Indholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2023 i Ford and Fordson Tractors

It’s always a treat to visit tractor enthusiasts with farming backgrounds who, as in the case of Edwin Hughes, have an association with their machinery that stretches right back to childhood. Edwin, whose 1965 Ford 4000 Select-O-Speed is featured in this issue, grew up on the family farm where a succession of Fordsons – and then Fords – provided the mechanised labour. The first tractor he drove – as a 10-year-old boy – was an orange Model N, after which he graduated to an E27N. He speaks with passion and evident delight about both models, and clearly still finds that the similar examples now in his collection give him an evocative link to that happy childhood, his parents and the land he tended for a working lifetime. Of course, that…

A group of friends felt there would be something missing in the Dorset area this year after the cancellation of the Great Dorset Steam Fair, so have decided to organise the Steam & Vintage Fest. With generous support from sponsors and a selection of fellow exhibitors, the new event is slowly taking shape, and is scheduled to take place that at Fryern Court Road, Fordingbridge, in Hampshire (SP6 1ND) on August 25th-27th. The show will include steam engines, vintage plant, classic tractors, stationary engines, heavy horses, trade and craft stands plus live entertainment in the beer tent. Even Thomas the Tank Engine will be making an appearance, and the organisers are inviting vehicle exhibitors to get in touch by calling 01202 883161 or 07974 404829, or via email to: steamandvintagefest@gmail.com…

Following the success of the first event in 2022, it’s all systems go for the High Weald Steam Working Weekend, which will be taking place on June 17th-18th at Heaven Farm, Furners Green, Nr Danehill, E. Sussex. The 2022 weekend saw the debut of Will Mansi’s genuine 1918 Fordson F, which had been found in a local barn not long before. However, the big news for this year is that 30 tractor enthusiasts will be coming, with their tractors, from Gournay-en-Bray, Brittany, France. This promises to be a great occasion, so mark the date in your diary! You can find out more at: highwealdsteam.co.uk…

F Perkins Ltd was the brainchild of Frank Perkins and Charles Chapman, and the company was founded on July 7th,1932, and based at a small office in Peterborough. Although they didn’t have a lot of money, Perkins and Chapman believed the diesel engine could revolutionise commercial transport, and the new company’s aim was to persuade the growing motoring industry to use its diesel engines. In the early 1930s, diesel power was still in its infancy. The heavy and slowrevving engines were considered to be the poor relation of the latest generation petrol units. Charles was a design engineer by profession, and became a 10% shareholder. His vision was to redesign the diesel engine as a high-speed power plant. The goal was to build an engine with a similar performance to…

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I wrote to Ian Edmunds, at the Federation of British Vehicle Clubs, regarding the problems members have had, only to discover that the poor man has also experienced a computer ‘meltdown’; is it catching, like Covid? However, he thinks that the registration-related steps already taken are appropriate, and represent all that can be done at the moment. Interestingly, he commented on the DVLA’s changing attitude, and will continue to make representations on our behalf, as below. ‘I’m aware of the sometimes unusual numbering system used on tractors, and it is perhaps inevitable that DVLA will sometimes have trouble with tractors as they are, in this respect, different to anything else they deal with. Additionally, it appears that over the past few years, the DVLA has started to apply much stricter…

We are delighted to welcome additional sponsors for the benefit of Ford & Fordson Association members, as follows: Welham Diesel Injection and Colin Perryman Tractor Spares Welham Diesel Injection specialises in diesel fuel injection equipment for all agricultural and vintage tractors. The company is located in Hawarden Avenue, Leicester LE5 4NL. Chris Harris is the contact there, and you can reach him via email at: chris@welhamgroup.co.uk or by calling: 01162 766831 or 07817 914350. Colin Perryman Tractor Spares manufactures a small number of parts for Fordson tractors, and specialises in six-cylinder conversions as well as Fiat tractor spares. The company is located at Chough Crescent, St. Austell, Cornwall PL25 3AY and Colin Perryman is the contact. You can reach him via email at: cnperrymanspares@aol.com or by calling 01726 74798 or…

It was just over 50 years ago that a group of enthusiasts got together to revive a length of ex-Great Central Railway in Leicestershire and, with the organisation celebrating the first train running on these rails in preservation times, it made attending the Easter Vintage Festival on April 7th-10th very special. The event, based at the GCR’s Quorn & Woodhouse station and goods yard, has been officially running for 11 years, but older readers may remember attending similar gatherings on the site decades before. It was great to see the newly appointed GCR general manager Malcolm Homes at the event, as well as a number of Fordson tractors in the vintage display, including a very original-looking E27N petrol/paraffin.…

