Visit to Elderburn collection of vintage tractors - Strathkiness Fife -8 th Nov

[BC]

Folks just in case anyone else in the Fife area of Scotland is intereted in viewing a collection of approximately 40 odd vintage tractors ( mainly Case) I have arranged a visit to rally friends of mine David & Joyce Symington who live in Strathkinenss close to St Andrews in Fife.

Joe aka catkom3 and me are the only two going now since well my mother and father won't be coming along due to dad just getting out of hospital yesterday. Brian aka mr softie can't make it due to auditors and work and Toolbox Tam aka Iain Cheeseman has yet to decide.

Anyway I know Monday afternoon is probably a bad day but if anyone else is interested just let me know. We are planning to arrive there for 1.30 pm on Monday 8th November 2010

An extract from a local paper earlier this year

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-headlines/superb_at_traction_of_vintage_vehicles_1_162344

[BC]

Oh well looks as though there will only be myself and Joe attending this one...never mind maybe we will post some photos for you if you want \

[Barry]

I hope so Bill, like looking through the photo's you take.

Bit too far for me i'm affraid.

Hope the weather is ok for you today, it's rather damp in Gloucester at the moment......i'd assume its worse in Scotland 

[NewHolland2]

Indeed would like to see some pics of this collection Bill, would have been interested myself if I wasn't at college today.

[catkom3]

Well,what a fantastic day,and what a collection,mainly Case tractors,but a sprinkling of Fordsons,Ferguson's,Fowlers,and some others Bill will have noted down,I'll put up some pictures of our host's model collection,then i'm sure Bill will put up some tractor pictures,he'll just be arriveing home about now 20:00hrs

Regards

Joe.

[BC]

Sorry Joe got home 20.15 stopped for a bite to eat on the way home.

I'm glad you enjoyed the afternnon I did think all those cases would impress ;D .

My camera is back on charge  after failing me in the byre shed so no photos of shed 3 containing MF 1085. Renault lorry, Showman's living van, Scania lorry, Foden lorry , Cat D2 Marshall crawler Rover 2000  and Jaguar XJS. I will get photos of the "shed" tractor downloaded to photobucket as soon as i can.

[catkom3]

No problem,I can fill in a few gaps there foryou 'though i didn't take any pitures of the car's

Can't be to many houses in the country that has one of these in the front hall  ;D

Regards

Joe,

[BC]

Thanks for those Joe.

No not many ladies would have a model steam engine in their hallway but then Joyce is a tractor girl and well lorry one too since not many girlie's can get excited about getting a new diff fitted to the Scania ;)

[catkom3]

How very true  ;)

Regards

Joe.

[BC]

I hope so Bill, like looking through the photo's you take.

Bit too far for me i'm affraid.

Hope the weather is ok for you today, it's rather damp in Gloucester at the moment......i'd assume its worse in Scotland 

Seventy odd photos being loaded to PB as we speak Barry but it will be tomorrow before I get them posted now.

There was a lot of spray when passing lorries on the way down but wasn't as bad on the way home.

Indeed would like to see some pictures of this collection Bill, would have been interested myself if I wasn't at college today.

We can easily arrange another visit in the future Mart.

David and Joyce don't work as such apart from working on their tractors ;)

[BC]

Well yesterday I drove down the 100 from home to Kinross to Joe's house and he kindly drove me the last 30 miles to David and Joyce Symington's place high on a hill near the village of Strathkinness in Fife which is close to St Andrews.

We arrived at their place bang on 1.30 pm as arranged and after seeing the 3 sheds and then models in the basement of the house we had a nice cup of tea before heading back to Kinross on a rather wet an horrible night.

I have known David and Joyce from some 25 years now and I actually had my first tractor before them. There are very passionate about there collection and I would say it is one of the restored and displayed collection in Scotland. They live for their tractors and I'll bet my cotton socks Joyce maybe knows more about Cases than some tractor lads do ;)

Anyway first port of call was the shed as Joyce calls its and was built around 10 years go to hold the restored tractors. I can't recall the dimensions but it is a fully insulated shed and is on three tiers and the tractors sit on blaze which is ideal for shifting about spade lug tractors on. In addition it soaks up any oil leaks but well I think you would struggle to find oil leaks in the restored ones since well David is a perfectionist when it comes to restoration. The only thing he does not do is top coat the tin work of their tractors.

Some general shots of the shed before individual ones.

[BC]

Apologies in advance but I see there must have been a mark or summit on my lens. I did not get all the tractor years and model model numbers but I will fill in the blanks later.

First a 1937 Case CC3 with cultivator

Narrow Vineyard / orchard

1927 Case 25/45

19?? Case

1919 Case 10-18

[BC]

1937 Case Power Unit

1924 Case 12/20

1950's Case VAE with cultivator

Now some models

[BC]

Next a 1953 VF Fowler

19XX Case - as bought unrestored

1939 Case 'R'

Some display cases with tools

Replica of a Cse dealer eagle

[BC]

19XX Case 3 wheeler

1931 John Deere GP

1951 Case Orchard

1954 Case SC

Let me rest in peace

[BC]

19XX Case

1936 Case R

19XX Case

1938 Case RC

1938 Case RC

1936 Case RC

[BC]

1938 Case L

General view

1938 Case CC

19XX Case

Pattison golf course tractoe with Model T engine and gearbox

[BC]

Dealer Case Eagle

Joyce's 50th birtday present from David and Early Fordson waterwasher with downswept exhaust

1939 Ferguson Brown A

1937 Ferguson Brown A

[BC]

Well that's the "shed museum" next up the old steading and the byre which Joyce wants to use for the restored british tractors...the Fergusons and Fordsons and the crawlers

David on his Harley and sidecar

MF 135

Fordson Major P6

[BC]

Some of them Cases awaiting restortion

Case 500

And some others

19XX Case "Tug"

[BC]

Well folks that's it  from me and sorry for the quality of photos with those horrid circles on them.

Anyway I'm sure I'll be back again and armed with spare battery too ;)

Any questions fire away and I'll try and fill in any blank model numbers and years later on this week.

[Andy]

A fine collection there Bill. A nice array of G&M Models too. Are models added to the collection quite frequently?

[BC]

It is an outstanding collection Andy. The best in Scotland I would say.

It was 2005 I last visited so there have been quite a few models added since then. I know David and Joyce come to the Isle of Skye in Perth in the Spring when G&M are up and they take a lorry loaded with two tractors and showmans living van to Dorset every second year at least so I assume they will buy models there as well.

[mr softie]

looks like an excellent day great collection thanks for sharing the pictures joe and bill

[The Tractor Twitcher]

That is an absolutely stunning collection of tractors especially the variety of Case machines, looks like a great place for a visit, thanks for sharing the photographs of the real machines and that superb collection of models too Joe and Bill. I've been fortunate to view and photograph some of the Symmington's tractors in the past at various events i've attended. They've visited Pickering Steam Rally before with one of their Case Crossmotor tractors and the John Deere GP.