Tractor and Farming Heritage June 2015

Unique three-wheel Glasgow veteran

CHEFFINS - BIG PRICES AT THE BIG SALEJUNE 2015www.tractormagazine.co.uk

David Brown 50th Anniversary

SCOTTISH POWER

THE SELECTAMATIC STORY

WORKSHOP

SHINING STARRed Giant tinwork refurb

REBUILD TIPSFergie Steering box repair

Fordson Fever Castle Keepers National Report

Two restorers share their blue passion Fergie in service at Chillingham 550 tractors fi red up for charity

No. 140 JU

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5 £3.95

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EVENTSGUIDE

SPRING

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Allis-Chalmers B Farmall A

SCOTTISH POWER

tractormagazine.co.uk June2015Tractor 3

It’s the time of year when tractors and farming always seem to be in the news. As the latest issue of Tractor & Farming Heritage goes to press, we

are hearing about Don the sheepdog who thought he would help his master while he was out of the cab by taking control of his Gator and driving it across a motorway. � ere’s also the Devon man who promised to host a naked tractor wash over the May Bank Holiday to raise funds for the local village hall.

However, the item that most struck me was the one which proclaimed the ‘Five must haves for your tractor cab’s smart o� ce’, all of which are ‘apps’ that can be downloaded onto your smartphone. � e o� ce on the go will make running the business much more e� cient and it will only be a short time before you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them, I’m sure.

Spare a thought then for the farmers in the past who took delivery of tractors like the one shown on this page brand new – it’s a quantum leap in terms of both comfort and technology in

just a few decades. On the subject of comparison, I’m pleased that this issue we start a new series of articles that matches up similar machines from the same era – this time Allis-Chalmers B vs Farmall A.

Tell us your thoughts or experiences on this or any other farming heritage-related subject; contact us direct through our new email at t� [email protected] or write in to the address at the top of page 24 this issue, we are always pleased to hear from you.

Tony HoylandEDITOR

Welcome This Farmall A, which features the o� set engine

known as ‘cultivision’ was one of some 117,500 produced between 1939

and 1947.

Meet the team...

Also thanks to Alan Barnes, Graham Hampstead, Dave Taylor, HR, Jean Brown, Anita Waters, Noel Bridgeman, Old Sump Plug.

tractormagazine.co.uk4 TractorJune2015

CONTENTS68

Back on the farm

Regulars

3 Welcome

18 News Allthelatestnewsintheworldof tractorsandheritage.

20 Graham’sGrumbles Haveyouhadtroublewith automatedpre-recordedanswering services?GrahamHampsteadis abouttotellyouwhathethinks ofthem!

24 TractorTalk Yournews,viewsandcomments aboutthevintageandclassicscene.

58 Ontheroad tostardom DairyfarmerCharlesWilliamsisno strangertotravellinginpursuitofhis hobby,ploughing,buthehadto traveltoIrelandforhisfirst matchvictory.

64 Inthenickoftime It’sbusyandstressfultime lambingdownonGraham Hampstead’ssmallholding,but asurpriseparcelandaewereprieved fromtheknackermanhelpraise hisspirits.

78 NextMonth PreviewoftheJulyissueofyour Tractor&FarmingHeritagemagazine.

114LastWord JeanBrownadmitsthatwhen youaremarriedtoamanwho likesoldmachines;therewillbe severalofyouinthemarriage,all jostlingforattention.

6 Thenorthand southofrestoration Welookatthewaytworestorers, bothwithaloveofFordsontractors tackletheirprojectstoproducesuch impressiveresults.

12 Match madeinMeltham WiththeDavidBrownfactoryat Meltham‘justroundthecorner’ whenhewasgrowingupit’shardly surprisingwhattractorthisowner wouldlaterbuyandrestore.

28 Outofthemire DaveTaylortellsushowhisfirst Countycrawlerlandedonhis doorstep–inapileofdung!

32 GoCompare Allis-ChalmersBvsFarmallA- vintagetractorsgoheadtoheadas BenPhillipsmatchesupsimilar modelstofindwhich,forhim,comes outontop.

36 Oldguardstill incharge Whyspendloadsofmoneyon moderngizmoswhenageing tractorsareperfectlycapableof handlingthesamejobs.

42 Tractorsinthemist Fullreportonthe550tractorsin actionoverEasterfortheNational VintageTractorRoadRun2015to raisecharityfunds.

46 TheSelectamatic Story Launchedin1965,DavidBrown’s newSelectamaticmodelswere hailedasthebiggestbreakthrough intractordesignsincehydraulics wereinvented.

52 TheHomeFarm Diaries It’sJune1958andhaytimeisupon HomeFarm,butthingswerenotso refinedbackthenandtherewerea myriadofmachinestoprepare forthejob.

56 ScottishPower StuartGibbardreflectsonthehistory ofScotland’snativetractor–the uniquethree-wheelGlasgow.

TRACTOR AND FARMiNg HERiTAgE JUNE2015

70 NewProducts Allthelatestgeartohelpyoukeep yourtrustytractorinfinefettle.

72 Thinking insidethebox Afterfindingacrackatthebase ofthesteeringboxononeofhis Fergies,RichardLoftinggoesin searchofareplacement.

80 TheRedGiant ishere BenPhillipsrestoresthetinworkon oneofhisfavouritebreedsoftractor, theMasseyFerguson165.

Regulars

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Heritage

Workshop

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Marketplace

86 Showdelivers easternpromise TheEasternCountiesVintage TractorShowopeneditsgatesat theRoyalNorfolkShowground inApriltodisplayawealthof tractortreasures.

93 What’son Yourguidetoheritagedays outthroughouttheseasoninour comprehensiveeventguide.

98 Worldofchoice atMalvern TheHJPughauctionatTractor WorldonTheThreeCountiesShow Groundprovidedawiderange oftractorsupforsale.

100NotenoughDoe inyourwallet GaspsofamazementattheCheffins VintageSalewherearareDoe-130 reaches£72,000butstillfailstosell!

Marketplace

TRACTORSFEATUREDTHISISSUEAllis-ChalmersB............................... 32CountyCrawler.................................28DavidBrown885............................. 58DavidBrown990Implematic.....12DavidBrownSelectamatics.........46FarmallA...............................................32FergusonTE-20..................................72FergusonTEA......................................36FordsonE27CountyCrawler..........6FordsonE27N........................................6FordsonStandardN...........................6FordsonSuperDexta......................58FordsonSuperMajor.........................6Glasgow................................................56MasseyFerguson165.....................80MasseyFerguson265.....................58MasseyFerguson35........................58MasseyFergusonMF50B.............36NuffieldUniversal4.........................58

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The north and south of

tractorrestoration

restorer profile: George riddellSome 400 miles to the north of Daniel and his ‘unrestored-restored’ Fordson near the town of St Boswells in the Scottish Borders lives George Riddell. George has been around tractors since he started work on a farm in 1957 where he drove Fordson Diesel Majors, which probably explains why there are a number of restored Fordson tractors in his collection.

George at the controls of his Fordson crawler.

We look at the way two restorers, both with a love of Fordson tractors and a string of tractor restorations under their belt, tackle their projects to produce such impressive results.

tractormagazine.co.uk

WORDS & PICTURES Alan Barnes

June2015Tractor 7

A derelict tractor brought back to show condition with a ground up rebuild involves a great deal of time

and effort. The search for missing parts can sometimes take years and with such restoration projects, the question is whether to replace or repair parts as it will affect the originality of the finished machine.

While for some ‘basket case’ machines, there is no other choice but to fit new parts for some tractors another approach is sometimes adopted. The Fordson tractors, which have been returned to working condition by George Riddell and Daniel Baldwin serve to illustrate different ways of tackling restoration projects.

There is no doubt that these two men are both tractor enthusiasts who have the skills to totally rebuild a tractor if the need arises and while George must be regarded as the ‘elder statesman’ with many years of experience under his belt young Daniel, although some 50 years younger, has already completed some impressive restorations. His Fordson Super Major was featured in the magazine a few years ago but it was another of his more recent projects that intrigued me.

Daniel Baldwin at the wheel of his restored-unrestored

1950 Fordson E27N.

Restorer profile: Daniel BaldwinDaniel lives near Hailsham in Sussex and among his collection of tractors is a 1950 Fordson Major E27N, which he has spent some considerable time preserving as an ‘unrestored’ machine. Perhaps stripping this Fordson down and carrying out a full rebuild would have been a more straightforward option but when Daniel bought this tractor, he was constrained by the conditions imposed by the seller.

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Fordson: the ‘unrestored-restored’ option

Daniel recalled his Fordson restoration: “I bought the tractor in March 2013 from a local collector but he only sold it on the understanding that it would not be repainted and that any work carried out would not be obvious and every effort should be made to preserve its originality.

“I arranged to inspect the tractor and as soon as I saw the Fordson in its ‘off farm’ glory I fully understood why the owner was insisting on those conditions. Very little is known about the tractor but it seems to have originally been used for some years on a farm in Scotland. It was later sold but saw little further use and was laid up in a barn for many years until it was eventually sold once again and came south to a new home in Sussex.

“The tractor was not used and simply moved from being barn stored in Scotland to being barn stored in Sussex; the Fordson remained unused and during those years no repair work was carried out at all.

“Despite the sale conditions there was something about the Fordson that appealed to me and the chance to get a highly original 1950 E27N was not one to let pass by so a deal was agreed. On thoroughly inspecting the tractor, I concluded that the only parts which were not original were the two front tyres, and the exhaust silencer was missing.

“The tractor still had traces of the original blue paintwork although most of the tinwork had developed a wonderful aged patina and the wheel hubs still had the original orange paint on them. There was just no way that this tractor should be repainted and any mechanical work the Fordson might need would have to be done very carefully. I was grateful for the help of my friend Austin Hawkins who assisted me with the work on the tractor and it was also kind of Anthony Goldsmith to let me to use his workshop.”

Then some problems were soon identified, the brakes were suspect, there was considerable play in the steering, the half shaft seals were leaking oil, there seemed to be a problem with the clutch and the aluminium front grille was broken at the bottom.

Most of the work would be inside the tractor so this would not affect its appearance but replacing the broken grille with a new one would look obvious and needed some careful consideration. However, the first stage of the work concentrated on the mechanics.

Daniel added: “The old oil was drained and the sump removed and the broken cotter pin found in the ooze seemed to be the answer to the clutch problem as the pin was one of the two cotter pins which attached the clutch pedal to the clutch cross shaft.

“A new pin was fitted, then the sump was thoroughly cleaned and refitted and filled with fresh oil. The hydraulic top cover was removed, the old oil cleaned out and the half shaft seals and bearings were replaced, as were the pto bearings, seals and gaskets.

The chance to get a highly original 1950 E27N was not one to let pass by, the only catch was that Daniel had to preserve the tractor’s originality.

A neat and unobtrusive repair was made to the bottom of the grille.

The cast Fordson name still bore most of the original orange paint.

The hard to obtain Champion spark plugs are visible above the toolbox.


“� e brake shoes were badly worn and had to be relined and I had the drums sanded and a couple of missing springs were replaced. � ere seemed to be a rather excessive amount of play in the kingpins and these were replaced and I also replaced the bushes and track rod pins and once the steering box was cleaned fresh oil was added.

“� e engine needed some work and I

didn’t really want to rely on the 60-year-old wiring so I had a new cloth-braided wiring loom made up. � e fan belt was replaced, the radiator thoroughly cleaned and a new radiator blind was sourced and � tted.”

� e carburettor was overhauled and the gaskets replaced. But Daniel was disappointed with the � rst test runs of the engine, as there seemed to be a

distinct lack of acceleration. � e source of the problem was eventually traced to an incorrect governor control rod. It would seem that at some time in the tractor’s working days a shorter control rod from a Fordson Standard had been � tted. Fitting the correct rod solved the acceleration problem.

� e HT leads were replaced and a Lucas RF4 magneto � tted but the original Champion take-apart spark plugs were le� in place as they still worked and replacements are di� cult to � nd.

Now the tractor was running well and all the ‘hidden’ work completed Daniel had to deal with the broken grille and the rusting on one of the wings. “A friend at work handled the wing repair and did an excellent job with the welding,” he said. “� e aluminium grille with the broken bottom corner was removed and taken to a very experienced welder I had been told about and who lived locally. By this time, I had also obtained another section of grille and he expertly combined the two pieces.

“I must confess that there is now some fresh paint on the Fordson. As the tractor had never been registered, I arranged for a new number 290 YUS to be issued and the numbers and letters were painted on to the number plate. Since the work on the tractor has been completed I have taken it to a number of rallies where it o� en gets more attention than my fully restored Super Major.”

The rear wheels still have the original paint now worn by the passing of years.

The restoration included new wiring and fan belt, but the rest is original.

Fordson: the hand of experienceUp in the Scottish Borders George Riddell’s collection includes two E27N Majors both dating from 1950, the same year as Daniel’s tractor was built, while a third machine is an early example of a Standard N. One of the Majors and the Standard were pretty much derelict when he acquired them but during the restoration of each machine George has endeavoured to retain as many of the original parts as possible.

� e Standard N spent its working years on a farm near Duns and there is a photograph of the tractor at work in 1933 showing the machine on its original steel wheels, as new wheels and tyres were � tted later.

It was laid up on the farm and remained in a � eld for the best part of 20 years slowly rusting away until George bought the remains in 1978. While the old Fordson may have looked like a pile

George on the Standard N, which was laid up for 20 years until George bought the remains in 1978 and later restored it.

June2015Tractor 9

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of scrap it turned out that it was only the rear wings that could not be saved.

Remarkably, the engine, which had been seized solid, was found to be in very good condition and once everything had been freed up, it only needed new rings and valves and a new camshaft before it was up and running again. Gearbox, wheels axles and chassis all cleaned up nicely and the son of a neighbour made up parts for the replacement wings, which George riveted together. Two years’ work saw the tractor in full working order and, freshly painted, and it made its debut rally appearance in 1980.

That year George also bought the first of the 1950 Fordson Major E27Ns for his next project. This tractor also had one owner from new but soon after buying his new machine, the owner had the original engine replaced with a new L4 engine. However the original engine was retained, fitted to a frame and used to run a sawmill.

When the tractor was retired, the L4 engine was removed and the ‘bare bones’ of the Fordson were just left in the yard. In 1980 George arranged to buy both the tractor and the original engine which was no longer needed for the sawmill.

While the tractor had been worked quite hard over the years, the engine had seen relatively little use and needed only a thorough clean and new rings and valves. The only real work needed was fitting it back into the tractor.

As far as the rest of the tractor was concerned, the only real issue was the state of the wiring so George took the whole lot out and fitted a replacement wiring loom.

The original panels, wings and tinwork cleaned up very well and were re-used. The work progressed quite smoothly, the part-finished tractor made its first rally appearance in 1981, and the restoration was finally completed in 1982.

The second 1950 E27N is a rather splendid County Crawler Model C conversion, which had been used from

new on a farm near Selkirk and was still in use in 1980. By this time, it had been fitted with a snowplough for clearing the roads on the farm during bad winter weather.

The crawler was then retired and soon afterwards, in 1981, was bought by George Gillan who had planned to undertake a full restoration but the project did not progress and George Riddell bought the Fordson from him in 1983.

With the tractor having still been in use only a couple of years previously it was still in full working order but just to be on the safe side George stripped down the engine and gave it a thorough overhaul. However, the machine had been well maintained over the years and only the rings and valves had to be replaced. That was the only work carried out at that time and the crawler was rallied in “off farm” condition for over 20 years.

It was not until 2006 that George decided to begin a full restoration and the whole tractor was dismantled and every part taken back to bare metal. New bearings were fitted in the track rollers, which was the only mechanical repair work required. The work took around 12 months and included a full repaint. The crawler is still regularly rallied and is also used at vintage ploughing matches. ◆

The Standard N on its original steel wheels in 1933 on a farm near Duns.

New to a farm near Selkirk the 1950 Fordson E27 County Crawler conversion remained in use until 1980.

The Fordson E27N was restored over 30 years ago and still looks good today.

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Living just four miles from Meltham it is easy to see how back in those days Graham Mellor would be influenced by

tractors, everywhere he went there were David Brown tractors, working on local farms as well as at the factory.

“I remember the storage yard being a sea of red, then white later on, then red again as a new wave of tractors were all parked and waiting to be delivered,” he added. “And yellow wagons operated by the Jebsom’s haulage firm, which were loaded with tractors travelled down the road to be delivered. I was born in January 1963, and the David Brown 990 Implematic that I’ve restored came down the production line at Meltham less than a month later.”

But this timing is no chance coincidence, as when Graham went looking for a suitable David Brown tractor to restore he tried to match his date of birth to the production date of a suitable candidate. The result was a very

close match - just less than a month away according to the tractor’s build date!

The tractor matched Graham’s expectations fairly well, as after removing the sump he discovered the big ends and the mains bearings were still perfectly serviceable and he could see no reason to change or alternatively overhaul the oil pump.

However, as a former garage mechanic, it hadn’t taken him long to acknowledge all was not well with the top end of the engine, as the cylinders were burning oil at a rate that could only get worse in time, and the tractor also suffered from poor starting, and a bit of blue smoke was noticed from the exhaust.

Replacements“Once the cylinder head was removed it became clear the valve guides were badly worn and I decided major works were needed,” Graham explained. “So it made sense to find a replacement cylinder head in much better overall condition than the

DaviD BRown990 implematic

A match made in Meltham

With the David Brown tractor factory at Meltham near Huddersfield being a feature of everyday life when Graham Mellor was growing up, it’s hardly surprising what type of tractor he would later buy and restore.

WORDS & PICTURES Dave Bowers

Graham doesn’t mind getting the tyres and underside of this show-winning tractor mucky every so often as long as he can enjoy using it as it was meant to be used. Adding a personal touch,

Graham’s date of birth almost matches this tractor’s date of manufacture, with less than a month between the two dates.


No castle owner should ever be without a Grey Fergie, it certainly adds character to the place.

About the restorer“My interest in tractors developed through various farming connections, and the very � rst tractor I drove was a David Brown 900,” said Graham. “This was when I was on a work experience programme on a farm where I learnt to do the milking as well as silage and hay making. I would have loved to have been a farmer, but this would have involved me having to move away from home, which as a 16 year old wasn’t something I wanted to do at the time.”

Buying a David Brown 990 Implematic to restore was a predictable choice for Graham Mellor as he grew up so near the company’s factory in the Seventies.

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original one. I reamed the valve guides to suit a set of oversized valves and I recut the valve seats and decoked all the ports. I also checked out the pump and had all the injectors overhauled; the engine has worked fine from then on.”

Once the rear wheels were finally ready to be installed, and the front ones which had also been tidied up and repainted, Graham fitted a set of budget BKT Supreme tyres - 12.4x32 at the back and 700X16 on the front.

Graham reused the clutch, which was

Currant performanceAt a recent David Brown Tractor Club event the 990 was tested on a dynamometer, and even though the tractor’s engine is 50 years old, it produced a credible 42hp at 1800rpm, although Graham did wonder whether this performance was a bit too much when the bright yellow exhaust turned a nice shade of cherry red that more closely matched the colour of the Currant Red tinwork!

The engine is “as clean as the day the tractor was built”, although much attention was needed before it was free of any leaks and after attention to the pump and injectors.

The tractor comes in handy for light jobs with a trailer on a farm owned by Graham’s friends where French cattle known as Les Salers are bred for beef.

The hydraulics that lift the transport box came in for attention when oil began leaking out of the lift ram lock.

called for attention, and this occurred after an oil leak was noticed from the lift ram lock as the leather seal had given way; so Graham resealed all the joints as a sensible precaution against needing any future attention.

Some of the other improvements that took place over the rebuild from 2009 to 2010 included overhauling the starter motor, flushing out the radiator and checking over the thermostat. The brake linings were changed which proved to be quite a difficult task as this involved removing the final drive reduction unit, which then needed to be reinstalled with new oil seals.

A new cross box was a major expense item of the restoration; a new seat was also bought as a finishing touch.

