This bright blue and orange tractor brightened my day on 09 Feb 2019 when I was at the 60th Anniversary Rally of the Southland Steam Engine Club at Brydone near Gore, Southland, New Zealand.
This tractor’s a beauty!
At some point it towed this great lumbering hulk from the edge of the field toward the centre. I imagine a demonstration ensued but I must have been elsewhere.
This hulk appears similar to the big weathered wooden hulk stored by the dairy factory that I posted a photo of in my recent blog Weathered or Worn. Nigel thought that might be a thresher and I suspect he’s right.. this hulk might be a thresher too. Anyone who knows about these machines is welcome to offer an opinion in the Comments.
Later the hulk was back at the edge of the field, some spectators enjoyed its shade
Plaque on the side of the hulk
By Royal Letters Patent, Clayton & Shuttleworth, Lincoln. No. 24121
Text and photos by Liz; Exploring Colour (2019)
Fun post! I read somewhere that tractor paint colors were specific to brands – to help identify them when passers by see them way out in a field – like John Deere green. I love the colors on this one! I wonder if that’s unique to that company?
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I went to threshing machine shows as a young child. Looks very similar….those were the good ole’ days. 😊
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I’m not a farmer or gearhead, but I think you’re right, and this is a standalone threshing machine – – Allis-Chalmers and Case used to make similar contraptions near here (Milwaukee). When I first saw the plaque, I thought, Lincoln, Nebraska, but of course, it’s a British company and Lincoln, England.
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Like you Nigel immediately thought Lincoln, Nebraska until he saw the “Royal Letters Patent” bit.
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When I looked the company up, Wikipedia indicates during WWI, they produced Sopwith Camels! Quite a change of pace.
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Ah, biplane fighter! I had to look up “Sopwith Camel” – learn something new every day 🙂
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The tractor reminds me of my brother’s childhood toys – looks just like them. There used to be an old (but smaller) thresher at a farm near us when we were kids. (A relic of the past!) And I’ve seen them in farm museums too – they do look very similar to ‘the hulk’.
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I remember toy metal tractors, solid things and quite heavy. What you say confirms what we suspect then.. probably a thresher. Thanks Ann!
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