My brother's tractors

In 1976, my brother realised a childhood dream: he and is wife bought a farm near Kyabram.
I was given the task of floating my sister-in-law's two horses from suburban Melbourne to the farm, using my Holden EK. Luckily, one of the horses refused to go aboard, as I had enough trouble trailing just one over Pretty Sally.
The next trick was to collect a borrowed trailer, and then a tractor from a property about 30 km away.
The trailer was a ton, the tractor was a ton; unknown to me, the rear tyres were filled with water (another ton). Even on the flat roads of the area, I was having trouble moving the rig in third gear.

That tractor is still on the farm, plus a second one.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Goodonya, Rod! .. nothing like pics of the overloads of the 1960's, and the rough treatment handed out to the early Holdens! ..
My brother worked for a bulldozing contractor who carried his 4 tons of stud-link anchor clearing chain, draped between a tandem car trailer, and an EK Holden ute!! ..
He had to pump the tyres up to 65 psi, to stop them looking so flat! .. then he found he'd split the rims with the pressure!! ..

He also owned a KB-1 International truck at an earlier time, that he used to tow a home-made, 16' caravan, that a bloke working in the Midland Railways Workshops, had built in his spare time (no doubt, largely from materials purloined from the workshops!) ..

This caravan had a steel pipe frame, with CGI cladding attached to the frame! It was over-built to such a point, that one time .. one of the dozer operators, driving the KB-1, rolled the 'van whilst cornering, without realising it! ..

He complained to his mate in the passenger seat that the KB-1 was pulling hard, as he went back a gear!
It was only then, that they checked the mirrors, and found that they were dragging the caravan up the road, on its side!! ..

They stopped and righted the van, and there was virtually no damage to it, apart from some scrape marks on the CGI! (it was on a hard-packed dirt road). Imagine doing that today?? ..

Cheers - Ron.

Around 1965, my neighbour bought a 6 m two-axle caravan, and towed it home with a Holden EK. AFAIK the caravan was fitted with vacuum brakes, but the car wasn't fitted, so it came back unbraked. He trouble at traffic lights. Soon he had a Studebaker V8, fitted, as the tow vehicle.

Today, two photos of the smaller of my brother's two tractors: A Fordson Super Dexta. I am guessing that it was the one in my trailer photo.

There is quite a lot on the web by googling. The type was built over 1962-64.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Some info on the above tractor
They were called

In 2001 shifted a Britstand Ripper (weight 2,700lb) from
Ensay Vic to Central West NSW on a bogie trailer, towed
it with an XC Falcon Utility (4.1 Engine ). Did a lot of miles
in first gear between there and Bright Vic.

Rod - That tractor is definitely well over a ton and a half .. but I don't know that you'd get a ton of water in the rear tyres of a Dexta. More like half a ton of water.
The end result is still a good 2 tons on the trailer. The trailer itself would be

I have two photos of the other tractor for tomorrow, but the towing stories are too good to wait for then.
My boat is 9 m on a single axle. I did worry about it when I bought it, but the boat is only marine ply, and only 1600 kg all up (trailer and fully-provisioned boat). Lots of delivery vans would have a higher load on their tyres. I tow with a Subaru Liberty Outback, 6 cylinder, rated for 1800 kg. It munches fuel, but handles all roads and boat ramps with ease. I'll get a photo up somewhere sometime.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Here are my final tractor photos until I attend another rally, or start my spring boating.

My brother's other tractor, which is larger.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Hi Roderick The new fordson major built from 1952 to 1957 the diesel model EIADDN and petrol model EIADKN.I grew up in p6 erea and the new major were a much beter tractor with the 3 L 3H gear box 4cyl diesel very economical and i still use one around the property CHEERS JOHN.