Eastern Counties Vintage Tractor Show

After spending Saturday in London it was time to scoot up to Norfolk and spend a Sunday in the more relaxed climate of the Eastern Counties Vintage Tractor Show. Now in it's 3rd year this event is getting bigger and bigger, the variety of vehicles and machinery on display is now more akin to what you'd expect from a large steam fair. It's the variety of stuff that keeps me coming back to this show I am spoilt for choice every year I have been and this year was no exception....

1923 Fiat 703

(ink sketch)

First sketch was of one of Roger Desboroughs' ever expanding collection of early tractors. I was attracted by this Fiat purely by it's simplicity and the imposing nature of the big box shape on the front. This tractor was on of the first models built by Fiat Trattori, the agricultural division of Fiat at the time.

1972 Condec M561 'Gama Goat'

(ink and watercolour)

The find of the show was this Gama Goat. These were developed by Condec for use in Vietnam. The front tractor unit houses a 3 cylinder supercharged 2 stroke which drives all 6 wheels. The vehicle was specifically designed to drive through paddy fields, and so is amphibious. A compressor pumps air into the brake drums in order to stop water entering and the front and rear wheels both steer to make it more manoeuvrable not only on land but in the water too. The rear trailer is designed to take different pods, this particular one is a radio pod but it also could have ambulance, weapons and other variants of pod dropped into the trailer. This particular radio pod was found by the owner whilst driving a lorry in Germany. When passing a house Paul noticed that the garden shed was in fact a radio pod for a Goat. Knocking on the owners door Paul tried to explain that he wanted to buy the mans garden shed. No sooner had a neighbour translated Paul's request the shed / pod was being emptied and loaded onto his lorry!

1949 Deutz FIM414

(ink and watercolour)

Final sketch of the day was this 11hp Deutz which sported a double plough on the back and I loved the shape of the red counter weight which is for a finger mower. This is such a simple little tractor which you don't see that often at shows, so I was very happy to spend some time sketching it before making the along journey home.

More photos of the wide range of stuff on display...

  This particular show is famed for having the largest display of pre 1930 tractors, I could have quite easily spent the whole day in the one shed!

International

 Rumley DoAll

Peterbro'

These two Farmall's were in great original condition and both had worked in the East Anglian region all their lives!

 

1938 F14

1935 F12 

Scemia

More tractors...

  Oliver Crawler

 A great pair of Ransomes Crawlers

Oliver with Horns

 Massey 1200

 Sentinal Steam Bus

Motorcycles

 Norton

1949 BSA Goldstar Rigid Trials

Some Serious Trad. Fairing on this BSA!

Military

 Puch Army Pick Up

Humber

 Scamell Explorer

 Plymouth

Stationary Engines and Agricultural Equipment

Lister line up

 

 Auto Trucks

 An Allen Auto Scythe with bench saw attachment

The Rest...

 1951 Standard Vanguard

 There was an impressive amount of trucks at this years show!

Kingdom of Kicks Shop Opening

I first visited Kingdom of Kicks after an after party for the Bike Shed Event last year. When I heard that they had a shop opening I was keen to go and see how the store turned out and catch up with some London chums. For those of you that don't know Kingdom of Kicks is the brain child of all round Australian good guy and bike builder James, head over to their website to see more of what they are about. The Store and workshop reside on an industrial estate near Hackney Wick, a part of the old industrial area that survived the Olympic take over. 

(ink sketch)

First sketch of the day was executed across the road at another custom bike shop Muff Customs, whilst WAITING for Mr Chester Belter (Rich). This Honda Express was resting in the shadows of some more imposing bikes. Muff have a great coffee shop where I sampled a tasty mushroom medley courtesy of Rich! Whilst sampling the delights of Muff I also had a rather amusing conversations about pipe wrap with Jon Tremlett the illustrator and maker who's website Soul Craft Candy is chock full of amusing cartoons and insights to his creative life. After hearing the roar of bikes as the ride out returned we headed over to Kingdom of Kicks to see what bikes had turned up....

