Last November, as events at the Steam Expo drew to a close, the traction engines began to return to their shed on a back lot of the Cumming, Ga. Fairgrounds so I followed them. I spent the next hour or so inspecting and photographing the amazing collection of steam engines that’s assembled there. In the very last berth I found this nicely restored 1928 Rumely Model X. I was intrigued, not just because it’s a nice Oil Pull , but because all the others I’ve seen have been painted in the usual faded Rumely green.
In response to inquiries I made, John Walls, the tractors owner replied that he had purchased the Rumely from a man who lived in Indiana, not far from the site of the Rumely factory in Laporte. “The blue is correct but the red wheels are not, they should be blue as well. The early Rumelys were green but around 1927 or 28 the color changed to blue. Legend has it that Rumely got a better deal on some blue paint and decided to to change the color of their tractors.”
Well, maybe. While doing some research for this post I found that there was more than one version of the story as is so often the case. It seems that It’s generally agreed that 1928 saw a change in color. What that color was depends on who you ask. In his Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors, C. H. Wendel writes; “ In this last series Rumely changed to a steel gray enamel after using the dark green paint for years. A former Rumely employee relates that the management simply liked the new gray color and adopted it as standard.”
Browse some photos of the Model X on line and you will find an array of colors from green to gray to powder blue. Probably the only way to get a definitive answer would be to have access to factory records or maybe analyze the paint from a tractor that was known to be factory original. If you look closely at this photo you can make out what appears to be a layer of green and one of gray as well as the blue.
Rumely established it’s reputation as a manufacturer of big heavy and expensive tractors during the period when the open plains were being developed for agriculture. By the 1920’s farmers were looking for smaller, lighter and more affordable equipment to maintain their farms. In 1924 Rumely obliged with a new line of lightweight Oil Pulls , the smallest being the Model L, rated at 15 - 25. In 1928 they modified their line of tractors again, primarily by increasing engine speed to gain a boost in horsepower. The Model L got bumped up by 95 rpm and became the W 20 - 30. The Type M got revved up and became the Type X 25 - 40. It is entirely possible that Rumely management decided to change the color as a way to emphasize the difference that the 1928 lineup offered.
The X model was in production from 1928 to 1930 with only 2400 units built. It was powered by a horizontal two cylinder engine that displaced 604 cubic inches. Three forward speeds were available at 2.3, 2.9 and 3.5 miles per hour.
The lightweight series that included the X tractors proved to be among the last that Rumely produced. 1928 also saw a radical redesign of their product with the introduction of the Rumely Do All that followed the row crop trend. It was followed in 1930 by the Model 6 A. By this time however Rumely was in serious financial difficulty and it was acquired by Allis-Chalmers in 1931.
So here we are at the end of the post with no definitive answer about the color of the Rumely X. As always, reader comments are welcome. Bottom line; It’s a good looking Oil Pull and it’s John’s tractor so he can paint it any color he likes. Even pink if he wanted to. What ???? Did I really say that? Perish the thought!
Sources:
Information provided by John Walls
Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors by C.H. Wendel
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave a comment or send an email to: stevedritch@gmail.com