Ultimate Ransomes Find?

[expeatfarmer]

After some detective work by my good friend Anthony I have now managed to complete my quest to collect one of every model of MG tractor. In one place we managed to find a 1957 ex Brighton Railway ITW fitted with inboard Boughton winch ( number 11734 ), an ex Bristol water skimmer and an MG6 fitted with a Demon loader. Six months of haggling later I collected the skimmer and ITW this weekend. Part of the deal was to get the MG6 up and running after 10 to 15 years in a shed, luckily for me it was a TVo model and the carb had been drained down so jets etc were all in good order. The owner in his mid eighties was over the moon to take it for a drive round the yard. The ITW has a later petrol engine fitted but I managed to find the original Drayton engine which has been very cleverly fitted with a ring gear flywheel and electric start. The skimmer has a ford escort engine and gearbox which I will swap for the ITW petrol engine. Most of the actual skimming gear is missing but now that I can stop hunting tractors I can start hunting skimmer spares!!!

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[expeatfarmer]

With the 80th anniversary of the MG Tractor next year I hope to have these machines at least driving so that at Tractor World Malvern we can guarantee to have at least one of every model on display. If anyone knows of another Skimmer in existence I would love to hear about it.

[dave]

Well done Jonathan, I look forward to seeing these machines at Tractor world
in the spring. Dave.

[crawler]

Congrats on completing your quest, you will have to open a museum now to display them all.
Did you get any photos of the MG6 with Demon loader?

[vhgmcbuddy]

Just noticed it has 4 load rollers, is it longer than a standard skimmer?

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[expeatfarmer]

Dave did you pick up chassis number for the ITW for your register? Not found a number on the skimmer yet. Demon loader was interesting, has a second loose fitted seat frame that sits on the gearbox to enable you to drive it backwards but must be a pig to work as both hydraulics and track drive are both operated through the centrifugal clutch so there would be a lot of revving up slowing down crunching gears etc to operate it effectively, big piece of kit though bucket must hold 3cwt.

[expeatfarmer]

I am conscious of the fact that although very much derived from horticultural machinery, both the Ransomes ITW and the Skimmer are Industrial machines. I am happy to continue to post updates and topics on these machines if members are interested, what is the general view?

[crawler]

I can’t believe anyone on here would object, they are just variations on the MG crawler. I for one would like to see any updates you have.
Rob

[joegrgraham]

Ditto, I’m always happy to read about something different.

Joe.

[franktonpaget]

The VHGMC is and always has been a “broad church” of enthusiasts who I have found whatever there particular favourites are also interested in the subject in general.
Many of the lightweight tractor manufacturers in a effort to increase markets produced “industrial” versions David Brown 2D, Garner or Winget to just name a few and close to me Lea Francis Unihorse and OTA tractors were industrial tow tugs in factories and the local railway station had a Nuffield mini tractor on platform goods haulage.
So I tend myself to think industrial versions of machines are a intrinsic part of the story and to ignore or exclude them would diminish what we as a movement are hoping to achieve

[oddhatuk]

Please continue posting on this very interesting aspect of the Ransomes MG story

Hugh

[expeatfarmer]

Happy to continue many thanks for your responses. Jonathan

[jtg1]

there should be several skimmers about. i remember rows of them going through the great dorset sale in the mid 90’s, think they were ex bristol water works. there was also at least half a dozen sold out of bournmouth waterworks in the late 90’s, plus about ten tonne of spares, i remember having first refusal, but it was too big a deal for me in those days, and as i only had a 3.5 ton bedford that did 18 to the gallon, and being from norfolk, it was never going to be economical or practical

[charlie]

We did cover the skimmers in an article in the club magazine, so very much of interest to members.

[expeatfarmer]

This skimmer was one of those sold from GDSF, I wonder where the others went? I did hear of a complete restored machine that went to Hull but trail has gone cold. I know of some skimmer spares but no other machines.

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