Vintage tractor collection at Toddington Manor
I bought my first vintage tractor in 1964 for £25, a wartime Allis
Chalmers Model B, and gave it to my wife as a birthday present! It
remains in the collection. I had little idea that my combined interests
in farming and engineering would eventually lead me to acquire one
of the country's finest collections of vintage tractors and machinery.
A
by-product was to use it as a training ground for the Lancer Boss
lift truck designers, who were able to see how tractors evolved over
more than fifty years, in their turn nderstanding that companies which
were prepared to design to suit new techniques would succeed. It started
in earnest after we moved from Toddington Park to Toddington Manor,
when I bought twenty Internationals, many needing a great deal of
work.
The
help of the Mid-Beds branch of the Vintage Tractor Club was enlisted
under their organiser, Max Cherry, who for a time took over the running
of the collection. Even today they are actively involved on Open Days
and a number of Toddington tractors can be seen at shows throughout
the country.
By
1994 the collection had expanded to about one hundred and fifty tractors,
having been collected from auctions and private sales in Europe and
North America. Some of the names are familiar today, ranging from
the oldest 1911 Case Prairie tractor, weighing eleven tons, to a number
of First World War American imports, including an Overtime, which
was the first John Deere, a Fordson F, Titans and Moguls from the
International Tractor Company. The Second World War models included
lease-lend Olivers, John Deeres, Massey-Harris, Case and Internationals.
A
recent addition to the collection is the 1959 John Deere 730 the last
of the two-cylinder diesels, amazing when you realise International
started in the early 1930's with four cylinders, and semi-diesels
date back to the turn of the century.
In
1994 because of lack of display space and economic reasons it was
decided to reduce the collection to about fifty tractors (my wife
says it was to justify sneaking off to the sales again!). Record prices
were achieved including £36,500 for a 1927 Nicholson Shepherd Red
River Special, to £14,500 for a 1919 International Junior. A few machines
were sold as well, but regrettably not the horse-drawn reaper, for
which a record £1,000 was bid. Unfortunately it was bought back in
by the trainee auctioneer as instructed because the price had not
been expected to exceed £20!
Today
the collection has clear objectives.Whilst
there are one or two old friends left, including the original Allis
B and a Field Marshall, it has now been decided to concentrate on
the ancestors of the four leading makes of today - John Deere, Ford,
Case International and Massey-Ferguson.
The
newest date from the 50's, going back to 1911. Because we had them
at home during the Second World War there are many John Deeres dating
from the Waterloo Boy which was rebadged 'Overtime' by the UK importer.
Whilst
seven additions were bought in 1996 the emphasis is now on working
machinery including a trailer combine and a rack saw bench which can
be seen working on some Open Days.
The
collection helps to revive vivid memories for our older visitors and
intrigues the younger ones, who may find it hard to believe how things
have developed in a mere man's lifetime.
We
hope you enjoy seeing this collection and will visit again in the
future to see how the restoration work is going.
Sir
Neville Bowman-Shaw