The addition of a transport box loaded with two old milk churns and some sacks adds that extra touch of nostalgia!

in good order after the engine had already done 5700 hours, and the gearbox also met with his approval even though a little wear was noted with the selectors; and that same distinctive David Brown whine could be heard from the closely enmeshed gearing deep within the casing of the gearbox.

A full 12 months passed by before the hydraulics


Delicate touchPlenty of filler was found in the bonnet and the mudguards, and needed some delicate attention to put right. More seriously, the cross box showed evidence of welding, so Graham obtained and fitted a reproduction item, which was supplied by Barcley Williams – the David Brown specialist, who also delivered a set of seat cushions later.

The rear wheels were in a very poor state which Graham put down to the tractor having been used on scraper duties, even though it was last worked on an arable farm in Norfolk, so he went looking for some replacements.

“I bought three sets in all, which I then stripped down so that I could use the best centres and outer rims from each of these. This process was complicated by the fact that the rims were of two different types; some of the rims had the securing lugs welded on although the others were of the riveted on type.

“In the end I went for the welded on type as these looked to be a stronger way of securing the centres to the outer rims. I bought those wheels ‘sight unseen’ from all over the country, from north Scotland right down to Cornwall.”

Fitting a transport box seemed like a good idea for taking any bits and bobs to shows, with some potato sacks filled with straw and a few spuds sticking out of them for realism. A coup le of old milk kits were also used, the clanging of which was once an instantly recognisable sound at milking time!

Hard lifeAs is so often the case for a older tractor, the front axle had taken a bit of a beating due to the lack of grease and Graham set about repairing this with new kingpin bushes, the centre pin was also re-bushed and new grease nipples were fitted all round.

Most of the necessary bits for the work were supplied by the David Brown Tractor Club, of which Graham is a member, or David Brown Worldwide Parts.

The option of Livedrive added to this tractor’s appeal, and a badge exclaiming this to the world was always something to be proud of!

The original cylinder head was scrapped and the replacement needed new valve guides and valves and decoking the ports.

Graham repainted the tractor, and applying the primer was an important step towards a good finish of David Brown Currant Red.

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16 TractorJune2015 tractormagazine.co.uk

Brown firm: “Working at the David Brown factory was where many relatives and friends all worked, and getting a job there would have been my dream job when I was still at school.

“There were three big firms in the Huddersfield area at the time: the Hepworth Iron Company, Brook Electric Motors and David Brown. Working at David Brown’s paid £22 a week in 1979 when I was working for £16 a week at a local garage. I did try and get a job at the factory, where I would have gone straight into their training school, but this wasn’t to be!”

The photoshoot for this article took place at Beeston Hall Farm, which is farmed by two of Graham’s closest friends, Stephen and Rachel Hallos. The farm has a herd of Les Salers, a French cattle breed that’s well suited to a lowland hill, and the 990 is used on the farm together with Graham’s trailer in the summer months. History has a tendency to repeat itself, and Graham likes to watch his own son and daughter taking an interest in the running of the farm, just as he once did as a teenager.

The next tractor project Graham has taken on also follows his undying loyalty towards David Brown products; a 1977 DB 996, which came his way after spending over 20 years out of doors, so it was in very poor state, The only saving grace was that the engine and mechanical parts were still in good order.

It was bought for a fair price of £250 some time ago and is now being slowly restored. Such was the state of the cab that it disintegrated from the bottom when it was lifted clear. A replacement has now been found, and although clearly in need of lots of attention, this cab should be recoverable with lots of time and effort.

Graham added a few more thoughts on his long connection with the David

There was an unfortunate mishap when Graham was loading the tractor for the Newark Tractor and Heritage Show in 2013, when his foot slipped off the clutch pedal and got caught underneath it. This resulted in the front of the tractor colliding with the front of the trailer before any corrective action could be taken. Consequently, the bonnet was scraped down one side, and the bonnet decals were damaged so these had to be replaced. Graham carried out a respray in two-pack that successfully achieved the same standard as the original repainting exercise.

The colour is BS 539 Currant Red for the skid unit and all the tin work, with BS 310 Primrose Yellow used for the wheels, as per the David Brown website. Taking the tractor to Newark has become a twice yearly event, starting Graham’s show year with the Newark and Notts County Show in May and ending his season at the Newark Tractor Heritage Show event in the November.

Working lifeIn addition to hauling a trailer when required, as Graham lives on a steep hill where snow fall can make life difficult, the tractor has come in handy for making the three-mile trip to his place of work during the winter months.

Two-Wheel Drive, Specification Engine: 3195cc four-cylinder, governed speed range 700-2200rpm, 17:1 compression ratio, 55hp at 2200rpm.Transmission: Single dry plate or double drive plate for ‘Livedrive’ option. Six forward and two reverse speeds, or 12 forward and two reverse. PTO: Maximum power 52.9hp.Drawbar power: 45.2 in third gear. Turning radius: Without brakes applied 17ft 7in / 5.35m, with brakes applied 14ft 2in / 4.2m.Hydraulics: Maximum output 6.1 gall min. / 28 litre min.Tyres: 6.00x19 front, 12.4x36 rear.

Technical details

The rear wheels are actually made up of three sets that Graham stripped down to combine the best centres and outer rims.


An exceptional day to rememberThe 28th National Vintage Tractor Road Run was something of an exceptional day to remember with an estimated entry of 550 tractors turning out on the day. The trailer parking had to be done on hard standing as the grounds were so wet, however the Garden House Hotel yard was used where 80% of them fitted in all well marshalled thanks to Peter Hannah and other friends

Peter Hannah led the 27-mile run paced by myself at 10mph - a really nice run, although the sea mist or fog spoilt the views pretty well all day. As we made our way to halfway stop for 11.45am, the ground there was unbelievably wet, but Willie Turnbull had it all sorted the parking was be laid out in true professional style so that the rope start could be implemented in a proper manner. Well done Willie and your staff.

The highlight of the Saturday evening was when John Johnstone volunteered to auction the cake; this was great fun as David Shaw had set his sights on it but had to compete with the Durham lads of Brian Watson and team. Bidding was fast and furious with John Johnstone extracting money from them in some order and the cake finally made £274.

I have to say that the team had pulled out all the stops and made this a very memorable occasion. A great job well done and brilliantly performed.

Ashley Godsall, Founder Member NVTRR, email.

Thanks for all the help The Organising Team of the National Vintage Tractor Road Run 2015 would like to thank the following:The Green at Gretna which was originally the Garden house HotelAlistair Houston and his staff off Gretna Green Ltd.Buccleuch Estates and Sarah ExtonThe Byers family Woodslee FarmDavid Wilson the Plumpe FarmThe Norman Family for Halcrow StadiumThe Gateway Centre for their car parkingPolice Scotland and their Cumbrian colleaguesMotor Bike Marshals of the Steve Hislop Memorial RunAll the marshals and volunteers that helped out at all the areasThe tractor drivers that came from all over the UK that made it all worthwhile, and finally the residents of Gretna Springfield and Canonbie that came out to spectate. Thank you all for making the 28th National Vintage Tractor Road Run a success. David Turnbull on behalf of the Organising team, email.

Looking for a Marshall mateI am interested to know the whereabouts of Field Marshall, FWD 56, Serial No. 3649 and to contact its present owner.

I have known this tractor for over 45 years and have just bought Marshall Model M, ENX 332, Serial No. 1480, pictured, with which it spent its life from new, until it was sold in the 1980s. Both tractors were acquired new by Mr. W G Lane and family for use in their threshing and wood sawing business.

I worked for the family for 45 years and am lucky to have recently bought ENX from the place it has always been and moved it to my home, a couple of miles away.

While looking for the original buff logbook for my tractor Mrs Lane also found the logbook and original manufacturer’s warranty for FWD 56.

These documents would be of far more use to the current owner, so if we can get in contact, I am more than willing to let them have them. If anyone has any further information, I can be contacted via email at tonyjrumblr@aol,com

Tony Rumble, email.

International bulldozer partsI am restoring an International TD8 B bulldozer, this is the one with the single hydraulic ram on the front, the problem I have is sourcing spare parts. The man who used to help me, Barry Welch from Staines, unfortunately died last year.

I wondered if any of your readers might be able to help, which would be very much appreciated. Anyone with any information can email me at [email protected]

Ton Vandenberge, email.

YourTractors


It would have been around 1974 when a friend of mine in Oxfordshire told me he wanted to sell his County Crawler. Then

£400 seemed like a sensible price and so, deal done, it was duly brought back to Cornwall by my good friend Tim’s late father, Ken Mitchell, who drove a lorry for a local plant hire company.

Now Ken was a bit of a lad and I don’t suppose his boss ever knew that he’d picked the crawler up on his way back from a trip up-country so, when he got back, there was a bit of urgency to unload as I asked where his ramps were.

In and out of the mire1956 County Crawler WORDS & PICTURES

Dave Taylor

As the good weather encourages Dave Taylor to get out his current County crawler to play, he reminisces about the scrapes he got into with the first one he bought many years ago.

Dave’s Tractors

“We don’t need any ****** ramps – where’s a pile of earth?” came the reply.

Well, there’s never one when you need one so the next best thing was the dung pile. “Will that do?” I said.

Into the pile“Well, I suppose it’ll have to,” said Ken and he got up in the lorry, turned it around and then reversed right into the pile of dung. The crawler was chained to the lorry with some good tension blocks but they didn’t take long to release. “Are you going to take it off or shall I?” said Ken. I didn’t have to think for long – “You do it!”

Ken jumped up on the lorry and got up on to the crawler. He started the engine and put it in reverse – and then backed straight off the back of the lorry and on to the dung pile.

The dung pile was probably a bit higher than the back of the lorry to start with but it wasn’t when the County hit it.

Down went the back and the nose was pointing at the sky. Then, as the front of the tracks came off the lorry, down went the front and the back started to rise from the mire. Ken didn’t stop – just reversed straight through the pile and then jumped off, grinning from ear to ear.


I should add that Ken had many years of experience driving and loading plant and that this to him was just another job. However, had it been me driving the crawler o� the lorry, it wouldn’t have been just another job; it would another pile of laundry for my wife to deal with!

� e County crawler proved to be a useful tool but the perceived advantage of having a hydraulic linkage wasn’t as handy as � rst thought. With the addition of a raised pto, it would handle a 60in Howard Rotavator okay but was hopeless with a plough and not much better with a Bush Hog because you couldn’t keep the front down.

We needed more weight on the front but, a� er pondering for a while, decided that weights would reduce the power whereas a bigger engine, a six cylinder, would help all round. A Ford 6D was found that had been taken out a Clayson combine. Assured that it was a good engine, we went on and � tted it – and then found that people don’t take good engines out of good combines – the big ends had gone!

One crank regrind and a set of shells later, we were ready to try it out. What a di� erence. It was a much better balanced machine and handled everything with ease.

� e only thing it wouldn’t handle was the mounted plough but that didn’t matter. We had a trailed single-furrow downs plough for the reclamation work and all other ploughing was done with the DB 1200s.

One bit of ploughing I was asked to do was in a lovely � at � eld down in a valley near Mevagissey. It was a tired grass � eld that needed reseeding but was too

June2015Tractor 29

Dave’s current County crawler has much in common with the one he bought in 1974 and is � tted with a six-cylinder engine.

wet for the farmer’s tractor and plough. I looked at it but an 18in single-furrow downs plough seemed like overkill for what was a fairly straightforward job.

I suggested, and he agreed, that helping the David Brown and four-furrow plough round with the County crawler would probably be a lot quicker and tidier than the single-furrow downs plough.

Playing to the crowd� e day arrived and my brother Graham and I turned up at the � eld with the semi-mounted Massey Ferguson plough behind one DB and the County crawler on the trailer behind the other. � e farmer must have been talking to his neighbours because we had quite a little audience to watch the unloading and setting up procedure.

We were ready to go and they were still watching – no pressure there then – so o� we went! I drove the crawler and Graham

County crawlers were distinctive in their day due to the height of their top tracks from the ground compared with other crawlers.

The County crawler was advertised as the tractor to make light work of heavy jobs and found many applications.

The County came with a front cowling but no bonnet, but, mechanically, the County crawler is in excellent condition.

YourTractors

30 TractorJune2015

drove the DB and plough. Sometimes, things do go right. When we looked back at the opening furrow, it was perfect; arrow straight and the clay soil had turned over like Plasticine, why doesn’t it happen like that at ploughing matches?

We did the return split and then closed the furrow back in – still perfect. Two more bouts and the audience had got bigger. There was a flask of tea so we stopped and bathed in the praise, ‘Mister, that there’s the prettiest bit of ploughing I’ve ever seen’.

But you can only take so much praise and we had to get on so away we went. We were about halfway down the field when I realised there was a problem with the steering on the crawler. I’d lost the left hand brake and it kept veering me towards the furrow. It was no good

Dave’s latest County crawler I’d been looking out for a County crawler for some time when I spotted the one shown on these pages on eBay last year. The thing I really liked about it was that it had already been fitted with a six-cylinder engine just like the one we had all those years ago. The price wasn’t too bad but it was a long way from home at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and it was going to be costly to get it back with a lorry.

However, I had to go to Cumbria on business so, reasoning that it wasn’t going to be much heavier than the Fordson Major it was based on, it was easy to take the trailer and then do a small zig-zag on the way home to collect it.

My Range Rover pulled it all home without any problem - in fact I did another small detour at Gordano near Bristol and picked up a Teagle concrete mixer to top the load.

It wasn’t until the next day when Timmy turned up to see what I’d brought home and he questioned the weight that I began to wonder if maybe I was a little bit overloaded. Well, I don’t know what the concrete mixer weighed but when I looked it up, a County crawler with a four-cylinder engine weighs four and a half tonnes - oops.

Credit where it’s due though, the British designed and built Range Rover handled it all without any problem at all!

Wherever you are, whatever tractor you’ve got, if you’ve got a story you want to share, Tractor & Farming Heritage would love to hear from you; email the editor at [email protected]

carrying on, so I stopped and we decided it needed adjustment.

The tools were on the trailer at the top of the field so we pulled the pin; my brother jumped in the driving seat for a change and off we went back to the top of the field where the audience was still waiting.

As we neared the top, Graham pulled back on the steering lever and it responded. He pulled hard on each of the levers and the County slewed each way perfectly - whatever was wrong had obviously cleared itself so he pulled back hard once more, turned violently through 180º and set off back down the field at what was quite a fast pace.

By the time we’d regained our composure, hitched up and got back up the field, our audience had gone. Perhaps they thought the entertainment just couldn’t get any better!

The County makes easy work of compressing the tip; hang

on PJ - when crawlers break centre, it can throw you right

out of the seat!

The extra two cylinders on the 6D engine helped balance the crawler much better on steeper slopes.

COUNTY TRACTORSPARES LTD

For all your County tractor spare parts requirements

Tel: 02380 814340Email: [email protected]

Shelley Lane, Ower, Romsey, Hants, SO51 6ZL

YourTractors


Go CompareWORDS & PICTURES Ben Phillips

Vintage tractors go head to head in the first of a new series by Ben phillips as he matches up models of roughly the same specification to find which, for him, comes out on top.

When you buy anything these days you have a choice so comparing them is essential. It’s the same

with tractors so over the next few issues I will be comparing a few different models, this month it’s the Allis-Chalmers B and Farmall A. Both these tractors are of similar size and have links to America.

The Allis B is available with a bow axle or a straight axle; the bow axle was on the early models and the straight adjustable type came later. The adjustable one was more use for row crop work as two bolts either side altered the width. The bow axle looked better but was fixed making its use limited among the crops.

The power came from a four-cylinder petrol/TVO engine and some had electric start, while for others you had to swing a handle. The main tank was located just in front of the driver; this was filled with TVO and was quite a good capacity.

Start upPetrol was used for starting and a small lawnmower sized tank was positioned under the right hand side of the bonnet, the three bolts by the Allis decals shows you where to put your hand to shut the fuel off once the engine was running on TVO.

The long steering column leads to either a metal pan seat or a bigger cushion base with a nice high backrest, which gives

Allis-Chalmers B Farmall Avs

On the Allis, there is plenty of room to see a tool frame and the crop you’re working on; the two pedals are independent brakes .


a great driving position. There is no dash to look at on the Allis B; there are however, two gauges. One tells you the water temperature, which is screwed in way down the bonnet near the radiator and the other is an oil pressure gauge, which is at the bottom of the oil filter. Seeing these while driving the tractor can be done - with good eyesight.

I have worked on a couple of Allis Bs in my time as a tractor restorer, one I did for the late Ken Briggs the other I rescued from spares and still own. I think they’re

The Ferguson is regularly hooked up to a Sturdiluxe brush and used to sweep the roads.

The Raymond Loewy design was used throughout the

Farmall range they were all very similar and distinctive.

The Allis-Chalmers B had both bow and straight adjustable front axles, in my mind the bow looked better.

The Allis hood is bolted down, the temp gauge can be seen on the top left, the silver cap to the left of the air cleaner mushroom is for the petrol tank.

The Farmall hood is also bolted down, the rib below the decal helps keep it rigid and breaks the look of the flat tinwork up.

LEFT: The Farmall had an adjustable front axle, the offset driving position made looking down the row of crops easy.

YourTractors


a great little tractor with lots of charm; the driving position is fab, you’re sat way back looking down a long steering column then over the long thin tank and bonnet it all seems quite a way forward.

� e bright orange paintwork can be a tad boring as everything is the same colour, some US built models have silver wheel rims, which break up the monotonous colour. Would I own one that I hadn’t paid hardly anything for as a pile of bits? Probably not.

Farmall features� e Farmall A compared to the Allis B is, in my mind, a far better tractor and this re ects in the price as you’d expect to pay around £1000 more for the Farmall. � e Farmall has an o� set single pan seat and steering column, so seeing the crop you are working on is easy, as you are looking right down the row.

As with the Allis, a centre tool frame can be � tted and with the o� set seat, this is easier to adjust and work on. � e shape is the same as many of the Farmall tractors of that time. Raymond Loewy was responsible for the familiar thin slatted grille with mesh behind, which is a lovely design.

� e bonnet, or hood as the Americans say, is � xed and has a rib pressed throughout the length of it, which not

only adds strength to the construction but also makes a nice shape that breaks up the at sheet metal. � e rounded tank has a at bottom, is very similar to the Allis B, and is quite a good capacity for this small tractor.

As with the Allis, electrics are available and the box just below the steering wheel contains the battery, which is connected to the starter motor under the fuel tank. � e rear of the Farmall is very similar to the Allis, a draw bar to drag implements and a pulley to power them is all you needed in those days, simple engineering at its best.

Both tractors are great for collectors as they are light and compact, easy to store and easy to tow about.

Ben’s tractor choice Where would my money go? Farmall AWhich one would you buy? Get in touch and tell us why.

Just the two letters A-C tell you what it is. Some Allis Bs were made in Milwaukee US others in Essendine UK.

The front cowl on the Farmall has a nice bold badge, the small grille slats with mesh behind o ers quite good protection.

The Farmall is simple engineering just as on the Allis and similarly a battery box could be added just in front of the steering upright.

The side pro� le of the Allis shows how simple a tractor can be. Electrics can be � tted and a battery box would be located just in front of the steering column upright.

ABOVE: The long steering column leads to a comfy

seat with a nice backrest, some however had a pan

metal seat.

LEFT: The rear wings o er little protection to mud and spray o the tyres,

a simple drawbar and pulley was all that was

needed in those days.

