Old Pond publishing days

Should Britain's surface mines become tourist attractions?

In the Foreword to his forthcoming Old Pond book about Europe's surface mines and machines, Walking with Giants, Steven Vale addresses the question of transparency. Steven writes:

"The fact that European surface mining has made huge progress in improving its negative image as a noisy and dusty industry is something that is perhaps not always appreciated or understood.

"It is inevitable that where there are earthmoving machines there will be noise and dust, but some mines – especially those in Britain – are going to great lengths to reduce levels beyond what is expected. Novel noise- and dust-suppression systems, such as those developed by Banks Mining and Miller Argent, are to be applauded for leading the industry in the right direction.

"Safety is yet another area that has come under serious scrutiny. It is not just about wearing the right clothing and protective gear, safety also applies to machinery. There is no better example of what can be done to improve safety around machines than those measures taken at Broken Cross, a coal mine owned by Scottish Coal. This mine has put a great deal of money and thought into raising safety awareness in and around their huge trucks.

"However, despite the expensive efforts being made to increase the safety of workforces as well as reduce environmental impact, Britain’s coal mines continue to attract protestors who are keen to shut them down. Perhaps the answer to this problem lies with the practices of other mines in Europe. British mining ought to consider three European mines in particular - mines which not only bring more transparency to the business but also make a bit of extra cash in the process.

"One of Europe’s best kept secrets concerns New Boliden’s Swedish Aitik copper mine [top picture], Rio Tinto Minerals’ French Luzenac talc mine [bottom left] and RWE Power’s huge German lignite mines [bottom right]. The secret is that all of these mines can be accessed by tourists at certain times of the year.

"Surprisingly, or not as the case may be, there is huge interest in all three locations, which attract over 120,000 visitors a year between them. While the big machines are the star attractions, the general public is also keen to learn more about new measures being taken to reduce noise and dust. Visitors also express an interest in learning about the restoration plans for the land once the mining is finished."

  

Appleby Horse Fair book advance information

The Horses of Appleby Fair, Heidi M Sands. Paperback Book, 147 x 210 mm (landscape), 128 pages including 130 photographs. ISBN: 978-1-906853-90-7. Now in stock at Old Pond at £9.95.

Each June, the gypsy, Romany and travelling community converges on the sleepy Cumbrian town of Appleby where for a few days the horse is king. This traditional horse fair is probably the oldest in Europe and certainly the largest.

Here the river Eden flows through an area known as The Sands where onlookers gather to see riders wash and prepare their equines as they have done for centuries. Along the ‘flashing lane’ crowds assess the potential of horses for sale, from traditional cobs to Shetland ponies. Here horses are paraded at speed to attract potential buyers. Here is also an abundance of horse-drawn vehicles, the most recognisable of which are the bow-top caravans, highly decorated in the traditional style.

Up on Fair Hill stalls sell all manner of tack, saddlery and decorated crockery. This is a spectacle that attracts thousands of spectators. Heidi Sands’ photographs evoke the glamour and vitality of the fair, the beauty of the horses and the distinctive characteristics of the people who own and ‘flash’ them.

An experienced author and life-long equestrian, Heidi M Sands was brought up in the north-west of England. This is her first book for Old Pond Publishing.

Massey Ferguson Combines Part 2 DVD advance information

The Massey Ferguson Combine Part Two: 1970-2011 Walkers, Rotaries and Hybrids, Steven Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam (Tractor Barn Productions). DVD approx 70 minutes. ISBN 978-1-906853-93-8. Available now from Old Pond at £16.95 inc VAT.

The second part of two programmes in which - using archive footage from AGCO - Tractor Barn tells the story of the Massey Ferguson combine from the reaper to the latest high-tech machines.

Part Two picks up the story at the beginning of the 1970s with the new 520, 525 and 625 combines built in Europe before moving on to the American 800 Series giants and then the smaller European versions. A giant rotary combine appeared in the 1980s that had been developed by White and then MF entered into an agreement with Dronningborg of Denmark to produce a range of European combines as well as Finnish company Sampo for a range of compact and plot machines.

The Dronningborg connection gave MF a leap in electronic monitor technology and would lead to the introduction of field mapping using satellites with the 30 Series machines and the dawn of the new era of precision farming. After the purchase of MF by AGCO the combine line was soon rejuvenated with many more models appearing once again in the USA thanks to the use of Gleaner technology. In the 21st century a whole range of combines is built for Massey Ferguson by Laverda giving a very comprehensive and modern range, fit for today's harvest fields all over the world.

