powerrabbit

A freind of mine of many years worked for my Father on our farm for a period of time after leaving school and then left to work around the local farms on a 'casual' basis in order to gain wider experiences and for the variety. This led him into buying some basic secondhand kit, a tractor, plough and later a baler and hired himself out so became a contractor of sorts. He then upgraded his kit as and when finances allowed and got a little bigger and took on more work as time went on. He eventually gave up the contracting as there were too many others in the locality with too much competition. He is now farming a Duchy farm on Dartmoor. I think that's how most start off and others normally start off by getting a smallholding with a couple of sheds for their equipment and hiring themselves and their kit out and working up from there. I suppose that a lot start off because of their interest in the farming profession but would not otherwise have the opportunity if family was not previously or currently in the profession.

Interesting the 'on-line' magazine idea. I think it largeley depends on the 'server' as to how the 'page' is displayed and with your 'zoom level' button, wherever positioned on your task bar, normally bottom right, you can 'magnify' in order to read text better. Having said that, it could be made available in PDF format to 'download' from the main page of the web site 'home page' which SUBSCRIBERS (I put this word in bold as 'readers' would have to subscribe I'm thinking if they don't already subsribe to the 'hard' copy and those readers that do then they could 'log in' using their 'subscription number/code'?) could then 'save to file' and read at their leisure or save to a disc. Just thinking out loud.

Further back in this topic I think I replied, the chromed Major was a promotional one for a dealer desk ornament, employee prize or given as a trophy in which case it could be mounted on a wooden base or plinth. This one did not have the clockwork motor. Not that many come to light as they were never very popular because of their finish.

Thanks for that link Sean, I've put it in my watch. Also see the ladder listed as well so watching that one too. Still looking for the loft support post and block.

Well Josh, for your age I commend your enthusiasm but personally, if I had my time again and was just starting out on planning a restoration project, I would go for a make of tractor that is small, in plentiful supply, parts easily accesable, obtainable and relatively cheap, basic, easy to work on and will show you a return on your investment. I'm thinking on the lines of the Ferguson TED20 diesel. Petrol being more than double the price of red diesel makes the running expensive and a straight petrol engined Fergie are harder to find' The T20 petrol/TVO have issues with electrics, more of them, and running issues in having to mix your own TVO equivalent. The diesel 20 is a more practical tractor in that there are no electrics other than starting and lighting systems and would be a bit more desireable and easier to sell after restoration if you so wished to do so to 'trade up'. I'm talking up this tractor because all the parts that you may need for a restoration are readily available, there are many Companies that stock and sell all the parts you would need to actually build a brand new one as long as you have all the main castings, you just have to look at the Sparex and Vapormatic catalogues to see the vast amount of parts available to you. Of course, there are other makes that are old favourites such as the International B250, Fordson Dexta etc.

This arrived today. The latest G&M Originals, 1947 David Brown Cropmaster. This model is the prototype of which, once again, I was given the opportunity to own. Another cracking model from Martin and Ged and the latest of 4 D.B. models produced by them continuing the quality and build of all they produce. This model is limited in build of 150 units priced at a very reasonable £240 and orders are now being taken for those who wish to own one, be quick though, they won't hang around!

My Brothers young ginger cat is a bit of a character. We found 'evidence' that he brought home a rat yesterday morning early, he's always catching and bringing it home but this time the 'evidence' was that he had obviously ate the rat, but not the break-neck trap that it was caught in, he left the trap on the doorstep.

Several bits and bobs at a local car boot today. Best buy was a BT home-hub for 50p. Friday night we had a hell of a thunderstorm which fried all the telephones here, particularly my Brother's next door, his home-hub and ASDL box exploded and dribbled down the wall in his livingroom window sill! Next best buy was the item below. Not really into train stuff but have never come across one of these before anywhere. Don't think it's ever been used, marked on the shovel shank with the makers name and BR. It's a steam loco coal fire box shovel by the way.

Ebay comments are very valid. 90% of tractors I have viewed on there are in reality only fit for their sum total in parts and you can pay a lot of money for scrap. As Sean says, always inspect in the flesh and not be in too much of a rush as the right one is always out there somewhere. If you go to a sale, let him decide, then you can do the bidding.

If you can obtain his bank details discreetly, pay it into his account and put the paying in slip receipt in his birthday card, that would be one way of MAKING him accept the money. There's always more than one way of skinning a cat!

Just give him the money, that way he will be able to make up his own mind and purchase what he wants, that way there are no arguments and no dissapointments.

I bought a number of the larger ones from eBay a couple of years ago and these were about in scale to 1:32 tractors and do work very well. You do of course have to fabricate a clevice for the tractors hydraulic cross-shaft for them to fit on and the implement, especially the earlier Britains tractors. Gives a more realistic fit on hydraulic mounted implements and machinery and being ajustable allows you to level the implement to a more realistic and accurate position.