Willie Carson Northern Ireland-based writer and photographer with a genuine love of old tractors Peter Love A tractor enthusiast with boundless energy and limitless knowledge Pat Pawsey Long-serving chairman of the Ford & Fordson Association and tireless tractor enthusiast Ben Phillips Tractor repair and restoration specialist, writer and book author Bob Weir Lives in Shropshire and was brought up on Fordson tractors Jonathan Whitlam Tractor enthusiast, prolific author, film-maker and hard-working farmer…

As tractor sales go, this is certainly one not to be missed! When Mike Marshall puts his superb collection up for grabs on June 24th in Somerset, at the Marshall/Whitlock HJ Pugh sale, it could well turn out to be one of the best ‘blue’ auctions of the year. The lots available will include a restored Ford TW-15 4WD, a Roadless 980-4 (concours), a Roadless 75 (concours), a Roadless Ploughman 6/4 (concours), a Fordson Dexta and many other interesting models. Full details can be found at: hjpugh.com…

There were big changes made to the Ford tractor range in 1975, with the whole line-up – from the 2000 to the 7000 – being redesigned in preparation for the introduction of a new quiet cab that was needed to meet the legislation coming into force the following year. However, Ford hadn’t got its new cab ready to go when the new range was put into production, so the 7A1 range, as it was called (known to the wider world as the 600 Series) had to make do with the old Fieco safety cab that had been used on the preceding Force range since 1970. This meant that the range featured new decals, tweaked mechanicals, but the same cab as before. The range was simply carried over from before, with…

Launched in 1978, the Series III Muir-Hill range surpassed the company’s earlier versions in terms of power and comfort, while retaining all the features that had made the big yellow tractors such unique machines in the first place. Since the very first 101 model launched in 1966, Muir-Hill kept developing and refining the concept of an equal-size wheel, four-wheel-drive tractor, with high ground clearance resulting in a range of models to suit most agricultural and industrial tasks. With the introduction of the Series II models in 1972, proper cabs were added that gave a much better operator experience, and represented a great improvement over the previous, box-like structures that had been fitted since 1970. Sales success The Muir-Hill Series II tractors sold very well, further cementing the position of the…

We know that many of you have been following Ian West’s trips aboard, and his farming activities in Alberta, with interest. Life there is certainly very different, as are the problems faced in comparison to those encountered by British farmers. Some of you will have met Ian, his wife Linda and brother Alan, at Tractor World in March. Reading his piece in this issue, it’s clearly been very dry in his region, and we were alarmed by reports on the news about life-threatening fires in Alberta. Happily, we can report that, as the fires approached his property, a combination of neighbouring farmers taking action slowed the advance then, fortunately, the wind direction changed and some long prayed for rain fell, averting disaster. There has been a little more rain since…

Typical rainy and misty Bank Holiday weather did nothing to deter the entrants in the Welsh-Irish Run, which started from the Pembrokeshire County Showground, Haverfordwest, on Sunday, April 30th. Over 150 tractors had gathered, with more than a third of them having travelled from the Republic of Ireland to take part. The day began with brothers Hywel and Alun Mason welcoming the assembled drivers, then Willie Day replied on behalf of the impressive Irish contingent among the entrants. After the raffle had been drawn, it was time for the off, and the tractors began by touring the showground and adjoining airfield, before heading north-east to the villages of Spittal, Spittal Cross and Puncheston. A climb up Morvil Mountain followed and, near the summit, a right turn was taken and the…

What an Easter weekend it was for all who attended the 36th running of the National Vintage Tractor Road Run at Kirkcolm, near Stranraer, in Scotland. The ‘Welcome to Kirkcolm’ was warm and friendly from the Glenluce Vintage Tractor Club. Stewart Brise and his team had waited two years for this day, and were rewarded with an entry of 353 tractors from all over Britain and Northern Ireland, including two Polish competitors living in Scotland. This year’s run was supporting three charities; Cancer Research UK, MS Society, Wigtownshire branch and Dumfries & Galloway Blood Bikes – with members of Blood Bikes acting as opening and closing marshals. The festivities began on Saturday evening, when the club re-enacted the traditional Burns Night supper ceremony for the many visitors. The guest of…

The Basildon tractor plant (CNH Industrial) is celebrating 60 years in the town next year, and the company is looking for your help to assist with the planned festivities. The company is looking to put on a display of 60 years of Tractor Product Development at the site. Does anyone have – either in their possession or access to – any original, technical drawings of any kind, or photographs, of prototypes or testing/design activity. If so, would you be prepared to let CNH Industrial scan or borrow them? Ideally, the documentation should relate to anything built within the Basildon plant from 1964 onwards. But, honestly, any historical Fordson/Ford/Ford New Holland items would be much appreciated. If you can help, please get in touch with Sarah Cook by sending an email…

