Valley Axe Man

I definatley don't agree with paying for exhibitor tables at shows, over the past 7 years and god knows how many thousand miles taking displays to shows, its not on to charge, If your a trader then all well and good because your offering goods for sale, and usually take home less goods than you went with and more cash in your back pocket! Apart from entering into judged classes to stand a chance of taking home some silver ware, what else does an exhibitor go home with??? The comments and feedback and perhaps a bit of satisfaction that his or her display has brought a smile to a face or too, or brought back memories from days gone by of either real machinery or childhood memories from the good old days of carpet farming. The Lakeland Model Farm and Construction Show has the right idea by asking if an exhibitor would like to make a donation toward table costs, its purely up to the individual if they wish to. If PAY TO DISPLAY comes the norm then many will give up displaying due to the increased costs on top of transport,accomadation and food, and the younger generation won't help push our hobby forward for others to enjoy!

Blue Force is the future!! they put on a superb display at Newark last year! ( i also a member thanks to phil hairsine) No probs for info, just happy to help David

Hi Oliver thanks for pic of Norton trailer, i've been racking my brains but still don't remember seeing one locally Sometimes Sean if a local farmer built his own trailer but built in a bit of extra strength he'd get orders for a few more during the quieter times of year, Maybe your trailer was a local farmer build, theres a few not far from here that are like that, built simple but yet strong, and would outlast an anvil!! ;)

You don't need do that Bill, they be a gift from Lancashire!

I've gained a couple of machinery bags for you Bill, i'll bring them to Lanark but until then i'll keep hunting!

Thats two trailer manufacturers that i not too familiar with oliver, i've seen a few Gull grain and beet trailers on my travels but none locally, and Norton is a new brand to me Oliver, i'll have to have a look into that. Systems trailers (one chassis and axle/ pto drive and various body options) Andrew Anderson scratch built up a jf systems trailer with silage kit on to go with his side mounted jf fc80, Atkinson's of Clitheroe (known for best for their spreaders for lime and muck, had a similar systems set up) but in all weren't that common about up here Sean but i know what you mean about machinery that you know for years but never track down its manufacturer,

According to the FCT1050 brochure, The pick up width is 1.8m or 2.1m and transport width is 2.80m 0r 3.26m with the 2.1m pick up, no dimensions of height and length are given. In the FCT1050 ProTec brochure, it states an overall height of 4m, a width of 3.3m, a length of 6.7m and a weight of 2130kg. The protec machine being the later JF STOLL but picture wise as far as the brochures go externally they look the same machine, apart from the protec has a grey chute brace and chute tip. If you divide the real measurements by 32 you'll end up 32 times smaller than the real machine. hope it helps you. Paul

I'll see what i can find out for you Donal.

Hi David, after further research and reading into the Doe 5100 in various books information is fairly thin on the ground but , it turns out that Ford asked Doe to drop the 5100 tractor as at the time Ford were launching the 7000 with roughly equal power to the 5100 thus Doe would have taken sales from Ford with a higher horsepower 2wd tractor. Only a hand full were made before production stopped but then Ford brought out the 5095 using the EVA cast hull to a similar design as the Doe machine, although the 5095 was also available with 4wd. Hope all goes well in trying to track down a suitable tractor for your photographic archives

in fact i've read somewhere David that they may have only built around half a dozen 5100 tractors, so it a very rare beast indeed!!

Some fantastic pics David, spanning the production and evoloution of the Doe tractor, A collection of Doe models would be something different, I have the 1/16th triple D and the 130, plus a scaledown triple D and the DBP 5100 that was auctioned a few years ago at the Annandale Model Exhibition. I think the 5100 was a bit of a rare beast in real life, because Ford Belgium built the 5095 which was similar spec.

No problem David, always happy to help where i can, Triffit not that common over these parts, theres the odd Easterby kicking about if you know where to look!

