Fourth generation operates same D17

RANTOUL, Ill. — Over 200 Allis-Chalmer D21s were on display at the Half Century of Progress two years ago in celebration of the tractor’s 60th anniversary, and another large turnout is anticipated at this year’s Rantoul show.

“That was really impressive to see that many,” said Ron Repking, Triple A (All About Allis) Tractor Club president, of Effingham.

The D21 was the first Allis-Chalmers tractor to exceed 100 horsepower and the largest row-crop tractor available in the industry at that time.

Repking was among those working the Allis-Chalmers booth at Historic Farm Days, promoting next year’s show when Allis-Chalmers will be the featured brand and the Gathering of the Orange National Show will also be held.

“If you fly over at next year’s Historic Farm Days it will look orange,” he said.

Repking plans to bring his Models 200, 210 and 220s to the Half Century of Progress.

The Triple A Tractor Club is also finalizing plans for its annual show the third weekend of September near Watson.

“It’s a working show. We cut beans, we thrash, we plow, disk, dig potatoes. Two years ago, we started a new feature with a steam engine that does a sparks show on Saturday evening. It’s a small show, but it’s a good time,” Repking said.

His interest in Allis-Chalmers goes back to his youth on the farm. His dad, Alf, purchased an Allis-Chalmers D17 in 1963.

“My dad passed away in 1969. A unique thing about dad’s tractor was my brother, Dan, got to farm and he had the tractor and then my son bought the tractor off of him. Now my son has a son who’s named Alf. The tractor never left the family,” he said.

“Between my brother and his son and my sons, we have, if you count lawn mowers and everything tractor-wise, we’ve got over 20 to 25. We normally do our own restoration.”

Repking believes it’s important to preserve these tractors from yesteryear, “especially with the Allis-Chalmers,” he said.

“They’re no longer in existence as far as the orange. It’s just great to see,” he said. “They’re tractors that you can no longer buy, but they were good tractors. A lot of them are still out running.

“We’ve had people walk by the booth at Historic Farm Days and say, ‘Oh, an Allis-Chalmers gathering next year? I’ve got some at home.’ Well, how may you got? ‘I don’t know, 10, 11, we’re bringing them all.’ And we said, the more the merrier, just bring them on up.”

Repking enjoys spending time at these shows whether it’s working at a booth or at his tractor displays.

“I enjoy sitting around talking to people because, like Rich Bergeson said earlier, everybody’s got a story and they want to tell it and that’s true,” he said, citing the Allis-Chalmers collector from Ransom.

“We had a gentleman here the other day. He was from Indiana, three hours away. I’m going to say he was in his mid 80s, something like that. He had stories. This was here and his dad had this tractor. It was really fun and you meet a lot of people like that.”

Every tractor also has a story.

“‘Oh, yeah, dad bought this new in such and such a year.’ There’s a lot of people that say dad bought this tractor new, he sold it and there’s people out there that’s saying, ‘I want dad’s tractor back.’ They’ll go out and do a search, and sometimes they can find them and sometimes they can’t,” Repking said.