powerrabbit

Early 1:32 Ertl 'Big Farm' Ford 8630 4WD in open box, the one with just a hitch and no lift arms. From local rally today.

We don't know the exact circumstances but it would appear that the bale rolled down over the steep field and jumped the hedge into the road, the bale crushed the drivers compartment killing him instantly. A case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We all know that a round bale can seem to be settled but perhaps a timely reminder to all that nothing should be taken for granted and that caution should be taken to see that a bale cannot roll away. I sincerely hope that the outcome of the investigation will apportion no blame to the farmer or contractor who baled the field or the landowner and turns out to be an unfortunate accident.

Looking good. A lot easier to rebuild the real thing as the parts are available, models are harder because you have to make them basically from scratch. I'm certain that more D.B models will be produced in the future as this marque has been neglected somewhat, the main reason being licensing, David Brown himself never gave permissions lightly to the toy and model producers unless commissioned by himself personally, perhaps now CNH will look on it more favourably. There were only around 8 different D.B's produced in Sir Davids lifetime.

Went to Honiton Hill rally today. Caught up with some mates I haven't seen for 12 months had a good look around, loads of jumk, expensive food and drink, some nice tractors and machinery both static and working. Spent most of the afternoon walking alongside and observing my eldest Nephew cutting wheat with a 1964 Claas combine, don't know the model, all the decals had long evaporated. 6 combines cutting 3 acres, the Claas, MF30, MF755, MF780 and a bigger one. Last one was a 1967 New Holland Clayson.

The 'steam' organ Bill is one of my favourites, I use inverted commas because a lot of these fairground organs nowadays have been converted to petrol driven generator electricity and not driven off the showmans engine dynamo as they were originally, it's lacking that period smell and atmosphere which spoils the ambience. There's a big two-day working rally fairly near me at Stockland Hill, Honiton Hill rally this Sunday and Monday where there is usually a very big steam fairground all still driven by steam, I could stand and watch it all whizzing and fizzing around for hours. Going back to Mammod, I believe they produced an 'anniversary' model of the road roller in black and silver/chrome some years back, never seen one in the flesh but they are about, seen a couple on eBay some time back.

Not too bad considering what's in it mechanism and build wise.

Probably 1983/4, they whent 'magpie', black skid unit, different decals and retained the power red wheels in 1985. Yes, 3 bearing crank slightly beefed up journals but basically a turbo'd 995/6 engine. Any tractor crank are subject to snap if you labour the engine at low revs in a high gear.

Looks pretty good Bill. Are they expensive?

Just come home after pulling a couple of floats with my 780 and 880 in the little local carnival, mate of mine drove the 880. Rained a bit on the first circuit around the town just enough to have to put the waterproofs on but cleared out and was dry for the last half hour and for the four mile drive home with the tractors. There were five tractors in the procession, four pulling floats, a small Lambo, Ford 77 something, my two D.B's and a 1960 fully restored Fordson Power Major, nice tractor. My tractors were entered in the 'vintage' class as was the Major, my 780 had 1st and the cup, Major had 2nd and my 880 had 3rd.

Latest issue arrived today. A little boring this time with much out of date information and an article on Britains loaders that seem to be the same as it was in the old 'Farm & Site' mag just different pics. Still has some good stuff in it though but needs to be published on a more regular basis to keep up to date with stuff!!!!

Well spotted Peter, that's what comes with typing in the dark. I'm sure everyone knows really what I really meant so I won't go back and correct it, just say that the word was supposed to be TRACTORS. On the subject of BTb though, only cattle that have had two clear tests 60 days apart can go to shows otherwise it's a nono.

From a model stall at a local agricultural show today, a Ros Hydrogen powered New Holland tractor. Apparently very hard to find, the only one I've seen down here.

Been just out the road to a local agricultural show today with two of my tractors, D.B. 780 and 880, mate of mine drove out the 880, 1/2 an hour at 2200 revs. Had a good day, stayed dry despite the forecast fut come into rain just as we were leaving aroun 6.30 but we had our waterproofs so it wasn't too bad coming home. Show was at Chagford just off the Eastern edge of Dartmoor. About 30 reactors there, didn't take the camera.

Fine looking study Bill but one criticism, the stubble is running the wrong way, would look better if the binder was cutting along the drill lines, never known anyone to cut across the drills.

