to see?

Edited by Cable
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rmaynard

Bruce,

How long ago were these pictures taken?

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876wheelhorse

Wow like to know where these went

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VinsRJ

If I had to guess like most American companies... Toro put the tractors in a container with a shipping lable to China....

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1maidenfan

Awesome pix :woohoo:  :happy-jumpeveryone:  :bow-blue:  :bow-blue: :bow-blue:  

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Racinbob

Those were at the Studebaker museum in storage on one of the upper floors. Their plans were to set up an area so they could be displayed to the public. I don't know if that ever happened but I don't think so. Somebody should make a visit the the museum and inquire.

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whfan74

They aren't on display at the museum.  They have a very small display tucked away.  Would be curious to know if the rest are still there as well.

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Racinbob

It was probably 20-25 years ago when I saw them stored out of the publics sight when the Studebaker museum was in the old Sears building. I was in there as an outside contractor looking at some work which is how I got access to the non-public areas. At that time they had some 'old timer' employees that wandered amongst the visitors chatting and answering questions. They were quite knowledgeable on the history of Studebakers. I see now that the museum is in a different location. I kick myself for not going there when we were up there a while back. I'm thinking that somebody would still be there that would know what happened. I'm afraid that enough years have passed that the Wheel Horse part of South Bends history is a fading memory.

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CasualObserver

I saw that you posted those pictures... I've just been waiting for you to start a topic on them!  Those are fantastic.  Thanks for sharing!!

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CasualObserver

Oh... and as for your question.  From what I understand from past discussions with Ed, these tractors are now the property of Toro, and are in storage. I'm still in occasional contact with him, I'll send him a message and ask if he remembers.  Can I ask... how did you happen to come across these?

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Wayne

Awesome pics :)  the 32E doesn't match... looks to be a 68 Lawn Ranger, maybe someone put up the wrong sign?

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AMC RULES

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meadowfield

Awesome pics :thumbs:

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Cable

Bruce,

How long ago were these pictures taken?

1991 Bob.

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c-series don

Were or are these tractors N.O.S ?

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AMC RULES

I think I'm seeing at least one "restored" one in there.  

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wh500special

When Toro moved out of South Bend they put these tractors on loan to the Studebaker National Museum. The museum displayed a handful of them on and off for years, but obviously their focus was on a different kind of old iron. So the majority of them sat in storage in the attic.

In 2000 (I think) at one of the first WH shows in PA I heard from Ed that these were at the studebaker museum after I asked him whatever happened to the tractors displayed at the Ireland rd plant.

In the winter of 2000 my wife was interested in a job in South Bend, so I called the museum and was put in touch with one of the caretakers who showed me around. It was awesome. Not all of them were property of Toro as I recall, like the 420lse which was owned by the city of SB.

As a side note, my wife had planned to cancel her interview but I told her I was going to the museum whether she went up there or not since I was really looking forward to it and had made plans already. She decided "what the heck" and went for the interview. We moved up there in the summer of 2001.

Anyway, the museum rotated the tractors thru the displays when they featured things like "Made in South Bend". Lathes, sporting goods, Oliver plows, etc.

In about 2005 Toro had the trucks that delivered equipment to the Indy 500 pick up the collection and take it to their hq in Bloomington, MN.

Great pictures!

Steve

Edited by wh500special
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wh500special

A lot of the equipment was indeed restored. There was a Horse Sense article in about 1988 that told of a fellow named Gary who restored some items for the museum at Ireland rd.

Geez, I've been at this a long time. Since 1987!

Steve

Edited by wh500special
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AMC RULES

:handgestures-thumbsup:   Good thing for us  :teasing-newbie: 's  you have Steve.    :thanks:  

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Cable

It is good to know that they are in Bloomington, MN. now.  Does Toro operate a museum there or can the public the tractor?

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CasualObserver

It is good to know that they are in Bloomington, MN. now.  Does Toro operate a museum there or can the public the tractor?

No.  I took a private tour of the corporate facility in Bloomington with Ed a few years ago just before he retired. I don't know if they generally offer tours, but he had offered and I took him up on it.  They had quite a bit of equipment (mostly current model Toro products) here and there on display through most of the building, but most of the building is not a "public" area, only the lobby is.  If I remember correctly, all they had in the lobby that day was a giant commercial Exmark zero turn with 72" deck.  There was quite a bit of historical literature and promo stuff framed and hanging on the walls all over too.  It was really cool, and I was very thankful he took the time to give me the personal tour.  I had a post with a couple pictures back when I did it... let me find it....   here it is... 

 

He told me about the Wheel Horse museum tractors on that visit but we were unable to go see them. When I asked him if the pictures you posted were the same ones we had talked about during my visit, this is what he told me.

 

Yes, the tractors in the photos are the same ones now in storage somewhere in Minneapolis.  Some may see the light of day in the future, as Toro just completed a new 4 story office tower adjacent to the building you were in, so there is more display space.  Toro celebrated 100-year anniversary in late July.

 

So, hopefully these will be brought out, freshened up and made visible again.  Hard to guess.  Toro has a pretty long history with a lot of equipment and companies, it would be interesting to see them honor them all in some sort of museum of their own....especially if it were open to the public!

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Cable

Awesome pics :)  the 32E doesn't match... looks to be a 68 Lawn Ranger, maybe someone put up the wrong sign?

You are correct, it is a Lawn Ranger.  Thanks for catching the error.  I have made the correction in the gallery on "slides" 11 and 12.

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rexman72

great pics

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