1990, John Deere 2650, 6640hours, SG2cab, 4wd tractor, tidy, Reg no. H402 DTT

ROADLESS MAJOR 4wd Tractor with Ford6 cylinder conversion, serial no. 2089

1970 MF135 Tractor with only 3,360 hoursfrom new in very original condition having beenon one farm from new, Reg No FEV 513H

M.F. 500 3M Drill, grain only, 23 row disc drill,12.4 X 28 90% Goodyear tyres, hydraulic markers& Reekie harrow

John Deere 3040 SG2 4WD Tractor,7406hours, 92hp, 6cylinder c/w PUH, weights &air-con, a very genuine condition for its age

1995, JCB Fastrac 1135 Selectronic 4wd withstroll front loader

International BTD 20 Hyd Angle dozerfitted with Rolls Royce 146HP engine. Originalpaintwork, starts ok, serial no 3167

IH TD9 Petrol/Diesel Crawler MF135 c/w loader, one owner from new, only2245hours, reg no. LOO390P

Fordson Super Major 6 cylinderconversion, all restored and ready to use

1994, Case IH 844XL Plus, only 2852hours,good tyres c/w Maillenx MX80 loader, recentlyserviced, been stored in side, very tidy,immaculate outfit

1915 MARSHALL 16HP PORTABLE STEAM ENGINE. SERIALNUMBER 69222. THERE IS NO CURRENT TEST CERTIFICATE, BUT AREAL NICE LOOKING ENGINE WHICH HAS BEEN STORED INSIDE.PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY EARL SPENCER. GUIDE PRICE.........£25,000

2003 Case IH JX90u 4wd Tractor doneonly 2133hours from new with one owner, air-con & front weights. 80% tyres

1990, John Deere 3650, 4wd tractor,6675hours, PUH, air-con, 112hp, 30k, good tyres,very tidy tractor for age.

MASSEY FERGUSON 675 2WD Tractor, onlydone a genuine 2,130 hours from new. Good tyres,PUH, double spool valves, Serial Number K313031,complete with V5. This tractor is a very tidy example.

This is only a selection of our stock, please contact us or look on our website to view more stock.

01763 780440

TEL: 01763 780440

YourTractors


Old guard still in charge atCHILLINGHAM CASTLE WORDS & PICTURES

Alan Barnes

What’s the point of spending loads of money on modern gizmos when ageing tractors are perfectly capable of handling the jobs that they are required to do.

It has been said that an Englishman’s home is his castle and that certainly holds true for former army officer, antiquarian and explorer Sir

Humphry Wakefield who owns the historic Chillingham Castle in Northumberland.

Sir Humphry has refurbished the castle without the aid of English Heritage or the National Trust and along the way has filled it with an amazing collection of curios. His outstanding and unique approach to this achievement has even been recognised with a chapter devoted to his story in

Eccentrics a book by John Jolliffe. The historic Chillingham Castle in

Northumberland dates back to the 12th century and was originally used as a monastery, although in medieval times it became a strategically important fortified castle.

With boundary walls, parkland and formal gardens to maintain there is certainly a great deal of outdoor maintenance work to be carried out and this is the responsibility of estate manager, David Mills, and his team. A member of


the team is Roger Cutter a friend of mine who suggested that I call in to see a couple of their tractors, which had been added to the maintenance fleet. I was half expecting to see something from the latest John Deere or New Holland ranges and was surprised to see that the two machines were a decrepit looking Massey Ferguson MF 50B and a 1946 Ferguson TEA.

On reflection, perhaps the sight of these two ageing tractors at work at the castle should not have been too surprising as the choice of tractors certainly reflects Sir Humphry’s style. But one thing is certain, neither of these machines would have been bought new by the estate because in 1946 when the Ferguson was built and in 1973 when the MF 50B came off the production line Chillingham Castle was uninhabited and derelict.

The approach to the castle is through the main gates along an impressive avenue of trees and the little Grey Ferguson trundling up the drive did look a little out of place to say the least.

Roger explained: “Sir Humphry bought the Ferguson TEA a few years ago as the diesel engine Ferguson that had previously been on the estate seemed to mysteriously disappear. I know the castle is reputed to have ghosts but I am sure they did not whisk away a Grey Fergie.

“The tractor is used around the grounds for practically everything except mowing the formal lawns which require a much better finish than you can get with a Ferguson and a finger mower.”

The Fergie has recently been used hauling trailer loads of stone and bags of sand and cement to the site where the boundary walls are being repaired. With several miles of boundary wall to maintain

The Ferguson is regularly hooked up to a Sturdiluxe brush and used to sweep the roads.

YourTractors


Chillingham Castle In its turbulent history the castle had been besieged by raiding parties and the Scottish Army while the English troops had used it as a staging post during their wars against the Scots. In the mid-1300s the fortifications had been enhanced with the addition of battlements and the castle itself had been enlarged. More peaceful times followed and in the 18th and 19th centuries the defensive moat was filled and the surrounding grounds were landscaped and formal gardens laid out.

Escalating running costs led to the owners, the Tankerville family, abandoning the castle in 1932 and later during the Second World War it was used as an Army barracks and at this time

much of the decorative interior wood panelling was ripped out and burned for firewood.

The end of the war saw the castle fall further into disrepair with lead being removed from the roofs allowing rain to enter and damage the fabric of the once imposing building. It was to remain unwanted and decaying for the best part of 40 years until in 1982 Chillingham Castle was purchased by Sir Humphry who embarked on a painstaking restoration project.

Sir Humphry had seen military service as a Captain in the 10th Royal Hussars and served in the Middle East, Germany, Malta and Cyprus. After his military service he had spent some time in Ireland where he also restored a. By the early 1980s Chillingham Castle could hardly be described as a “place for kings” the contents had been sold off, most of the roofs had fallen

in, the ornamental lakes had silted up and the once immaculate gardens were totally overgrown. However this did not deter Sir Humphry although apparently his wife did not initially share his enthusiasm for his project to create a grand new Wakefield family home and thought the whole idea would be a complete waste of money.

Having bought the castle from the Tankerville family he began a ten year restoration project to bring about a total transformation of the buildings and grounds which would eventually become a popular tourist attraction for visitors to Northumberland. After 50 years of neglect Sir Humphry’s vision had revived this magnificent and historically important building and even his wife revised her opinion and came to love her new home.

The 1946 Ferguson TEA replaced the previous diesel-engined tractor which mysteriously disappeared.

there is usually repair work being carried out somewhere around the estate. Some of the tracks are quite narrow and there are some overgrown stretches of woodland to negotiate so the small Ferguson is the ideal machine to use.

The tractor can also get into some of the woodland to haul out the felled trees as well as the smaller log trailers. With the castle grounds having been left to run wild by the early 1930s it is doubtful whether Ferguson tractors were ever used on the estate. However, there are a few records of a Sentinel DG steam tractor which was bought by the Chillingham Estate in the 1920s, so

Roger Cutter and the Ferguson ready for another working day at Chillingham Castle.

June2015Tractor 39tractormagazine.co.uk

“Although large areas of the parkland are given over to formal lawns which are usually cut with one of the ride-on Husqvarna mowers there are some areas where the grass grows quite long and this is cut for hay during the summer. The Ferguson is used to haul the trailers of cut grass from the outlying areas to the yard.

“The tractor has proved itself to be reliable and so far there have been no major problems and the good thing about tractors like the Ferguson is that parts can still be found and repairs can be completed more or less where the tractor stands. You don’t have to send it back to the dealer or have a computer diagnostic check made to identify the fault. If any problem with a Ferguson can’t be fixed with a hammer and a spanner then you must have an electrical problem!”

Roger has been using the machine to repair some of the car parking areas around the estate and although the machine is certainly past its prime he reckons that it has years of use left in it. “It is great to use on this type of work and very convenient to operate as the cab has a reversible seat which can be swivelled around when you need to use the digger. The front bucket has a one yard cubic capacity and the digger can excavate to a depth of nearly 15 feet - although we haven’t had to test that as yet.

“The digger is perfectly serviceable although some of the glass in the cab has been smashed and there is perhaps more rust than paintwork at the moment. However, these are battle scars of over 40 years hard work, and while a refurbishment and a repaint would make it prettier perhaps keeping it in working clothes is preferable.

After all the visitors come to view the magnificent castle, not the working tractor fleet.”

User’s view of the MF 50B

There’s always a job for the Fergie; like hauling materials to repair

the stone boundary walls.

Trailering hay, repairing car parks, and hauling building materials there’s always a job for the Fergie; but there’s still life in that careworn engine yet.

The size of the Ferguson means that it can negotiate some of the narrow tracks on the estate.

The MF 50B had worked on the Motorcycle Speedway Circuit at Berwick-upon-Tweed, while previous owner Mike Hope had used it on a small residential development.

The MF 50B Backhoe Loader had a maximum digging depth of 13ft 9in and a lift capacity of around 1900lb.

this is likely to have been used for similar duties that the Ferguson carries out today.

Roger added: “The approach roads and drives in the castle grounds are loose surfaced gravel and with a constant stream of visitors during the open season which runs from April to October the Ferguson is regularly hooked up to a Sturdiluxe brush and used to sweep the roads.

YourTractors


construction and now it would be used on the site of a small housing development at the edge of the town.

“Mike used the Massey for a couple of years and a few months ago he decided that it was now surplus to requirements and he began looking around for a buyer. It almost went to a new owner in Ireland but just in time we managed to buy the machine, maintaining its association with this area.

Roger concluded: “The Ferguson and the Massey are perfectly capable of handling the jobs they are required to do and there would seem little point in spending money on more modern machines just to get the benefit of ‘modern gizmos’. What comes along next as far as classic tractors are concerned is a matter of speculation as you never really know what will catch Sir Humphry’s eye in the future.”

carry the materials in the shovel and carry out any necessary excavation work.

“The MF 50B also has a strong local connection and was bought new in 1972 by John Jefferys for use on his farm near Chillingham. The regular driver of the Massey was Jim Gallon and he also used the digger for contract work over the surrounding area. It was used for digging drainage ditches, building construction and clearing the small streams when they became blocked and was also used to construct the Motorcycle Speedway Circuit at Berwick-upon-Tweed.

“Working almost daily for 30 years the Massey was eventually laid up on the Jefferys’ farm where it remained until 2010 when it was given to Henry Prytherch as a 21st birthday present. Henry, who lives near Wooler, was a plumber and the MF 50B was the ideal machine for digging out pipe trenches for water mains and drainage pipes. “The machine was certainly no ‘looker’ but it worked perfectly and Henry used it until 2013 when it passed to a new owner, Mike Hope, who also lives in Wooler. This was something of a reunion as Mike had worked with the Massey during the Speedway Circuit

Useful kitThe Ferguson has been joined by another veteran machine, a Massey Ferguson MF 50B complete with front loader and backhoe. Roger said: “This is a very useful piece of kit when it comes to repairing roads and filling in potholes.“Previously we had to load up a trailer with all the tools and materials and haul it to the worksite using the Ferguson; a light JCB digger then had to be brought to the site to handle the repair work. The arrival of the 50B means that we now have a machine which can

The MF 50B Tractor LoaderThe MF 50B Tractor Loader was introduced by the company in the 1970s and its versatility made it one of the bestselling industrial machines to be developed and produced by MF Industrial. Initially powered by a Perkins A4.212 engine this was soon superseded by the more powerful Perkins A4.236 four cylinder diesel engine.

Chillingham Castle For further details about Chillingham Castle and the public opening times visit www.chillingham-castle.com

The 1973 MF 50B has always had a strong local history; here it is in use with

previous owner Mike Hope, who also lives in Wooler.

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Also see website for details:Muir Hill 121 4wd, very tidy condition - Roadless 95 for restoration -

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John Deere 4350 4wd, 6900hrs,nice straight original tractor, runs &

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Ford 6600 2wd Dual Power, nicestraight tractor for age, runs &drives well, cab good for age

Massey Ferguson 274cf crawler, rear linkage &pto, good tracks, bonnet needs paint/attn but

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Massey Ferguson 698 2wd MP, oneowner from new, cab good for age,

runs & drives well, puh

John Deere 3140 4wd, Nice cleanoriginal tractor for age, good tyres,puh, interior fair, runs & drives well

Ford 6600 2wd c/w Dual power &power loader, 4000hrs, nice clean

original tractor, works very well, no rust

YourTractors

WORDS & PICTURES Dave Bowers

500 TRACTORS IN ACTION TO RAISE CHARITY FUNDSThe term ‘Scotch mist’ is used to refer to something that is hard to fi nd or doesn’t exist, but there’s no way anyone looking for the whereabouts of this run could miss the sound of around 550 tractors on an Easter outing.

National Vintage Tractor Road Run 2015 – Dumfries and Galloway

This year marked the 28th running of this event, which had an ‘international’ � avour as the route straddled the

Scottish border on a number of occasions between the counties of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland and Cumbria in England. � e start and � nish line was situated appropriately not far from the Old Toll Bar, which is o� en described as the � rst and last house to be found in Scotland.

For 2015, the Canonbie Vintage Club had the honour of arranging the event, with Chairman Peter Hannah in charge of his team of marshals and helpers who made the event a resounding success for the entrants and the public, with all proceeds of funds raised for charities going to Alzheimer Scotland, Cancer Research and MacMillan Nurses.

What better way of underlining the Scottish � avour of the event than arranging for a kilted piper to be on hand, so the sound of skirling bagpipes just about cut through the mechanical throbbing sound of a few hundred tractor engines ticking over at low revs!

A count of 481 tractors was made from the start line in the car park at Garden House in Gretna Green, with a strong possibility of the 500 � gure being breached with a few more tagging on at the start. Peter Hannah headed the entourage on his Fordson E27N, with Ashley Godsall the next person to be on his way driving a Series 3 Field Marshall. Ashley is someone all the entrants should revere and be grateful to, as he inspired the very � rst National Tractor Run back in 1987.

Ashley’s presence on his Field Marshall also served a practical purpose; as this

A tightly packed sea of tractors wait expectantly for the o in the National

Stephen Robinson driving the family’s Nu� eld DM4

Universal; (inset) Stephen with dad Wilberd, and

Stephen’s son, Stephen Junior - three generations

of keen tractor enthusiasts turn out for the National.



500 TRACTORS IN ACTION TO RAISE


was such a relatively slow machine, Peter matched its pace all the way while positioned slightly in front, e� ectively prevented him from going too fast, which could have resulted in the whole convoy becoming strung out over a distance from each other.

Well planned� e route had been well thought out with most of the way directed along single-track roads that had been well signposted and marshalled to prevent any oncoming tra� c resulting in unnecessary delays, and similarly, o� cers of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary were prominent at road junctions.

One tractor that couldn’t take part in the event owing to its immense size was a Ford FW40 on twinned wheels, nevertheless this blue and white behemoth was to be seen at a number of places along the way where some roads were wide enough to allow access.

Tractor runs are so o� en a family event, and the Robinson family of Larne, Northern Ireland � elded three generations, with grandad Wilberd bringing along his David Brown Cropmaster that he shared with grandson Stephen Junior, and dad Stephen driving the family’s second classic tractor, a Nu� eld DM4 Universal.

A tractor in bold Dayglo orange that remained perfectly visible through the mist that masked the proceedings for the � rst half of the day was a Belarus MTZ 53 Super, which James Padkin had brought along from his home in Lanarkshire.

Some of the less usual tractors to be seen on this event included Garry Phillips’ Fiat F100, Ian Coulthard’s Eicher 16PS, Andy Boyle’s Marshall 100 of which only 82 were made, and Alex Steele’s Fordson Major with a Seline four-wheel drive conversion. � is machine came from Switzerland complete with its original export feature of lines of horizontal strake strips on the radiator grille.

Peter Hannah’s E27N departs to the familiar

sound of a Perkins P6 engine

Just to remind us we were north of the border the unmistakeable skirl of a piper’s bagpipes added even more atmosphere to the proceedings.

James Padkin’s Belarus MTZ 53 Super picks up speed through the mist.

Andy Boyle’s Marshall 100, one of only 82 of the model that are reported to have been made.

Ian Coulthard’s Eicher 16PS could look equally at home on the London to Brighton Vintage Car Run!

YourTractorsBix Friell’s display of her local art produce that now includes a tea towel commemorating the National Tractor Run 2015.

44 TractorJune2015

Liz Smith and Joan Tweddle, lending a valuable hand selling the programmes that helps boost the funds raised for charities.

Jackie Morrison on his John Deere 1020, a smart looking tractor from Argyll.1020, a smart looking tractor from

BreakA� er over three hours on the road, the long, trailing tractor convoy arrived at the lunch stop outside Canonbie, which allowed me to have a few words with some of the entrants.

Dave Dean commented with evident enthusiasm: “� is has been a brilliant rally, well organised, and but for the fog, the weather has turned out all right.” To which Bud Young added as they both sat next to each other on the transport box of Dave’s International B-275: “It has been a brilliant rally, with so many tractors taking part, and so many people taking an interest, as can be seen by the many people standing beside the road to watch the tractors all going by!”

For those looking for a memento of this tractor run through these historic Border lands, Bix Friell had a stall selling some of her local artwork together with framed copies of a painting she had designed of the event which was also used as the design for a tea towel. � ese depicted a David Brown tractor against a rural background, with the Gilnockie Tower in the distance, which many of the entrants may have noticed as they approached the River Esk near the village of Hollows, not far from Canonbie.

� e tower was also depicted on the event programme, with a David Brown 990 in the foreground, which was in recognition of this year being the 50th anniversary of the � rm’s Selectamatic tractor range. Sales of the brochure went briskly adding to the event’s charitable co� ers, all thanks to the volunteers who sold these throughout the day, such as Liz Smith and Joan Tweddle.

Chairman of the Canonbie Vintage Club, Peter Hannah summed up his impressions of how the event turned out, as well as the forward planning and marshalling of the event: “Everything

Liz Smith and Joan Tweddle,

Jackie Morrison on his John Deere

Alex Steele of Fife on the Fordson Major with Seline four-wheel drive conversion.

As be� ts the originator of the National Tractor Run in 1987, Ashley Godsall was near the head of the column on his Series 3 Field Marshall.

With the lunch break near Canonbie over, it was time to get moving again.


Nick Lewis of Shropshire on his Massey Ferguson 65 � ies the � ags to add a bit more colour to the day.

Giles Moston and Charlie Crowther on a pair of well restored Nu� elds.


Andrew Graham from Wigton, Cumbria waits for the o with his Leyland 802.

went exactly to plan, even though I did wake up at night sometimes wondering about something or other.

“� e Police from Dumfries and Galloway and also Cumbria did a great job of directing tra� c. And our timing was spot on, for both the morning and the a� ernoon stages of the run. Our committee did a tremendous amount of work to make the event such a success!”

A sentiment that was no doubt shared by all who took part in the event, and also the countless numbers of locals and those who had travelled from both near and far on a foggy, chilly morning to watch what must have seemed like an endless convoy of tractors pass them by.

Andrew Bouch and Garry Phillips stretch their legs beside Garry’s Fiat F100.

Dave Dean and Bud Young take a well-earned break at the lunchtime stop.

By mid-morning, the mist was still evident as Brian Watson went by with the headlamps of his International B-450 still on.

William Fisher’s Grey and Gold FE 35

- a regular entrant at many Cumbrian

events.

Richard Newbould from North Yorkshire on his SAME Mini Tauro, leads David Gott’s Fendt 1025.

Richard Newbould from North


FarmingHeritage

46 TractorJune2015

By the mid-1960s, David Brown Tractors Ltd was one of the UK’s top three tractor manufacturers and third on the home market

after Ford and Massey Ferguson. The pinnacle of its achievements was

probably the launch of its Selectamatic tractors, which featured an innovative dial-controlled hydraulic system and heralded a change of image with a bright new colour scheme. For almost 30 years, the marque’s livery had been hunting pink, but now David Brown had gone white.

Selectamatic system Prevented from using Ferguson’s draft-control arrangement, DB’s original hydraulic lift, developed in the 1940s, had only provided a basic (up or down) position-control facility. TCU (Traction Control Unit) – a system of weight transference that overcame wheel-spin by momentarily lifting the implement to restore weight to the tractor wheels – was later developed by Charlie Hull and added to the specification in 1954.

The lapse of certain Ferguson patents in the late 1950s allowed David Brown to develop a more sophisticated system incorporating draft control. Initially known as TDC (Traction Depth Control), DB’s system used top-link sensing via a Bowden cable from a telescopic top-link.

Jointly developed by Bert Ashfield, Charlie Hull and Harry Horsfall, this new arrangement was launched as part of David Brown’s Implematic system in 1959. Operated by a single lever, it featured draft control, TCU and a three-way isolator valve for external services.

