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For local resident Glen Weinman, turning 80 wasn’t a time to slow down, it was a deadline to get a fleet of agricultural history moving.
After celebrating his 80th birthday on March 1, Glen spent months planning, wrenching, and painting for the Arnold Fall Festival parade on September 19. His initial goal was ambitious: get eight vintage tractors up and running in time for the event. He blew right past that target, successfully rolling out a massive lineup of 18 entries made up of meticulously restored tractors and classic pickups.
The sprawling convoy that moved down the Arnold parade route represents decades of mechanical evolution and sheer hard work. Glen’s successful entries included: The John Deere Collection: 1934 John Deere A, 1937 John Deere B, 1945 John Deere B, 1949 John Deere D, 1954 John Deere 40, 1963 John Deere 3010, and a 1968 John Deere 4020; The International & Farmall Heritage: 1937 International F-20, 1938 International F-14, 1952 International M, 1953 Farmall International H, and a 1959 International Cub Cadet 185; Classic Trucks & Tractors: 1947 Diamond T Truck, 1950 Massey Harris 55, 1952 Ford 8-N, 1965 Oliver 77, 1968 Pontiac, and a 1990 Ford 1720.
Glen’s passion for this machinery runs deep, tracing back to his childhood. As a young boy, mowing hay with a 77 Oliver and raking with a John Deere B, pulling the equipment using a traditional rope trip handle. In those days, operating the machinery was an art form in itself. Starting the John Deere meant physically turning the heavy, external flywheel by hand. Glen fell in love with the distinct, rhythmic pop-and-purr of the classic two-cylinder John Deere engine— a sound he has worked tirelessly to preserve.
While Glen spends countless hours cleaning, restoring, and painting in the shop, his ultimate joy comes from the parades. He makes it a point to catch a couple of events every summer, but he never misses the local celebration in Arnold.
Bringing 18 vehicles to life on a single afternoon is no small feat. To get the entire fleet down the parade route, it took a village. A dedicated crew of family members and neighbors stepped up to drive the entries, turning Glen’s lifelong passion into a proud, shared community milestone.
