Old Pond publishing days

Beet Harvesters in Britain Part 2 DVD advance information

Beet Harvesters in Britain Part 2 1995-2012, Chris Lockwood. DVD, approx 120 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-28-7. Now released by Old Pond at £16.95. Parts 1 and 2 are available together as a set at £31.95.

The second DVD in this two-part DVD set focuses on the advances in harvester design of the past fifteen years. Tanks are larger and there are more axles to spread the massive weights involved. The machines handle an increasing number of rows with far more technical monitoring.

The programme also covers the recent trend towards specialised 'beet chasers' in the field and self-propelled cleaner loaders. An extra feature looks at the Vervaet factory and the company's history.

Chris Lockwood justifiably claims this pair of programmes to be 'the most thorough on beet harvesters ever'. In total some 75 machines are featured over the two discs which include examples from almost all the beet harvester manufacturers whose machines sold in the UK in recent decades. Some stills can be seen in two blog entries here and here.

The machines covered in part 2 are:

Agrifac Big Six 2
Agrifac Big Six 5
Agrifac Big Six (2011)
Agrifac Quatro
Agrifac WKM 9000-S
Agrifac WKM Hexa 12
Agrifac ZA 215 EH
Armer Salmon Beaver HD Super
Edenhall 743
Garford VT640
Gilles two-phase system
Grimme Maxtron 620
Grimme Rexor 620
Holmer Terra-Dos
Holmer Terra-Dos T2
Holmer Terra-Dos T3
Kleine SF 10-2
Matrot M41H Electronic (2003)
Matrot M2011
Moreau Lectra V2
Moreau Voltra 6-24
Riecam RBM 300-S
Riecam 400-T
Ropa Euro-Tiger V8-3
Thyregod T7
TIM MII SA K-85
TIM MIII SH 1204
Vervaet 17-T (2001)
Vervaet 17-T (2006)
Vervaet Beet Eater 617
Vervaet Beet Eater 617 (2011)
Vervaet Beet Eater 625
Vervaet Beet Eater 625 (2011)
Vervaet Beet Eater 925

Transporters:
Holmer Terra-Transport
Richard Western & Kleine beet chasers

Cleaner loaders:
Ropa Euro-Maus 3
Kleine RL350V
Holmer Terra Felis 2
Special feature: Visit to the Vervaet factory

Beet Harvesters in Britain Part 1 DVD advance information

Beet Harvesters in Britain Part 1 1960-1995, Chris Lockwood. DVD, approx 120 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-27-0. Now released by Old Pond at £16.95. Parts 1 and 2 are available together as a set at £31.95.

This, the first of a two-part DVD set, covers the development of beet harvesters from 1960 to the mid-1990s. It documents the changes, firstly, from trailed single-row side-elevator harvesters on to multi-row trailed machines. It deals with early self-propelled harvesters and finally with the more recent six-row tanker machines.

The majority of the machines are shown at work in all weathers on farms, filmed specifically for this programme by Chris Lockwood. Stills can be seen in two blog entries here and here.

The machines covered in part 1 are:

Armer Salmon Cougar
Catchpole Cadet
Cebeco ZA 215 EH
Garford Victor
Holmer KRBS
Italo Svizzera HM190id
Matrot MT05F 225 (1979)
Matrot MT05F 225 (1986)
Matrot M31 Electronic
Matrot M41 Electronic
Matrot M41H Electronic (1993)
Moreau AT64
Moreau GR4
Moreau GR4 Mk II
Moreau Lectra 4005
Ransomes Catchpole Super Cadet
Ransomes 33A tanker
Ransomes Hunter
Rational Nova Hydro 2
Riecam RBM 230
Riecam RBM 300
Standen Rapide
Standen Rapide Tanker Mk II
Standen Rapide Tanker Mk3A
Standen Turbobeet
Standen Cyclone Mk III
Standen Cyclone Mk IV
Standen Tornado
Standen Challenger SP6
Stoll V202
TIM MII S
TIM SR 1800
Vervaet & Heyens 12-T
Vervaet 17-T (1994)
Vicon-Steketee Super

 

Decade of Evolution Ford Series 10 Tractors 1985-91 new DVD from Tractor Barn

Decade of Evolution: the Story of the Ford Series 10 Tractors Part Two 1985-91, Stephen Richmond & Jonathan Whitlam. DVD approx 100 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-30-0. Available now from Old Pond at £16.95. Parts One and Two together: £31.95 (see the Old Pond website Offers Page).

