B Serial Number Information/WWII Era B's

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   Upon research on the engine switch from BE to CE in the B tractors, I was closely looking at the early 40's years serial numbers in Norms Book. 
I noticed a jump in serial numbers from 1942 to 1943 that seems to be missing. Maybe I am just over-looking this. You tell me.

In Norms book

1942 Ending Serial number for Model B tractors is 61400

1943 Starting Serial number for Model B tractors is 64501. 

Now 64501 was the start of the CE engines in the model B tractor.

My question is, what happened to the 3,101 tractors in 1942 between the 2 serial numbers? Did they go to the army, navy, or air corps for the war like some of those special war B's have appeared as? 

Or were they just regular tractors that had BE engines in early 1943?

Just some food for thought that I was kind of wondering about. Thought those "missing" serial numbers could be all the "war" tractors sent to forces. It would make sense that they were sent in 1942 as war production was starting to be in full swing for everything. 

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morton(pa) Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Lancaster, PA Points: 1234	Post Options Post Reply Quote morton(pa) Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: B Serial Number Information/WWII Era B's Posted: 24 Mar 2010 at 10:03pm
	Upon research on the engine switch from BE to CE in the B tractors, I was closely looking at the early 40's years serial numbers in Norms Book. I noticed a jump in serial numbers from 1942 to 1943 that seems to be missing. Maybe I am just over-looking this. You tell me. In Norms book 1942 Ending Serial number for Model B tractors is 61400 1943 Starting Serial number for Model B tractors is 64501. Now 64501 was the start of the CE engines in the model B tractor. My question is, what happened to the 3,101 tractors in 1942 between the 2 serial numbers? Did they go to the army, navy, or air corps for the war like some of those special war B's have appeared as? Or were they just regular tractors that had BE engines in early 1943? Just some food for thought that I was kind of wondering about. Thought those "missing" serial numbers could be all the "war" tractors sent to forces. It would make sense that they were sent in 1942 as war production was starting to be in full swing for everything.

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Ken in Texas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Henderson, TX Points: 5919	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ken in Texas Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 Mar 2010 at 7:59am
	Morton Jim Cochran from Austin TX has done a pretty good job of researching how many AC Bs the War Department purchased and when. The only refrence found so far is 98 light wheeled tractors purchased in 1940. Jim is building a clone of the military B described in Technical Manual TM 9-782