By the early 1960s, DB’s engineering team was experimenting with new hydraulic systems. The Implematic Mark 2 system turned out to be too

The Selectamatic StoryTHanniverSary50

WORDS & PICTURES Stuart Gibbard

Launched in 1965, David Brown’s new Selectamatic models were hailed as the biggest breakthrough in tractor design since hydraulics were invented.


The DBTC recently staged this photograph of white DB 770, 880 and 990 tractors at its museum in

Meltham, recreating a publicity image from 1965, in anticipation

of its forthcoming celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the

Selectamatic launch.

complicated and was dropped. But the Mark 3 updated the existing system with a number of changes including the addition of position control, or height control as David Brown preferred to call it. This system was incorporated into DB 850, 880 and 990 tractors from April 1963.

Meanwhile Harry Horsfall and Charlie Hull were working on a new SDC (Selective Depth Control) hydraulic system. SDC improved upon the Implematic arrangement by putting all the valves into a single cast-iron body with a single switch for the driver to dial-in the required hydraulic service. The design was protected under various patents filed between 1962 and 1964.

SDC was eventually launched as David Brown’s Selectamatic system. The operation of the implement was controlled by the movement of a single lever, and the operator set a pointer on a dial to the required service (depth, height, traction control or external services).

The nerve centre of the system was a control or junction box containing a series of flow valves, which were accurately set at the factory. The system incorporated a lowering control to provide a controlled rate of drop, a replaceable cartridge by-pass filter in addition to gauze and magnetic filters, and a three-way valve for external services.

David Brown ‘Red’ 770 The Selectamatic story began in December 1964 with the launch of the new David Brown 770 at the Royal Smithfield Show. Designated VAD7/30, this 30hp machine was targeted at the European market and designed to get below the Fordson Dexta and the Massey Ferguson 35 in both price and weight.

This was the last model to be finished in DB’s traditional hunting pink livery, and also the first to incorporate the new Selectamatic hydraulic system. The 770 was essentially the first of a new generation of David Brown models. A new one-piece mainframe gave added strength and easier attachment of front loaders and mid mounted implements. The comprehensive list of standard equipment included Category 1 linkage, differential lock, tractormeter, adjustable seat, handbrake, lights and power take-off.

Production of the 770 commenced in January 1965 at serial number 580001S (S denoted 12-speed), this continued until serial number 581832S when it was superseded by the white version with the launch of the full Selectamatic range in late 1965. Just over 1800 of the red models were built, making it something of a scarce and desirable machine.

FarmingHeritage

48 TractorJune2015

White TractorsDavid Brown announced its ‘new look in farm tractors’ to the world on November 23, 1965. The ‘new look’ referred to the revised new 770, 880 and 990 Selectamatic models, which featured a number of important changes including the improved SDC hydraulic system now fitted across the range. However, what captured public’s the attention was the new white livery coupled with the latest up-to-the-minute styling.

The new styling and colours had not originally been planned for Selectamatic tractors. When the ‘red’ 770 went into production, small batches of red/yellow 880 and 990 Selectamatic models were also built for evaluation, although their ultimate specification was not finalised until August 1965. Some of these pre-production models have survived into preservation.

The full Selectamatic range would have been released in red had it not been for circumstances playing out on the other side of the Atlantic. In December 1963, Ford Tractor Operations had rationalised its distribution network in the lead up to the 6X launch, terminating its agreements with its wholesale distributors and establishing its own outlets to serve its retail dealers.

DB EngineersProbably David Brown’s greatest asset was its engineering department, which was housed about a mile from the Meltham Mills factory in a former Victorian worsted mill at Scarr Bottom. The department was headed-up by two of the most fertile minds in the business: DB’s technical director, Herbert Ashfield, and chief engineer, Charles Hull. Their budget was meagre compared with that, say, of Ford and Massey Ferguson, but in some ways this was an advantage.

Bert Ashfield and Charlie Hull headed a small engineering team, which included section chiefs Harry Horsfall (hydraulics), Maurice Jones (engines) and Tom Eastwood (transmissions).

David Brown’s new white tractors were launched in 1965 to a fanfare of publicity.

‘Red’ 770 – the first of the Selectamatic tractors. This superbly restored machine

belongs to Franz Ackerl of the David Brown Tractor

Club of Austria.

The Selectamatic hydraulic system had a single-lever quadrant with a dial to switch between services.

Built in early 1965, this red/yellow DB 880 was one of a batch of pre-production Selectamatic tractors assembled for field trials.


This left a network of disenfranchised distributors without a mainline tractor to sell. Mexican distributor, Bill Townsend, persuaded 12 of the distributors that they could strengthen their position by joining forces to form the National Equipment Dealers Association (NEDA). The organisation, formed in March 1964 under Townsend’s leadership, then began searching for a tractor to sell.

NEDA’s quest came to the attention of Derek Bennett, David Brown’s export manager. He persuaded Jack Thompson, managing director of David Brown Tractors Ltd, to fly out and meet with NEDA representatives. Bill Townsend set up a meeting in Mexico City and a demonstration programme was organised.

The distributors liked the DB features, but were concerned that the styling of the tractor was outdated and that the red paint was too close to International Harvester’s livery. A suggestion was made that David Brown Selectamatic models for North America could be repainted to match the colours of the Bolens garden tractors, one of NEDA’s core product lines, which sported a striking white/brown colour scheme.

Thompson returned to Meltham and bullied his board, as he had a habit of doing, into accepting styling and colour changes for the American market. The engineering department at Scarr Bottom was immediately charged with redesigning the sheet metalwork. Charlie Hull began making tentative sketches with a pencil and paper.

Meanwhile, the patternmaker in the engineering office fashioned a wooden mock-up of a new radiator cowling and

grille from Hull’s sketches, to which the experimental workshop fitted a modified sheet-metal bonnet. In the next few days, a Bolens garden tractor, shipped from the US, arrived at the works. Using this as a guide, a 990 Implematic tractor was repainted in the new colour scheme.

Within ten days, Jack Thompson was back in America with photographs of the repainted tractor and the styling mock-ups. NEDA liked the new look and was so impressed by the speed of the response that it immediately agreed to handle the distribution of David Brown tractors in the US and Mexico.

Douglas Elstone, DB’s publicity manager, got involved and the new colour scheme for North America was finalised with a startling combination of orchid white (wheels and tinwork); polychromatic chocolate brown (chassis); poppy red (silencer, seat and lower front grilles); and (often forgotten) South African gold (upper grille).

Shipments of the tractors began in September 1964, and once UK distributors got to hear of the eye-catching new colours, they asked if they too could sell the tractors in the fresh paint scheme, and so the decision was taken to release the new livery and new styling across all markets with the launch of the full Selectamatic range.

Selectamatic Range – Production NumbersModel Built NuMBers770(red) Jan1965–oct1965 1832770(White) oct1965–Apr1970 10,375880 oct1965–dec1971 33,379990 oct1965–dec1971 54,6361200 Jan1967–dec1971 18,990780 sep1967–dec1971 12,198

theBolensgardentractor,whichprovidedtheinspirationforthenewwhiteselectamaticlivery.

Apublicityimagefortheintroductionofthewhiteselectamaticrangein1965showingdBtechnicalrepresentativesPeterMurray(inblue-checkshirt)andAndyKerwith770(left)and880tractors.

davidBrown990selectamatictractordelivered55hpfromitsfour-cylinderAd4/47engine.thisexample,whichbelongstoYorkshirecollector,david

throup,isstillinregularuse.


FarmingHeritage

50 TractorJune2015

New modelsThe new white Selectamatic models were announced to the world on November 23, 1965, and unveiled to the public on December 6 at the Smithfield Show.

Largest of the three new models, the 990 Selectamatic carried its four-cylinder AD4/47 engine over from the previous Implematic model. It was a three-litre unit and its most notable feature was a cross-flow head with separate inlet ports for each cylinder on the right-hand side of the head and the exhaust ports on the left. This improved breathing, allowing a greater volume of air to be drawn into the engine, and induced swirl for a more efficient combustion process.

The air-cleaner was positioned in front of the radiator, which helped keep the intake air cool – cold air has a greater density and will accept a greater volume of fuel, resulting in an increase in power. The engine was also tweaked to give 55hp - a 3hp improvement over the previous Implematic model.

The 880’s three-cylinder engine had a similar cross-flow head. For the Selectamatic version, the bore was increased from 97mm to 100mm to provide 46hp. This modified engine was designated AD3/55. The specification of the engine fitted to the 770 was also changed to an AD3/49 unit for the white version with a larger bore of 100mm to ensure a commonality of parts with the 880. This gave an increase in power to 33hp.

The new models were competitively priced against Ford’s 6X range and Massey Ferguson’s ‘Red Giants’. The launch prices for the 770, 880 and 990 in Livedrive spec were £717, £779 and £864 respectively.

Further additions Additions to the Selectamatic range included the flagship DB 1200 model introduced in January 1967. The development of this large David Brown tractor could be traced back to proposals

for a DB 1050 put forward in 1959. The 1050 was never built, but the project led to the design of the eventual 1200, which was fitted with a 67hp four-cylinder AD4/55 engine.

The final model in the Selectamatic range was the 780 (basically a 770 with the 880 engine) in 1967. The Selectamatic name was dropped in 1971 following a revamp of the DB tractor line with the introduction of synchromesh and Hydrashift transmissions. The agreement with NEDA lasted until 1972 and the US became David Brown’s most important overseas market with sales of between 5000 and 6000 tractors per year.

In 1967, Douglas Elstone had launched an advertising campaign for the Selectamatic range with the slogan: “David Brown white-tractor owners never stop talking about them.” In truth, they had plenty to boast about!

Selectamatic Range – How they compared DB770(ReD) DB770(White) DB880 DB990 DB1200 DB780engine AD3/30 AD3/49 AD3/55 AD4/47 AD4/55 AD3/55CylinDeRs 3 3 3 4 4 3CApACity 2.25litre 2.4litre 2.7litre 3litre 3.6litre 2.7litrepoWeR 33hp 36hp 46hp 55hp 67hp 46hptRAnsmission 12F/4R 12F/4R 6F/2Ror12F/4R 6F/2Ror12F/4R 6F/2Ror12F/4R 6F/2Ror12F/4RClutCh 10in(livedrive) 10in(livedrive) 10in 11in 11in 10inFuelCApACity 8gallons 8gallons 11gallons 13gallons 18gallons 8gallonslength 2.86m 2.86m 3.08m 3.15m 3.63m 2.94mWheelBAse 1.91m 1.91m 2.03m 2m 2.25m 1.93mWeight 1483kg 1483kg 1810kg 1990kg 2626kg 1574kg

Ahigh-clearancevariantoftheDavidBrown990selectamatictractor.

lincolnshirecollector,Robbiethorpe,withhisDavidBrown

1200,whichbecamepartoftheselectamaticrangeinJanuary

1967.earlymodelshadthe67hpAD4/55engine,whichwaslater

up-ratedto72hp.

www.davidbrownparts.com

1965-2015The launch of David Brown’s Selectamatic tractor range in 1965 showcased the verybest of British development & technology. 50 years later, we at David Brown Parts Ltd.believe in that philosophy. We stock a huge range of quality parts for all models ofDavid Brown. If your David Brown is still hard at work, a top restoration - or anythingin between - keep it in tip-top condition for another 50 years. Visit our website tofind out more!

Where quality and attention to detail counts

Email: [email protected] Tel: 01989 562743 (9-5 Mon-Fri) www.davidbrownparts.comDavid Brown Parts Limited, Unit 1, Thomas Row, Haigh Industrial Estate, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5LB

Celebrating 50 years ofSelectamaticTractors!

visit

DAVID BROWN PARTS LIMITED

FarmingHeritage


It’s June 1958 and hay time is upon us. Hay in those days was a far more important crop than it is today. Bagged or wrapped silage

was unheard of and the science of bulk silage making for dairy cows was not the refined art it is today.

Mind you, one thing is for sure, there was a profit and a good one at that, to be had from milking cows. The Milk Marketing Board guaranteed a decent price with regular and prompt monthly payment. It would have been unheard of then that milk would be sold at less than the cost of production, let alone for less than bottled water. What about school milk then? What happened to that?

Anyway, cows and milking them did not enter HR’s world. His father had milked cows at home when he was a boy. That was enough to put him off and as a result there was no more milking at Home Farm. There was, however, plenty of livestock to deal with, they would need a supply of ‘grub’ during the winter, and that meant hay.

The Home Farm Diaries

WORDS & PICTURES HR

Well, that didn’t take long did it! We are into the sixth month already. Summer is here and the longest day will be have been and gone before you know it.

June 1958

Hay time was and is totally weather dependent. The campaign usually got underway by about the 12th of the month. Before that there would have been a week spent ‘tuning’ what seemed to be a myriad of machines to deal with the crop.

Sharpen upFirst, of course, there was the mower to check and its numerous knives to sharpen. Some of these would need new sections riveting on. Then there was a range of what were called at Home Farm ‘erdy-gerdies’. These were a collection of turners and rowing up machines for the job. Not like today when one fancy ‘Hay-Zip’ does all the various operations.

Some of these modern gadgets are enormous and can deal with multiple rows at once. In 1958 two rows was the max, and anyway in a good crop that was about all the baler could cope with.

The next machine on the list was the Blackstone ‘turner’. These old things did

a good job, but it was a bit of a fiddle to change from turning two rows separately to putting two rows into one. The centre section of the row of tines on each bar had to be removed to ‘turn’ and replaced to ‘row-up’.

The best machine for turning a thick crop was the ‘kicker’. These things

Although largely reliant on the weather, hay time is usually underway by the 12th of the month.


The DBTC recently staged this photograph of white DB 770, 880 and 990 tractors at its museum in

Meltham, recreating a publicity image from 1965, in anticipation

of its forthcoming celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the

Selectamatic launch.

of bales, usually seven in number, off the back and on the ground. Hopefully still standing. If you tried to go to a pile of nine then they usually fell over!

Apart from stacking the bales the ‘sledge man had’ to keep an eye on the bales, which were coming down the bale chamber. Luckily, the bale chamber on a B45 was comparatively long and any un-tied knots could be spotted before the bale reached the end, where, with only one string, it would promptly fall apart.

handled the crop gently, which was essential in a crop of clover hay, as rough handling would knock the leaves off and their feed value would be lost from the crop.

A machine that appeared on the scene about this time was the Vicon-Lely finger wheel turner. This thing showed potential and an example soon joined the fleet at Home Farm. It didn’t take long to discover that although it was simple and easy to change between turning and rowing up, the job it did was not satisfactory.

If you used this machine to row up and then to put two rows into one the crop ended up like a length of rope, especially if the grass was long. Not only did the crop not dry as it should but when it came to the baling it proved to be hard work for the International B45. The knife on the ram had to be kept sharp to cut through the length of ‘rope’ you had produced during the turning operations.

All tied upThe B45 was a temperamental machine at the best of times! It performed the baling operation reasonably well, but had a mind of its own when it came to tying the knots. This would have been a problem in the days of automatic bale sledges, but these had not yet arrived.

The ‘sledge’ consisted of a blacksmith-made (local man Lal Adams of course) platform mounted on steel runners. A lengthways gap was left in the last two thirds of the platform where an iron bar could be stuck in the ground. As the sledge moved on the bar pushed the pile

The modern option for hay time covers all the bases for the job.

The Blackstone turner had many uses, but was a bit of a fiddle.

The kicker was an ideal machine for turning a thick crop.

For £115, the Vicon-Lely was simple and easy to change between turning and rowing up, but the results were not so good.

HR found the B45 was a temperamental machine at the best of times.

FarmingHeritage

54 TractorJune2015

On seeing a ‘bad’ knot the sledge man yelled to the tractor driver something along the lines of ‘STOP’, ‘HOLD-UP’ or ‘WHOA’. The offending knot could then be tied up with a bit of spare string.

There was another little quirk that wouldn’t enter the head of any current tractor driver. A standard spec Diesel Major did not have a rev counter fitted, so how were you supposed to know which throttle setting gave 540rpm on the pto? It was crucial that the B45 ran at the correct speed otherwise it would break shear-bolts like there was no tomorrow.

Well the solution went like this; the tractor throttle was adjusted until the number of strokes per minute (which you had to count while looking at your watch) of the baler ‘ram’ was as stated in the ‘book of words’ (instruction book). A piece of string was tied round the tractor steering column and a loop put in it, which could then be hooked over the throttle knob.

Push the throttle down until the string was tight and you were about there! It wasn’t long however before an investment was made and the baling tractor was fitted with a ‘Proofmeter’. This came at the exorbitant price of £3 10s 0d, that’s £3.50 if you’ve gone ‘metric’. With the coming of the Power Major a Proofmeter came as standard, there were even generator and oil pressure

Now we’re talking a really modern piece

of kit for the time.

the ‘Man-saver’ bale sledge saved the man on the sledge, but then he spent his day walking about the field stacking bales so they could picked up.

lights incorporated in the ‘dash panel’, really modern!

We need to say a little about the bale handling system in operation in 1958. Handling being the optimum word, because that’s what it was, and a lot of it! The heaps of bales left by the sledge would have to be pitched with a fork on to the trailers. Depending on the weight of the bales, one or two men did this. Another man stacked them on the trailer.

One of the first jobs the young HR was given was driving the tractor to pull up to each heap of bales in turn. He very soon learnt the art of gentle clutch engagement. A sudden jerk and you got a good tongue-lashing from the

lad on the trailer. The first mechanical loader came in the form of the ‘Perry-loader’, this still needed a man on the trailer, but what bliss. There was no more pitching at last.

There are two more machines that need a mention before we leave haymaking, 1958 style, to the distant past. Which I might add, is the best place for it. HR remembers very well the frayed tempers, the backache, the blisters, and the dust. And we haven’t even got to the unloading and stacking in the Dutch barn bit yet.

The first ‘machine’ is the ‘Man-saver’ bale sledge. What a rubbish thing this was! Yes, it saved the man on the sledge. But what did he then have to do? Spend his day walking about the field stacking bales in little heaps of seven or nine so they could picked up with the Perry-loader. He might just as well have stayed on the sledge; at least he was riding and


keeping up with the job. HR tried one; it lasted a day and was then quickly returned to the dealer! There were other machines on offer that were equally dreadful.

The other machine in question was the Blackstone hay-rake. It was still practice

little pieces a lot of hay could be missed. This is where the Blackstone rake came into play. It was a good machine, and did the job asked of it well. But, and it was but, moving it through a series of ten foot gateways would test you!

It went like this. On arriving in the field, the wheels had to be taken off and put on the ends of the rake to put it in ‘working mode’. A fixed stand and a crude ‘jack’ was supplied with the machine. One wheel was lifted with the jack and the stand placed under the axle. The wheel was then removed and placed on one end of the rake; no lifting was required to do this as the rake was balanced on the other wheel and the stand.

Balancing actNext, the other side of the rake was lifted with the jack and the other wheel removed and placed on the other end. You had to choose your ground very carefully to make this manoeuvre. The ground had to be level; otherwise, you would find yourself holding a wheel and watching the rake slowly slip sideways, falling off the jack and on to the ground with only one wheel on. This operation had to be carried out and then reversed at each gateway.

This was another job with which the young HR was entrusted, and the rake fell over a good many times! But whatever happened it had to be recovered without calling in any assistance. Saving face for a young tractor driver was very important, wasn’t it! However, as much as hay time has changed over the years there is still little to equal the smell of meadow hay drifting on the evening air.

Till next time, HR.

What a contraption, HR couldn’t tame this one so back it went to the dealer.

Quite where in the list of things the Allis Roto-baler fits is open to debate. We’ll keep that for another time!

This would test the young tractor driver, especially when trying to manoeuvre through 10-foot gateways.

to ‘rake-up’ behind the baler. At Home Farm in those days there was quite an area of meadow hay to make. In one particular spot there was about 23 acres in five little fields, a long narrow piece running beside a stream.

With all the turning required in these

FarmingHeritage

56 TractorJune 2015 tractormagazine.co.uk

The Glasgow was the brainchild of motor engineer, William Guthrie. Born in 1889, Guthrie served

his apprenticeship with his father’s business before joining the Argyll Motor Company of Alexandria in Dunbartonshire.

