posted April 15, 2007 00:20               

I collected a plough to restor today, I am going to use it on my FSM. However I know very little about the actual plough. It is a three furrow Ransomes, very scimilar to the TS59 but the cross beams are replaced with cast steel components, the three legs are also in cast steel. It has no land wheel fitted although it would apear to have the appropriate holes to take one. There is a plate riveted onto it which is very worn but I can make out a 'FR' logo and something along the lines of 'this plough is for use with fordson major tractor - ford motor company - model...?...'.

Any ideas as to when these ploughs were made and what colour they were painted?

It is also set up as a semi diger plough, could I change it to a copnventional plough without to much trouble?

Matt.

posted April 15, 2007 14:29               

I don't know anything about them but Steven B posted some great photos of his Ransomes restoration at work behind his FSM just a couple of weeks ago.
Look here to start ... http://fordson.freeweb.nl/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000983.html

Regards,
Rick

posted April 15, 2007 15:18               

The plough you have is called a Ford Ransomes EP3G. It was designed by Ransomes for use behind the E1A Major using Ransomes bodys but the plough was made at Leamington by Ford. It replaced the Ford Ransomes PM range used behind the E27N.

Later, Ransomes produced their own version of this plough at the Ipswich plant called the TS59. The Ford version differs slightly and has cast cross members, cast handles on the depth and width crank handles and cast legs. Other than that it is identical to the TS59. Also early TS59s have a spoked depth wheel. Later the TS59 got the solid Sanky wheel as fitted to the Ford plough.

The EP3G was produced from 1951 to about 53. After that Ford stoped making ploughs and sold the TS59 among other Ransomes ploughs for use behind the Major.

These ploughs came with Digger, Epic and YL bodys. I have 3 of these ploughs, one with digger bodys as shown in the thread about my tractor and the others have YLs. For parts just quote TS59 because to all intents they are basicly the same plough. You will need new frogs if you intend to convert to YLs as well as the bodys, points and land slides.

Unlike the Ransomes ploughs that where light blue, your plough should be Empire blue with harvest gold depth wheel.

posted April 15, 2007 17:29               

Thanks very much for the info. I will post some pictures of it in the next couple of days for you and others to have a look at.