The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

The World Tour starts on Thursday 27th September and we shall be meeting up with Aussie Frank on Monday October 2nd. Expect pictures from Aus. next week.

This years will include: Penguins, Petrol Dextas and Ford 8401s plus a tractor trek on petrol Dextas (Ann included) through the Mali and will include a visit to a large carrot farm, a boat trip on the Murray River, The Bendigo Swap Meet and many more things during the two months we shall be away. Watch this space!!!!!

Brian wrote:Watch this space!!!!!

Hi Brian,

Have a great trip!
I am looking forward to the pictures.

Hmmm. It's awfully quiet here.

Hello All.

I can report that Brian and Ann have arrived safely. I am sure Brian will report on the things they have been up to shortly. They got to meet my P6 E27N (Marion) today and although we could not go for a drive Brian did say she sounded like a proper diesel. I must have put all the bits in the right way around

After my tour with Brian and Ann in the morning Mary and I had a great time chating about everything from tractors to children in the afternoon and evening. They are off to Gipsland tomorrow to continue their tour of Victoria. I am so glad they had the time to spend with us, they are great company.

Regards, Frank.

Hi Chaps,
Well we have been here just over a month now and have collected a vast number of photographs of flowers, animals and tractors, some of which are among the rarest in the world of tractor collecting.

Sorry about the lack of pictures but Photobucket have changed their website and uploader and it takes far longer to upload pictures and I have to watch uploads carefully as I am getting a high number of rejected pictures which have to be re loaded. This increases the cost as I am having to buy time on the web.

Here in Swan Hill at the Pioneer Museum there are a three wheel drive Saunderson, Mercedes-Benz and a Glasgow. The curator started some of the collection up for me and let me sit on the Glasgow and have my picture taken.

They also have a Minneapolis-Moline pivot steer, a tractor that was pretty un-successful in the US but there are quite a few around Victoria in museums and still on farms is sheds. The curator said he knew where there were at least five on a local farm.

The museum also has a Marshall Colonial Tractor, a very rare beast indeed.

But going back to the beginning of October when we first arrived we were met at the airport by Aussie Frank who looked after two tired and jet lagged travellers, took them home and made them a cup of tea before taking them on to the Melbourne Youth Hostel (?) where we stayed for our first few days. A few days later Frank took us to his electronics factory, a very impressive set up, it made me green with envy, before taking us to meet his tractors, trucks and Mary his wife. We all went out to lunch then spent the afternoon chatting before going out to a local restaurant for a very nice meal.

On the third day we picked up our hire car, a Hyundia Elantra and so far we have been very impressed with it. We are getting 60+ miles per gallon which is keeping the fuel costs down dramatically, it is also very comfortable and easy to drive although the light controls take a bit of getting used to after the Range Rover. So far we have travelled on all sorts of roads from motorways to forest tracks and had no problems at all.

Our first days took us into Gippsland and to the town of Foster where we met up with Allan and Carol Cook of the Fordson Tractor Club of Australia. Allan and Carol made us most welcome and we had some great days looking at tractors and gardens with them. Allan had found me two more petrol Dextas to add to the growing list and also showed me round his own large collection of tractors and machinery which includes a Malcolm Moore grader on a E27N Major, a E1ADDN on half tracks, a self propelled New Holland baler, and a beautiful BMC Mini tractor that had spent its life on a golf course. This tractor has very few hours on it according to the still working hour meter.

It is at times like this that you realise that, although you feel fine, jet lag ia a hidden factor in all your decisions and I did not take a single picture but I will ask Allan when I see him next to let me have some pictures.

Allan took me to see two private tractor collections and gardens and the first features in the pictures following here. It is a collection of Lanz and other tractors which includes some rare machines. Two 1920’s Hopper cooled tractors which are undergoing restoration and converting to radiator cooling as was done here in Australia.

The second collection included a petrol Dexta and a number of Massey Ferguson FE35, 35 and 65’s as well as a number of International AWD 6 and others. This collection really summed up my working life as it included a Nuffield PM petrol/paraffin, a Marshall Series 1 and a Commer TS3 all of which play their part in my life so far.

















































Apologise if the pictures are not up to standard, the sheds were dark and I am working with a small screen at this time. More to come .........

Nice. The tractor to the right in the last photo looks like an International O-12 or W-12. The O's had a hand clutch on the right and foot brakes. The W's a Foot clutch and Hand Brakes. These are not that common even here with the orchard model the most uncommon. I had an O-12 years ago. Ouch! That transmission up the page looks pretty sick. They must ave been beating on it. Dandy Dave!

Some rare machines indeed.
Have fun en let us enjoy your trip.

Hi Brian
Glad you're having fun on your trip and its nice to see your pictures . I see from reading your report Frank has his priorities Right showing you his factory, then old Iron, and Finally his wife
Hope the rest of the trip goes good and already looking forward to the next update
Regards Robert

Hi Brian,

Thank you for the update! It´s great to read you are having such a great time over there!
Seen any 8401´s yet? Or perhaps a County?
I am looking forward to your next update!