Both Parts One and Two use original Massey Ferguson archive film taken when the featured machines were new and at work.Taken together, these two programmes tell the fascinating story of the development of the red combine harvester line from its origins right up to the present day and also include glimpses of how these machines were built in factories in Canada, Scotland and Denmark. Buy the two programmes together for only £32 inc VAT from the Old Pond Offers website page.

Massey Ferguson Combines Part 1 DVD advance information

The Massey Ferguson Combine Part One: 1847-1980 Reapers to Giants, Steven Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam (Tractor Barn Productions). DVD approx 70 minutes. ISBN 978-1-906853-92-1. Available now from Old Pond at £16.95 inc VAT.

The first part of two programmes which - using archive footage from AGCO - Tractor Barn tells the story of the Massey Ferguson combine from reaper to the latest high-tech machines.

Part One starts in 1847 with reapers and moves through binders, the Massey-Harris merger and then the successful reaper-threshers built by this company that introduced the rasp-bar cylinder method of threshing. Then Massey-Harris set a worldwide trend when they produced the first self-propelled combine, the 20SP, followed by the hugely successful 21SP that became famous as the instrument of the Harvest Brigade in North America in 1944. The combine range gradually evolved and soon combines where being made in Europe as well as Canada and the Massey Ferguson 400 and 500 Series and their derivatives were among the best selling combine of the 1960s. Then in the mid 1970s Massey Ferguson produced the world's first 'super' combine - the giant 760 - and we pay tribute to this simply massive machine and the way it ruled the American prairies as well as the smaller fields of Europe.

Both Parts One and Two use original Massey Ferguson archive film taken when the featured machines were new and at work in the fields of the world. Taken together, these two programmes tell the fascinating story of the development of the red combine harvester line from its origins right up to the present day and also include glimpses of how these machines were built in factories in Canada, Scotland and Denmark. Buy the two programmes together for only £32 inc VAT from the Old Pond Offers website page.

Gardner: L Gardner & Sons book advance information

Gardner: L. Gardner & Sons Ltd, Graham Edge. Paperback book, 275 x 205 mm, 216 pages inc. approx 280 illustrations (8 pages colour). ISBN: 978-1-906853-88-4. Available now from Old Pond at £19.95.

This book by historical transport expert Graham Edge is a comprehensive study of a Manchester company whose name became revered in over forty countries. It traces the story from the origins of the firm in 1868 until it ceased engine production almost 130 years later.
In 1929 L Gardner and Sons Ltd perfected a small high-speed, direct injection diesel engine, the world’s first for an engine of its size. The company soon developed this into the first purpose-built automotive engine of its type. This renowned Gardner LW series was also revolutionary in its use of lightweight aluminium alloys.
Because diesel fuel was more economical than petroleum spirit for most of the last century, and especially in the 1930s, Gardner’s was able to capitalise on a huge and growing market. Their diesel engines went on to gain an unrivalled reputation for reliability and economy in buses, coaches, lorries, rail, shipping  and industrial installations. Their heyday was probably from the end of the Second World War to the early 1960s, a time when their order book was always full.
As well as telling the story of the company’s engineering achievements (and setbacks), the author also brings to life some of the personalities involved, not least the members of the Gardner family. Although they were ‘engineers par excellence’, some of the ‘could be quite irascible!’ By the 1970s Gardners were being left behind by changes in the transport market and also faced damaging industrial relations. In 1977 they became part of the Hawker Siddeley group.
This is a reprint of a book first published in 2002 and revised in 2006. Graham Edge was able to draw on knowledge freely provided by former sales director Dion Houghton. The superb photographs are mainly from the archives of Dion Houghton and Paul Gardner, the great-grandson of the founder. Each photograph has a detailed caption and the book’s Appendices include production figures.

Rubber-tracked tractors DVD advance information

The Rubber Track Revolution, Chris Lockwood. DVD approx 100 minutes. ISBN 978-1-906853-85-3. In stock at Old Pond at £16.95 inc VAT.

In 1987 Challenger introduced the Challenger 65 model with a startling innovation: rubber-belt drive to replace rubber tyres. This combined the traction advantages of traditional crawlers with the mobility of four-wheel drive machines.