In 1913, Guthrie formed the Dalziel (later DL) Motor Company in Motherwell, making various small cars. During the First World War, the firm was allocated steel to manufacture a lorry for the War Department. This two-ton truck had a worm-drive axle and was powered by a four-cylinder Waukesha engine imported from the US.

In 1917, the Ministry of Munitions invited several leading motor manufacturers to form an advisory committee to explore the possibility of developing a tractor suitable for full-scale production to meet the needs of UK agriculture. This initiative eventually led to the introduction of the Fordson (initially known as the MOM tractor). However, Guthrie believed the Fordson was not suited to Scottish farming, and decided to develop his own machine.

Guthrie believed that to cope with the hilly and damp conditions prevalent in Scotland, all of the tractor’s wheels should be driven. To keep it simple, he opted for a three-wheel design with one wheel at the rear, which did away with the need for a differential in the rear axle. Availability dictated the choice of power unit: he had a number of surplus Waukesha engines left over from his truck venture, and so these were the obvious option.

Drive unitThe engine, which developed around 27hp in the tractor, drove a two-speed gearbox via a Ferodo-lined cone-clutch. The rear wheel was driven from the transmission via a bevel gear, with a second cardan-shaft extending forward to power the front axle.

A ratchet-and-pawl device was fitted to the front hubs to provide a freewheel mechanism, allowing the outside

Scottish PowerStuart Gibbard reflects on the history of Scotland’s native tractor – the unique three-wheel Glasgow.

front wheel to overrun when turning. A pedal-operated brake was fitted to the transmission shafting, and a belt-pulley was located on the offside of the gearbox.

During 1918, Guthrie’s proposals came to the attention of Duncan Wallace of implement manufacturers, John Wallace & Sons Ltd of Glasgow. Negotiations led to Wallace acquiring the rights to the tractor and a significant financial stake in the venture. The following year, Wallace (Glasgow) Ltd was formed by a consortium of businessman with the object of putting the tractor into production.

Duncan Wallace and William Guthrie were appointed joint managing directors of the consortium, which purchased the National Projectile factory for an agreed price of £170,000. The company also acquired the rights to the Burt-McCollom sleeve-valve engines, previously adopted by the Argyll Motor Company.

Guthrie’s three-wheel machine, patented in 1919, was launched as the Glasgow tractor, and the selling rights for the whole of the British Empire were assigned to the British Motor Trading Corporation of London. Priced at £450, the tractor made its first public appearance at the 1919 Lincoln trials.

Expectations were high, and the projected output was a rather optimistic

5000 units per year. The Glasgow was demonstrated at the 1920 Lincoln, 1921 Shrewsbury and 1922 Highland trials, gaining favourable reports, but it couldn’t hope to compete against the Fordson in price. By 1922, the price had been reduced to £375, but it was still more than three times the cost of a Fordson (£120).

The serial numbers of existing machines suggest that less than 250 Glasgow tractors were built. Wallace (Glasgow) Ltd was wound up in 1924, but the parent concern, John Wallace & Sons, would return to the tractor business in later years as Oliver agents.

WORDS & PICTURES Stuart Gibbard

GlasgowEngine: Waukesha four-cylinder petrol/paraffin; capacity, 280cu in (4600cc); bore, 4⅛in (105mm); stroke, 5¼in (133mm); horsepower, 26.7hp; engine speed, 1150rpm.Transmission: two forward speeds and single reverse; low, 2.5mph; high, 4.5mph; reverse, 2.75mph.Clutch: Ferodo-lined cone-clutch. Fuel Tank: capacity, 14 gallons paraffin; 0.5 gallons petrol. Dimensions: length, 11ft 4in; width, 5ft; weight, 4,032lb.

Technical details

Glasgow tractor No.110 in the National Museum of Rural Life Scotland at East Kilbride.

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JoRoberts


There was something of a celebration in the Williams’ household when Charles picked up first prize in his

class at the Mullahead Ploughing Match on February 28. For several years Charles, a dairy farmer from Anglesey, North Wales, has been crossing the Irish Sea to Armagh, Northern Ireland to compete at the long-standing Irish match, but this was the first time he’s hit the jackpot!

Initially Charles carried his tractor and plough on a wagon, taking the ferry from Holyhead over to Ireland, but this made for an expensive weekend. In recent years, Charles has enjoyed the Irish hospitality and has been offered the loan of a tractor and plough from a fellow tractor enthusiast over in Ireland, Jackie McIntyre, so he now only has to get himself to Ireland.

On the rOad tO stardomDairy farmer Charles Williams is no stranger to travelling in pursuit of his hobby, ploughing, but he had to travel across the sea to Ireland from his Anglesey home to chalk up his first match victory.

Charles with his two ‘babies’; the shipshape Massey Ferguson four cylinder 35, and the yet to be restored TE-20.

the first flush of successFor many years, ploughing for Charles Williams was simply something you did when planting a crop. It was when the Anglesey Vintage Ploughing Association reformed in the early 90s that Charles began to consider having a go at competitive ploughing.

Initially, competing was largely about supporting the club and keeping the rural traditions alive, but Charles gradually became more competitive. He can recall being placed in his class, for the first time ever at a match arranged by Cymdeithas Hen Dractorau Dyffryn Clwyd, and that fuelled his enthusiasm massively. “It was just a third prize,” says Charles, “but I’ll never forget it!”

WORDS & PICTURES Jo Robets

Charles’s favourite tractor, his MF four-cylinder 35. These tractors are cursed with the reputation of being poor starters, but it’s possible to get around these difficulties.


“I’ve been lucky,” says dairy farmer Charles, “I’ve met so many great people through ploughing in England, Ireland and Wales, and they’re all people that I’d never have met without this hobby.”

As well as making good friends, Charles has found that these connections have also proved useful, especially for those ploughmen who like to travel a little further afield to events.

“When the Irish lads come over to our match in Anglesey they can use some of our tractors to compete on, so it works out well for everyone,” he added.

Charles usually competes in the Welsh matches on his beloved four-

cylinder Massey Ferguson 35, but when in Mullahead he uses Jackie’s TVO Ferguson. In the 2015 match, there were 21 competitors in the Novice Ferguson class, and Charles was surprised and delighted to win. Jackie, as the owner of the tractor, was as proud as punch too as he’d lent his tractor to someone who really was making good use of it!

The old homesteadCharles grew up on an Anglesey farm, and during his childhood, his family moved to a larger farm where Charles still lives. Charles and his family keep dairy cattle, and they also show their Holstein and Jersey cattle. The farmhouse is a fascinating rambling old property dating from the 1600s, which bizarrely has the grave and headstone of a former inhabitant from the 1800s built into the wall of the house!

It’s a place you wouldn’t be surprised to see a ghost, but there’s nothing eerie about the old homestead; it has a warm, inviting and homely feel, with a stove going in the kitchen, a multitude of dogs draped around the floor, and an endless supply of tea and food on offer.

The beloved 35The tractor that you will see Charles competing on in the Welsh matches is his four-cylinder MF 35, dating from 1958. As a fellow owner of a four-cylinder MF 35, I know the reputation of these tractors. My example starts a treat, but these poor old four-cylinder models are tarred with a brush, which marks them as being unreliable starters.

June2015 Tractor 59

Charles regularly uses the MF 35 in ploughing

matches throughout Wales. “It runs quietly and smoothly, and it’s nice and

light to tow on a trailer,” he says.

The four-cylinder engine on the 35 has been adapted to house four heater plugs, turning what was once a poor starter into a reliable little tractor.

The Ransomes Robin plough that Charles uses behind the Massey Ferguson 35.

Charles on board his no 1 tractor.


So the question I ask Charles is ‘Does it start ok?’ As it turns out it does start ok. But this is probably only because at some point in the past the tractor has been adapted to house four heater plugs instead of the one ‘flame start’ device usually found in the four cylinder examples.

“We had one on the farm years ago,” remembers Charles, “and that one was terrible at starting too.”

Despite the issues that four cylinder 35s have with starting, they are otherwise excellent tractors. The starting issues

A project in progress is this Ferguson TE-20. Charles plans to restore and spray the tin work with the help of his son in law Emyr, who luckily is a dab hand with the spray gun.

RIGHT: Charles has added footplates to the Fergie, which offer a bit more support and safety than the minimalist style foot-pegs normally used on these tractors.

JoRoberts


Working classicsThere’s no shortage of muck on a dairy farm, and of course, Charles has to have a scraper tractor to keep on top of the copious amounts of scented by-product that the doe-eyed Jersey cattle produce on a daily basis.

For this job, Charles has a David Brown 885, and it’s without doubt the smelliest tractor I’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing. David Brown fans had best not look at the photograph of this old workhorse, they may find the sight upsetting! The fact is though that this, along with boat launching, is the fate of many classics.

The 885 falls into that category of tractor that is neither large enough for general work on a modern farm, and yet too large for the enthusiast to easily transport to shows and ploughing matches. It has to find its niche somewhere and working as a scraper tractor

certainly delays a one-way visit to the scrap man, plus there really is something strangely photogenic about these dung tractors, working as they do at the lowliest level of farm work, yet at the same time performing a hugely important daily task.

Also at work on the farm is an X reg Massey Ferguson 265. This tractor is currently used to power a straw chopper, and is a nice useful sized tractor for yard work like this. “I see this now as a future classic,” says Charles, “and it’s a tractor that I will definitely keep and restore”.

The 265 has a reliable four-cylinder Perkins engine, and delivers 60hp. These useful yet not overly complicated tractors were a success story, and they can be seen at work all over the world. In short, they are a tractor that’s built to last, and Charles is keen to give this workhorse a longer life by restoring it.

All those dairy cows produce vast amounts of muck, and a scraper tractor is a must; somewhere, underneath the green paint and the manure is a David Brown 885.

This MF 265 is a handy tractor for use around the farmyard. The paintwork might be worn, but it’s otherwise a solid reliable tractor, and one that Charles will keep and one day restore.

can be solved, as Charles’s tractor demonstrates, and when they are running these little tractors are amazingly quiet and smooth and many owners feel that they run far sweeter than a three-cylinder Perkins model. I’ve heard that it is sometimes said that you need a three cylinder to tow start the four cylinder, but once it’s fired up you will prefer the four cylinder to the three.

Charles feels his four-cylinder model is superior to its cousins: “The engine runs nice and slow,” says Charles of his 35, “and when the ground gets sticky it seems to just keep going and doesn’t start to spin as easily as others might”.

Not only that, but the quietness of this engine is a godsend when it is running for hours at a ploughing match – a noisy engine is not only potentially harmful to the hearing, it’s also far more tiring to be around, and it renders conversation with fellow humans nigh on impossible.

“I have ploughed on my old Nuffield Universal 4,” says Charles, “but the four cylinder 35 is the nicest to use. Not only that but it is nice and light to tow on a trailer too.”

Charles bought the 35 in North Wales some six years ago, but it originally hails from Scotland. It’s something of a mystery how and why a Scottish tractor ended up in rural North Wales, but while some tractors never travel far from the dealership they were sold through, others really seem to get around.

ShipshapeIn matches, Charles uses a Ransomes Robin plough behind the 35. Both tractor and plough needed a bit of work to get shipshape and competition ready. Charles and his son-in-law Emyr restored the 35, and Charles had to source a wheel from a Fisher Humphries plough to replace the one missing on his Ransomes plough. “The Ransomes ploughs are nice and easy to work with” says Charles, “but there are a lot of good David Brown ploughs out there too.”

Charles owns a few other tractors, apart from the MF 35 he is usually seen on. Ten years ago, Charles heard of a Nuffield Universal 4 for sale at a caravan park on the island. It was in working order, but somewhat rusty due to spending much of its life near the seaside. Charles bought the tractor without hesitation, as he’d long been an admirer of Nuffield tractors “We had a nice 10/60 here years ago. I like the Nuffields,

JoRoberts


I think they are good strong tractors,” says Charles.

After restoring the tractor’s tinwork, Charles initially used it for ploughing matches. “The only reason I stopped using it was that the 35 came along, and it was lighter to tow around,” he explains. The Nuffield is currently in storage; after all, there are only so many tractors a chap can use at any one time!

But the projects keep coming. If Charles sees a tractor that is reasonably priced and likely to be useful for ploughing competitions he can’t resist it. One recent purchase is a little Ferguson TE-20, which Charles is planning to restore. “Two of my grandsons are already fighting over it!” laughs Charles. Neither boy is old enough to plough yet, but it won’t be long I’m sure.

Sometime in the past, the Fergie had been converted to run on TVO, but

Charles has now taken the cylinder head off and replaced the two gaskets with a single one, so that the tractor runs on petrol, just as it would have done originally. “At one time it was more economical to use TVO,” explains Charles, “so a lot of people converted their petrol Fergies to TVO.”

Charles feels that the tractor runs better on petrol, and he hopes to start work soon

on restoring the tin work and spraying the tractor, so that it is as well preserved as the 35. Even unpainted it looks better than when it arrived; the tractor came out of an old barn near Church Bay, where it had shared a home with some chickens. “It had been roosted on for a good while,” says Charles “and it was totally covered in chicken muck!”

For some time Charles had lived surrounded by females in the form of his wife and daughters, who are horse enthusiasts. Charles rolls his eyes when horses are mentioned, after all they are the bane of many a farmer’s life; they make a mess, they eat tons of food and they don’t bring in any income.

“But I’m outnumbered!” he laughs. You get the feeling, that in a few years’ time the balance will be restored, and that these enthusiastic grandsons, who can’t wait to get behind the wheel, will be following in their grandfather’s footsteps and preserving the great tradition of ploughing on this beautiful island. ◆

Next projectVery much a project tractor is the 1964 Fordson Super Dexta that Charles has under cover in a far corner of the farmyard. Charles bought the old Dexta on the island, but as it came with no documents, he can’t be certain if it came new to the island. “I’d like to try to trace its origins,” he adds, “it’s nice to know where these old tractors have come from.”

On Anglesey, there are many tractor enthusiasts who favour ‘local’ machines as there is a sense of carrying on the island traditions by using and preserving these machines. Charles hopes that when he has restored the Fergie and the Dexta that perhaps his young grandsons will keep the tradition going and learn to plough using these old tractors.

Another project tractor, perhaps for a grandchild, is this Fordson Super Dexta. Not only is Charles preserving the nations old tractors, he’s also helping to keep the ploughing traditions alive by teaching his grandchildren the craft.

Charles “tolerates” the horses, and the ladies of the house in turn tolerate Charles’s tractors

- sounds like a fair deal to me.

The old Nuffield Universal 4 had been working as a caravan park tractor in a nearby seaside town when Charles discovered it up for sale.

The old homestead has a lot of history. There’s even a grave and headstone of a former inhabitant from the 1800s built into the gable end of the house!

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GrahamHampstead

It would be so easy nowadays to get down in the dumps with all the horrid things that are going on in the world, every news bulletin

seems to have something dreadful happening. Well I’m here to counteract all those horrid things and to reassure you that wonderful things can, and do, still happen. I was going about my everyday jobs a couple of weeks ago,

In the nick of t imeIt’s a busy and sometimes stressful time lambing down on Graham Hampstead’s smallholding, but a surprise parcel and a ewe reprieved from the knacker man help raise his spirits.

immersed in the daily routine of feeding sheep and messing about with tractors when I heard the postman arrive. I wandered down to the post box to see what he had le� and was surprised to � nd among the bills and junk mail a cardboard box addressed to me. What could it be, I never receive parcels, unless it’s something or other I’ve bought from eBay, but I wasn’t expecting anything.

Anyway, I wandered up to the house to open it; there was a note from the editor of this prestigious mag inside telling me that the box had been delivered to head o� ce addressed to me so he had sent it on. Now I was intrigued. Carefully packed inside I was gobsmacked to � nd a model that was an exact replica of my own shepherd’s hut out in the � eld.

We’re busy lambing but there’s still a bit of time to try out the RotoFahr. The depth wheels set halfway seems about right; I will have to wait to try it on full depth on some new ploughing.


It was correct down to the last detail, even the double bunk beds were on the back wall that you could see if you open the little door that hinges and closes with a small Su� olk latch. A set of wooden steps clipped on to the frame in the doorway and there was even

included a couple of tiny wooden chairs for me and Mrs H to sit on.

Inside was a letter from a Mr Michael Beswick from Wallington Surrey, he says he is 82 and runs a small family nursery. He enjoys reading my articles and had made the model of the shepherd’s hut, and hoped I liked it.

It must be at least three or four years ago that I wrote about the restoration of the old shepherd’s hut I had bought. As I was carrying out the repairs I included a few photos of the hut in various stages of repair, Mr Beswick must have seen the pics and based the model he made on those photos.

I think this is one of the nicest things that has ever happened to me. A perfect stranger has sat down and made a gi for someone he has never met. What a wonderful thing to do, so I say thank you very much Mr Beswick, I will have the hut parked on our mantle shelf in the sitting room and it will remind me that there is still some wonderful folk out there.

Put down the spannersMy spanners have had to go into ‘suspended animation’ for a while as we have been tied up with lambing duties. I know we don’t have as many sheep now, but I always say, it takes the same e� ort to drag ourselves out of a warm bed in the middle of a freezing February night

June2015Tractor 65

In the nick of t imeWORDS & PICTURES

Graham Hampstead

The replica of my shepherd’s hut with the real thing, what a wonderful gesture by one of our readers.

to check on two sheep as to check on 200 sheep. It’s always a gamble working a new ram but this new man looks to have done a good job. We have had quite a lot of twins and the odd triplet, and they have all been good strong lambs and not one weak one yet, even the ones we have had a tussle getting out have soon been up and sucking.

This is the smaller of the two brothers, mum has not enough milk for the two of them, and so he’s on the bottle all the time.

GrahamHampstead


Every lambing time there seems to be one event that you remember, this year’s story actually started last year. After weaning in the summer we check through the ewes to see who is getting on, some have had a bad lambing or a problem with udders or missing teeth, and we have to let some of the older ones go to make room for young stock coming in to the flock.

Last year we pulled five older ewes out to go for culling, we don’t send them to market but arrange for the knacker man to come and shoot them on the job and take them away for incineration. Most breeders put them in to market and depending on trade, they can make good money (we would be hopeless as commercial farmers, we’re too soft).

In the early days, we once took a couple of older ones to Louth market. After they had sold, we went for a look round the cattle pens and had a bacon sarnie and mug of tea. As we were going back to the truck, a large triple-decker transporter pulled away in front of us and as we looked up to the top deck, we saw two black noses peeping through one of the flaps.

Straight away we could spot they were

Is this the luckiest sheep in Lincolnshire?

This is the bottle fed lamb; he is growing well but he has spent so much time with us he thinks he is a dog and spends half his time playing with Peggy.

‘A week or so before she was due to lamb she

started standing about by herself in a corner, this is

never a good sign...’

our Dartmoors, we looked at each other and agreed we could never send our lovely old girls off like that to who knows where. So we now have them shot at the end of their working time so we know where they have gone; daft I know, but you can’t change how you are.

Ready for the knacker manOn the morning of the knacker man coming, we made up a small pen with hurdles. The five girls were put in ready, but as the morning went on I kept walking past and looking in the pen, one of the ewes kept catching my eye.

As a shearling, she had won a cup at the Leicestershire show for best female rare breed. She still had a super coat of wool, and although that year she had lambed, raised triplets, and was quite thin she didn’t look in bad nick.

In the end I opened up a corner of the pen and let her wander out and she meandered down to join the rest of the flock quite unaware of the reprieve she had been given. When I told Mrs H what I had done I was in trouble, but I didn’t tell her until the deed had been done and the four taken away, so I got away with it.

As the year progressed, the reprieved ewe put on weight and in the autumn, she stayed with the main flock and went with the new tup. She got marked along with all the others and a few weeks before they were due to start lambing we brought them home into the barn as we usually do so we can keep an eye on them.

