Doug Harke

Spec-Cast's New Out Look For Rare Historic Variations 

Located in Dyersville, Iowa SpecCast is a leading manufacturer of quality die-cast, polyresin and pewter collectibles including 1:25 vehicles, 1:64 tractor-trailers, 1:16 farm tractors, pewter belt buckles and new polyresin lawn & garden statuary, garden rocks and stepping stones.

SpecCast was founded in 1974 in Rockford, Illinois for the purpose of producing die-cast belt buckles. While under the original management, the product line expanded slightly to include desk and trophy-type items. During the first three years in business, SpecCast employed up to ten people.

The late ´70s and early ´80s brought gradual improvements and expansions of process and product to SpecCast. The practice of investing greater amounts of time at the front-end of a project by creating precision molds which require little re-work increased sales and profits. Some of the bigger customers at the time were IH, Northrup King and John Deere. The product line included belt buckles, lapel pins, key chains, statues and replicas.

In 1986 the current owner of SpecCast, Dave Bell, purchased the business. Within a year, the company was moved from Rockford to Dyersville. Dave Bell´s thirteen years of employment within the die-cast collectible industry provided a broad and valuable base of experience for developing all areas of SpecCast.

The company is focused on diversifying products within existing product lines and pursuing new product categories that fit with existing distribution channels. SpecCast now releases collectible cars, tractor-trailers, farm toy replicas and polyresin lawn and garden products. The four market areas currently include agriculture (OEM products), retail, custom imprint (promotional and premium) and new lawn and garden. Licensing has been obtained from such companies as John Deere, Hershey´s, Case IH, Shell, CITGO and the U.S. Postal Services to name a few.

SpecCast is also a leader in several up and coming product lines. Many new and exciting products outside of our traditional die-cast and pewter offerings were introduced in the past few years. Some of these new products include poly-resin replicas, lawn and garden statuary and garden rocks, and new precision detail level farm tractors and crawlers. 

Spec-Cast is quickly becoming well known for its precision like quality in 1/16 tractors. These high detail tractors have represented the Farmall Hundred and Hundred-Fifty tractors in every variation desired from row crop to wide front to LP to high crop. In 2002 the last The Toy Tractors Times Anniversary series of Classic American Tractors was a Spec-Cast Farmall 400. With put a doubt a red collectors have been well represented by Spec-Cast. The company is branching out to meet the collecting wishes of AGCO fans in 2004 with the introduction of the Minneapolis-Moline U, Oliver 77 and Oliver 770. These new AGCO tractors offer high detail at a reasonable retail price in the $40-$50 price range.

 Spec-Cast Oliver 770

The classic AGCO models with detail are rolling out of Spec-Cast in 2004. The newest 1/16 crawler from Spec-Cast is the Jet-Star 2. Minneapolis-Moline is not well known for crawler tractors, although between 1956 and 1961 M-M did produce 250 crawlers. The 2-Star crawler was developed in 1956 after M-M merged a D-2 Caterpillar undercarriage to a 445 ag tractor frame, engine and power frame. The 2 Star Crawler was produced for only one year in 1958. Spec-Cast will produce a 1/16 die-cast metal 2 Star for the 2004 Toy Truck ‘N Construction Show hosted by the Toy Trucker & Contractor Magazine. The show will be held August 20^th -22^nd at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. Spec-Cast has added their high level of detail on the 2 Star. It features metal tracks, engine detail and authentic graphics. The 2 Star is a good example of Spec-Cast’s interest in producing rare classic machines in detail.

Spec-Cast Jet-Star 2 Crawler for Toy Trucker and Construction and Magazine

Spec-Cast launched a new era in its toy building in the fall of 2004 when it introduced a resin cast model of the International-Harvester HT-341 Turbine Tractor. What is the IH turbine tractor? For this answer we turn to well known IH author Ken Updike. Ken wrote International Harvester Tractors 1955-1985 and Farmall Cub-Cub Cadet History.

Ken Updike tell us that IH engineers started experimenting with hydrostatic drive tractors in the 1950’s. International developed the first hydro static drive tractor using a stock I-340 tractor. The standard gasoline utility tractor had its entire drive train (clutch, transmission, final drives) replaced by a variable displacement hydrostatic pump and two construction final drive motors (one mother for each rear wheel). The HD-340 proved itself in tests and out preformed the gear drive I-340. With one lever the driver of the HD-340 controlled travel speed. Simple operation over a tractors speed would open up a new ease of operation in big jobs like planting, baling and forage harvesting.

After the HD-340 passed the test phase, the engineers at IH took the experiment to a new level. They replaced the IH built gasoline engine from the I-340 with a gas turbine from IH’s SOLAR engine division. After some “space age” styling to the sheet metal the tractor was ready for its public debuted. The HD with the solar turbine looked futuristic in 1961 compared to the other tractors in the IH line but if you look at the sheet metal it has similar lines and looks to the 88 series introduced in 1982.

