Tractor heritage, news and features

Welcome... November 2011

The Ford 4000 pictured above has just been acquired to be the second tractor for the Project Cornerstone charity. By spring 2012 the plan is to have two tractors, two trailers and various other items of agricultural equipment ready to be crammed into a 20ft container and then shipped to Ghana. Further information on the project can be found at www.projectcornerstone.
org.uk just click on the Tamale Tractors link.

With work on the MF 135 now completed the timing of the new purchase couldn’t be better for the students at the college who are just beginning the new educational year and will hopefully get the chance to sharpen their basic engineering skills on the Ford 4000. I am sure it will make a refreshing change from working on all those modern day monsters.

The hunt for the second tractor, which had to fulfill the criteria and suitability for the project, has been going on for some time. But the Ford was finally secured after appearing at a Market Rasen sale and Mortons Media Group is proud to have donated toward the acquisition of the tractor to become part sponsor in the project.

On my visit to the college the tractor had literally just arrived and I was pleased to join in with Simon Harrison and Steve Dennis in a cursory look round it while they assessed the scale of the task that lay ahead.

A quick scrape of the paint around the block soon revealed that the tractor was manufactured in February 1967. The engine requires some attention and knocks and, as can be seen from the picture, has a slight diesel leak and needs work done to the pump and injectors.

First thoughts were that the tractor had been used with a beet machine and somewhere down the line it will also be needing lights fitted and a new set of rear tyres. But many hands make light work, as they say, and there is a willing workforce on hand to make sure that the spring deadline will be easily met.

The remaining items to be sourced now for this stage of the project include a disc plough, possibly three furrow, which will suit the Ford and also the soil conditions out in Ghana. The other item is a maize sheller which is required to shell the maize cobs and clean the separated kernels.

If you know the whereabouts and availability of any agricultural equipment like this it would be great if you could drop us a line, we will be pleased to pass on the information. And I’m sure Project Cornerstone will be delighted to find a way to fulfill its ‘shopping list’ of items to send to Ghana next spring.

Tony Hoyland
Editor