Valley Axe Man

Had a good day at Goosnargh and Longridge ag show yesterday, bit breezy but warm and sunny with it, was good to catch up with a few folk but unfortunately throttle cable snapped on the 465 on way back from show, simple repair once a new cable sourced, but had the 472 out for a lap of the yard before putting the toys away and heading home received_601990391246580.mp4

Nipped down to the spiritual home of everything Nuffield and Leyland yesterday morning just to take a quick look at something they got in as a trade in, in the shape of a 262 synchro, to be fair she's a tidy old thing for her age and only real issues are a hole in the front of the roof and the rear window frame and glass, steering needs quite a bit of work though as years spent as a loader tractor will have taken their toll on the king post bushes and kingpins, it would make a nice addition but think the price is abit too rich and the fact of VAT to be added too kills the job I think, but anyhow a photo or two, apart from a bit of breeze it's looking like a grand day for the 465 and 804 to go to Goosnargh and Longridge ag show today, will get a catch up with John and his son Matt with their 8340 and 802 👌

A full breakfast isn't a full breakfast without a bit of black pudding Smithy, looks like you certainly been cracking on over past few weeks... Break at JCB will have done you good 👍

They a nice thing Justin, they belong to Colin and his son who have the prototype 282, and for a bit of fun they took them and had a couple of pulls tractor pulling, both did well being plenty of weight and plenty of ponies

Aye time not hanging about Smithy, with everything else it's trying to find time to get on with the tractor.... Christening yesterday wasn't too bad, but by time we got back it's too late to get on with owt..... No bother with photos, should have taken more but battery died on phone....

Weekend again and no time to spare to push on with the 472, although Gemma did surprise me with a pair of rear lights that she bought me this week, but anyhow parts shopping aside and lack of time meant no more progress, one reason is that this weekend it's Fylde vintage show, and also a friend's daughters christening.... But anyhow yesterday morning we went up to the yard and after I'd put on my waterproof gear we set off to Fylde vintage show, bonus that it had stopped raining by time we arrived after the hours drive . Anyhow a few photos before the phone went dead, a good turn out but parked behind us was a very important tractor, owned by one of my good Leyland friends Colin and is son Peter, was one of Leylands prototype test tractors to find the suitability of the 4/98 turbo tractor engine, this tractor was put together at Bathgate using a 10 speed silver stripe 262 chassis as a base and then fitted with the development engine, Colin who lives not too far adrift from the spiritual home of everything Nuffield and Leyland, Charnleys, he had Dave Charnley double check the serial numbers of chassis, engine back end etc against the build records that Charnleys hold for Bathgate built tractors and Dave gave Colin a thumbs up that this tractor is one of a number of prototype to test the 4/98tt. Now fitted wit a set of square dish rear wheels but other than routine service and a fresh clutch needed a couple of years ago Colin never needed lay a spanner on her..... Anyhow a couple or three photos that I managed to grab

Spent a couple of hours parts shopping yesterday.... Was good to catch up with Roger for a brew and a rummage about his shed, Unfortunately didn't get all of the bits that I was looking for for the 472, but did source some better cab glass and also a few other bits and bobs including a pair of new old stock front indicator/side lights, and a new old stock left hand front track rod for the 465.... Just need to bob back and pay and collect them, handy though as not be more than 6 miles from home... Won't hold it against Roger though as he's a number of David Brown sat in his shed but they flanked by a tidy Marshall and a trio of blue Leylands, will have to ask him if there's chance of a photo or three when I go back to collect my treasure

A bit more done today, flying solo again at present, but got bonnet sanded off and first coat of blue on as well as using last bit of tin up on the two front light brackets, whilst paint drying off I set about abit more if the re wire, new Lucas switch fitted in dash and a modified Landrover series 3 indicator stalk fitted and wired in to loom, not a lot left to do before dash and clocks can go back in, just the tacho cable and drive to fit and a couple of fuses, but for all the progress forward a step back in the form of an accident with the plastic upper switch panel, I'm putting it down to age related brittleness of the plastic but she cracked and split into a few pieces when stripping out the old switch gear and old single speaker for the radio.... Replacement genuine panels are available, Charnleys have them new old stock so it won't take much to find one, but unfortunately another expense that wasn't planned for......

First time I've managed a few hours up the yard in almost a month with one thing and another, anyhows another section of loom sourced after Gemma did quite a bit of web ferriting to track one down, one of the plugs is to change to match up to bit of loom it plugs into but nowt that can't be sorted with a handful of non insulated terminals and the ratchet crimpers, also a few bits pillaged from Charnleys yesterday, and a quick chat with John JMD eldest son Matt who said he's been doing a bit more work on my old 802 in preparation for a local show in roughly a fortnight's time... Anyhows the new 3/8" hydraulic steering pipes that I made a few weeks back were wrapped in armour flex, and then been refit, strapped up and then the steering reservoir refilled and engine frapped up and steering bled of air, new throttle cable fitted to the now unseized throttle linkage and duly fitted with a new return spring, new adjusting nuts fitted to the brake expanders, both spun up and backed off half a turn to allow the linings to bed in, before work commences on the rest of the wiring, I had her out for a lap of the yard, and a couple of photos, first time out since she was put in the workshop on the 29th of December last year, still a ways to go before she's finished but can now see a bit of progress... received_1088400418743136.mp4

Been a while since I added to the collection, but at Newby Hall, a Nuffield Power booklet off John (JMD) and a US Leyland sales sheet off David (DM434)

Reckon it'll be a tidy job Justin, nice find 🙂

No bother Smithy, aye there's plenty there, I didn't photo everything but yes it's a hell of a show and if you took everything in its definitely a full day if not abit more, almost all stables covered in one way or another

And last but not least, one of my fellow Leyland and Marshall fanatics Andrew Graham let Gemma have a seat in what must be one of the cleanest 2wd Marshall 100 series tractors, a rare one too as less than 10 exist in 2wd, all the others being 4wd, sort of was the icing on the cake from a great weekend, been good to catch up with a few forum members and see a few old friends too, roll on next year to do it all again

Last few photos from today

Last few

Will try and get round the other Fords and The Nashes tomorrow hope you enjoyed the photos so far...

Dave aka the dodgy little fella and his JCB dealers and fastracs

My mum's little 87th scale mini diorama made an appearance after all these years

John JMD and some of his Doe's