In 1990 Track Marshall followed with its 210 horsepower TM200. From that time rubber tracks have been a steadily increasing sight on Britain’s farms, with a claim to offer less soil compaction than their wheeled counterparts.

In 2010 Chris Lockwood filmed 25 examples of those to be seen today, from the Cat Challenger 65 to the latest John Deere 8345RT. Where possible each tractor is shown working with a different implement, and the programme includes subsoiling, cultivating with one-pass disc/tine cultivators, discing, ploughing, pressing, power-harrowing and drilling. As the filming was over a relatively long period it also includes different conditions, ranging from early cultivations in fresh stubble in July to winter ploughing in November.

The story that Chris tells is one of a dramatic increase in horsepower from the 200 mark up to nearly 600. This is coupled to an increasing technical sophistication, with GPS technology and automatic steering becoming routine.

Tractors included inthe DVD:
Cat Challenger 65 - Track Marshall TM200 - Cat Challenger 75D - Cat Challenger 85D - Case IH Quadtrac 9380 - Cat Challenger 55 - Claas Challenger 55 - John Deere 8410T - Claas Challenger 85E - Claas Challenger 95E - Morooka MK-160 - Morooka MK-220S - John Deere 8420T - John Deere 9320T - Case IH Quadtrac STX450 - Challenger MT765 - Cat Challenger MT865 - Case IH Quadtrac 430 - Case IH Quadtrac 530 - Challenger MT765B - Challenger MT865B - John Deere 9630T - Challenger MT765C - Challenger MT865C - John Deere 8345RT.

Some stills taken by Chris while filming can be seen in the blogs of 31 October and 2 November 2010. Chris has previously had two books, Know Your Tractors and Know Your Combines, published and two DVDs, Combine Harvesters parts 1 and 2, released. Chris runs the website Mid Suffolk Agri Photos.

 

Long Haul presented to the British ambassador in Qatar

The British ambassador in Qatar, John Hawkins, has been kind enough to accept a copy of Ashley Coghill's book The Long Haul Pioneers.

Left to right: Peter Carroll (the current owner of Astran), N P Ishmail (Astran Doha office), Kevin Letham (Astran MD), Mr John Hawkins.

Know Your Ducks book advance information

Know Your Ducks by Jack Byard. Paperback, 104 x 155mm (landscape), 96 pages inc. 44 photographs. ISBN: 978-1-906853-82-2. Now in stock at Old Pond at £4.99.

Jack Byard’s eighth book in the popular 'Know Your…' series covers 44 breeds of duck ranging from those which you are likely to see on your local pond to a few which are extremely rare. Some are native British breeds while others come from a little further afield. If you look closely you can see all of the breeds domesticated in Britain today.

Know Your Ducks is designed for the novice enthusiast of any age. For each breed the right-hand page is dedicated to a quality picture of the breed accompanied by a description of its appearance. On the facing page is a concise description of the breed’s origins and its history. For many for the breeds Jack gives a description of their personality, egg-laying and flying abilities and how they are best kept.

Breeds included
Abacot Ranger - African Yellow Billed - Ancona - Australian Spotted - Aylesbury - Baikal Teal - Bali - Black-Bellied Whistling - Black East Indian - Bronze Winged - Call - Campbell - Carolina - Cayuga - Chiloe Wigeon - Eider - Gadwall - Garganey - Goldeneye - Harlequin - Indian Runner - Magpie - Mallard - Mandarin - Muscovy - Orpington - Pekin - Pintail - Red-Billed Pintail - Red-Crested Pochard - Redhead - Ringed Teal - Rosy-Billed Pochard - Rouen - Ruddy Shelduck - Saxony - Sharp-Winged Teal - Silky - Silver Appleyard - South African Shelduck - Swedish Blue - Tufted - Welsh Harlequin - White-Faced Whistling.

Big Plant: excavators and cranes DVD advance information

Big Plant: excavators and cranes in action. Five-DVD set, running time approx 9 hours.ISBN 978-1-906853-87-7 To be released in March by Old Pond at £24.95 (inc. VAT).

