« Father & sons | Main | camping in Edale »
July 12, 2011
Oh, OK then, one more tractor
But not just any tractor, as you can see it's a David Brown Selectamatic 990. These were made at the David Brown tractor factory in Meltham in the late 60s/early 70s. There was a disused railway line that ran from the factory, with disused sidings, and the tractors would be parked up in lines waiting for export or delivery.
David Brown Tractors at Meltham Mills, photo: Richard Harvey
My friend, Michael Chatterton, used to live on the end of Helm Lane, on the way out of Metham, and at the bottom of the field below his house was this disused railway line full of brand new David Brown tractors. We would go down there at the weekend and clamber over the tractors - they didn't have cabs in those days- and generally play around as small boys are won't to do.
One day we found a tractor with a key still in the ignition. I don't think we dared to turn it, there was a man who used to walk up and down occasionally checking that small boys weren't clambering over the brand new machines.
These were cutting edge, state-of-the-art, agricultural machines, with their [then] massive 4 cylinder 3lt diesel engines with a 16 speed gear box [12 forward and 4 reverse] putting the equivalent of 45 horses on the drawbar.
Note the little rascal at the wheel, taking after her father.
Posted by john at July 12, 2011 05:59 PM