The South Eastern Vintage Agricultural Club will be hosting the 2024 National Vintage Tractor Road Run (NVTRR) on March 31st, 2024. For those of you not familiar with the NVTRR, it’s a charity road run that usually attracts about 300 vintage tractors from all parts of the UK. The run takes place in a different area each year, with the most recent having been hosted by the Glenluce Vintage Tractor Club at Kirkland Airfield, Stranraer, in Scotland. Preparations for the 2024 run are well underway and a sub-committee, co-chaired by Will Cranfield and John Parnaby, has already secured McCormick Tractors as a headline sponsor, created publicity material and printed entry forms. They’re also planning an evening meal and live band for the Saturday night, and are in the process of…

JUNE 2 Sale of tractors, vehicles, implements and small tools. Bridge House Farm, Stockton on Tees. Harrison & Hetherington, tel: 01228 406200 3 Richard Vernon Collection. Auction of steam engines, vintage and classic tractors, implements etc. Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Cheffins, tel: 01353 777767 6 Auction of tractors, combine harvester and equipment. Preston, Lancashire. Cheffins, tel: 01353 777767 7 Online sale of tractors, machinery, plant etc. Carlisle. Harrison & Hetherington, harrisonandhetherington.co.uk 8-18 South-west online timed auction of tractors, excavators, Farm Machinery, Livestock & General Equipment. Stags, stags.co.uk 13 West Devon collective sale of tractors, vehicles, farm machinery etc. Woodovis Farm, Lamerton, Tivistock PL19 8QT. Stags, tel: 01769 572042 17 Auction sale of vintage and classic tractors, implements and spares. Lincolnshire. Cheffins, tel: 01353 777767 24 Dispersal sale of classic and vintage tractors,…

On April 16th – a cloudy but thankfully dry and windfree Sunday – members of the South Eastern Vintage Agricultural Club (SEVAC) and other enthusiasts gathered at the Edenbridge & Oxted Showground near Lingfield, in Surrey, in preparation for this year’s Crank Handle Run. The 11-mile route was a mixture of onand off-road sections and there was a break point organised on a farm that was about half-way around. While there weren’t as many tractors involved this time as in previous years, organiser and SEVAC vice chairman Anthony Bradford was very pleased with how things went overall. He was also keen to extend his thanks to landowners John and Louise Young and the Bigwood family, who kindly gave the tractors access to their property. Without their support, the run simply…

Technology is all around us nowadays, whether we like it or not; even the humble television remote has become so complicated it demands a degree to make it work! I bought my first computer – a so-called ‘Super Brain’ – back in the 1970s, and used it to manage farm records. In those days, you had to find someone to write the program to make it work, and that meant that you had to start by explaining exactly what was needed to someone with no knowledge of farming. Things have moved on hugely since then, of course, and computers are now quicker, cheaper and far more reliable. What’s more, they can be used to run an almost limitless range of programs for virtually any purpose, all of which are available…

The 72nd British National Ploughing Championships is to be held at Bishop’s Lydeard, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 3HU on October 14th-15th, 2023. As in previous years, the FFA has been invited to attend, and has been allocated 10 plots on Sunday, October 15th, so that members can compete for the honour of winning the Ford & Fordson Trophy. The closing date for entries is June 30th and we invite member interest as soon as possible – please contact me via email to: jane.broomhall@ btinternet.com or you can call on: 01379 677866 or 07884 115089. If you are local to the championships and would be willing to act as a steward in support of our ploughmen and women (two are needed), please do get in touch. Alternatively, perhaps you would like to…

The Llandudno Transport Festival, held over the early May Bank Holiday weekend, really is a must for all transport enthusiasts. Visitors enjoy plenty of commercials, buses, cars, motorcycles and, of course, tractors. The first I spotted among the blue machinery was the 1970 Ford County Super-Six entered by Gareth Lloyd of Conwy, then I noticed R&C Morgan’s 1964 County Super 4. Paul Edwards’ 1976 Ford 4600 also caught the eye, as did Roger Edwards’ 1972 Ford 4000 Four, who comes from Bryn-y-Maen, near Colwyn Bay. This machine had been in pieces when bought, and had a cracked engine block. But repairs have now been made, and the tractor was sporting new tinwork and wheels. Attention has now turned to restoring the cab roof. Among the older Fordsons was Roger Edwards’…

The Bodle Street Green FBHVC ‘Drive It Day’ took place on a very wet 23rd April but, despite the weather, the event was brilliantly supported and a great success. Around 250 vehicles – including 87 tractors – were attracted to the rural E Sussex village, and there was a decent contingent of Ford and Fordson tractors taking part. These included a number of Ford & Fordson Association members, and one reader of this magazine who travelled all the way from Cornwall for the day. The event raised £1,300 for muchneeded village hall funds and the organisers were very thankful for all the help provided by local volunteers. In particular, special thanks must go to John Gee, Bryan Kemp, Trevor Manual and Bernard Saunders who marshalled proceedings in the village so…