Between 1981 and 1991 the Ford Motor Company produced one of its most successful tractor ranges ever – the Series 10. The Tractor Barn film-makers have produced a pair of DVDs to celebrate this range.

In Part Two, presenter Stephen Richmond picks up the story in 1985 with the launch of the Force II range and all the developments that came with it. The Super Q cab took the range to new heights of modernity and operator comfort, and the range later expanded to take in the new 7810 model.

Stephen shows how the later Series 10 machines evolved until the 1989 launch of the Generation III models with more electronic monitoring and control. This was the final flowering of the range.

The film-makers use both recently filmed footage as well as specially selected archive films produced by the Ford Motor Company at the time.

The archive films include the launch of the Force II models, a look behind the scenes at the Ford tractor factories and a tour of the United States with the Ford Borehamwood Demonstration Team. A view of the workings of the ElectroLink electronic hydraulic controls on the 8210 III model brings the story up to the end of Series 10 tractor production in 1991.

In a special feature Stephen looks at the restoration of a Ford 7810 III and its continued use as a working machine.

For more DVDs by Tractor Barn, including their highly successful programme, The Story of the Ford 7000, see here.

Decade of Evolution Ford Series 10 Tractors 1981-84 new DVD from Tractor Barn

Decade of Evolution: the Story of the Ford Series 10 Tractors Part One 1981-84, Stephen Richmond & Jonathan Whitlam. DVD approx 85 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-29-4. Available February from Old Pond at £16.95. Parts One and Two together: £31.95 (see the Old Pond website Offers Page).

Between 1981 and 1991 the Ford Motor Company produced one of its most successful tractor ranges ever – the Series 10. The Tractor Barn film-makers have produced a pair of DVDs to celebrate this range.

In Part One, presenter Stephen Richmond first sets the scene by looking at Ford tractor developments up to 1981 when the Series 10 was launched. He shows that the series embodied the company’s ideas up to that point as well as new features such as a synchromesh gearbox.

The bulk of the programme tells the story of the first Series 10 models as well as the later introduction of the flagship 8210 and other improvements up to 1984. The film-makers use recently filmed footage as well as specially selected archive films produced by the Ford Motor company at the time.

The archive films show factory shots of Series 10 development machines. You will see forage harvesting with the 7610 as well as a 7710 using a Ransomes push–pull plough during a Dutch ploughing marathon.

Archive footage showing the launch of the Series 10 compact tractors is yet another contribution to the story of this important tractor class. Finally, Stephen looks at the restoration of an early Ford 6610 tractor from rusty used condition back to as good as new.For more DVDs from Tractor Barn, including their highly successful programme The Story of the Ford 7000, see here.

The Farm Tractor Handbook from 1918 being republished

The Farm Tractor Handbook, George Sherwood. Hardback book, 175mm x 122mm, 224 pages inc. 61 black and white photos and 58 line illustrations. ISBN: 978-1-908397-20-1. Now in stock at Old Pond at £14.95.

First published in 1918 to show the range of tractors working in Britain at that time, The Farm Tractor Handbook is now a collector’s item. This edition is a complete facsimile.

By 1918 the case for the agricultural tractor had been made and there were many companies producing a wide range of designs. Author George Sherwood’s aim was to help the farmer ‘choose out of the ever-growing number of different makes'.

He begins with some principles: the internal combustion engine; carburation, lubrication and cooling; ignition; transmission and steering. Throughout these chapters clear cut-away diagrams are supplemented by photographs of the tractors of the day.

George Sherwood gives practical information on starting and repairs. A chapter on horsepower and drawbar pull leads on to major sections on the different types of tractor and plough, and then to ploughing itself and belt work. Final chapters deal with steam ploughing - then coming to the end of its 60-year era - and converting a touring car into a tractor. According to the Rejax advetisement 'Many Fords are lying idle. Use them to increase the capacity of your limited labour and of your land'.

An Appendix lists the principal tractor makers and agents in the United Kingdom. There is a full index and there are also some fifty advertisements from the agricultural engineering companies of the time.

The book includes tractor designs which were short-lived and exist, if anywhere, as rarities, such as Martin’s Self-Contained Three-Furrow Motor Plough. At the other extreme, the Fordson makes its appearance.

This book can claim to have made a significant contribution to the body of knowledge which increased the acceptance of the farm tractor in the United Kingdom.

Farm Office Handbook new book advance information

Farm Office Handbook, Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators. Paperback, 210mm x 160mm, 224 pages inc. approx 50 tables and 5 photos. ISBN: 978-1-908397-11-9. Now available from Old Pond Publishing at 19.95.