A week or so before she was due to lamb she started standing about by herself in a corner, this is never a good sign and is usually an indication that something is amiss. She was supposed to lamb on the Saturday but nothing happened, she was still standing a lot with her head down; on the following Wednesday Mrs H saw her rubbing her back end on a hay rack


RotoFahr run outWe had a couple of sunny days here so I thought I would put the RotoFahr on the Dexta and see how it performed in the Lincolnshire fens, I haven’t had chance to do any ploughing this year yet but I did have a strip that was ploughed last back end to try it on.

I ran over it lightly with the discs first to break up the top then set in with the RotoFahr with depth wheels set halfway. It easily spun over and left quite a good tilth, but no better than I get with the discs. I stopped and lifted the wheels up to go deeper; in the advert; it claims

it will work up to eight inches deep so I thought I would give it a go. There can only have been four or five inches of top soil because as it hit the pan below it started jumping and bouncing as the blades hit the harder stuff; it’s quite a light machine and not really heavy enough to hold it in work.

I lowered the depth wheels back down to halfway and it skipped along fine. It will be ok for most stuff, as I think I said before most crops only grow in the top few inches, but I think it will struggle to get deep enough for potatoes. I will give it another go on some fresh ploughing and see if I can get to full depth.

The RotoFahr leaves quite a good tilth; this was on some of last autumn’s ploughing.

and she left behind some gungy stuff.Sorry if you are having your tea

but this is the less glamorous side of what happens in lambing pens. On the Thursday, we thought we had better investigate, so we ‘gelled up’ and had a rummage around - it didn’t feel very promising inside.

OutcomeIn the past when we have had incidents like this, it is nearly always a dead lamb inside; they just flop about and will not line up and come out. I asked Mrs H to go and ring the knacker man and if he was at his yard, we might as well take her up, have her shot, and save her any more stress.

If this sounds a bit callous I’m afraid that is how it is at the moment; we have had the vet out before to cases like this, you end up with a dead lamb, the vet always suggests you don’t breed from the ewe again so she ends up being shot anyway. Plus there’s a vet’s bill for over £100. The knacker man couldn’t be contacted so Mrs H left a message.

We kept an eye on the ewe and by dinnertime she was laying down more and giving very weak pushes, this was the first time she had tried to lamb and this was better news.

As all this was going on there were other sheep in the barn lambing so we were in and out of the barn all morning and could keep an eye on the old girl. The afternoon went on and she was still up and down, we gelled up again and this time I found a head and one front leg trying to be born. It felt to be quite a big head so it would not come out until the other leg was found and laid next to the other leg.

After ten minutes the other leg was found; and after another five minutes a very large live tup lamb flopped out, while she was down and cleaning the lamb I had a feel about and found another set of feet and pulled out a much smaller live tup lamb. Now they were out we could see why she was so late, the first lamb was very big and with not being presented correctly, he had caused a blockage.

Bottle-fedTo her credit, the old lass was soon up and licking them dry. The next problem was when we tried to put the lambs underneath to suck she only had milk in one side. This can happen sometimes and usually comes right after a day or so, we

made up a bottle and gave the lambs a bellyful of warm colostrum.

At night time, the knacker man rang back and asked if we still needed him, we thanked him but said we were sorted now. After a few days, the large lamb was sucking strongly on the good teat, but the other side still had no milk so

his stronger brother pushed out the smaller lamb. Now we are bottle-feeding him, which means getting up every three hours. So that was twice the old girl had been reprieved - just in the nick of time. We will have a look at her in summer and if she looks ok, she might make it another year then that will be three times lucky.


kids

corner

Farmer George turns the key, and Fergie starts his engine with a roar that makes the scrap merchants jump at least two feet backwards. He puts Fergie in fi rst gear, and Fergie glides forward without

so much as a creak.

Everybody is staring at him with their mouths wide open, but the scrap merchants most of all. Out in the yard Farmer George drives him around. Fergie is so happy. He feels like a calf that has been let out to graze in the sunshine after a long winter in the pen.

Farmer George pulls up in front of the barn, stops and turns the engine off. Fergie makes a few more chugs, like a cat purring, before he stops completely. Farmer George jumps down from the seat, thrilled to bits.

“What did I tell you? Even after all these years it still starts straight away. Only good friends would do that!” says Gramps. The scrap merchants have been standing there scowling at it all. Now they are shuffl ing back to their truck.

“We ain‛t gonna fi nd any more good stuff here now, Hieronemus. Sling the scrap we‛ve found on the back and let‛s go. And no dithering, ya hear, we ain‛t got all day … yer little …!”

The scrap merchants jump into their truck. It starts with a splutter and a cough, and then they disappear out of the yard in a cloud of dust. “I am coming back!” Hubert yells “That tractor is mine!”

BACK ON THE FARM

chapter 9

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littlegreyfergie.comTractor 69

Did you know that Fergie has his own theme park; Fergieland in Kongeparken in Nor-way? It is aimed at children between the ages of 2–7. “The charming park engages

adults and children alike. It is an ideal mix of real environments and fantasy. It celebrates history, modern times and fantasy, all with a goal of entertaining and teaching about animals, farming and the importance of taking care of our environment. This park has created a fully integrated guest experience. Much like what the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has done for Universal, Fergieland has done for Kongeparken.” The jury of the THEA AWARD, Los Angeles

Thea for magazine.indd 1 17.04.15 14.10

Just for fun answer: The key goes to the loo.

Watch fi lms with Little Grey Fergie and his friends on:

Did you know that Fergie has his own theme park; Fergieland in Kongeparken in Norway? It is aimed at children between the ages of 2–7. “The charming park engages adults and children alike. It is an ideal mix of real environments and fantasy. It celebrates history, modern times and fantasy,

all with a goal of entertaining and teaching about animals, farming and the importance of taking care of our environment. This park has created a fully integrated guest experience. Much like what the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has done for Universal, Fergieland has done for Kongeparken.”

The jury of the THEA AWARD, Los Angeles


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Workshop


On the Allis, there is plenty of room to see a tool frame and the crop you’re working on; the two pedals are independent brakes .

Thinkinginside

The box After finding a crack at the base of the

steering box on one of his Fergies, Richard Lofting goes in search of a replacement,

but finds more work to do along the way!WORDS & PICTURES Richard Lofting


The steering box on the Ferguson TE-20 series of tractors is a fairly well-built unit and will last a long time before any

major work is required on it, provided that the oil is kept topped up.

The actual mechanism is simplicity itself, the steering column held between two tapered bearings has a pinion on the end of the shaft. Either side of this pinion are two quadrants that mesh with it, on turning the steering wheel, one quadrant turns one way while the other turns the other way, each acting via the steering arms exiting the steering box casing onto the steering track rods. Obviously turning the steering wheel the other way reverses the process. When the steering is in the straight ahead position both arms are in the centre of their respective quadrant.

We obtained a second-hand steering box, via a well known internet auction site, for a paltry sum, after finding a crack at the base of the steering box of one of our Fergies, with oil leaking down the side of the gearbox.

The only reason for this that I could fathom out was the fact that the steering wheel had been removed before our ownership and the sprung collar was missing. I surmised that this had allowed water to run down through the steering column into the steering box. The water would have gone to the bottom of the housing under the oil. As we all know when water freezes it expands, with the casing of the steering box only made of alloy it would not have taken too much pressure to crack the casting.

A pair of taper bearings had been purchased ready to be fitted to this tractor, as although the steering worked, the steering wheel wobbled about due to worn bearings. The delay in sorting it was the fact that the two nuts that hold the column together and provide adjustment for the said bearings were mashed beyond use, this may have been why the job had been left and the steering wheel replaced without the sprung collar.

I had checked online and at the major

shows for the availability of these nuts, but it appears this is about the only part of a Ferguson tractor that is not available. The biggest problem is that it is not a standard size, it has a very fine pitch to the thread, and with a set of thread gauges it measures 28 TPI and has an internal measurement of 0.775in with the flats being 11/16 in (I obtained the measurements from one of our other Fergusons with a good nut). It was obvious that a tap of these dimensions was unavailable so I set the lathe up to cut the thread after obtaining a length of hexagon bar the right size.

Cutting the threadThread cutting on a lathe is not too difficult, it takes a little time to get your head around it. Although I have cut many threads on the lathe this is the first internal thread I have done, you just need to remember to do everything the other way round.

Using the back gear on the lathe keeps everything at a sensible pace so you can keep up with what’s going on. When cutting threads it is important to set the cross slide to half the thread angle and use the cross slide to increase the cut. This allows the tool to cut on one face resulting in a cleaner thread.

Once in possession of the new nuts, the rest is just a matter of removing the old bearings and replacing with new ones, making sure they are well greased as this is all the lubrication they get. The captions explain the way I locked the nuts together as I had no lock tab.

Health and Safetyn Whenusingalathereadall instructionsinitsuse,especially ifyouareunfamiliarwithit,wearing appropriateeyeprotectionasswarf fliesalongway.n Whenknockinghardenedbearings inandoutuseasoftdriftandwear eyeprotection.

Next month NexttimeIhopetoshowthefittingofthesteeringboxwithitsnewsandwichplateandthereawakeningofthepetrolTE-20tractorafteritslong‘sleep’,althoughitissomethingofa‘bitsa’itshouldmakeagoodtractor.

Tools requiredn Varioussoftdriftsn Hammern Lockingcompoundn Gasketpapern Siliconesealantn Slimspannerstofitlockingnuts

Measurethepitchofthethread,inthiscase28TPIandtheinsidemeasurement

ofagoodnutwas0.775in.Thelathecannowbesettocutthethreadasthisisnon-standard.

Thefirstjobwastocentrethehexagonbar,heldinthethree-jawchuck,witha

centredrill,thisgivestheordinarydrillthatfollowsaguidetokeepittruetocentre.

IdrilledouttothelargestdrillIhad,16mm,andthenusedaboringtoolto

taketheholeoutto0.775asmeasuredonanutborrowedfromanothertractor.

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Workshop


To set the lathe to cut the right pitch, gearwheels are selected from a chart for

the lathe, in this case under the cover, so that the lead screw turns the right amount and in the right direction for the pitch.

It is important that the cutting point of the thread cutting tool is square to the

work, here I am setting it with a gauge with the aid of a piece of round bar, (but can be done when doing the actual job).

A parting tool was used to cut the new nut to length, this needs to be done

gently especially in a small lathe, taking care as the tool broke through the newly formed thread.

The cross slide is adjusted to half the thread angle, in this case 30°, the tool

advanced by using the cross slide, ensuring it only cuts on one face.

After parting off three nuts, I placed each in turn against the remaining

hexagonal bar to keep it square and faced and chamfered the other end.

With some guess work, after several passes, I deemed that the thread was

formed, it was a bit too small to measure, and I faced off the end and chamfered the corners.

The newly made nut on the left with an original on the right borrowed from

another tractor, as the steering column being repaired was devoid of any!

Once selected from the chart, the gearwheels are set in a train down to

the lead screw, some lathes have a gearbox and the ratios are selected by levers making life a little simpler.

Behind the chuck, usually under the cover (removed for the pics only), there are some more gearwheels, called back gears, with these selected the lathe runs at a much slower speed.

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After removing the steering wheel, I discovered that someone had replaced the

top bearing with an impostor and hadn’t replaced the spring and cover to keep out the rain.


The new outer bearing rings can be tapped into place using a soft drift or pressed in,

if one is available. The top ring shown here was stuck in with bearing lock, as the housing had corroded and the ring was loose.

The bottom bearing hadn’t fared much better than the top one, and was no

longer fit for purpose.

It is all held in place with a spring and a split pin, once the column is attached to

the steering box, the spring is compressed and keeps everything in place.

I discovered that the throttle lever had all but seized up, so this was attended

to with the hole in the alloy column cleaned with a drill bit.

The rust was cleaned from the throttle lever as well and all greased before

reassembly.

Both bearing races were liberally coated inside and out with grease before

assembly as this is all the lubrication that they receive during service.

After a clean up the inner bearing sleeve was carefully removed, avoiding

damage to the pinion on the end of the shaft. The bottom bearing inner sleeve was tapped into place with a piece of brass

pipe, a soft drift or press could also have been used.

The outer bearing sleeves were knocked out with the aid of a length of

rod and hammer.

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The first nut is run down the thread until there is none or very little play.

Originally this would have been followed by a locking washer, which not only locks the two nuts together, but locks the nuts to the shaft.

Keeping both steering arms pointing down, lower the column down and

bolt up, I used silicone sealant as no gasket is used as it would upset the mesh between the pinion and quadrants.

Holding the screw still with the screwdriver the lock nuts are tightened

against the steering box.

The rebuilt steering box ready to fit back on the tractor once a new sandwich

plate is made. I should have changed the seals and bushes in the steering box, but they checked ok.

The adjusters were gently screwed in taking the play out between pinion and

quadrant, but without increasing the turning resistance.

Between the steering box and the gearbox is steel plate, this acts as the bottom of the steering box. I hadn’t realised how much it had distorted. A new plate will have to be made as the bolt

holes no longer line up.

As a lock washer was unavailable, it was either make one or use a modern

alternative. I decided to use stud lock on both nuts and lock the two nuts together, hopefully this will.

The steering box itself was deemed fit for further service after a wash out in

the parts washer, the two adjusters slackened off to allow the pinion to enter the box.

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Phone Michael on 07977479732or 01837 55910or 01837 55910

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BalersBalers

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Cambridge rolls £500Cambridge rolls £500

Workshop


This very early Massey Ferguson 165 owned by David Tidy was built in 1966 and although it wasn’t in

great mechanical order due to a frost damaged cylinder head and block it was largely original.

The wings were the correct ones with the aluminium grab handles however, the whole lot was daubed with paint; someone had gone over all the tinwork including the lights with red paint that was the wrong shade.

The bonnet was in reasonable shape but wasn’t bolted down to the grille, which was straight but had grey paint daubed all over and there were two plastic squares screwed where the lights should have been. A genuine MF loader was fitted and painted in red and grey, this should have been all red in colour.

The engine was addressed first, which we will cover in a future issue, it was frost damaged and needed a new block and cylinder head; the brakes were also overhauled which was covered in a previous issue. Before the mechanicals were done I had the whole tractor sandblasted this was done by Pukka Blast who is a mobile sandblaster.

WORDS & PICTURESBen Phillips

The Red GianT is heRe In 1965 a new breed of Massey Ferguson’s were introduced to the public, the 165 was one of these tractors and I always love it when a 100 series Massey comes to my workshop to be restored.

The tag line for the publicity campaign in 1965 for the new 100 Series Massey Fergusons was The Red Giants Are Here – something I agree with when one comes in for restoration.


David Tidy’s Massey Ferguson 165 and loader, - completely stripped, restored and repainted in its original colours

Suppliers used n Anglo Agriparts – 01444 390616n Sparex – 01392 368892n Quality Tractor Parts - +353 44 9341638

Workshop


The Massey Ferguson 165 came in looking rather forlorn, here the loader

has already been removed so the tractor is more visible.

The rear lights were original Hella ones and were too bad to salvage, the left

one was daubed with paint all over the lens…

…while the right one didn’t even have a lens to be painted over and there was

no way any bulbs could be fitted.

The grille was plastered with the wrong shade of grey and the lights were

missing and had plastic squares riveted on.

The side lights were better though the glass was cracked in places, as with the

rears the bulb holders would never hold a current.

The side view of the 165 shows there is a lot to be done but all of the existing

tinwork will be salvageable.

This is probably the worst angle, however the front of the bonnet hasn’t

been knocked about neither has the grille.

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The hydraulic arms were also scrap, they had obviously worn so bad that

someone had welded the detachable ball ends on.

All the dash gauges were scrap, however when I restore a tractor I prefer to use

new gauges as they look so much better.Quick startOnce I had the tractor in primer and undercoat I started to build the tractor back up, I always like to get the engine started after an overhaul pretty quickly. Getting it running allows for the oil to circulate around the new parts, although all moving parts are doused with oil during a rebuild it isn’t the same as when the oil pump pumps it round. Remember, a good drive about without any tinwork fitted needs doing with care as the back wheels are turning very closely without the wings to protect you.

All of the tinwork could be saved which is amazing as normally there is always some section that’s too rotten, bent or twisted that can’t be economically repaired. One wing was slightly rotten but a new section was soon seam welded in, it was behind the rear main upright, which on the 100 series Masseys is a very common fault as dirt off the tyres block up the drain holes and has nowhere to go so it rots a hole on the inside. This type of problem is highlighted by the immense pressure of the sandblaster which blew a hole straight away, but this is what I am


The silver rims against the red centres make for a perfect colour combination,

the rears were reassembled with all new bolts and nuts.

The front wheels were the same colour combination and were trickier to paint

so a lot of masking tape was used.

Some of these emblems are just round with a decal stuck in the centre, these

are from Anglo Agriparts with numbers embossed.

I always paint the manifolds in heat resistant black, a clamp on the silencer

was fitted before it went home.

I soon had it stripped down and ready to be sandblasted, it looked even more of a

mess as more rust was now visible.

The skid unit went through the same painting process as the panels and was

built up as much as possible before the final coats.

Originally the starter and dynamo were probably, however if replaced later they

would be black as this was a standard Lucas colour.

No this isn’t a picture of it coated with grey primer, it’s bare sandblasted metal

and doesn’t it look better.

The tractor soon took shape when the wheels and wings were fitted, note the

bonnet in the background waiting to be fitted.

Factory fresh, this view of the 165 shows the early colour features off the

best, the tyres being the right size make it sit correctly.

This shows how far a tractor gets stripped down to be sandblasted, even

more stripping was to follow as the engine fitted was scrap.

All panels were treated to a coat of primer two coats of undercoat then three coats of MF Red then left like this for around a week.

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From this angle you can see how good the ground clearance is on the MF165,

the front axle adjustment was as usual seized.

A new seat cushion set is always fitted as they’re either ripped and the foam is

poking out or they are missing.

On original MF165s the bottom corner of this panel was grey, later ones were red,

it took more work to paint but originality was important.

Unfortunately the original glass Lucas lights couldn’t be reused so these

reproduction ones were bought and looked ok.

The new rear lights were certainly better than the old ones, the reflectors

were missing when the tractor arrived here.

The upper grille and badge bar is often damaged so often need replacing, the

rubber strip around the edge is essential.

Another feature on the original MF165 models was this step ring and it

certainly helps getting on to the tractor.I fitted the loader last as I wanted some pictures of it finished without the frame

in the way but once fitted it looked great.

All of the dash gauges were new as was the steering wheel, the MF badge in the

centre suited it perfectly.

The inner check chains were bought from Sparex, they were exact copies of

the originals and were zinc coated.

A familiar family face, the 100 series tractors all had silver light surrounds

and black and silver grille.

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looking for as it can be identified and repaired quickly.

The bonnet was rippled slightly in one place, it looked like someone had smacked it with a hammer from the inside as the ripples looked like they were made by a hammer head. I did the same thing from the top, but I put a hard section of metal underneath to give it something to hit against. It was soon near enough level and a skimming of filler over that and various other sections on the bonnet got it as level as I could expect to.

Three coats of MF Red over the whole tinwork and three coats of Stoneleigh grey had most of the tractor done. The wheels on the early 100 series tractors saw the rims painted in silver and the centres in red, this was fine on the rears as the centre sections were unbolted from the rims, but the fronts needed masking up which proved awkward.

I did the red centre first, then masked it off after half a week with some low tack masking tape while I went over the rim with silver mist, the effect of this colour scheme however did look really good.

Attention to detailAnother colour scheme reserved for the early bigger 100 series models was on the side panels on the battery box, the bottom corner section is painted in Stoneleigh grey while the rest was in red. These colour combinations certainly meant a lot of masking up and it would have been easier not to follow the original colours of this early tractor as they were all dropped on the later MF165s. But as soon as it arrived I knew straight away that the colours should be like this and I couldn’t wait to replicate them.

The Massey Ferguson 165 isn’t a big tractor by today’s standards but back in the 1960s it was one of the bigger ones that was available. It’s a very imposing machine where you sit up nice and high and command whatever you’re doing.

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FarmingHeritage


Over 300 tractors were on display at the Royal Norfolk Showground near Norwich with not only a strong

pre-1930s contingent but also plenty of representatives from more recent times. � e theme at this year’s show was tractor conversions, an idea which stemmed from the organisers who were keen to put together a display of unusual and interesting tractors that were converted on the farm or � tted with engine transplants.

