Vintage Tractors and Engines



These pages are for my Vintage Tractors and Engines. I started in this hobby in 1987 when my neighbour asked me if I would like to accompany him to his club which he thought I would find interesting.

The club was the Thames Valley Group of the National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club. There I met a lot of interesting folk who mainly came from a farming background but also included people from other walks of life. The bug bit and I soon acquired a "basket case" of parts of a Lister "D" type single cylinder engine. This engine I restored and rebuilt and soon had it running at a local Farm open day. Since then having attended various auctions around the country or been told of the whereabouts of engines and Tractors I now own 3 Tractors and 3 Engines. This is still a bit too many to keep on my own property as thats only semi-detached house so most of them live down on my friend Bill's farm who I met through the club.

My Engines

My collection consists of a 1917 Lister "J" 4.5 HP single cylinder petrol engine, a Lister "CS 6/1 single cylinder Diesel engine, 2 "Petbow" Diesel generators (Unrestored) and a Petter "AVA2" sectionalised classroom instruction engine.

The Lister "J" came from a work collegue contact and is restored. The "CS 6/1 is unrestored, as are the Petbow's. These were acquired after meeting a fellow engine enthusiast Chris Madeley when I was working in Japan. He mentioned that while on a course at Reading University he saw the exhaust of one sticking out of a garage in the grounds of an old house in Reading. On my return my enquiries with the local Health Authority revealed that they were for sale at a low price. By then I had a working vintage tractor and a large trailer so one weekned it was off into Reading and I successfully recovered them. They had been purchased in the early 1950's as stand by generators and had never been used. The hour meter on one read 5 Hours only !! The other had stood outside and time and weather had taken their toll and is only fit for spares.

The Petter sectionalised engine was prepared by Petters apprentices and presented to Reading University. After many years use in the Agricultural Engineering Department it was given away with othe old equipment to a friend who then passed it on to me.

My Tractors

After the Lister "D" engine I wanted a tractor to restore and Patrick, Bill's son found me one the next year.

This tractor is a 1948 Fordson Major E27N with a petrol/TVO (Tractor Vapourising Oil) enine and Magneto ignition. Starting is by hand with the petrol and once the engine is warmed up the fuel tap is changed over to run on the TVO.

Restoration involved the removal of Tin work for de-rusting, degreasing the rest and then sand blasting away the rust. Several coats of primer and then top coat of Empire Blue for the body and Fordson Orange for the wheels and the tractor was ready for the road.

This tractor was shown at shows and rallies around Reading and also taken our annual club road run.

My next tractor was obtained from South Wales where my friend Ian put me on to a chap who was in the process of restoring an 0-6-0 steam shunting locomotive and wanted spece. This is also a Fordson Major E27N but what made this one different was it had the engine replaced by a Perkins L4 Diesel engine.

This tractor was fitted with full electrics which included lights, generator and starter motor. Flashing turn indicators were fitted by myself as a neccessary precaution.

Restoration of this tractor was similar to the first but it also needed new rear tyres and one front.

The difference in performance is quite noticable !! This engine gives 45 HP and runs at a slightly higher RPM so the road speed is now 13 mph and uphill it dosn't falter like the TVO one.


Follow these links to my other pages


Go to my Home Page
Go to my Hobby Page
Go to my Restoration and Preservation Links Page
Go to my DUKW page 1
Go to my DUKW page 2
Go to my DUKW pictures page
Go to my Vintage Tractor Picture Page
Go to my Pet Pictures Page