In 1998 Geoff Lewis began recording big plant at sites in Wales and elsewhere. He started with a look at Ruston-Bucyrus, the company in which he had served his apprenticeship.
He released eight more programmes over the years under the heading ‘Cranes and Excavators’. This constitutes a unique view of draglines, grab cranes, dozers, excavators, scrapers, dump trucks, face shovels and graders at work during the past decade. Many of these machines are now out of commission.
This compilation on five disks offers more than nine hours’ viewing. The set covers the following:
Disc 1: Ruston-Bucyrus
Disc 2: Caterpillar
Disc 3: Draglines, Diggers and Bulldozers
Disc 4: Black Harvest – Coal
Disc 5: Dockside Cranes.
Geoff Lewis has drawn on his extensive knowledge of mining and earthmoving engineering to provide a knowledgeable commentary. His programmes include footage from quarries, gravel pits, construction sites, surface coal mines and docks. The filming is relaxed, offering machinery enthusiasts the chance to see the machines at work over several cycles.

Disc 1 Ruston-Bucyrus
The first programme is a mixture of archive footage from the 1930s with machines from the 1950s and 60s still working in the 2000s. Includes Ruston No. 4 dragline and skimmer; draglines 10-RB, 19-RB, 30-RB, 33-RB, 54-RB and 110-RB; face shovels 22-RB, 32-RB, 61-RB, 100-RB and 195-RB.

The second programme is Geoff Lewis’s own filming, some of the first he carried out: 22-RB face shovel, 38-RB and 71-RB grabs, 195-RB mining shovel.

Disc 2 Caterpillar
In the late 1990s Geoff Lewis filmed Caterpillar machines at work in south Wales. The first programme includes: bulldozers D8, D6H LGP, D11R; backhoes 235 and 375; loading shovels 5080 and 988/988F, scraper 637, ADT D400-E.

Programme 2 includes Cat machines as well as some from other manufacturers: Cat D9-H bulldozer, 631 and 637 scrapers; Komatsu PC450 backhoe, NH W270 front-loading shovel; O&K RH 120-E backhoe; NCK 605 rope shovel and 1495 grab crane.

Disc 3 Draglines, diggers and bulldozers
The ‘Ace of Spades’ is among the highlights of the draglines filmed in various UK sites. The draglines included are: Ruston-Bucyrus 71-RB, NCK 605 (two examples), Ransomes & Rapier W-150 and the P&H 757 ‘Ace of Spades’ walking dragline.

The second programme features a wide range of earthmovers: Komatsu D53P & D65 PX dozers, PC1250 backhoe; Cat D9-R dozers, 777D dump truck, 631 grader; Liebherr R974 face shovel; Robex backhoe; Amec hydraulic lorry grab and a Demag backhoe.

Disc 4 Black harvest - coal
The disc starts with the machines Geoff Lewis found at the Selar surface  coal mine, Hirwaun, south Wales at the turn of the 21st century: Cat 375 backhoes, PC240 face shovel, D9-R dozer, 16H motor grader; Komatsu PC3000 face shovel and HD785 dump trucks and engine re-fit; Moxy MT 40B ADT; Demag H185S backhoe.

For Part Two Geoff Lewis moved to surface mines at Parkslip, Bridgend and Nant Helen, Neath-Port Talbot, both in south Wales. Machines here were: Komatsu PC3000 face shovels (two examples) and HD785 dump trucks; Cat 777B, C & D dump trucks, D9-R dozer; Demag H185-S backhoe; O&K 120-E face shovel and 120-C backhoe; Terex TR100 dump trucks.

Disc 5 Dockside cranes
Geoff Lewis’s giants in the sky were all filmed in Newport Dock in 2000-2001. Loading sand, gravel and grain are several Stothert & Pitt grab cranes from the 1960s and a DD2 of 1950s vintage. A more modern Ainscough telescopic crane moves one of the grab cranes and a mobile Ruston-Bucyrus 61-RB discharges steel coils. The programme and DVD set ends with a close look at ‘Mersey  Mammoth’, the largest sea-going self-propelled crane on the UK’s west coast, seen lifting and moving a quayside crane.
 

Another memory of Dale Starks

Craig Bergan emailed us from America this week to say that he had enjoyed Rob White's book Starks' Harvesters and indeed had worked for Dale alongside Rob in 1980.

Craig had a story that Rob wished he had known in time to include in the book. As Rob puts it:

"I remember Craig as a quiet conscientious lad just out of school. He quit in Montana after Dale took his laundry into town one day to be washed – and lost it! Sounds about right! I bet Dale wouldn't have lost a combine part."