farmall not putting sn# tags on during ww2

As a boy I remember stories of those truck loads of tractors having to cross border at specific places. There definately was a black market of US built tractors into Canada. How extensive and who was involved I can't tell you, as I don't know. In the past two decades the Canadian dollar being in the 60-70 cent range US, many of those tractors have gone back to the US. Just yesterday about 35 miles from the US border I had a Texas 1 ton dually and lowboy pass me on the 4 lane, with two of these tractors on board. I was doing 70 mph and at the rate he went by me he is probably near home by now.

Cockshutt had always sold Oliver tractors painted Cockshutt colors here in Canada. Their new Cockshutt 30 complete with Independant PTO had to be put on hold until after the war. The first one was produced in 1946.

Over the years I have asked a lot of questions on this very subject. 40 years ago there were a lot of tight liped people on the subject. I suspect there are a few people still around who know the full story. We do know most of the players are gone. I would love to hear the rest of the story, may be a good one for Paul Harvey.

There is also another explanation based on this side of the border. With price controls and rationing caused by the war, the supply of everything was short. What was available was subject to waiting lists and quotas. As a result, many put their name on all the waiting lists for things they didn't even want. When their name came up, it was like winning the lottery. You could take possession of the item at whatever the price was set at. Then you could remove serial numbers and other identifying marks and sell the item as used at whatever price it would bring. This black market continued for a few years after the war while the supply was catching up with demand.

None of the fine people on this list would have done such a thing...but it is history.

We weren't involved at all...we farmed with mules and an old worn out John Deere GP.

George Willer

My dad was 31 and working for the Canadian National Railway on double tracking the line from Halifax to Montreal, and when the war broke out that project was put in high gear for troop and supply movement to the port of Halifax. Dad said he tried to enlist, they told him he was too old. He figured the real reason was his position with the railroad, plus his ties to farm. When the railroad project ended he went back to the farm full time. He had been lucky enough to have worked every day of the dirty thirties, so in 1935 he had bought a new 35 Ford coup, flat head V8. He said he had to return to the farm to get enough tickets to keep the Ford running. He often said not many 26 year old guys were lucky enough to have the cash for a new Ford coup in 1935. I don't remember the car but I guess it was a hot little buggie on performance.

Probably the Ford is why he never married until he was 32 in 1940. I being the oldest of 5 boys arrived on the sceen same year as the W4, 1942. My grandad had farmed with a Fordson and a team of horses. Dad said he may as well just used the horses, as they wouldn't have had to tow start the Fordson.

The first I remember of the W4 and the No.8 Little Genius was after he got the rubber tires. He did custom plowing for other farmers. I can remember going with my grandad to pick dad up at end of days plowing.

Harold H