Peterborough Farm Machinery Preservation Society.....

[John Gaunt]

I have just got back from an excellent local rally (Peterborough Machinery Preservation Society) held at Thorney near Peterborough.
It's on again tomorrow and I'd thoroughly recommend it. Many working machines both ancient and modern.

Amongst the exhibits was a nice looking D2, well, I thought it was a D2 until I closely examined the serial numbers The number on the transmission case was 6J661SP, clearly an R2 serial number, the engine No was difficult to read, but looked like 1T9816SP, and the plate bearing the engine number was 'titled' as "Power Unit Number.
So, we have an old 6J series R2 which has been re-engined with a D3400 (Is this the correct number ?) power unit, possibly from a generator.
This was done quite a lot in the post war years as a way to get a better more economical tractor, especially if the original spark ignition engine was worn out.
So, my question is what should this halfbreed be called ?
A D2 ? well, neither serial numbers relate to a D2, yet it is, to all intents and purposes the same spec as a D2.
I'd appreciate any comments and thoughts.

I've also included several pictures of other machines.

All in all, an outstanding day out.
D6 2H with Ransomes moleplough

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Re-engined R2, or is it a D2 ?

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Cat Challenger

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Claas combine on tracks

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Ransomes "Equitine" cultivator. Quite unusual this, the cultivator tines are connected together with a chain (visible in the picture) which allows the tines to flex if one hits a hard patch. I'd never seen one before.

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Nice looking D4 7J with a Ransomes TS46 3 furrow Multitrac plough on UD bodies

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Cat 951. There is a manual hydraulic valve (just above the hydraulic oil tank) to switch oil between the rear mounted ripper and (I think) the front loader. Would this valve have been an original fitting? If so it would have been very inconvenient for the operator to switch between ripping and loader operations.

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[martyn williams]

Some tidy machines there John
Martyn

[Julian]

Some tidy machines there John
Martyn

Indeed.

I saw one of those Cat Challenger machines at work a few weeks ago, it was cultivating some land used to grow vegetables, at Sealand, Chester, where they used to manufacture Jones balers, (self powered) I go there to practice clay shooting. I don't think they've made balers there for many a year. Anyway I watched it for a while and was thinking what a good bit of kit it was, however what a mess at the headlands when it turned around - great rucks of soil all over the place!

Now that I've finished the dumper I quite fancy looking out for one of those Cats, especially the ones with the donkey engine for starting. You see them up for grabs occasionally in the ''Tractor and Machinery'' mag, I wonder what sort of money they tend to fetch?

Julian.

[John Gaunt]

Hi Julian,
Aparantly at a farm sale in Lincolnshire recently two D2s sold for 2000 and 3000 respectively, and a D7 (7M) for 9000, all agricultural spec.