Bill Outside his old farm Outside Bill's old Watering Hole- Glengarry Pub
After 70 years behind the wheel of my Dad’s TED Petrol/Kero Fergieit is still running sweetly. Made in England in 1949with a Standard vaporizing oil four-cylinder engine with 85mm cylinder bore and a serial number 111108. Purchased by R.B. & A.B. Thompson from Milner’s and Lawrence Vanguard Motors Morwell on the 24thJune 1950 for the sum of £601.00 plus £129 for a 5’ rear mower.Repairs over the life of the tractor.1970 –Big End shells and oil pump due to drop in oil pressure1987-Clutch and Pressure plate and a valve grind.2005 –Front end engine seal.ExtrasTap exhaust and spark arresters. Footplates were fitted after a farm accident mounting the tractor. Headlights off an old Essex were fitted then the farm Chevie truck broke down.
At the age of 9 years it took some weeks to convince Dad that I could depress the clutch and brake pedals while seated, allowing me to drive on my own. The tractor worked on farm duties on the Latrobe river flats at Yallourn North. A power pulley fitted to the tractor doubled in the dairy when the Lister diesel engine broke down, and it often did. We moved to Glengarry West in1960 after the Yallourn Storage dam (Lake Narracan) flooded the family farm. The Fergie was fitted with a 5’ Mid-mount mower, cutting a lot of grass hay around the Glengarry West area. The mower eventually wore out in the mid 1970’s and I replaced it with a second-hand 135 Massey Ferguson and Twin mower. The grey Fergie was used for feeding out hay and smaller jobs.After attending Cootamundra’s Plough & Be Counted in 2004 with hundreds of other grey Fergies, Marg and I decided to join the Harry Ferguson Club. We were encouraged by Snow Trennery and David Nation, who were club co-ordinators at the time. Club registration was obtained and we attended rallies and treks from Pinjarra W.A., Wentworth & Mudgee N.S.W. and lots of rallies around Victoria (mostly Gippsland).
Nice ride –thanks Harry.
Bill Thompson
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