Stories from inside the AC plants ?
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47809
Printed Date: 28 Aug 2025 at 8:50am
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Topic: Stories from inside the AC plants ?
Posted By: Rfdeere
Subject: Stories from inside the AC plants ?
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2012 at 10:57pm
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I was wondering if anyone on here ever had the privilege to be in the AC factories when they were still cranking out the machines we all love. Anybody work in one of the plants ? Maybe you hauled equipment from one of the plants to dealer(s) ? Maybe a story your dad or grandpa told ? I know were talking 30 years ago almost (or longer), but it would be great to hear some of these stories from inside the plants. Whether it be West Allis, LaPorte, Independence, LaCrosse, Harvey, Springfield, or Gadsden would love to here some tales from when AC's were coming off the line ! ------------- Randy Freshour,Member Indiana AC Partners, http://www.rumelyallis.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.rumelyallis.com |
Replies:
Posted By: Austin(WI)
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2012 at 11:00pm
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Friend of ours is a CASE IH dealer salesman. He said when he was in school in tech school in the 1970s there class toured the West Allis Works and the Case plant. Said that AC was more automated and computerized than the Case assembly line. ------------- "Better By Design" |
Posted By: HaroldOmaha
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2012 at 11:50pm
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If you don't have it get a book by Walt M. Buescher, Called the " Plow Peddler". He has stories about the inside of Allis from 1936 to the 1980s. He has some neat stories.
You can also find these stories in the Antique Iron Magazine up to last year when he passed away. One of Antique Iron's story contribitors Ray Hoffman is a member of our tractor club.
Harold
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Posted By: Rfdeere
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2012 at 2:04pm
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What were they building when he toured the Works, Austin ?
Yep, enjoy the Plow Peddler articles. Walt Buescher would have been a interesting fellow to spend an afternoon (or week !  ) visiting with !------------- Randy Freshour,Member Indiana AC Partners, http://www.rumelyallis.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.rumelyallis.com |
Posted By: Austin(WI)
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2012 at 2:40pm
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I think he said he remembers the 7000s being on the line. ------------- "Better By Design" |
Posted By: Calvin Schmidt
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2012 at 3:24pm
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In 1986, I met a gentleman who was a former engineering manager at Allis-Chalmers. He was working for FIEI (farm and industrial equipment institute) in Chicago and I was chair of the ISA (international silo association). At that time FIEI and ISA were discussing a merger. Back to the story. He said that Allis-Chalmers had a very inefficent outdated transmission plant and Case had a modern efficent transmission plant up the road at Racine. He tried to convince A-C to outsourse their smaller transmissions (6000 series tractors) from Case to save money but instead they decided to buy they from Fiat. ------------- Nothing is impossible if it is properly financed |
Posted By: Orange Blood
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2012 at 7:33am
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My Uncle hauled combines from the Independence plant, I will ask him what he remembers. ------------- Still in use: HD7 WC C CA WD 2-WD45 WD45LP WD45D D14 3-D17 D17LP 2-D19D D19LP 190XTD 190XTLP 720 D21 220 7020 7030 7040 7045 3-7060 Projects: 3-U UC 2-G 2-B 2-C CA 7-WC RC WDLP WF D14 D21 210 7045 N7 |
Posted By: wayneIA
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2012 at 9:15am
| Dad told about at the West Allis plant when he picked up new 190's, he said security was very tight to get in and out to pick up your load. |
Posted By: Rfdeere
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2012 at 5:11pm
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I was told by a gentleman that hauled Gleaner cornheads out of LaPorte in the late 70's and early 80's that something seemed a little out of place at LaPorte. According to him the capabilities of the plant were not being fully utilized building Allis Chalmers equipment, so there were parts being built there with a certain shade of Green paint ! ------------- Randy Freshour,Member Indiana AC Partners, http://www.rumelyallis.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.rumelyallis.com |
Posted By: Jim in MO
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2012 at 7:07pm
| I hauled corn planter out of the LaPorte plant 76 and 77 they had a new cab for a AC-200 only one left.They with to building 7000 tractor. Be to the Indepenence lot of time. I have Bird hunted with the plant manager Jim Overstreet. The white Tractor was move to Indepenence. Watch the line move and put together Tractor and Combine. Also be to the new plant in KS {Heston}??? Jim in MO. |