Fordson Standard Crane tractor

[Hesford]

I am looking for information about factory built pneumatic powered crane, the compressor was driven off were the belt is normally placed. It worked for the RAF anyway the particular one i'm looking for belonged to the Hockley heath steam association and was sold. I would love to find out what happened to her

Ash

[Brian]

We had one at Wrights of Dereham, they were called the Stanhay Bomb Hoist and made by Stanhay at Ashford in Kent. Wrights got it to help with all the war work they were doing during the 1940's as far as I know.

Ours was on solid rubber wheels and had a starter, which sparked a discussion on here and in the NVTEC magazine as to if and when starters were used on the "N".

Thoughts were that it was an E27N engine but as far as us "old-uns" could find out, it came with that engine originally and was built in the early 1940's.

She lasted right through to the 1980's as the yard tractor, lifting delivered implements from lorries and loading many hundred pairs of "Wrights Super Steel Wheels", also many tons of front hubs for Cortina and Escort cars, Wrights machine shop machined all these for Ford. She also loaded tons of cast rings for Heatray-Sadia water heaters, and slicing knives for British Sugars factories, again machined at Wrights.

She ended her days as scrap after the compressor threw its rod through the side of the housing, no parts were available and, by this time, wear on the frame and the HSE Pressure Vessel Regulations were coming on line, so she was scrapped.

[moretoot]

Brian, are you talking about the Wrights spade lug wheels that I bought in the 60's? I had two sets sourced from Doe's, they were brilliant, much better than any spade lug / Miller wheel that we had before. It was the width of the rim together with the design of the lugs that made them so good. I never realised that they were made at Dereham.

Pat

[Brian]

They are the ones! They were fitted to all types of tractor but Ford were the only company that stood by the warranty if a rear end failed. We fitted them onto 5000 tractors and one set went on a Select-O -Speed with Fords blessing. I ploughed with her and a TS84 three furrow reversible in blue clay with water running down the furrow between Loddon and Beccles.

Only problem with the wheels was, if you spun then you were really stuck.

We had them on Doe Triple D's and I fitted a set on a County 954 but they were not a success as the inner spuds went under the front wheel drive shafts as you turned.

We built a special set of wide ones with extra spuds for the Bluebird Team when Donald Cambell did his World Land Speed record attempt in Australia.

[Aussie Frank]

Ours was on solid rubber wheels and had a starter, which sparked a discussion on here and in the NVTEC magazine as to if and when starters were used on the "N".

Thoughts were that it was an E27N engine but as far as us "old-uns" could find out, it came with that engine originally and was built in the early 1940's.

Hi Brian,

Mike is looking at the fitting a starter to a model N at the moment. http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... f=1&t=3489 Even with an E27N block there are other problems like the flywheel is different to an E27N one and has no provision for a ring gear and the gearbox housing does not have the bump in it to clear the end of the standard E28N starter. What ever starter was on that crane you were operating was certainly a very unique device, either that or the gearbox housing was a very special casting. It is such a shame it was relegated to the scrap heap. I for one would love to know how it was done.

Regards, Frank.

[Brian]

You do not realise these things are rare when you see and use it every day Frank. I have only seen one other of the Bomb Hoist, in a magazine with a picture showing little detail.

[moretoot]

That's interesting, had two sets for the E1A Majors and one for the 5000's. They were bought for a conventional gear box but like so many farmers due to inflation, one received more in part exchange than the tractor cost the year before so the front line tractor was changed annually. So they were also used on a Select-O-Speed which was the second or third 5000, I forget which. I didn't realise Ford approved your wheels but I never had any transmission problems with them.
Yes I know what happened if they were allowed to spin but that did not happen with us as we already knew the consequences - had 'Miller' wheels before! We also tried girdles, Stanhay strakes, chains etc. etc.

Pat