Awarded the best Ford tractor in show was an Industrial 1960 Fordson Power Major which had been supplied new to

� e Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company (Sandbanks chain ferry). It is � tted with a front mounted Cooke two-speed winch, which was used for tensioning the chains on the chain ferry, which operates across the entrance to Poole Harbour, and for the recovery of stranded vehicles.

On the rear of the tractor is a Cameron Gardener rear loader used for clearing sand from the slipway. On the front of the tractor was a section of the 2200 links that make up one of the two chains needed to guide the Sandbanks chain ferry. Each chain is a ¼ mile long, weighs 13½ tons and costs £2500

delivered and lasts 15-18 months. Tractor clubs and trade stands all

added to the atmosphere at the show; among them was Roger Townshend, who makes quarter scale models of tractors and was featured in this magazine some months ago. � e 68-year-old, from Elmswell, near Bury St Edmunds, brought along � ve of his amazing working miniatures. Commercial vehicles, classic cars, horticultural machinery and miniature steam engines were also among the many other diverse range of exhibits present to wow the 5000 visitors over the weekend.

WORDS & PICTURES Noel Bridgeman

The Eastern Counties Vintage Tractor Show opened its gates at the Royal Norfolk Showground over the weekend April 11-12 to display a wealth of tractor treasures to the public.

Show delivers eastern promise

An immaculate restored example of a Doe 130 Ser. No. D627. The � rst Doe Triple-D used two Fordson Power Major units to produce a total power of 100hp, the later Triple-D 130 used two Ford Workmaster tractors increasing the power output to over 130hp.


This 1926 Caterpillar Sixty is equipped with an Atlas Diesel engine. It is claimed to have been used in the construction of the Huber Dam in the “Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada.

Someone collects petrol cans! Part of the display on The Starting Handle Club stand.

Awarded the best Ford tractor in show, this Industrial 1960 Fordson Power Major was supplied new to The Bounemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company (Sandbanks chain ferry). It was in service with the company until 1993.

ABOVE: Decorated tractors on the Pink Ladies Tractor Road Run stand, well known for their fundraising road runs in aid of Cancer Research UK (Breast Cancer Appeal). Their next road run is on Sunday July 5, starting at Thorpe Abbotts Air� eld 11:30am. Details www.pinkladiestractorroadrun.co.uk

RIGHT: Excellent quarter scale detailed models built by Roger Townshend from Elmswell. His hobby began when he found a pair of rear wheels and thought they “might make a nice model tractor”. All of the models work, he even makes the gearboxes himself.

1966 Allis-Chalmers D21 powered by an A-C 6cyl, seven litre turbocharged diesel engine. Transmission is controlled by means of a range control knob and a gear shift lever. The range knob is located below the steering wheel, pushing it forward puts the tractor in high range, pull it back engages low range.

BELOW: 1965 Benetulliere Multipex 412. This tractor was designed and built for work in the vineyards of the Beaujolais region of France. The side winch enabled hand steered implements to be pulled up steep slopes between the rows of grape vines.

June2015Tractor 87

FarmingHeritage

Imported from the US, this 1915 Twin City 40/65 tractor weighs 13.5 tons. It has a four cylinder engine developing 65bhp at 500rpm with a forward speed of 2mph.

1949 Caterpillar D8. Built in Peoria USA this model has a 20ltr six-cylinder diesel engine rated at 1200rpm. Power tested at 177 drawbar hp it has � ve forward and one reverse gear and weighs around 16 tonnes.

RIGHT: In its original basic form this tractor was a 1962 55hp Fordson Super Major. In 1963 it was completely rebuilt and modi� ed by � tting a Perkins 540 V8 engine. Plus a great amount of time no doubt!

BELOW: What would the Land Army Girls think of this one? A 1940`s Fordson N � tted with Perkins V8 engine.

88 TractorJune2015

General display view in The Old Ram Tractor Club hall. The Old Ram Tractor Club was formed in the late 1990s. presently consisting of around 140 members who own an estimated 500 tractors.

BELOW: 1944 Fordson N � tted with a two-cylinder two-stroke apposed piston engine. The engine was made by CLM, a division of Peugeot in France in the 1930s who built engines under license from Junkers of Germany. The engine is rated at around 25hp and it is believed that the conversion kit to � t the engine into the tractor was also made by CLM.


LEFT: International Mogul 8-16. Kerosene fueled single-cylinder engine rated at 400rpm. With one forward and one reverse gear weighing approximately 2¼ tons. This model was manufactured from 1914 to 1916.

BELOW: A 1919 English Austin, � tted with a four-cylinder petrol engine and two-speed gearbox, on parade.

BELOW: International Titan 10-20. The Titan has a two-cylinder, 8.7 litre liquid cooled engine rated at 575rpm, with two forward gears and one reverse gear. In manufacture from 1917 to 1922.

Holt/Caterpillar. In 1925, Holt Manufacturing Company merged with one of its longtime competitors, Best Tractor Company, to form Caterpillar Tractor Co, consolidating the dealerships of both companies into a network of strong, independent Caterpillar dealerships known for their responsive service.

RIGHT: 1933 Case C Driven by Tony Richards. More than 20,000 Case Cs were built from 1929 through to 1940 in variants of row crop, industrial and orchard models. It is powered by a para� n fueled 4.3 litre four-cylinder engine with a speed range from 2.3 to 4.5mph through three forward gears and one 2.6mph reverse gear.

Fordson E27N converted by Roger Desborough to accommodate a four-cylinder Gardner engine.

ABOVE: A 1933 Farmall F20, Titan 10-20, 1923 Austin AN26 and a 1916 Mogul make up this impressive lineup of old timers.


Pickering Country Fair & Tractor Show Pickering Showground, Yorkshire YO18 8EA. Richard Ashworth, tel: 01751 200839 (www.outdoorshows.co.uk).Six Hills Steam Transport Show Six Hills, nr Wyneswold, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. LE14 3LY. Dave Hoyles, tel: 07901 984627 (www.themidlandeventsclub.com).Steam on the Levels Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum, Hoopers Lane, Westonzoyland, nr Bridgwater, Somerset TA7 0LS. Alan Davies, (www.wzlet.org).Steaming Weekend Kempton Steam Museum, Kempton Park Water Works, Snakey Lane, Hanworth, Middlesex TW13 6XH. Nick Reynolds, tel: 01932 765328 site; 01256 892325 officeTatton Park Country Fair Knutsford, WA16 6QN. Oakleigh Fairs, tel: 0800 141 2823.Three Okefords Rally & Show Blandford Road, Shillingstone, Dorset DT11 0SQ. Percy Guppy, tel: 01258 861473 (www.threeokefordspreservationsociety.co.uk).Vintage Excavator Working Weekend Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum, Threlkeld, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4TT. Mr Hartland, tel: 01768 779747 (www.threlkeldquarryandminingmuseum.co.uk).

Vintage Gathering, Big Meadow Honeybourne Road, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire B50 4PQ. Mark Smith, tel: 01789 778248 (www.bidfordvintagegathering.co.uk).

May 17

Bancroft Mill Steaming Bancroft Mill, Gillians Lane, Barnoldswick, Lancs BB18 5QR. (www.bancroftmill.org.uk).Barn Engines & Horticultural Machinery Combe Mill, Blenheim Palace Sawmills, Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire OX29 8ET. Tony Simmons, tel: 01993 358694 (www.combemill.org).Chiltern Hills Vintage Vehicle Rally Weedon Park, Weedon Hill, nr Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP22 4NN. John Masters, tel: 01296 681530 (www.chilternhillsrally.org.uk).Festival of Transport Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Havenstreet, nr Ryde, Isle of Wight PO22 4DA. Tel: 01983 882204 (www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk).Lincoln Castle Rally Lincoln Castle, Castle Hill, Lincoln LN1 3AA. Steve Milner, tel: 01522 500566 Newborough Young Farmers’ Road Run Starts 11am. Willow Brook Farm, Helpston Heath, PE6 7EL. Robin, tel: 07718 971902.

Spring Classic & Cream Tea Run Heritage Motor Centre, Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwickshire CV35 0BJ. Tel: 01926 645029 (www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk).Wirral Classic Car Show Royden Park, Frankby, Wirral, Merseyside CH48 1NJ. Ken Glass, tel: 07899 756903 (www.wirralclassiccarclub.co.uk).Woodhall Spa Country Show The Show Field, Green Lane, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6QY. John Michael, tel: 07811 145052 (www.woodhallspashow.co.uk).

May 23-25 May

Ashley Hall Traction Engine Rally Ashley Hall, Ashley, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 3QA. Richard Ashworth, tel: 01751 200839 (www.outdoorshows.co.uk).Beam Engines in Steam Crofton Pumping Station, Crofton, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW. Pam Weeks, tel: 01672 870300 (www.croftonbeamengines.org).Chipping Steam Fair Green Lane Show Ground, Chipping, Preston, Lancs PR3 2TQ. Mary Harrison, tel: 01995 61866 or 01995 61505 (www.chippingsteamfair.co.uk).

Cuckoo Spring Fayre Laughton Showground, Laughton, East Sussex BN8 6BN. David Anstiss, 01323 811264 (www.heritagefield.co.uk).Launceston Steam & Vintage Rally Trebant Farm, Altarnum, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 7RR. Anna , tel: 01566 775879 (www.launcestonsteamrally.com).Selwood Steam & Vintage Rally Southwick nr Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 9RJ. Pearl Francis, (www.selwoodvintage.co.uk).Smallwood Vintage Rally A50 Newcastle Road, Smallwood nr Sandbach, Cheshire CW11 2TX. Brenda (www.smallwoodvintagerally.co.uk).Strumpshaw Steam Rally Strumpshaw Hall nr Brundall, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 4HR. Paul Worbey, (www.strumpshawsteammuseum.co.uk).

May 24-25

Abergavenny Steam & Vintage Rally Bailey Park, Park Road, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 5PR (www.abergavennysteamrally.co.uk).Burghley Game & Country Fair Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 3JY. Mark Hulme, tel: 01283 820548

The 42ndSELWOOD STEAM &

VINTAGE VEHICLE RALLY23rd, 24th & 25th MAY 2015

Southwick, Nr Trowbridge, Wilts BA14 9RHOpens 10.00am. Admission: Adults £6, OAPs £4, Children age 5-16yrs £2

Miniature Engines, Tractors, Commercial Vehicles, Vintage Cars,Vintage Motorcycles, Pedal Cycles, Stationary Engines,

Military Vehicles, Vintage Caravans, Large Steam.Facilities: Auto Jumble, Craft and Trade Stands, Family Entertainment,

Licensed Bar, Evening Entertainment, Catering, Disabled Toilets.

Mrs P. Francis, 45 Stonebridge Drive, Frome, Somerset BA11 2TWTel: 01373 466 846. www.selwoodvintage.co.uk

What’s on

June2015 Tractor 95tractormagazine.co.uk

Carrington Rally Steam & Heritage Show Carrington, Boston, Lincolnshire. PE20 7DZ. Bridget Crawford, tel: 07702 208518 www.carringtonrally.co.uk).Festival of Country Life Lamport Hall, Lamport, Northamptonshire NN6 9HD. Neil Lyon, tel: 01604 686272(www.lamporthall.co.uk).In Steam Claymills Victorian Pumping Station, Meadow Lane, Stretton, Burton-on-Trent, Sta� ordshire DE13 0DA. Roy Barratt, tel: 01283 509929 (www.claymills.org.uk).In Steam Papplewick Pumping Station, Rigg Lane, Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire NG15 9AJ. Ashley Smart, tel: 01159 632938 (www.papplewickpumpingstation.org.uk).Open Day The Waterworks Museum, Broomy Hill, Hereford, Herefordshire HR4 0LJ. Dr Noel Meeke MBE, tel: 01600 890118 (www.waterworksmuseum.org.uk).Ragley Hall Classic Car & Transport Show Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5NJ. Mr G Price, tel: 01922 643385 (www.transtarpromotions.com).Transport Day East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel & Wakes Colne Station, Wakes Colne, Essex CO6 2DS. Keith Chadwick, tel: 01206 242524 (www.earm.co.uk).

MAY 25

Steam Up Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, Station Road, Amberley, nr Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9LT. Tel: 01798 831370 (www.amberleymuseum.co.uk).Steam Up Coldharbour Mill, U� culme, Cullompton, Devon EX15 3EE. Tel: 01884 840960

MAY 30

Steam and Vintage Vehicle Rally Bisterne, Ringwood, BH24 3BJ. Avon Valley Young Farmers’ Club, tel: 07919 441357.

MAY 30-31

CSVAC Tractor & Engine Rally Rural Life Centre,Reeds Road, Tilford, Surrey GU10 2DL. Andy (Central Southern Vintage Agricultural Club) tel: 01252 659280 (www.csvac.co.uk).Festival of Transport Whites Nurseries, Clay Lane, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire NN6 0EP. Mick Higham, tel: 01604 811633 (www.festivaloftransport.net).Heskin Steam & Vintage Rally Heskin Hall, Wood Lane, Heskin nr Chorley, Lancs. Jack Gerrard, tel: 01257 267433 (www.heskinsteamrally.co.uk).

In Steam Etruria Industrial Museum, Kilndown Close, Etruria Vale Road, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Sta� ordshire ST1 4RB. Bernard Lovatt, tel: 07900 267711 (www.etruriamuseum.org.uk).South Molton Vintage Rally Coombesland Cross, South Molton, Devon EX36 3NW. Linda Regan, tel: 07974 026060 (www.smoltonvintagerally.co.uk).St Albans Steam & Country Show Oaklands College (o� A1057 Hat£ eld Road) St Albans, Hertfordshire AL4 0XR. M Waite, tel: 07896 555097 (www.hertssteam.org).Steam & Vintage Rally Castle Combe Racing Circuit, Wiltshire SN14 7EY. Dennis Marsh, tel: 01454 294117 (www.castlecombesteamrally.co.uk).Tinkers Park Steam Engine Rally Tinkers Park, Hadlow Down nr Uck£ eld, East Sussex TN22 4HS. (www.tinkerspark.com).Woolpit Steam Warren Farm, Wetherden, Stowmarket, Su� olk IP14 3JX. DC Seeley, tel: 01449 737443 after 7.30pm (www.woolpit-steam.org.uk).

MAY 31

Land Rover Heritage Drive Eastnor Castle nr Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1RL. Mark Woodward, tel: 01697 451882 (www.4x4sparesday.co.uk).

Olde Tyme Rally Museum of Power, Hat£ eld Road, Langford, Maldon, Essex CM9 6QA. Tel: 01621 843183 (www.museumofpower.org.uk).Tavistock Steam & Vintage Fair Wharf Car Park, Plymouth Road, Tavistock, Devon PL19 8AT. Rodney Ford, (www.therobeytrust.co.uk).Welsh National Tractor Road Run Usk Showground, Chepstow Road, Usk, Gwent NP15 1DD. David Morgan, tel: 01291 672253.

MAY 31 - JUNE 1

Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally Innishannon, Co Cork ROI. Mary Desmond, tel: +353 21 4775808.

JUNE 5-7

Mid-Suffolk Vintage & D-Day Anniversary Stonham Barns Showground, Pettaugh Road, Stonham Aspal, Stowmarket, Su� olk IP14 6AT. (www.stonham-barns.co.uk).

JUNE 6

Lurgan Show Lurgan Public Park, Co Armagh BT67 9BG. Michele Doran, tel: 02838 881974 or 07855 007746 (www.lurganshow.co.uk).

• Steam Engines• Vintage Vehicles, Tractors

• Stationary Engines• Classic Cars, Bikes & Lorries

• Bygones, Craft Tent• Fairground & Fair Organs

•WorkingModels, Trade Stalls• Refreshments and Bar

Entrance:£6 Adults, £3 Children, £5 Senior Citizens£15 Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children)

Herts Steam Club Ltd.www.hertssteam.org

St.AlbansSteam&Country Show

May30th& 31st

OAKLANDS COLLEGE(smallford Campus)

A1057 Hatfield Road, St.Albanson bus Routes 300, 301 & 724Approx. SAT NAVAL4 0XR

Opens 10.00am Parade 2.00pm

Steam & Vintage RallyAt Tynedale Park, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5AY

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June 10 am – 5pmLots to see & do!

Steam engines (full size & miniature),fairground organs, vintage vehicles-

commercial, military, cars, motor cycles,pedal cycles & tractors etc. Various displays,working area, craft & model tent, hot foodvendors, ice creams, variety of trade stands,beer tent, Slaters Funfair & much more!Contact Organiser Joanna Jackson for

further detailsEmail: [email protected]: 07748681972

Adults £7, Children & Concessions £5. Family Ticketonly £19 - Free entry for SAC members

Saturday 25th &Sunday 26th July 2015

Gates open 10-5pm

On B2192 Upper Lodge Farm,The Broyle, Nr. Lewes,East Sussex BN8 5AP


Vale Of Avalon Vintage Road Run Bretenoux Road, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DY. Hayley Kirtland, tel: 07828 463288 valeofavalonvintagevehicleroadrun.co.uk).

June 6-7

Aldham Old Time Rally Chalkney Meadow, Colchester Road, White Colne, Colchester, Essex CO6 2PP. Roger Attmere email: [email protected] (www.aldhamrally.co.uk).Burford Rally Rough Grounds Farm, Lechlade, Gloucs GL7 3EU. Ray Pitts, tel: 07825 774055 (www.burfordcollectorsclub.co.uk).June Steam Party Klondyke Mill, Draycott-in-the-Clay, Staffordshire DE6 5GZ. Jerry Turner, tel: 01543 491485 (www.nsctec.co.uk).North Rode Vintage Rally Station Road, North Road, Bosley nr Congleton, Cheshire. CW12 2PH. Nigel Moss, tel: 01625 614552 or 01260 281378.Steam Engines Weekend Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, Station Road, Amberley nr Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9LT. Tel: 01798 831370 (www.amberleymuseum.co.uk).

Steaming Leawood Pumphouse, Derbyshire DE4 5HN. Leawood Pump Group, tel: 01629 823204 (www.middleton-leawood.org.uk).Temple Newsam Steam Fair A63 Selby Road, Leeds, Yorkshire LS15 0EQ. The Events Organiser, tel: 07583 075016 (www.theeventsorganiser.co.uk).Thorney Open Farm & Vintage Weekend Park Farm, Sandpit Road, Thorney, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE6 0SY. Tel: 01733 270298 (www.parkfarmthorney.co.uk).Tractor Fest Newby Hall, Ripon, Yorkshire HG4 5AE. David Ayers, tel: 07711 692378 (www.theyva.com).Vintage Vehicle Show Shropshire Showground, Berwick Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 2PF. Derek Sheedy, tel: 01952 770985 (www.midshropshirevintageclub.com).Whissendine Miniature Steam Weekend Whissendine Sports Club, Melton Road, Whissendine, Oakham, Rutland LE15 7EU. Norman Smedley, tel: 01664 434349

June 7

Bromley Pageant Of Motoring Norman Park, Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF. Live Promotions, tel: 01775 768661 (www.livepromotions.co.uk).

Cherished Vehicle & Farm Fun Day Allington Farm Field, Chippenham (A420) Wiltshire SN14 6LJ. Ian Gilbert, tel: 01249 891159Euston Park Rural Pastimes Euston Park (A1088) Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2QW. Dr Giles Smith, tel: 01359 259658.Hardy Country Classic Tour Starts Hampton Farm Business Park, Higher Bockhampton 9am. Finishing near Weymouth, Dorset DT2 8QH. Nick Aplin, tel: 01305 260038 (www.transportofyesteryear.com).In Steam Ellenroad Steam Museum, Elizabethan Way, Newhay, Rochdale, Lancashire OL16 4LE. Tel: 07789 802632Live Steam Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum, Hoopers Lane, Westonzoyland, nr Bridgwater, Somerset TA7 0LS. Alan Davies, tel: 01823 282760 (www.wzlet.org).Open Day Castleton Pumping Station, Oborne Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3RX. Geoff Ward, tel: 01963 250206 (www.sswc.co.uk).TT Mad Sunday Vintage Show Ballacreggan Farm, Port St Mary, Isle of Man IM9 5AY. Orry Mitchell, tel: 07624 496870. Vale of Clwyd Tractor Run Starts 9am. Ruthin Farmers Auction Site, Glasdir, Ruthin, LL15 1PB. Bryn Davies, tel: 07787 561191 or Phil 07786 544049.