This model arrived into my grubby and rather sweaty little mits today, I can't really do this model justice in a post, the only thing I can say is that it is an absolute peach, far better in the 'flesh' than a single picture can relay. This model deserves something all to itself so the intention is to do a reveiw with pictures and some background detail on the real machine for the 'Model Farmer' Magazine. You have been duly warned, D.B. collectors will kill for this one!

Collecting models, or anything for that matter has to be looked at in several ways and there are aspects of the hobby which have to be looked at financially. Regardless of what you collect you must be aware of the financial side, mostly in the way you fund your hobby. The 'safest' way is to spend your surplus cash on it as using funds from your bank account can have implications on income and investment taxes as a collection could be construde as an 'investment' and when adding to or disposing of or even upgrading to would legally have to be accounted for and funding in this way you should keep detailed accounts of any purchases and sales as it is classed as part of your buisness. In valuing your collection you should of course insure it but never over insure or value at a high replacement value because if you ever lost it then you would be taxed on what you were paid out above the purchase value as this would be a 'capital gain'. You could have a tax bill as well if you sold your entire collection in one hit. Just something for all to ponder. Yes, my accountant is a bit of a $hit as well!

I may be digressing from the topic slightly but I agree with you Rory, a restored tractor that will probably never return to the field and only come out of a hermatically sealed shed for showing purposes does nothing to float my particular boat other than being nice to see an example preserved, especially if restored properly. Tractors were made to work and should be restored to a state to which they are capable of again doing what they were made for. If a tractor is particularly rare or parts are virtually non existant to maintain for a working environment then I can fully accept the other aspect.

Still see loads of the Mamod steam stuff around here at the toy fairs but it does not seem to sell, perhaps it's because they want too much money and there are very few boxed. I see that there are loads of spare parts available for them on eBay and you can even buy a set of rubber tyres for them now. I bought an example of the TE1A steam tractor a few years ago at a local fair, it was not boxed but in mint and never been fired up condition. Later fairs I added to it by buying the plastic water filling funnel and the 'puppet' steering rod plus two original boxes of the burning tablets, on mine you can use either the tablets or liquid methalated spirits, the tablets are the same thing as modern firelighters. All the steam stuff now is Wilesco from Germany. Forgot to say, Bill, coat the end of the shaft in solder, only needs to be a little, that would probably hold the fly on.

Went to a little toy fair at Newton Abbot in the racecourse betting hall this morning, waste of time, it was getting quite a lot bigger and better over the last 12 months or so but there were only 3 Britains (scrap) tractors, a few older UH tractors and nothing else in the farming line, mostly train stuff today, Newton is quite a strong model rail area. The boot sale out on the course was more intewresting, only bought 1 item for £2 and that was a DVD of 'Grow Your Own', about a group of people and their allotments, some of you may have seen it from time to time on TV.

I believe his opening times and hours are very erratic. I've bought stuff from the shop but he's always been on the rather high side with his prices I always thought. Most of his stock of toys and models I have seen in the shop had an element of damage so he's obviously bought at rock bottom.

The ISBN number of the first one with yellowish cover is, 0 9521078 3 X. This was his first book published in 2001.

There's another good one, a large format soft cover by Norman Joplin titled 'The Great Book Of Hollow-Cast Figures'. Lists and pictures all manufacturers and rare and unknown as well. A very good book for the collector of the old cast figures and animals etc. Another recently published is a book on Britains Herald from 1955 to 1969 by Barney Brown.

I have been informed that the prototype has now been finished, inspected and scrutinised for quality control and has passed muster. It will be with me probably sometime Tuesday coming, when in my hands I will take some pictures and do a reveiw on it for everyone.

Andy, here is a more definitive answer to your question, the only one listed. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRICKY-TOMMY-Big-Brain-TRACTOR-MARX-/350353199027?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item5192ad8fb3

See lots of these around the fairs Andy, known as 'The Tricky Tractor' and made either by Triang or Merrit, may even be Marx, I'm not sure now as you hardly ever see them with their original box. What they do is that when you throw the power switch it will career off in whichever way it's front wheels are pointing and when it hits something it will then go off in a different direction either sideways or backwards untill it bashes into something else and then go off in another direction and will keep doing so until you stop it. Not a very valuable piece as there are lots about but if it's working and has the box then it's value rises. I have seen them in mostly blue and orange or orange and blue but I think there are green and red ones and red and green ones, the first of the two combination of colours on them being the greater amount. As far as I know they were UK made. I don't have one by the way.