By Jason Hasert

CaseIH East Moline, Illinois Combine Plant

One of my favorite toys of 2004 was the 1/32 CaseIH 2388 produced by Ertl to commemorate the retirement of the CaseIH East Moline, Ill combine plant.  My interest in red combines dates back to Christmas 1978 when Santa Claus left a new 1/20th scale International 915 combine under the Christmas tree.  The 915 was my first farm toy and hooked me on toy tractors for life.  Over the years I have collected all of the 1/32 International and CaseIH combines from Ertl.

CaseIH combines have been a popular harvesting options with farmers world wide.  Ertl has offered replicas of these combines since the 915's debuted in 1969.  All of these CaseIH combine has been produced at the East Moline, Ill combine plant.

After producing combines for 77 years in the East Moline plant CaseIH closed the factory in August 2004 in favor of the modern Case-New Holland facility located in Grand Island, NE.  The new plant offers the production space to build modern mega combines like the 330bu. CaseIH AFX8010 Axial-Flow combine and New Holland CR970 combine.  The CaseIH 2300 series Axail-Flow production has been moved to Grand Island as well.

The East Moline Plant is best known for its 25 plus years of producing the Axial-Flow combine.  The Axail-Flow combine revoltionized rotary harvesting in 1977 when International Harvester introduced the 1400 series Axail-Flow single rotor combines.  Over the years the 1400 series was upgraded to the Case International 1600 series, CaseIH 2100 series and 2300 series.  In 1998 the 100,000th Axial-Flow combine was produced at the East Moline plant.

CaseIH 2388 combines harvesting soybeans in Iowa

Ertl was commissioned by CaseIH to help honor East Moline most famous product with a 1/32 replica of the 210bu. 2388 Axail-Flow combine.  The 2388 is the largest combine to roll out of East Moline.  Ertl first introduced the 1/32 tooling as a 2188 in 1995.  Several versions of this Ertl mold exist including the 2188, 2166, 2388 and 2366.  The gold inscribed East Moline 2388 is a fitting tribute to CaseIH and Ertl's red combines.

1/32 East Moline Commemorative Edition CaseIH 2388 Axial-Flow Combine

Collectors Gold Inscription on the side of the Ertl 2388 Marking 77 Years of History 

Ertl highlights the entire of 77 year history of the East Moline Plant on the commemorative 2388's box.  The East Moline Plant has a rich heritage of manufacturing harvesting products, threshers, planters and cotton harvesting equipment.  

Opened in 1927 the plant quickly grew to one of premier manufacturing plants in the U.S. and provided countless products for use world wide.  East Moline completed production of the 2300 series combine in 2004 and production transferred to the CNH plant in Nebraska.   If you are a combine collector you will want the East Moline 2388.  The box gives a full plant history.

1/32 East Moline Commemorative 2388 combine by Ertl	Historic information on Case IH's East Moline Plant on the box		Historical Production Facts of East Moline
East Moline Product Manufacturing Dates		East Moline Plant Facts
1934-1990: Pull Type Combines (243,670 units) 1934-1946: Stationary Threshers (7,647 units) 1934-2004: Thresher/Combines (532,086 units) 1935-1974: Corn Pickers (254,916 units) 1942-2004: Self-Propelled Combines (280,769 units) CNH Product Currently Built: Grand Island, NE 1935-2004: Grain Headers (531,872 units) CNH Product Currently Built: Grand Island, NE 1956-2000: Corn Headers (112,017 units) CNH Product Currently Built: Grand Island, NE 1955-1967: Farm Elevators (12,825units ) 1958-1964: Corn Shellers (5,848 units) 1960-1966: Field Choppers (6,063 units) 1960-1966: Silo Blowers (3,790 units) 1960-1975: Forage Harvesters (51,8280 units) CNH Product Currently Built: New Holland, PA 1960-1967: Hay Mowers (86,920 units) 1963-1965: Beet Harvesters (1,045 units) 1963-1965: Beet Toppers (745 units) 1972-1994:Corn Planters (120,579 units) CNH Product Currently Built: Flexi-Coil Plant, Sask. Canada 1977-2004: Combine Cabs (360,549 units) CNH Product Currently Built: Grand Island, NE 1985-2003: Cotton Pickers (7,761 units) CNH Product Currently Built: Benson, MN		Operating Ownership: International Harvester 1927-1985 Case Corporation 1985-1999 Case-New Holland 1999-2004 Plant Size = 156 acres Area Under Roof = 2,373,000 sq. ft. Construction: Phase I 1927-1929 1,000,000 sq. ft Phase II 1929-1934 800,000 sq. ft. Phase III 1935 -1937 573,000 sq. ft First Used as a Parts Warehouse for Farmall Tractors  1934 First Production (Stationary Harvesters) 1942:  First Self Propelled Combine Introduced 1977: 1400 Series Axial Flow Combine  Introduced 1985: 1600 Series Axial-Flow Combine  Introduced 1994: Major Plant Renovation; 2100 Series Axial Flow Combine  Introduced and 2155 Cotton Express Picker  Introduced 1997: 2300 Series Axial-Flow Combine  Introduced and 2555 Cotton Express  Picker  Introduced 1998: 100,000th Axial Flow Combine Produced (2366) 2004:  Last Production

East Moline Plant on the banks of the Mississippi River