No guarantees but if work lets up and i can manage a full weekend off, i might see you there Bill

No probs David i try an help out where i can, but your right, as the years go by machinery gets bigger and bigger, and in some cases built by robots rather than skilled fabricators and skilled welders that had pride in their work and a satisfaction of supporting our agricultural industry. I served my time building milk tankers, from the humble 17 ton 4 wheeler farm collection to todays 32 ton 8 leggers and 30000 litre tri axle farm collection trailers, time moves on but i still got pride in what i do, helping bridge the link between farm and fridge for your daily pinta. If your wondering how that links me to all the tractors thats been and gone, thats other family members buisnesses, and i just happend to grow up with them being around.

Hi again Bill, fancy seeing you here again!! yep the sale includes several of Graham Hills Leyland tractors, including the 1974 early 4100, a restored 1973 253, 1979 285 syncro with retro-fit 804 front axle, and a marshall 100-4 with marshall issued turbo kit to uprate it to 125 spec, all in restored condition plus 384, 270, 272, 462, 472, 482 and a couple of nuffields, its the sort of sale i'd love to attend but don't think the bank manager would agree somehow! ;)

Now then Bill! aye we'll be displaying there again this year, and making the annual trip up to Lanark from down here in the Lancashire Valleys, Not sure how many of us will be up but we'll be there! :) might even have an odd carrier bag for you too! ;)

Been studing your pic David, were your uncles trailers Wheatley's, or earlier wooden bodied Weeksor even Ransomes ? I'll keep looking through the brochures that i have to try to find a match for you. The Mf 200 at York machinery sale looks at first glance to have the chassis and wheels of the old Fergusson 3 tonner, with a more modern steel body. Where as the 200 at the ploughing match and the 200 of Johns look more altogether right about them, and if were painted blue, would be Weeks +40s. :) Aye there been quite a few classics through the family, none seem to have found a permanent home in the valley though, although some would have been worth a bob or two now!!

I know who you are now then Tris and Joe, i never sorta forget a name or a face! There's some fairly grotty jobs on turd tankers but they bring in the money when milk tanks aren't in there 5 year cycle. Hope the project good for you joe and i hope to catch up with you both soon!

I don't mind building them Tris but when you get a breakdown and get called out to one thats popped a rear door seal or manway seal... thats almost Turdtastic!!! I remember you from Toytrac a few years ago, i think you had a display behind our forestry / Leyland Marshall foraging scene, if i'm thinking of the right bloke ?

BFA leyland certainly does look a whole lot better on the silver wheels Bill, It was the cream centres the put me off buying it, but am glad that some one got a "Proper one!"

No problems Joe, glad i could be of help with the website and Billy Bowie, again another Crossland Tankers customer! I'm sure i've met you somewhere.... thats it were you at Reghed at Penrith and we had a natter with Mr Softie? I had my Ribble Valley Model Farm shirt on, and you'd brought your Terragator for FTF stand?? 6 cylinder donkeys are fairly norm on big vac tankers, DC Clearwater, has an 8 legger Iveco with a 6 pot turbo perkins just to drive the vac pump, iveco pto take care of hydraulics for auxillaries. MMMM Haggis Neeps N Tatties yum yum yum :) :) !

Hi Joe, have you tried Crossland Tankers website, they make waste tankers, both ally and stainless steel in 33000 litre trailer form but also rigids with boom on top, usually the boom is just for sucking up, and the rear outlet is positioned bottom centre, with an inlet thats shaped like a swan neck inside the tank so vacum pulls liquid into the cavatiy and not up through the rest of the load. my guess is that the bottom outlet would be piped back up to the boom and valved so pressure inside the tank would force its contents up the said pipe and out into the suitable receptical. I not to involved in the tanker side, mostly chassis work my forte. Other websites to try could be Billy Bowie Tankers,

Now then David, aye i know what you mean, and your keeping the family tradition going, "Blue to the Bone!" There always been tractors about in our family, but they haven't always been blue, quite a few Nuffields and a Bray 10/60 have been through the family too, as well as a roadless 75, john deere 3130 and a county 1174, plus a couple of Mogs and a pair of Valmets all used in woodland management and timber extraction.

Aye Bill, i'm a mechanic/fitter/welder and build milk,liquid waste, sludge and clean water tankers, i know the Post horn in Castle Douglas, and their other shop In Annan. Its a small world indeed!! :)

Well i never, i've built milk tankers for Grahams Dairies!!!