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Marky Really nice to see brochures getting some publicity. I've got all these, but it's been a while since I saw them. It also makes me appreciate them a little bit more. Regards Rory

Marky, That is a great publication, I have it too. It's one of the best and valuable for that reason. Keep it under lock and key! Regards R Day

Tractorman810 Thanks for the kind words (again). Regarding subscriptions, it is best to ring the number on the subscription page to check details. I don't get involved in that side of the business. Glad you enjoyed the Ford 7000 piece in Collectors Corner. Regards Rory

Ref the new Ford 7000. I have received one of the first three tractors in the UK and wonder how I can go about posting a picture of it up here on the site....? Can anyone help? Regards R Day

Dear Tractorman810 & TS135A Driver, As ever, thank you for your kind comments. You're one up on me because my copies haven't arrived yet, so I haven't seen what the finished magazine looks like! The wait is killing me. I appreciate there will probably be little new for FTF members in this month's Collectors Corner slot; it's aimed more at those without internet access (and who are also not aware of FTF). Regards Rory Classic Tractor

MJB I have one. It is a nice quirky little item of literature. Thanks for posting it. Rory

Andy5050 That is some compliment and much appretiated. There's certainly plenty of competition out there and that's driving us to better things.....like the Top 10 Classics in the latest issue. Having said that, it's also heaps more work for yours truly, which is why it's always nice when someone says they like something in the magazine. Regards Rory

Dear Case&IH94Man, SPN & tractorman810, Thank you for your kind comments, you are really too kind. It's always good to get feedback, especially on something like the Challenger story, which really began last year after we ran a story on the development of the new Challenger 900B articulated 4WD tractor. In this story, Scott Garvey mentioned the wheeled prototype from the early 1980s. In passing, I said to Scott that it would be great if he could track down the prototype, and within two days he had...but it was in Iowa, which is hundreds and probably thousands of miles from where he lives in Canada. He managed to arrange for a photographer to visit the owner, who it turned out also owned the very early prototype tracked Challenger. Two for the price of one. He also tracked down the original engineers who worked on both projects, who also contributed a number of rare prototype pictures. Eventually, in April, we went to see them and did the final story. Regards Rory

It's rare, I've never even seen it before, but you had to pay a lot of loot for it. RD

MD Ford, I can try, but how do I post up a picture as my camera takes 3Mb j-peg files? Regards Rory

Dear MDFord, I certainly do collect models. I used to collect a bit of everything, but have been focusing on John Deere for about 8+ years. I've got about 200 Deeres in all scales, plus about another 30+ of bits and pieces from Gama, Ertl, etc. I was lucky enough to be given a very nice Britains JD 4020 on a wooden plynth last week as thanks from John Deere for Classic Tractor's involvement in rebuilding a 1966 JD 4020 for their 40th anniversary. There is a plate on it with the inscription: 'Presented to Rory Day with thanks from John Deere Limited on the occasion of our 40th anniversary & Classic Tractor's 4020 Restoration of 'BEV' 1966-2006'. This is probably now one of my most cherished models. My main interest, however, is in old tractor literature, something I've been collecting since about 1988. Currently up to the 12 filing cabinet mark and counting. Regards Rory

The next issue of CLASSIC TRACTOR contains a 3-page feature on Irish custom builders Paul and Brian Moynan. It is in response to Farm Toys Forum members' requests for more stories on custom builders and their collections. We do listen! Regards Rory Day Editor

They are nice Marky. I've got them in my own collection, along with a few others. Just bought some really nice German MF brochures on eBay. There's some for the less-cab 200 Series as well as the MF 1200 and MF 1805 and the rare MF 560 (like the MF 550). They are all totally different to the English brochures. Haven't got them yet, though. Regards Rory

Dear Ford/nh fan, It's a nice thought, but you're right, it may break a confidence or two with the OEMs. Plus the fact that FTF usually hears about things before I do, apart from the odd Britains project or two that I help out with in a pretty low-key way. Am really interested to read all the superb comments about our model section. I should perhaps let on that, for model collectors at least, the next 'Collectors' section is going to be a bit of a disappointment as it focuses on a collector of Claas models and memorabilia, and most of the story is on literature, etc, not models. The person is a bit different as she is early 50s and a woman! Sod's law the Collectors section in the next issue is three pages, not two! This is mainly because I trekked across to Hereford from Lincs and had to justify the trip, plus the fact that the collection was pretty unusual. Regards Rory