June 11-13

South of England Show Selsfield Road, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, RH17 6TL. tel: 01444 892700.

June 13-14

Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering S E Davis & Son, Sandhills Farm, Edgioake Lane, Astwood Bank, Worcestershire B96 6BG. Tel: 01926 881346.Belper Steam & Vintage Event Salterwood Meadows, Street Lane, Denby, Derbyshire DE5 8NE. Terry Mellor, tel: 07803 902053 (www.belpersteam.co.uk).Classic Vintage Commercial Show Heritage Motor Centre, Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwickshire CV35 0BJ. Tel: 01926 645029 (www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk).Claymills Open Days Claymills Victorian Pumping Station, Meadow Lane, Stretton, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0DA. Roy Barratt, tel: 01283 509929 (www.claymills.org.uk).Father’s Day Vintage Weekend Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton Park, Murton Lane, Murton, York YO19 5UF. Peter Draper, tel: 01904 489966 (www.murtonpark.co.uk).

01842 810317www.weetingrally.co.uk

fengate farm, weeting, IP27 [email protected]

FREE

ENTRY FO

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UNDER16’s

Steam Engines, Tractors,Vintage Vehicles, Classic

Cars & Motorcycles,Heavy Horses, Trade &

Craft Stalls, Dog Agility,Miniature Steam Railway,Helicopter & Tank Rides,Fairground, Restaurant,Bars and much more!

fun for allthe family!

140+ Tractors

Friday 17th, Saturday 18th &Sunday 19th July 2015 10am - 5pm

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UK BrokerAwards2009 -Scheme Interneduary ofthe Year*Premium shown isfora 12 month policy -please note thatrenewalfeesapply

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£5,000,000 Pu b lic L ia b ility / Third Pa rtyin c lu d in g Roa d Tra ffic A c tfor£33.50 (in c 6% IPT)SocialDom estic& Pleasure incyourow n A griculturalUseA utom aticcoverforRallies and Show s including W orkingDem onstrations,W orking Com petitions and Road Runs

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ForTra c tors25 yea rs olda n d over

8th & 9th AUGUSTAstle Park, Chelford, Cheshire, SK11 9AD

OPEN: Saturday 8th (10am - 11pm)

Sunday 9th (10am - 5pm)

ASTLE PARKTRACTION ENGINE RALLY

2015

WALL OF DEATHK92000 DOG DISPLAY TEAM

50+ STEAM ENGINESFAIRGROUND ORGANS • CLASSIC CARS

VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES • CLASSIC TRACTORS

MILITARY SECTION • CRAZY BEARS - LIVE ON STAGE

VINTAGE COMMERCIALS

OLD TIME & MODERN FUNFAIR

CATERING & LICENSED BAR

PUBLIC CAMPING WITH LIVE BAND AND

HUGE FIREWORK DISPLAY ON SATURDAY EVENING

PLUS LOTS, LOTS MORE!

Join us on

Facebook

‘‘OOuuttddoooorr SShhoowwss LLttdd’’

FREE CAR PARK AT ALL EVENTS - DOGS WELCOME

Camping and Trade Enquiries: 01751 200839For more info visit: www.outdoorshows.co.uk

23rd, 24th&25thMAYAshley Hall Showground, Ashley,

Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 3QA

OPEN: 10am - 5pm daily

ASHLEY HALLTRACTION ENGINE RALLY

2015

FLYIN’ RYAN STUNTSHOWK92000 DOG DISPLAY TEAMCRAZY BEARS - LIVE ON STAGE

STEAM ENGINES • FAIRGROUND ORGANS

CLASSIC CARS • VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES

CLASSIC TRACTORS • STATIONARY ENGINES

VINTAGE COMMERCIALS


CATERING & LICENSED BAR

PUBLIC CAMPING WITH LIVE BAND

PLUS LOTS, LOTS MORE!

FLYIN’RYANSTUNTSHOW

11th & 12th JULYWarrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AG

OPEN: 10am - 5pm daily

CHESHIRE

STEAM FAIR2015

CRAZY BEARS - LIVE ON STAGEWALL OF DEATH

K92000 DOG DISPLAY TEAM

STEAM ENGINES • FAIRGROUND ORGANS

CLASSIC CARS • VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES

CLASSIC TRACTORS • STATIONARY ENGINES

VINTAGE COMMERCIALS • QUAD BIKE RIDES


• CATERING AND LICENSED BAR

PUBLIC CAMPING WITH LIVE BAND ON

SATURDAY EVENING • PLUS LOTS, LOTS MORE!


There is always an air of excitement around the auction at Tractor World on The Three Counties Show Ground, with

the Malvern Hills as a great backdrop and a wide range of tractors usually available, writes Ben Phillips.

A cold wind blew across the field as the auctioneers started; there was a lack of hedgerow tractors which I like to see, there was however a number of original genuine tractors for sale. One of the best was a 1952 Fordson Major E1A doused with oil to preserve what little paint was still there, it sold for £3600.

Another original tractor was a 1949 Ferguson TEA-20 with no paint at all, just rusty but extremely tidy and straight made £900. A very interesting high clearance Massey Ferguson 135 Big Foot that was used on a tobacco plantation, it was said to be a runner and could easily be turned back to the vineyard example. It was sold for £2100 perhaps it will be back at Malvern next year on display.

A Perkins engined Allis-Chalmers was a fine example of originality it still had quite a bit of paint on it and even the decals it left the factory with, the £850 paid on the

World of choice at Malvern Tractor World Auction, HJ Pugh, Malvern, March 14.

Sales&Marketplace

A Perkins engine can transform a Fordson N and it certainly transformed the price of this one at £5400.

Farmall A tractors are normally small but this vineyard one took it a stage smaller, nice tractor for £1350.

£1300 is what this Ferguson P3 found a new owner for, the paintwork needed refreshing but otherwise it was straight and ran.

I am sure this Massey Ferguson DT7000 has been at this sale before, imported in 1963 from the Maldives it got to £3700 and sold.

£5400 £1350 £1300 £3700

ABOVE & RIGHT: I hope this high clearance Massey Ferguson 135 Big Foot, which sold for £2100, is kept complete and restored as it is.

£2100

£1400 £2200

The Zetor 3511 had one owner from new and with original paintwork it had been looked after well £2200. The David Brown VAK 1 needed

freshening up; £1400 was a fair price.

Also At the trActor World sAle


mentioned in the programme, it got to £4200 and he decided that was enough to let it go. There was déjà vous with the Massey Ferguson DT7000, which had come from the Maldives in 1963, it had been here before and this time it found a new owner for £3700.

I mentioned a number of tractors hadn’t sold and the Chamberlain 4080 and the orange Tandem failed to find buyers, neither did the high clearance Oliver 1650, which was a shame, as they were all three lovely and unusual tractors.

This lovely original Massey Ferguson 250 had a lot of interest and made £9400 on the day it was a great little tractor.

BELOW: Another Australian Chamberlain, this time a tandem failed to find a buyer. Imagine the space needed to store it!

£9400

day showed that Allis-Chalmers models aren’t that popular. However, a nice original Zetor 3511 had the hammer fall at £2200.

As for the restored tractors, a lovely green and orange Fordson N took £5400; the Perkins engine certainly pushed the price up. An easy tractor to store and tow about is always useful and the Farmall A Vineyard was cheap at £1350. The Oliver 99 with a high top gear and electric start however was more unusual and that reflected in the price at £4000.

Alan Braithwaite had his Massey Ferguson 35X for sale, I had restored this a couple of years ago for him, which was

Ferguson TEA-20s don’t make mega money; this 1949 was original and very straight, which someone liked for £900.

This 1952 Fordson Major was cracking and in original condition, it was also a runner, the £3600 hammer price wasn’t a surprise.

Not always that desirable Allis-Chalmers D272s don’t command high prices, this Perkins engined one fetched £850.

I restored this Massey Ferguson 35X for Alan; he has a Multi-Power one now so he let this one go at £4200 to make room for it.

£900 £3600 £850 £4200

The Chamberlain failed to find a buyer, I thought it was quite impressive and would certainly turn heads with the colour.

This Fordson Major on rotoplates and a trencher was a brave project for someone to tackle; £1150 was what they paid.

Oliver 99 tractors aren’t always available; this one had a high top gear and electric start and went somewhere new for £4000.

£4000£1150

unsold


The piece of seaweed hanging above the lathe in the workshop was looking less encouraging than the

Old Sump Plug’s bank balance. In addition, if you were heading towards Cambridgeshire on a mission to buy a rarely seen Doe-130 then your

Not enough DOE in your walletCheffi ns Vintage Sale, Sutton, Cambridgeshire, April 25 2015

Sales&Marketplace

perceived wealth was about to be � scally challenged too!

Maybe it was the Old Sump Plug’s liking for all things painted red but there seemed to be plenty of very shiny red tractors among the lots on o� er. Switching from red to green it was plain to see that our Che ns chums in the form of Bill King and Oliver Godfrey had put together a real good mix of tractors. As the saying goes ‘all the makes, in all the sizes, in all the colours’ – and, it has to be said, in all the price ranges.

Let bidding commenceBefore us stood a 1955 50D that looked nothing short of sensational. � ey were built between 1953 and 1958 and less than

Despite the top bid being a staggering � gure, this 1966 Doe-130 failed to make its reserve. Read the story then have a lie down!

1300 units were produced. � is particular example had been repatriated from Argentina and two years, many parts and ‘loadsamoney’ had been lavished on its restoration.

You could hear the bidding cards trembling – we all wanted this tractor in our shed. Would it get beyond £20,000 was the question hanging in the air. Well the answer came very quickly. � e crowd nodded, the gavel smiled and Bill King looked very content as this very � ne machine secured £26,500. A little bit of history had been made.

Sticking with David Brown the crowd surged to a 1950 Cropmaster that looked equally impressive. If you like a bit of provenance, then this tractor was once owned by Wing Commander Wallis, who � ew gyrocopters in the James Bond � lm ‘You Only Live Twice’. Restoration was completed in February 2015 and it looked superb. � e opening o� er of £5000 was quickly rendered super� uous as bids piled in around the ten thousand mark.


Moving swiftly onWe moved down the � rst row with a 1992 Ford 6640 showing just 266 hours failing to sell when bidding stopped at £21,000. A 1927 Huber 18/36 was withdrawn at £7500 however, someone took note on the words, “come have a chat with us” and a deal was concluded at £7000. Another Ford, this time a 7000 built in 1975 and presented in superb condition generated good interest to secure £10,500.

You all know what colour a Massey Ferguson 135 should be, well think again. Here was an example restored by the owner to re� ect Harry Ferguson’s ‘Black Tractor’ of 1933. It has to be said

� ey’ve all been talking about this one down the tractor club and a� er the auction, they’ll be talking about it a lot more. � e machine on o� er is a Doe-130 Tandem Tractor that was built in 1966. When unveiled at the Smith� eld Show in late 1964 the new price was £2850.

� is particular example was supplied by A Ibbetts Agricultural Dealers of St Neots, Cambridgeshire in September 1966 and was originally � tted with a glass � bre cab. � e Old Sump Plug was there when Che� ns sold an ex-Silsoe Doe Triple D for a huge £66,000 so the scene was set for where this rare Doe-130 might end up price wise.

� e opening bid of £40,000 was a reasonable place to start; then when the bidding moved past the £60,000 mark it was time to write the � rst six in your catalogue. But hang on, the bidding hit 70, then 71 and then a staggering £72,000. � e gavel remained motionless, the crowd looked bemused and it was declared unsold. � ere was a collective sigh, like a missed penalty shot, no one could quite believe it! � is is why we all love the theatre of auctions. Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all you get a surprise.

As the nodding went past the £9000 mark, it seemed everyone was having a bid. This 1950 David Brown Cropmaster was a sought after tractor.

For those with stamina these were the last three tractors in the sale. The MF 178 failed to sell but the 168 and 133 made £3600 apiece.

£10,900 £3600

You needed to look on the addendum sheet to � nd this Massey Ferguson 2135

but it was easy to � nd in the line. (£7800)

If you wanted a Massey Ferguson 135 that looks di� erent, then this was for you. The bidding indicated that many people took a shine to it.

£7800

A telephone bidder stayed on the line and became the victor at £10,900. To put some perspective on how nice this tractor was, there were three more Cropmasters in the sale, one didn’t sell, one made £3600 and the best one made £4900.

A fully restored Fordson E27N deserved its opening bid of £9000 and quickly moved past ten big ones. But at £10,800 we heard the auctioneers lament, “Sorry gentlemen we can’t quite do that”. � is disappointment rubbed o� onto the next lot, a Fordson E27N CFT crawler, which stalled at £8000.

Strong bidding� e vendor of a 1978 County 1174 acquired this ex-Silsoe Research Institute machine in the 1990s and it has been barn stored since 2002. Remarkably it has only accumulated 918 hours of use and was guaranteed to pull some strong bidding. � is proved to be the case and it took a top bid of £20,500 to get the gavel down.

A showstopper and a wallet buster! Repatriated from Argentina this 1955 David Brown 50D had been rebuilt to a very high standard.

£26,500


that it looked fabulous in its black and silver colour scheme and was getting lots of admiring attention. The opening bid of £5000 was soon turned into a winning £7800. Clearly this colour combination met with approval.

Next was another Massey Ferguson 135 fitted with a Duncan cab and originally supplied to the National Grid. It showed only 905 hours and by the condition of the tractor this appeared to be a genuine figure. The gavel failed to get it away at £7700 but it can be reported that a deal was later concluded at £9500.

In the second row a pair of John Deere’s, a 1937 BR and a 1936 D, matched each other by both securing £5500. Further along both a 1949 Field Marshall Series II and 1947 Series I failed to sell. If you like your tractors to have more than their fair share of patina, then now was the time to get bidding. A 1924 Hart-Parr 12-24 with seized engine, missing belt pulley and needing a lot of long nights in the shed managed to take £4800 but its neighbour, a 1928 Minneapolis 17-30B, again with seized engine, remained unsold at £3500.

The same buyer was clearly an International fan as he purchased both a 276 in ex-farm condition for £3800 and a 1965 B-414 for £4800. No doubt these machines will be seen in the not too distant future in fully restored condition.

It’s not every auction where you get a chance to bid on two David Brown 2Ds. One of them built in 1955 was used by David Brown Tractors as a demonstrator

above ten grand but bids continued and it finally secured £12,800. The rest of the tractors in the sale all sold for prices between pocket money and £7000 and the last two rows witnessed many opportunities to pick up a good buy. It’s always difficult to pick just a few examples but these are some of them. How about a restored 1964 David Brown 880 Implematic with new tyres and battery for £5400 or a 1975 Massey Ferguson 148 in fully restored condition for £6800.

It takes patience and a lot of stamina (and several cheese burgers) to hang in right to the end but the effort can be well rewarded. The Old Sump Plug has many mates who relish the last couple of rows at these big sales. They are regularly seen driving off with a truck loaded with multiple tractors all purchased for less than a family day out at Alton Towers!

The full auction results can be found at www.cheffins.co.uk

for 18 months. It managed to sell for £1700 but the second offering, fitted with a mid-mounted cultivator remained unsold at a top bid of £1600. Little machines like this can be a good way into tractor restoration without spending much money but they still create lots of interest when you take them to a show.

Fun machinesSticking with fun little machines, a 1967 Lister Auto Truck towards the end of the sale was offered fitted with new piston rings and refurbished cylinder head. It was snapped up for just £650. Now, if a few people acquired these and located a nice piece of open tarmac you could start a Lister racing series. Remember you read it here first!

Back in the real world of spending proper money, a four-wheel drive Roadless 94T that had been in the same farm for 14 years generated some equally proper interest. It looked like the gavel was going to fall just

Also At the CheFFins sAle

This IH McCormick Deering 10-20 was a nice little tractor for the hammer price.

Someone on i-bidder.com snapped up this restored 1937 John Deere BR petrol/paraffin machine.

Ready for work or play said the catalogue about this Fordson E27N. It was withdrawn at £10,800.

This Nuffield 465 was extensively restored and worth a few bids.

This 1927 Huber 18/36 Super Four managed to secure a sale after the gavel had moved on.

The 1967 BMC mini 950 diesel tractor made more than most folk expected.

Fitted with an Austin 10 commercial engine this Bristol 10 crawler was not expensive.

Restored some 10 years ago this 1936 Lanz Bulldog D8500 secured some determined bidding.

£1800

£3600

£8500

£5500

£800

£7000

£2400

Plenty of patina for the money! This Hart Parr 12-24 was built in 1924 and made for interesting viewing.

£4800

Sales&Marketplace


LastWord

114 TractorJune2015

Confessions of a tractor widow

WO

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Jean

Bro

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CA

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Ani

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That Blooming Land Rover

When your man comes home and tells you he’s bought a convertible, don’t get too excited, he might mean he’s bought

an old Landy with a badly tattered hood.

When you are married to a man who likes old machines you will have to accept there will be

many other part worn out old things in his life apart from just you. There will be several of you in the marriage, all jostling for attention.

Farmer Brown, my other half, has had a new mistress this last year, and she comes in the form of a Series 2 Land Rover. You can both embrace these mistresses and learn something about them, or you can seethe with jealousy. I try to achieve a mixture of mild fascination and tolerance when it comes to old machines, and here is what I’ve learned about vintage Land Rovers over this last year.

1. A galvanised chassis will cost more than an all-inclusive holiday for two in the Algarve.2. Every part of an old Land Rover leaks.3. The oil you put in the engine of an old Landy seems to vanish, only to be seen a day or two later pouring out of the hubs.4. Old Land Rovers do last forever, but only if the owner permanently puts in two days a week of maintenance.5. An old Land Rover, covered in dents, with different coloured doors, and an engine that smokes like a chimney will

cost you more to buy and run than a decent comfortable car.6. You can’t have a proper argument with a slightly deaf husband in the cab of an Old Landy. It is just far too loud.7. Free Wheeling Hubs - the silliest invention since the chocolate teapot.8. Overdrive. It’s what every Landy man dreams about.9. Manoeuvring an old Landy in a supermarket car park on a regular basis will help to reduce ‘bingo wings’ in the middle aged woman.10. Stickers that say ‘One Life. Live it!’ are acceptable on Land Rovers belonging to the under 30s, but not for those in their 60s.If your 60 year old gets one – suspect immediately that he’s having a mid-life crisis and tease him mercilessly.11. Judging by the winch, jack, ropes and huge array of tools they insist in carrying with them, the owners of Old Landys clearly have very little faith in their vehicle’s ability to perform properly. 12. The rear of an Old Landy is so full of all the above accessories that it is rendered useless for carrying anything but a box of Go-Cat.13. If you leave your hyperactive sheepdog shut in an old Landy it will try to escape by chewing its way destructively through the hood, causing the air to turn

blue, and your husband’s blood pressure to go through the roof. 14. The heater on an old Landy gives out a very loud noise, some particles of dust, but no actual heat.15. If you ever feel warm while sitting in the passenger seat of an old Landy, tell the driver to pull over and get out immediately. The vehicle is probably on fire.16. Old Landy doors never close past the first catch.17. Old Landy windows slide open every time you go downhill.18. The incessant vibration from an Old Landy ought to result in passenger’s weight loss, but there is no scientific evidence for this. 19. After your old Landy enthusiast has spent a year, and an arm and a leg, getting his machine roadworthy, and fitting aforementioned galvanised chassis he will then start to mutter about making upgrades by means of ‘TDI Turbos’, and ‘Rangey Diffs’. Nip this sort of talk in the bud as soon as possible by pointing out that the original Landys are the ones that really increase in value. That usually does the trick. If that fails empty the joint bank account immediately and book an all-inclusive trip to the Algarve, before it’s too late. ◆

Documents

Tractor and Farming Heritage June 2015