I hope everyone made it home from the National safely.  For those of you that couldn't be there it was a great show.  Maybe you can fit it into your schedule next year.  This year the weather decided to be cold.  When I would see the thermometer it read about 20 degrees.  There was also some wind that didn't help the cold ears any.  I am glad I was able to go.  I met a lot of new TTS people and there were also friends that I only get to see once a year.  I hope everybody found some good tractors to add to their collections and displays.  I found a few of the older toys that I have been looking for and I also picked up some of the new pieces I hadn't had yet.  Hopefully I will be able to pick up the new soundguard set in Geneseo, but until then I will have to make due with the models form the '80s.

            Last month I talked about the smaller soundguard tractors produced by Ertl.  This time I will take a look at the larger tractors in the series, the 4X50s.  I'll leave an X in the number because there was no designation given to these models by Ertl.  They could be what ever you wanted them to be.  With the black cab and front weights these are noticeably different than the smaller series.

            The first models had only two rivets to hold the body halves together.  This may have proven to be to weak or a liability with small children.  A third rivet was added shortly after production, making the two rivet variation the hardest to find.  The other rivet is at the front of the tractor. 

The third variation comes after the loader was introduced to the 1/64 Ertl lineup.  This model is the same as the second model we just talked about with the exception that it has a bracket on the bottom of the tractor to hold the loader. 

The next two variations are a FWA and a dual wheel model.  Both of these models have a loader bracket.  The sixth and last regular model variation has a loader.  This is the old style large loader.  A unique variation with this model is that it is also a 40 series tractor, not the 50 series as were the other variations.

            There are six show model variations that I am aware of.  The first two were a 1987 Texas Buckle Jamboree and Toy Show, and a Farmfest 1987 farm show.   The Farmfest tractor is also decaled as a 4X40.  In 1988 and 1989 the Farmfest featured the 4X50 again as one of its show tractors.  The Farmfest tractors are also somewhat rare.  There were only 500 of each model produced. 

1989 also introduced The Winning Edge Parts Expo.  The 4X50 has a gold sticker on the hood that read in part; Nashville Tennessee December 11-19 1989.  The last show tractor came in 1991 celebrating the 75th Pennsylvania Farm Show.  These are the only variations that I have found, but I will continue to look for more.  In the meantime if you come across any that I haven't listed here I would like to hear from you.

• 4X40 – Loader.  3 rivets hold the body.  With loader bracket.
• 4X50 – FWA.  3 rivets hold the body.  With loader bracket.
• 4X50 – Duals.  3 rivets hold the body.  With loader bracket.
• 4X50 – 3 rivets hold the body.  With out loader bracket.
• 4X50 – 3 rivets hold the body.  With loader bracket.
• 4X50 – 2 rivets hold the body.  With out loader bracket.
• 4X40 – Texas Buckle Jamboree and Toy Show '87
• 4X50 – Farmfest '87
• 4X50 – Farmfest '88
• 4X50 – Farmfest '89
• 4X50 – 75 Pennsylvania Farm Show '91
• 4X50 – Parts Expo The Winning Edge '89

            One more tractor that I have come across can't be called a variation.  This one is missing its decal.  It's just a mistake and can't be considered rare.  It might have been inspected on a Friday afternoon after a long lunch.  There is no doubt other mistakes like this one exist on other tractors.  Another model in my collection has the decal upside down.

TTT November 2003 Page 2

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