Thursday, April 27, 2023

one of the world’s largest tractor collections is the Museum for Tractor and Agricultural Machinery History in Israel

The museum, which most just call the Tractor Museum, houses 400 agricultural vehicles and tools, was started in 1991 when Israeli farmer Erez Milstein had to give up his nearby groves due to health problems.

 Missing his life in the fields, he bought and restored an old Porsche tractor.

 After that, Milstein was hooked, began collecting tractors, and met with other retired farmers.

Then, his friends, and later their friends, started to join in, eager to help revive the tractors. In 2003, the group became a non-profit. They received some government funding and got to work building the museum. Today, more than 60 volunteers—former garage owners, farmers, and mechanics—help to operate the Tractor Museum. Most are octogenarians, says Milstein. “The oldest is 87 years old and he will work here until the day he dies. The youngest is in the 11th grade.”

 “Agriculture in Israel is disappearing, along with the camaraderie,” says Milstein. “This country was strong due to its united communities, and today it’s torn and polarized. This tears me up inside, but then dozens of volunteers come from the north and south to the museum, filled with enthusiasm and joy of giving and working together. They give me hope.”


You can look at the photos of the tractors and items on their website

one significant and unusual tractor in the museum's collection is a Bucyrus TD9 bulldozer, a truly  astounding story accompanies it: 

"The Bucyrus TD9 bulldozer was one of the tractors rescued from a ship that sank in Manila during World War II.
It was purchased from the surplus of the American army, and it was decided to use it to fortify the settlements in the western Negev (Israel) after WW2
In 1947, the tractor worked on fortifications that proved very effective in holding off the Egyptian army for a number of critical days.
Apparently, the Bucyrus also participated in the marking out of the 1949 Armistice Line, commonly known as the Green Line, a fence marked by deep ditches along the divide between the State of Israel and her Arab neighbors.


No comments:

Post a Comment