Demon Lung's Triumph

(ink sketch)

I only managed one sketch at the actual event as it's very odd sketching in a purely social environment, but I'm glad I did as I managed to capture Rory's latest incarnation of his Triumph, which I helped transport to Dirt Quake II last year. Since Dirt Quake this bike has been written off and rebuilt in various ways, it's a constantly evolving and hard working bike.

Here's more bikes...

 A smart Honda Four

 I loved the simplicity of this BSA.

 Harley Chopper

 Spot the Dog

 Jame's current mule

 Toshi's fantastic Rudge Pathfinder

Tractor World 2014

Many tractor enthusiasts traveled from around the country to visit the Tractor World Show at the Malvern Showground on the 1st & 2nd of March. 2000 exhibits were on display and I as always at this show was spoilt for choice as to what machinery to sketch.

Ferguson Brown

(ink sketch)

Ferguson Brown tractors are rare but this one is made even more so by it's unusual driving position. It was used by the South African and Rodesian Air Forces. I presume for towing aircraft.

1952 Farmall BN

 (ink & watercolour)

This was one of the concourse tractors, a very nice restoration that was fresh out of the workshop, finished on the Friday before the show. It belongs to a family who have a serious Farmall addiction with more than 70 tractors.

1959 Ransomes MG with Winch

 (ink sketch)

Whist looking for something unusual to sketch I found this Ransomes Crawler tucked away in the corner. Someone did comment as to why I was sketching it. Personally I think it was a silly question.

 600 cc Ransomes Engine

The Winch

Series 1 Land Rover with Plough

  (ink & watercolour)

Now this is possibly the only 3 point linkage on a Land Rover in existence. It was offered as an official fitting for Series 1 Land Rovers. The number of these linkages made is unknown and the owner Geoff Smith of this is still trying to find out more about them. Another attachment you could have on the Land Rover was a mower bar which could be adjusted from the drivers position. A great article on this subject was published in the March issue of Tractor & Machinery .

Fordson Major with Perkins P6 Enigine

 (ink sketch)

Last year I sketched Phil Moston's Nufield Perkins conversion and this year he was exhibiting his immaculate Fordson Major with a Perkins P6 installed.

More Photos....

I only saw this Advance Tractor outside of the hall and never again!

 

 Another one that I didn't have time for was this 1948 John Deere No.55 Combine. This is the only one left of two that were imported into the country.

 

Some more of the John Deere line up

1941 John Deere Model D

 Caterpillar Crawlers

Mogul

 

This was an unusual Ferguson TE20 conversion. It has a Perkins Diesel engine fitted and has recently  been converted to 4 wheel drive along with having wheel strakes fitted for better traction when subsoiling. A serious bit of kit!

 International Harvester Crawler

 Humber

 Hungarian UE 28

 Massey 135

 1958 David Brown 2D

Telford Twin Shock Show 2014

1949 BSA Gold Star Flat Tracker

(ink sketch)

Imported fro the States where this was used on the long tracks this Gold Start was going to be run on the Red Marley Hill Climb last year but the event got canceled. This year the pre 50s class isn't running so it looks like this bike may never see the hill. The Red Marley Hill Climb is on Easter Monday and is a great day out. Have a look at the videos of previous years on You Tube

1949/50 Mk I Excelsior Speedway Bike

(ink sketch)

I always appreciate a good JAP speedway bike but I've never seen an Excelsior Speedway bike. The Mk I that I sketched belonged to a man who also owned the Mk II (pictured below) and the Sunbeam Speedway bike seen behind. The Sunbeam is the only known example of this 20's racer, a rare beast indeed shame the photos I took of it were no good!

1978 SWM 250 RSMC

(ink sketch)

After being commissioned to sketch two of Chris's Can-Am bikes last year I stopped by the Canned Ham stand, where I saw this great SWM. This is the Italian variant of the Can-Am which runs the same Rotax engine. I think this bike has a little more style in the tank than the Can-Am bikes but what do you expect from the Italians?

More Photos....

 JAP Speedway

 If only I had £1200 for this methanol BSA scrambler!

If I had been at the event for the whole weekend then I would have sketched this for sure.

For more info on the Telford Twin Shock Show please Visit their site:

Telford Twin Shock