Dear MJB1, You summed it up in one when you said this: 'i would think the majority of readers see the collection of toys or models as a sideline as to which has no bearing on the collection ,care & refurbishment of the real thing of which CT is orientated towards'. A lot of people just don't relate to models for this reason. Regards Rory

Dear All, Thank you once again for your most kind comments. Tractorman810, regarding your question on the subject of feedback to the models page, I have been involved in two surveys in the past; one of them was in my days as a contributor to Tractor & Machinery in the mid-1990s, and a second was when we ran a survey in CLASSIC TRACTOR about 4+ years ago. On both occasions I regret that the highest percentage of least-liked features were models and stories from overseas. I think around 55-60% of the readers thought the models and overseas stuff was OK, but a massive 40-45% could not really care less about this type of story. The next least-liked subject came in at something like 14%! As many of you know, I am a keen model collector myself and tend to do the Collectors Corner features myself. I will certainly suggest that we do a supplement on farm models, although to be honest we have not actually done a seperate supplement for several years because it means bagging it on the newsgents shelves, which is an entirely different ball game and can actually put people off buying the magazine because they can't read what's inside it in the shop. Please keep coming up with the suggestions, though, they are most appreciated. Regards Rory

Dear TSA135 Driver, That is extremely kind of you to say such nice things. Your comments are very much appreciated and I have passed them on to the staff at head office. My aim as editor is always to try and improve the content and look of the magazine; sometimes it seems to work, other times not. Six years after the magazine was first published I would like to think that it is still maturing and has some way to go before it can rival some of the car magazines in terms of style and presentation. When I look back to some of the first issues I positively cringe, yet they seemed OK at the time. If there's one good thing about having lots of competition it certainly makes you try harder! Regards Rory

Really by the end of this week. E-mail them direct to me if you like at classictractor@btinternet.com and I will make sure they are in the next issue. Regards R Day

Dear Nashmach, No it wasn't you, the classified section was smaller this month for some reason. We would like to build it up again so if anyone has anything they want to sell, send it in....! Regards Rory

SPN, Yep, I know what you mean about the 'Reflections' story. Getting a good period working shot of a J. J. Thomas was always going to be a problem and I didn't want to use a recent picture of a rough old Thomas just sitting in a farm yard. It probably appeared to be all Renault and Fiat on the surface but scratch or read a little closer and there was some good Thomas stuff in there. Regards Rory

MDFord, Thanks for your kind words. The problem we had with the centre pages of the March 2007 issue, which became detached from the staples, was addressed with the printers at the time and I am pleased to say it has not happened again. Regarding the JD 4455 in this month's Collector's Corner section, I specifically asked Rinze Bos what it was converted from and he told me it was an Ertl 3350. However, he is Dutch, so perhaps he didn't fully understand the question. It may have been the 1/32-scale Ertl JD 4430 row-crop I suppose. Unfortunately, as much as I like models, Collector's Corner will continue to be 2-3 pages for the foreseeable future. Adding an extra model section would, in my opinion, leave the second half of the magazine unbalanced. Regards R Day

IH454man, Many thanks for your kind comments. It's always good to get feedback like this. I know what you mean about some of the rules and regs. Regards Rory Classic Tractor

Sparrow Legs, As a collector of model Deeres I love them all, but especially the 4240S, how much did it cost....? R Day

Marky, If I could figure out how to post pics on the site I would post a picture of my collection, but I haven't figured it out yet. I recently managed to pick up some nice leaflets on MF tractors built in Argentina, plus some ex-MF 100 Series training slides of MF 135, MF 165, and MF 185. I love the overseas stuff, the more unusual the better. I'm a sad geezer really. Rory

Marky That's a very good collection and I like how you collect overseas literature. Do you mean 60% of what MF produced for the UK market, or what they produced for the world....? I reckon I've got about 3000 MF brochures and I reckon I'm only scratching the surface! Getting hold of the overseas and export literature is now the main thrust of my collecting. Regards Rory