A little bit of history . . .
The Ferguson TE20 ( Tractor England of 20 horse power ) was the culmination of almost continual innovation and development by Harry Ferguson from the end of the first world war until the beginning of the second. Between the wars Ferguson had an on-off relationship with Henry Ford who was making his earlier tractor designs. By the late 1930’s this had collapsed and Ferguson went to the Standard Motor Company of Coventry to make his new TE20 design. With the intervention of the war, production did not start until 1946. Over half a million TE20’s were then made between 1946 and 1956 and the “Little Grey Fergie” is still in use today in parts of the world.
At the heart of the TE20 was the hydraulic lifting and stablised 3-point hitch to which a range of implements could be attached with little more than a series of clips and the famous Ferguson spanner. The 3-point hitch remained on the tractor and could be raised or lowered from the driving position. The most important element was that the hydraulic stabilisation of the 3-point system meant that a wider variety of soils could be ploughed more consistently and more easily as the plough no longer caught and jumped if it encountered resistance. Various additional elements could be attached to use the power from a PTO, add towing hitches that connected remotely, or to raise and lower implements. By 1950 there were more than 60 approved implements that could be attached to the tractor forming what became known as the “Ferguson System”. The talent for marketting and promotion even led to the formation of a training school for farmers based at Stoneleigh Abbey.
This is the basic Ferguson TE20 tractor. So far I have only modelled one with light weathering and newly cleaned. At the rear are the core elements of the three point hitch as well as a PTO under a little cover. The dimensions are as accurate as I could find from drawings, parts catalouges and the like. By a happy co-incidence the seat is the right width and height to allow a Trainsim sitting figure to be added.
The package contains some implements. This is the load box and is attached to the hitch in such a way that it remains level when raised. I have provided three models. The box on its own, a tractor with the box ready to be loaded in the lowered position, and a tractor with the box in the raised transport position. The dimensions are correct and happen to fit three of my milk churns found in the “Clutter” pack. So that you can have multiple tractors on the same farm each model has a unique registration number.
I have modelled a twin furrow 10″ mould board plough of Ferguson design – the AE28-10 type. It is attached to a TE20 in the raised transport position with the correct cross beam design on the hitch. I have also included a plough set on a TE20 at the correct 6″ depth ploughing position. The plough was designed to be level when the tractor was tilted to the right with one wheel on the unploughed soil and one tracking the most recent furrow. This would then cut two furrows 10″ apart with the mould board folding the earth over the adjacent furrow.
I have also included a separate plough on its own to either store around the farm or as perhaps a wagon load.
Ferguson made two tipping trailers – an all steel 3 CWT and this wooden bodied 3 ton version. The tractor in this case is fitted with the hydraulically operated towing hitch that could be lowered and backed up to the towing eye of a trailer before being raised and hence lifting the trailer towing eye to the correct travel height. I have modelled a tractor & trailer connected in a straight line. I have also modelled both a tractor with the towing hitch fitted and raised and a trailer on its own.
These separate units are useful because they can be combined to allow you to model the trailer being towed over any combination of corner or slope. When you place the trailer it’s pivot/placement point is it’s towing eye. This means you can connect the trailer and then adjust its angle and back wheel height without losing the connection to the tractor. It also allows the trailer to be placed as an single item resting on its stand in a farm yard.
Version
Date
Comment
1.0
September 2024
Release of plough, box and trailer implements and basic TE20 tractors in relatively clean grey.