IH HT-341 Concept Drawing

Actual 1961 HT-341 On Display

IH brought out the new HT-340 on July 20, 1961 at the 10^th annual University of Nebraska Tractor Day. Shortly after the show, the tractor was damaged when the truck transporting the new tractor overturned in Missouri. The HT-340 was returned to IH’s Hindsdale Engineering Center for repairs. Ken Updike belives that it was at this time the tractors model number changed from HT-340 to HT-341. The early pictures of the HT-340 show different emblems and painted in blue. The HT-341 was given a new look with a white/red/silver paint scheme. IH used the HT-341 at a variety of farm shows and dealer open houses through 1962. The tractor was then put into storage and then in 1967 donated to the Smithsonian Institute as part of the 75^th Anniversary of the gas powered tractor.

The turbine IH tractor was not a feasible farm tractor although the hydrostatic drive of the HT-341 was. The new hydrostatic transmission was successfully transferred to farm tractors. In June 1967 the IH Farmall Plant began producing the 656 Hydro. Shortly afterward the IH 544 and the industrial 2544 were introduced. (See the April and May 2003 “Variations” Toy Tractor Times articles to learn more about the 544 and 2544 made by Ertl). Other Hydro IH’s followed including the 1026, Hydro 1066, Hydro 100, Hydro 666, Hydro 70, Hydro 86, Hydro 186 and Hydro 3488.

New Spec-Cast HT-340.  Notice Wheel Changes Over HT-341

The HT-340/HT-340 tractor lead to a generation of IH tractors that lead the industry. Spec-Cast helped honor IH’s engineering advances in 2003 with the production of the HT-341 tractor. This model is made from plastic resin rather than the traditional die-cast mold. Resin allowed Spec-Cast to produce a nicely detailed model tractor. Producing a die-cast model of such a limited prototype would not be possible. Collectors do not miss out with resin as the model looks as good as any metal tractor on the shelf. Only 1,000 of the 1/16 HT-341’s were produced in 2003 and are quickly becoming quite scarce. The HT-341 was packaged in an attractive collectors box detailing the tractors history.

Spec-Cast Prototype of HT-340.  The Front Grille On The Production Model Will Have a Bow Tie Badge

In July 2004 Spec-Cast will release the blue HT-340. Many may think oh here come a re-release with a new paint job. That is incorrect. Spec-Cast has several variation changes planed for the HT-340. Cosmetic changes beyond the blue paint include black side badges rather than red found on the HT-341, extended white side panels all the way to the grill, a front bow-tie badge found on the original HT-340 grille rather than the rectangular white IH badge and an added center cylinder on the 3pt hitch not found on the 1/16 HT-341. A few other changes include the wheel rims. The HT-341 model has dished rear rims while the new HT-340 will the have dome rear wheels found on the real model. The HT-340 model will have wheel weight detail added to the front tires. The weights were required because the IH SOLAR turbine engine only weighed 90lbs and with out the weights the tractor would have popped up in the air.

Detailed Operators Platform On Resin HT-340

 IH HT-340

IH HT-341

Spec-Cast will continue its work in the rare tractor area beyond the HT-340 and 341with a new Fuel-Cell tractor. The Allis-Chalmers Fuel-Cell tractor was introduced to the public in 1959.   The Fuel-Cell was an electric tractor that had the potential to change the future of tractor power.    The fuel cell was developed by the Allis-Chalmers Research Division.   The fuel cell was tested in a tractor to test its application in the ag industry. A total of 1,008 fuel cells provide direct current when a mixture of fuel gases and oxygen reacted in an electrolyte.  The by-products were no-polluting pure water and carbon dioxide.   

Actual Allis-Chalmers Fuel-Cell Tractor

The Fuel-Cell tractor is an odd looking tractor but it was built from a modified Allis-Chalmers D12 tractor.  This special D12 had an electric motor driving the transmission shaft.   The tractor was a slow and bulky machine but it could develop 3,000 pounds of drawbar pull, allowing the tractor to operate a two bottom plow.  The tractor proved to be to expensive for ag application and the technology was  used by the space program.  The AC Fuel Cell tractor was donated to the Smithsonian Institute.   The details of the Fuel Cell Tractor can be found Norm Swinford's Allis-Chalmers Farm Equipment 1914-1985.  

Franken Tractor ??????

The organizers of the National Allis-Chalmers Collectors Show known as “The Gathering of the Orange” wanted a stand out model tractor to commemorate their 2004 show. Spec-Cast was able to produce one of the rarest one of a kind Allis-Chalmers of all time with its new resin casting.

The Fuel-Cell Allis-Chalmers look like a Frankenstein tractor with its blockish styling and multiple wires. Because the model is resin Spec-Cast created an open side of the tractor to show part of 1,008 fuel cells under the hood. The other side is shown closed . The operators platform is impressive on the model. It has regulator dials ,battery box, generator hand crank, gear shift and breaks.  The hitch is nicely detailed as well.

Closed Panel Side Of The Fuel Cell Tractor 

Detailed Insides of the Fuel Cell Tractor

Backside of AC Fuel Cell Tractor

Operators Platform of Fuel Cell Tractor

Spec-Cast has found a nitch in the collectors market that is making many brand specific collectors happy.  Tractors like the Minneapolis-Moline Jet Star 2, International HT-340 Turbine tractor and Allis-Chalmers Fuel-Cell tractor were just a collectors dream a few years ago.   Today Spec-Cast is leading the way in bringing tractor history to collectors shelves. 

TTT March 2004 Page 5

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