A Farm Through Time

Keymaster

OK, I’ll come clean! Yes, it was me on the programme with three Trusty’s.

The filming was done back in April but I was asked not to mention anything because the producers hadn’t firmed up a deal with Channel 5 and selling it to another channel was a distinct possibility, so you can see why I was sworn to secrecy. The series of three programmes puts the Nicholson brothers, Rob and Dave, into three different ages of farming history: the first was the Second World War and I was asked to provide a Trusty for them to use. Knowing that using seventy year old machinery can be difficult I thought I’d take three tractors to cover the main part of the Dig For Victory campaign which didn’t finish until the early 1950’s even though the war had been over since 1945.

The line-up was a long-chassis tractor, single speed on iron straked wheels and fitted with a Wisconsin AEH engine supplied to Britain under the lend/lease arrangement with America; this was a 1943 machine fitted with a Greyhound Plough.

Next was a 1947 single speed tractor made in 1947 on steel spud wheels and fitted with a Norton Big Four engine; to this was attached my disc harrow.

Finally, a 1952 three-speed tractor with transmission brake and pneumatic wheels; to this was attached a Cambridge Roll.

The oldest tractor performed brilliantly on the day but the Norton engine flatly refused to re-start halfway through the afternoon. I’ve since found that the ignition coil in the magneto had failed, one of the hazards of using seventy year old stuff. The three-speed tractor had to substitute for it but with the soft ground the pneumatic wheels just couldn’t grip when turning, hence the need for assistance at the ends!

If anyone hasn’t seen it you can get it on the catch-up service on My5. It was 9pm on Thursday night, Channel 5.