NEW BERLINE, Ill. – Rick Shaw is an antique tractor collector who has turned his love of telling stories into writing novels. Shaw said he has been writing all his life, but publicly his first published work started on his Facebook page. He then started a Facebook group and titled it Antique Iron Mafia. “I started with snippets and got encouraged. I thought I would start a blog.”

Shaw’s successful blog is Antique Iron Media, and over the years it has mostly focused on the antique tractor collecting hobby although in recent years he has expanded a bit about his writing life. Shaw has been doing the blog since 2018, and he published his two books with House of Honor Books.  His stories are not about farming, but time travel and crime thrillers, but they do show his agricultural past. “I mention tractors in my book Perspectives, and Coming Home, both books have International Harvester tractors.”

Besides his lawn and garden collection, Shaw has also collected a 1947 Farmall H and a 1955 Farmall 300. Shaw’s family farmed with International Harvester on the farm they managed in Knox County, Ill. While they drove International Harvester tractors, Shaw was the first one in his family to own one. Because of the family connection, he chose that brand to share in his novels.

Today although still involved, he is not the main moderator of Antique Iron Mafia Facebook page. He took a step back so that he could have more time for his latest pursuit, book writing. A heart episode in 2022 made him look at his life and reprioritize.

Besides the books, Shaw also has some magazine credits as well. His first published article was for Lawn and Garden Magazine in 2019. “And then I wrote three or four for the Oliver Hart Parr publication.”

He was excited that one of his stories became a cover story. Besides writing, Shaw also is a photographer.

Growing up on a farm in Knox County, Shaw worked on the farm until moving to central Illinois, where he became a professional truck driver. On the farm, Shaw shared, “I didn’t know what a great blessing it was back then, but I picked ear corn and put it in and out of a corn crib. I ran a field cultivator and moldboard plows, things that are not done today.”

This background allowed Shaw to live the ag heritage he loves. Today he works hauling grain, so he continues in the ag related realm. Shaw’s interest in the antique tractor hobby began in 2009 when he started collecting lawn and garden tractors and attended his first antique tractor show at Jacksonville’s Prairieland Museum.

Shaw’s garden tractors include both Gibsons and Shaw Du-Alls. Shaw said, “I like the Gibsons because they have a tiller steer, and I like the way they steer. Right now, I have a Model D, and a Model A.”

Rick shared that his Model A was an enhanced tractor that had been updated to be is handicap accessible because the gentleman that restored it was paralyzed. 

Rick added about the modified Model A, “That’s why I like human interest stories. I like the back story.”

In the beginning, Shaw said, “I started with Simplicity and Allis Chalmers. I tried to modify them and make them more tractor like. I did a lot of customs back when although I don’t claim to be a mechanic.”

One special tractor he claims was, “The only narrow front riding lawnmower that started life as a Simplicity and got converted into a narrow front tractor. This was featured in LACG. That was my first submission for the magazine. I collected Case tractors up until last winter. I had a collection of the first 4 series that Case built when they got into lawn and garden tractors. That was a shared interest with my dad, Harold Shaw.”

The tractors that share his last name are the Shaw Du-Alls. “I discovered the Du-Alls during COVID. My first was Du-All was on Aumann Auctions. I started collecting them at the tail end of 2020 around there. After my first encounter at Auman’s, I found a nicer one in Ohio and went and got it. I didn’t even know they existed before this. Now I have five of them.”

The Shaw Du-All models in his collection include a 1951 R12T. “It is a favorite; it is Wisconsin powered. Then I also have a 1956 N8W, which is also Wisconsin powered. This has been restored; Doug Edwards and Jerry Rawlings had a hand in it. I also have an N5 1954. My favorite is the N8W, Then, one I bought from Duane Stone was a basket case, it is I think a 1947 R8. When I ended up with the tractor I was in a parade in Waverly.”

Writing about antique tractors, Shaw said most of his tractor stories are human interest stories, and he shared that’s what he likes to do for his characters in his books. Besides the two published books with House of Honor, Shaw said, “I have also been featured on podcasts, for my short stories, Strangeness in the South Forty was featured twice.”

The story can be found on Shaw’s blog. The short story was narrated by Cam Buckner of Dixie Crypted/What if it’s true, and the other was narrated on Hidden Corners. They also made a second story, The Promise.

Shaw is on the road for his work, and he travels for his tractors as well. “I have traveled to Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and went to Indiana for parts. Then some were in my own backyard, in New Berlin. I also have a work in progress, an R6 that came out of Mackinaw, Ill. I found it on eBay, it had a bunch of attachments which interested me as much as the tractor.”

Besides the R6 being a work in progress, Shaw also has another novel in his series that is also a work in progress. For information about Shaw’s books, log onto House of Honor.