Managed to slip away from work for a walk over taw marsh.
Dartmoor walk and explore.
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Great pictures, question for you though, where's Taw Marsh?
I spend a lot of time on Dartmoor but names doesn't ring a bell.
I spend a lot of time on Dartmoor but names doesn't ring a bell.
Ahhh now I think I know where you mean... I know Belstone, did a lot of training there when I was with search and rescue. Cheers mate
You live in some very beautiful country.
What was the old installation?
Field Marshal? I’ve driven one of those in real work. They were, at the time, the very best wheeled tractor available for boggy ground. Long after it was superseded we kept it as a rescue machine when we bogged vehicles in the mosses.
You’d need a firearms license to run a working one today. We started it with a twist of burning waxed bread wrapper in the cylinder and a shot gun blank in the “breach”.
It somehow fits in the environment of your walk. Love it.
What was the old installation?
Field Marshal? I’ve driven one of those in real work. They were, at the time, the very best wheeled tractor available for boggy ground. Long after it was superseded we kept it as a rescue machine when we bogged vehicles in the mosses.
You’d need a firearms license to run a working one today. We started it with a twist of burning waxed bread wrapper in the cylinder and a shot gun blank in the “breach”.
It somehow fits in the environment of your walk. Love it.
They've held their value well, hundreds (possibly thousands worldwide) preserved and a handful still in commercial use in the UK. Marshalls advised against using power start cartridges except when there was real need- first start of the day in cold weather, as a lot of soot and strain on things was involved. It's easy enough to start them on the handle, heave ho and get all those cwts spinning...
I've done a fair bit of cultivating with a friend's machine, but as you say it's winching and recovering, or driving a threshing drum/sawbench where they really shine.
I've done a fair bit of cultivating with a friend's machine, but as you say it's winching and recovering, or driving a threshing drum/sawbench where they really shine.
Reminds me of the Northern Fells area of the lake district.
On the hand starting diesel engine thing, my brother used to have a small single cylinder diesel engined dumper. Had to hand crank it, bump it off the compression so it went back to the previous compression then give it a couple of good turns.
Not nice when cold as it might just stop at the first compression. Or it would start and the starting handle would stick on the crank end, spin up and I'd have to jump out the way before it flung off at speed.
I hated that damn thing.
On the hand starting diesel engine thing, my brother used to have a small single cylinder diesel engined dumper. Had to hand crank it, bump it off the compression so it went back to the previous compression then give it a couple of good turns.
Not nice when cold as it might just stop at the first compression. Or it would start and the starting handle would stick on the crank end, spin up and I'd have to jump out the way before it flung off at speed.
I hated that damn thing.
The Delamere sawyer had a lot of teeth knocked out when a twin cylinder Petter diesel saw bench did that.
The old Field Marshall was fun. Just one cylinder like a big paint pot. I would never have risked starting that with its handle. It was 300 plus cubic inch capacity all in one big bang. Anyway the cartridge and paper were more fun.
(So was the bren carrier but I never got a go in that.)
I’m very surprised that the one in @walker picture hasn’t been robbed of anything removable. Original parts are expensive. Yours looks a lot more like the forest motor than the beautifully painted things you see at fairs and rallies.
The old Field Marshall was fun. Just one cylinder like a big paint pot. I would never have risked starting that with its handle. It was 300 plus cubic inch capacity all in one big bang. Anyway the cartridge and paper were more fun.
(So was the bren carrier but I never got a go in that.)
I’m very surprised that the one in @walker picture hasn’t been robbed of anything removable. Original parts are expensive. Yours looks a lot more like the forest motor than the beautifully painted things you see at fairs and rallies.
