Alan Davies's Tractor Restoration: paintwork has taken three years to film. Details are in the blog of 14 October. The DVD is now in stock (£19.95, double-disk DVD approx 142 minutes) at Old Pond.
11/13/2009
11/12/2009
The world's most powerful demolition machine? And a very special crane
Steven Vale's quest to record on film the world's largest demolition machines took us in late August to Norway.
On the west coast, south of the Hardanger fjord, AF Decom is recycling one of the North Sea oil rigs. This Zaxis 800 (left), with its Genesis shear is the demolition machine they have been using so far.
However, we were able to see the trial of an even bigger machine, the Rusch Triple 34-25 (right), based on a Cat 5130 brought second-hand from the United States to Holland.
The 34-metre triple boom gives the Rusch plenty of height to tackle the spars on this section of the rig.
This can-opener (right), at work on the helipad, weighs in at 25 tonnes.
All around us the work of deconstruction and recycling was being carried on. A 12,000 tonne section of oil rig was being moved on SPMTs.
The sections had been brought in by Thialf, the world's largest floating crane.
Thialf at night was like a floating city.
Thialf slipped into the mist to fetch another load from the North Sea.
11/11/2009
All change at Old Tractor magazine
"I shall remain as editor of Old Tractor for the next three months but the March 2010 issue will be my last in that role."
The words are those of Stuart Gibbard in an email to contributors and friends, 9 November.
Working on a freelance basis, Stuart has edited and produced Old Tractor since its inception in 2003. The December issue is number 75. Readers know that they are guaranteed excellent photographs and in-depth features, edited to a high standard.
The new editor will be Scott Lambert, currently the designer of Tractor & Machinery magazine. The change reflects owner Kelsey Publishing's policy of taking all its titles in house in order to make optimal use of its employed staff.
Stuart continues: "My position is now fluid and I have been asked to move to the position of group editorial consultant with increased input over all the Kelsey tractor titles as well as contributing to Tractor & Machinery, Old Tractor and others in the group."
In response to his email Stuart has received many replies expressing astonished disappointment and support.
11/04/2009
Modern Tractors DVD - more information
We gave some advance information about this Tractor Barn programme in the blog of 28 August.
Jonathan Whitlam and Stephen Richmond have now come up with some further information. The first change is that what they intended as a single programme will now be two. Part 1 is edited and due into stock at Old Pond at the beginning of December. Part 2 will follow in the New Year.
This is what they say about Part 1:
Presented by Stephen Richmond and narrated by Jonathan Whitlam, Modern Tractors takes a close look at the modern tractors of the last ten years. This, the first part of two, brings together the most sophisticated machines from John Deere, Claas, Valtra, Same Deutz-Fahr and Case IH and Stephen also explains how the powershift transmission has developed over the years to give more automated functions before developing into the ultimate - the constantly variable gearbox of the 21st century.
Each manufacturer's models are looked at, starting from the origins of the models built today so that with John Deere we start with the 6000 and 7000 series of 1992 and see how they developed through the various models since then until we see the present day 6030, 7030, 8030 and 9030 ranges all hard at work. This is then brought right up to date with the latest 8RT series crawlers.
The Claas section sees the advent of the Renault Ares range which was later taken over by Claas as well as the development of the Xerion tractor and the Caterpillar Challenger sold in Claas colours. The new Claas Axion and Arion ranges brings the Claas story up to date.
Valtra starts with the Valmet and later Valtra Valmet tractors of the 1990s before moving to the new T and S Series built under the ownership of AGCO.
Same Deutz-Fahr brings together many different makes including Same, Lamborghini and Hurlimann but here we concentrate mainly on the Deutz-Fahr line which has since proved to be the trend-setting brand within this Italian group of companies.
Finally Case IH comes under the spotlight with a look at the development of the high horsepower Magnum range from its inception in 1988 through to the powerful Magnum range of today as well as the MXM and MXU models and the Maxxum and Puma models that replaced them to name but a few.
Part Two will continue the story with New Holland, JCB, McCormick and Landini, Fendt, Challenger and Massey Ferguson as well as Stephen taking a look at on-board computer control systems and axle and cab suspension systems.
10/31/2009
New light on the exciting early days of Harry Ferguson
Harry Ferguson before the plough by Michael Clarke in collaboration with Jack Woods. Quality paperback with gatefold, 160 pages including 50 photographs and line drawings. Published by Ballyhay Books and distributed by Old Pond at £12.99. IN STOCK.
Colin Fraser’s standard work, Harry Ferguson: inventor and pioneer, sketches in the great man’s early adventures in less than twenty pages. This new book, dealing mostly with the period 1906-13, completes the story.
The young Ferguson, apprenticed at his brother’s motor repair workshop, developed an over-riding interest in all things mechanical. He built and raced motorbikes and cars, then turned to aviation, designing, building and flying his own aeroplane. He was the first person to fly a plane in Ireland.
Ferguson’s obsession with flight – the same single-minded determination he was later to devote to his tractors and farm machinery – makes for fascinating reading. He had to solve engineering problems and then take all the risks that early aviators faced. There were plenty of thrills and spills.
The authors are both aviation enthusiasts, Jack Woods having had several books about aviation in Northern Ireland published. They have researched the subject deeply, and among the many fine illustrations in the book are 27 from the Ferguson family museum.