Farm Office Handbook is a practical reference source for anyone involved in farm administration, from someone tackling farm paperwork for the first time to experienced staff seeking to improve their skills. It has been produced through the collaborative efforts of a team of professional farm administrators.

Farm Office Handbook offers comprehensive guidance on:
- Farm office basics, from equipment to ‘Doing it Online’
- Setting up accounting systems
- Computerising a manual accounting system
- VAT and payroll for small rural businesses
- Year-end procedures complete with a useful checklist
- Management reporting and budgeting with useful templates
- Statutory and assurance records
- Useful websites for legislative updates and other important information
- Contacts and online resources for rural businesses.

Building on Michael Hosken’s long-standing and authoritative book, The Farm Office, this is a completely revised new edition.

Ford Transcontinental at Work new book advance information

Ford Transcontinental at Work, Patrick W Dyer. Hardback, 210 x 265 mm (landscape), 144 pages inc. 206 photos. ISBN 978-1-908397-10-2. Now available from Old Pond at £19.95.

The Transcontinental was an audacious attempt by Ford to challenge the best heavy truck producers in Europe. Developed by a dedicated team of designers, based in Essex, England, the truck was a masterpiece of proprietary component engineering. Engines from Cummins, gearboxes from Fuller, axles from Rockwell and an award-winning cab from Berliet all came together in a dynamic package, which shattered the performance test records of the industry magazines in 1975.

Always intended as a fleet machine, the big Ford instead gained the image of the ‘premium flagship’, often rated alongside established leaders such as the Scania 111 and Volvo F88. Heavily revised in 1978, the Mk 2 remained in production until 1983. Although the Transconti never made a profit for Ford, this big lorry which was magnificent to drive remains a memorable model, loved by truckers and truck enthusiasts alike.

To celebrate the Transconti, Patrick Dyer has gathered over 200 photographs to show the truck in its full glory over the years and in a variety of liveries and locations. Each photograph has an extensive caption. When read together these give the complete story of the introduction and development of the model.

There is extensive information on bodywork and engine specifications, the little differences that changed over time and the details which made the model so special to those who drove it. Photographs show the trucks at work abroad and there are shots of them on the production line. To set the Transconti in context, Patrick also considers the models which came before and after.

Patrick’s informative and friendly writing style gives the impression of sharing this story with a fellow enthusiast. The entertaining foreword is by George Bennett.

Patrick W Dyer is the author of two other books celebrating truck models, Scania at Work: LB110, 111, 140 & 141 and DAF at Work: 2800, 3300 & 3600. The second edition of his first book, Volvo F88 and F89, is due for release in May 2012.

Ron Creasey last of the horselads new book advance information

Ron Creasey: last of the horselads, William Castle. Hardback, 234 x 156 mm, 228 pages inc. line illustrations and 20 pages photos. ISBN 978-1-906853-96-9. Now available from Old Pond Publishing at £19.95.

This is the story of East Yorkshireman Ron Creasey, one of the last farm horsemen to find work at a hiring fair in 1946. He was just seventeen.

During his years as a horselad, he lived in the traditional conditions, remained single and was paid just once a year. The Caley family for whom he worked expected high standards of farming and horsemanship and a great deal of hard graft. Ron loved the life, eventually rising to become Waggoner.

On the heavy clay of Holderness, horses were used for longer than in many other areas but it was only a matter of time before changing farming methods encroached upon Ron’s world.

Though horses became less and less important to the everyday workings of the modern farm, Ron continued to be involved with heavy horses throughout his life and retained a clear memory of his influential early days as a horselad.

During 2006 and 2007, not long before Ron Creasey’s death, William Castle recorded a long series of conversations with the horseman. This information provided a rich stream of knowledge and anecdote – all relating to horses and farming – that helped the author re-create traditional skills and practices.

Much of the book is a transcription of Ron Creasey’s words. William Castle draws on his own experience of working with horses to provide background and context.  He explains the specific nature of horse work in the Holderness area, using diagrams to show the details of harness and gear in the region. He shows how waggons were loaded and he also gives a full glossary of terms.

William Castle writes for Heavy Horse World magazine.

Looking at Logging Part 2 DVD advance information

Looking at Logging Part 2, Pete Connock and Martin Phippard (CP Productions). DVD, 120 minutes. ISBN 978-1-906853-98-3. Available now from Old Pond at £16.95 inc VAT.

This two-hour programme kicks off in Sweden where the CP Productions team spends a day in the company of Michael Kwarforth and his stunning Scania R620 truck-trailer combination. Many of Sweden’s logging trucks are well turned out but the Kwarforth Scania is simply stunning to look at and listen to!