If it helps Sean, in the real concrete yard world, depends on the site and access. We had a yard concreted many years ago and the loads were either 3, 6 or 9 meter (sq). Yard area boarded in area that load would cover, boards removed for next load and so-on untill the whole area covered. Recommended thickness was a minimum of 4 inches for a stock yard or 6 inches for a silage pit/yard where tractors would be travelling over.

The roof is quite a bright red, could be that the colour in the pictures I posted looks a little lighter than the actual item but as you say, this may vary across the production time line. I'm quite surprised that, for a relativeley late produced Britains building, that there seem to be not that many around and that all have found this so interesting, perhaps because the price at the time was quite a lot that not that many were actually sold and the relative short time in production could have some bearing on this. I'm even more glad that I actually bought it now.

I might have a go at fabricating a ladder, the upright floor support and the foot plinth, It will serve the purpose for the time being and give me something to do of an evening. As for its flimsyness compared to the other buildings I agree but it's another Britains building, one that you don't seem to find very often and to add to the collection, still worth having. I'll have to look out for the complete boxed set if ever one comes along, you never know, it's all out there somewhere!

Re-assembled it and worked out how the loft floor clips into it now and it all made sense, now to keep an eye out for the bits to complete it.

So Scot, that means to say, or at least your picture shows me, that there is not so much missing as I thought! All I have to look for is the ladder, the upright support and the support base block. No wonder I could not fathom out how the 'back' fitted, because it's actually the loft floor.

Jay. Here is a larger image of the doors. I've extracted and enlarged from one of the previous pictures, may be a little out of focus but will give you an idea. They are attached by means of a sticky backed plastic strip, half over the length of one side of the doors and the other half just stuck to the inside front/side edge of the doorways in the front and side of the building. This sticky plastic on the non-sticky side is black and a sort of felt/flock surface, I would think that a couple of strips of black ducktape would be adequate and would be very similar to what is on mine.

Thanks Sue, that would be great. The corner pieces are very sturdy, much on a parr with the other buildings. I'm always on the lookout for Britains buildings parts as when you do find loose ones there is very often a few parts missing. I've got loads of the Atcost buildings and a mountain of spares for them as these seem to be the most common sheds. Was very lucky a couple of years ago to find the riding school set and the eventing set both all complete and in their original boxes. How rare is it to find the 'wild west' barn/building from the 1980's? Saw one Sunday unopened, chap was asking £10 for it, should have bought it me thinks!!!

Sue. The thickness of the plastic of this cottage/barn is quite thin as it seems to be moulded/pressed and is quite twisty/flexible and not as thick as the buildings such as the implement sheds/barns or the riding stables buildings. I have never seen one of these cottage/barn buildings before this one myself so bought it a little 'blind' so obviously didn't know if it was complete, it's only when you find such items that you tend to look them up and find out whats what, good way to learn. I'm sure that the missing parts will come to light somewhere in time and knowing what to look out for I'll keep my eyes peeled

Found it! Seems like it was introduced in 1988 and produced up to 1991, 3 years. According to the catalogue it should also have an internal loft section, a ladder, support upright and a foot peice for the upright, these are the bits that are missing plus the one corner peice. Anyone having these parts spare please let me know.

This is the cottage that I picked up at the toy fair yesterday. I believe it's an early 1960's Britains cottage that also doubles as a barn. The pictures show it from different aspects, the first with the foot ruler gives you an idea of the size of it being almost 14 inches in length. Remove the back two end peices and put in the back with the open doorway and it's a barn. The next picture is of it all dismantled in its component parts. I think it's complete apart from one of the triangular corner peices of which the last picture shows a closeup of. If anyone does recognise this building and/or has a spare corner peice going begging or any other parts that may be missing that you recognise I would be most grateful. I can't find any reference to this building, my Britains catalogue collection only goes back to 1967 so if it is Britains it's earlier.

Freind of mine there picked up a mint Britains Power Farm white County for £12. He asked me to look at it as he wasn't sure it was authentic, it was, lucky sod! The Lego Ferguson and instuction book cost me a whole £10 note, thought it was cheap.

Westpoint toy fair Exeter today. Number 851 Lego Massey Ferguson tractor and 'rake'. Un-boxed but with build instruction book. A good Dinky David Brown Selectamatic 990. No box. 2 Britains Herald Guernsey cows, Girl feeding chicken in red dress, Girl with bucket in white(ish) overalls. LWB Land Rover driver. Britains very early plastic farmhouse that also doubles as a barn. No box but complete. UH MF65 MK1. 1:16 dealer box.

Yes, you're right William, the Shawnee Pool dumper trailer will only fit the earlier Britains tractors that have the little lug pins sticking out underneath. If you've got the earlier Ford 5000, 6700, Majors and MF 595 etc, turn them upside down and you'll see these lugs each side of the casting under the rear axle.