I wonder what ever happened to......

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I know the idea of finding the original wheel horse radio and television ads never came to be.

But now a new thought popped into my cranium.

I wonder what happened to all those hundreds of original drawings for our wheel horse tractors?

Likely they are suffering away in some storage facility at Toro...or were they thrown away or did someone save them from a fate worse than death?

Likely they would have been put on microfische....but...those were primarily for reference at the dealers. They were mostly isometric assembly drawings.

As a former mechanical designer I am interested in the "working" drawings that were made available to the shop and manufacturing.

Wouldn't it be great to reproduce some of your favorite tractor? In full size and framed on a wall? I think they would be great to find.

You guys have any ideas?

[CasualObserver 3,406]

No idea what happened to the majority, but now and then you'll see a random original blueprint show up on ebay. They're out there, and some collectors have some.

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I wonder if any of the family of the original owners could be contacted?

[GlenPettit 1,714]

About 2 years ago I read a post from the original 'artist' that drew the schematics and printed advertising, it was on yahoo I think. She said she was still living in the South Bend area and still had boxes of old drawings and copy from the factory when she worked there in the office illustrating. She had just read of Cecil Pond attending the Wheel Horse show via the net . . . no idea of her name, can anyone from that area investigate?

Glen

[Teddy da Bear 11]

Well, typically an illustrator is different from a designer or detailer.

Like you said...they work mainly on illustrations for advertizing.

But I will look for her.