The transport of long logs in Sweden is not a common event but we see just such an operation in the north of the country during the coldest part of winter. Lots of snow and some spectacular winter scenery act as a backdrop to this unique logging process.

Hayes trucks are legendary for their rugged longevity and are popular with log truck operators in the forests of British Columbia. So a twin-steer Hayes with a self-loader working in the Port Alberni area of Vancouver Island is obviously something very special. Join owner-driver Trevor Bennett on a typical day out in his 1975 Mack-powered Hayes HD four-axle tractor and extendable trailer.

Only a dozen or so Challenger trucks were built with most entering service in the 1990s with Canadian logging companies located in the Pacific North-West. Pete Connock and Martin Phippard found one working example driven by a young and enthusiastic company driver who considers his 600hp Challenger to be ‘the best log truck ever built.’

Finland, like Sweden, has long, snow-filled winters. But that doesn’t stop log truck operators facing up to the challenges presented by rough roads, steep gradients and big loads. The film-makers found a Sisu powered by an 18-litre Caterpillar rated at 630hp and marvelled as its driver overcame all the obstacles nature could throw at him.

Although Sweden allows some of the biggest trucks in Europe, operators and shippers alike are always seeking new ways in which to improve productivity. One combination doing just that is a unique 30-metre-long truck plus B-train combination working in northern Sweden at weights of 90-tonnes gross.

Mention the name Steve Drybrough or the Hayes truck known as H17 and you can be assured that these will be instantly recognised anywhere in the world. A log truck driver all his life, Steve is acknowledged as ‘the authority’ in the heavy-duty log truck business. And H17, the Hayes HDX Steve has driven since 1975, is no less famous having featured on a postage stamp and in several trucking publications. In the spring of 2011 CPP captured this inseparable team still hauling gigantic loads of timber from the mountains to the Sarita sort on Vancouver Island.

Some logs are sawn into planks for building material and some go to pulp-mills where they eventually become paper. Inevitable by-products of these processes are sawdust and wood chips but these materials are not wasted. Known as wood residuals, the bulky products are transported in carefully engineered, high-capacity bodies. In this DVD we see a superbly crafted Scania discharging a load at a mill in southern Sweden.

The companion to this programme, Looking at Logging Part 1, has been enthusiastically received: ‘It is an absolute belter filled with great moving images of logging lorries from around the world and there are some real treats in it too … logging truck videos don’t come much better.’ BigLorryBlog.

Parts 1 and 2 are available together as a money-saving set on the Offers page of the Old Pond website

Pete Connock and Martin Phippard have been making trucking programmes for nearly twenty years. Their DVDs are fully researched and narrated and aimed squarely at fellow trucking enthusiasts. More of their programmes can by found in their dedicated section of the Old Pond website.

Agriculture in Germany DVDs from Jörn and Tammo Gläser advance information

Agriculture in Germany Volumes 1-4, Jörn and Tammo Gläser . DVDs: Volumes 1,2 & 3 run for 90 minutes; Volume 4 is 100 minutes. Each DVD has a full English commentary. You can buy individual Volumes at £19.95 (inc. VAT) each or the four together in a handsome boxed set for £74.95. Now in stock at Old Pond.

Agricultural film-makers Jörn and Tammo Gläser have travelled widely through Germany to make four new programmes to document the work of farmers and contractors using the latest agricultural machinery. In total there are 120 examples of farm work including over 250 modern tractors, crawlers, combines, forage harvesters and specialist vehicles. Enthusiasts of their previous documentaries on farming in North America and Russia will need no introduction to their highly popular productions.

Volume 1 starts in early in a wet spring when soft ground makes cultivation difficult. Agricultural contractors are drilling beet and planting potastoes. Soil preparation for spring cereals is in full swing.

Volume 2 moves into early summer with New Holland and Claas forage harvesters taking first cuts of grass. Large-scale Krone combines are at work, and the highlights of the programme include the 524 hp Claas Xerion 5000 and the Agco Challenger.

In Volume 3, combines with cutterbars up to 12 metres are busy harvesting, followed by balers and large John Deere articulated tractors dealing with the stubble.  Film from Bavaria deals with grassland and we see forestry machines at work in Hesse.

Machines at work in Volume 4 – the autumn – include the Krone BigX 1100 and Fendt’s new Kantana 65 forage harvester as well as the Claas Lexion 770 and Case IH Quadtrac. Winter cereals are being drilled, while sugar beet is harvested and loaded.

The programmes are narrated in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.