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US AAF 
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Joined: 19 May 2020
Location: Belgium/Europe
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 Topic: Type B mistery date of delivery
Posted: 19 May 2020 at 6:00am |
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I recently bought an AC tractor B type, built in 1938, serial number B6139.
During up-grading the tractor we found the serial number to be EB6139.
Some experts say, this one was built in the UK (E stands for England built), though the first AC tractor built in the new AC factory in the UK would start with a serial number around and above 13.000....
Other experts claim Allis Chalmers sold 2000 tractors in last quarter of 1938 to a British dealer and AC stamped an E in front of the B, indicating Export. These 2000 were supposedly delivered in crates and were to be assembled in the UK.
Apparently this way of shipping/importing would safe import duties to the buyers.
Could anyone confirm or correct please?
Robert
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
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Posted: 19 May 2020 at 8:28am |
In general, your story is correct.. First the US supplied KITS that were assembled in England.. After the War , the tractors were built in a factory in England, not kits. I think those ( after 1949 ) were stamped EB............ I "though" the original kits were just stamped "B"............. How do you know it is a 1938 ? What motor does it have ? Who is the manufacture of starter and generator if it has them ?
From Encyclopedia... After the second world war Allis Chalmers operated factories in the United Kingdom at Totton (to 1949) in Totton Hampshire and Essendine in Rutland. Formerly the Minneapolis-Moline factory. - Model EB (1950-1955) British built model B with a straight front axle. EB serial numbers from Essendine works began at EB-4001. Some 2000 were assembled at the Totton, Southampton facility between 1947/9 from imported CKD kits but using US serial numbers locally stamped with an additional E prefix. Theoretically there may be duplication of serial numbers with later English production tractors.
- Model D270 (1954-1957)
- Model D272 (1957-1960)
- Model ED40 (1960-1968)
There are a couple English guys that visit this page occasionally.. Possibly they will see this and fill in all the details .
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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US AAF
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Posted: 19 May 2020 at 9:11am |
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Thank you so much for helping me with this information.
The tractor was sold to me from the UK with the serial number B6139.
It was painted Olive Drab, with Blue Drab markings, exactly as used by the US Army Airforce (US AAF) during WW2.
As I am a passionate collector of WW2 US Army and Army Airforce trucks and trailers, this little one would fit in our collection.
The tractor is handcranked, so a starter motor is not available, though the 'hole' in the frame with little metal cover is present. Experts say, the 2000 tractors that were exported to the UK in kits, already had this accessory.
The magneto is a Fairbanks Morse.
The front axle is a straight one, a curved example is availble for exchanging.
Serial numbers lists on the internet show that serial number B6139 is effectively delivered end 1938.
Now with the E found the number is EB6139. And that would be a post war delivery.
Unless we find prove that during 1938 the E had already been used by AC to mark their crated export tractors...…….
Thanks, Robert
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US AAF
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Posted: 19 May 2020 at 9:20am |
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Further to my previous reply and with respect to your question about the type of engine the following.
I know AC started to build-in Waukesha engines in the first 98 type B tractors.
Then came the first series of own developed AC engines, to be replaced in 1943 by a second serie.
How could I determine which AC engine I got? The engine number is identical to the serial number, I understood.
Measuring the engine replacement? Or other value that is specifically related to the 1st or 2nd type of AC engines?
Many thanks, Robert
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chaskaduo
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Location: Twin Cities
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Posted: 19 May 2020 at 9:35am |
Is that # EB6139 stamped into the back top center of engine block? Found this but might just be for US, I don't know for sure. Allis Chalmers B engine serial number to
tractor serial number correlation Also casting numbers correlations B / C / CA Engine Castings and Year Hope this helps someone any ways
Edited by chaskaduo - 19 May 2020 at 9:49am
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1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 19 May 2020 at 10:00am |
the TRACTOR serial number should be by the trans shift lever... The MOTOR serial number on the early models would be on the block, at the BACK of the cylinder head, below the gas tank.... The LATER models the number would be an a casting face on the side of the block where it bolts to the bell housing ( torque tube).
The early models were 116 cubic inches and called a BE motor.. When Allis came out with the Model C tractor, the increased the displacement to 125 inches and called the motor a CE.......All they did was increase the piston bore.. Many have been changed over the years.... If you want to know what it was ORIGINALLY , see if you have the CE on the side of the block, or the BE on the top face rear edge of the block.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 19 May 2020 at 10:08am |
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Also the VERY early tractors did not have a starter or generator, so there was NO hole in the torque tube for the starter and NO cast boss on the left side / front of the motor to mount the generator... Im not sure when they added that.... Yours has the STARTER DELEATE plug so that torque tube was on a tractor that COULD have a starter.. IM not sure what year that started...but 1938 is pretty early , dont know if you could get a starter on a 38 or not.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ecosse23
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Posted: 27 May 2024 at 6:15am |
 US AAF wrote:
Other experts claim Allis Chalmers sold 2000 tractors in last quarter of 1938 to a British dealer and AC stamped an E in front of the B, indicating Export. These 2000 were supposedly delivered in crates and were to be assembled in the UK.
Apparently this way of shipping/importing would safe import duties to the buyers.
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I hope no-one minds me bumping an old thread. I'm doing some research on the beginnings of Allis-Chalmers Great Britain (my late father bought a Model B in the late 40's). From what I can discover, A-C had a distributor in the UK called Mackay (Agencies) Ltd., based at Colwall, Herefordshire.
During WW2, the knocked-down Model B kits were assembled at a small "factory" in rural Herefordshire which had been the Abbeydore Workhouse. I assume but don't know for sure that this was run by Mackay rather than by A-C themselves - more research needed.
A-C then began using their own facility in Totton near Southampton, in parallel to Abbeydore. Again I'm guessing that A-C began importing machines into the UK via Southampton Docks, and while Totton was run by them rather than their agents, it was more of an assembly plant than a manufacturing plant.
From there, A-C moved to the former Sale Tilney/ Minneapolis Moline factory at Essendine in Rutland and began engineering and manufacturing machines for the UK market rather than just assembling them using components sent from the West Allis plant in Milwaukee.
Any further info would be gratefully received.  |
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