Brian wrote:Sorry about the lack of pictures but Photobucket have changed their website and uploader and it takes far longer to upload pictures and I have to watch uploads carefully as I am getting a high number of rejected pictures which have to be re loaded. This increases the cost as I am having to buy time on the web.

Hi Brian,
Many thanks for the news.

Ref uploading, try http://tractorsearch.co.uk/images/

Couldn't be easier!
Keep 'em coming and take care

Good on you Brian it looks like you have had a great time down under.

We need more updates!

Regards,
Oscar

I totally agree!

Fair go, mates -- he's enjoying himself in God's own country!!

Pavel wrote:Fair go, mates -- he's enjoying himself in God's own country!!

What, has Brian crossed the ditch and come to Godzone???
More likely he's snowed in or snowed under? Either way we need more pictures!
TSG.

Ok, so you want a few more pictures do you.

These are ones from The Rupanyup Museum of John and Michael Woods that we visited last time. They kindly opened the museum for a private visit this time and Barry and Dawn joined us in a days tour which included cake, coffee and biscuits three times in the day. Enjoy.














Petrol Ford 2000 made in Basildon.














Vineyard MF 35.





Red Grilles!!!!!!!!! Yes!!!!! This one is a Farm Major which left the factory like that.



Check out the front wheels on this E27N Halftrack.





The tracks on this County CFT were brand new. It was driven into position under a piece of belt driven machinery and spent its life under there. The belt drove vertically so the track support linkage was no problem.









This Model F is undergoing restoration but check out the rear wheels. They have a floating grip that clatters around as you drive. Very rare indeed.















Early Model F having some of the correct wheels restored.



Now for the Swan Hill Pioneer Museum which houses some of the rarest tractors in the world. Some of these I have read about but never seen in the metal. The curator started some of them and drove them around for me. I was even allowed to sit on one of the rarest. They all started and ran beautifully.































Ultra rare Saunderson Three wheel drive.







Ultra rare Benz single wheel drive complete with stabalisers like a childrens bicycle.










Ultra-Ultra rare Glasgow three wheel drive. I was allowed to sit on this when the curator moved it out of the shed for me.



Jelbart. The single cylinder engine has a stepped piston to increase the crankcase compression. It is a two-stroke.



Mckay Stripper-Header built in Balarat. Designed by H.V.Mckay and named the Sunshine Harvester. The company moved to Braybrooke Junction outside of Melbourne as it grew in size and needed access to rail and shipping links. Mr Mckay bought land for the factory and allotements were sold orlet to his workforce. Braybrooke Junction eventually changed its name to Sunshine after the harvester. The Mckay company was renound for its harvesters and other implements exporting them world wide. It was eventualy taken over by Massey-Harris-Ferguson in 1955. Sunshine grain drills were sold in England in the 1940’s and 1950’s.



The Sunshine Auto Header powered by a Fordson F Industrial unit.



The Massey-Harris-Ferguson Sunshine harvester equipped with a pick-up reel for combining swarthed crops.

And for those of you who think we spent two months photographing tractors…….





We also drove them on a tractor trek along the Murray River thanks to Leigh and Bev Donovan and the Sunraisia Tractor Appreciation Society.



We found the remains of steam pumps and engines on the river bank.



Dextas by the Murray at "Smoko time"



We saw Aboriginal Canoe Trees where the native people of Australia cut the bark from trees to make canoes without killing the trees.



The Murray River.



Bridge across the Murray at Swan Hill.




Flowers on the eucalyptus.








I spent time on an Axial Flow cobine with a 40’ header and the chaser bin. Quite an experience!













Echidna at Tower Hill.



Skink sunning himself on the board walk.



Spot the Emu.



Waders at Tower Hill.



Pelicans.



Penguins



And hundreds of varieties of wild flowers on our walks in the mountains.

And managed to get pictures of some of the plants and wildlife.

More to follow……..

There was a ford 6000 for sale in donnybrook up the road from us they wanted $1000 the gearbox was dicky but she ran good I really should have put my hand in my pocket allis the funds were not available and I was on my way to my own wedding when I stopped to have a look . Sadly I think it went to china to be turned in to a toaster or something

That would explain the slightly warmed bread slices that pass for toast where ever we went in Aus. They were not a brilliant tractor so don't expect too much from one turned into a toaster!

Beautiful pictures of both tractors, agriculture and nature.
Thanks Brian. Some rare tractors at the museum.

Nice! I've seen photos of the odd wheel shoes on the Fordson F in the past. It seems to me that it was written up in one of our old engine magazines about 30 years or more ago. It was an aftermarket accessory. Looks like that one went though a lot of modifying to get the disk plow to fit. I also noticed that it was converted to a mag via timing chain. Brian, Have you met any Roos yet? Dandy Dave!

Not as many as last time Dave but these ones did visit our bungalow every morning and evening at Halls Gap.

We have whitetail deer around the house every morning and evening here. Looks as if the Roos routine is similar. Thanks for sharing, Dandy Dave!