grebeman
Old Codgers Group
- Name
- Barrie
Before the coming of steam power and the internal combustion engine agriculture relied on the power of the horse
The amount of work that could be done in one day was limited, so steam power was introduced. Some of the biggest and most powerful engines were the steam ploughing engines which, working as a matched pair, hauled implements across the field drawn by long wire ropes wound on drums located beneath the boiler of the engine.
This is a Fowler K7 class compound ploughing engine, built in 1918. Here the wire rope is slack indicating that this engine is ready to pay out its rope as its opposite number at the other side of the field pulls the implement across the field away from this engine
In this case the implement is a cultivator being used to break up a previously ploughed field. The operator on the cultivator steers the implement and also raises and lowers the tines that break the soil up. When it reaches the other engine at the far side of the field that engine driver will allow the wire to go slack and then move his engine a short distance forward. He then gives a whistle signal and the other engine gently takes up the slack on the wire which will turn the cultivator round, then it's pulled back across the field.
Here it's approaching the engine on my side of the field
The wire is now taut as it is coiled up onto the winding drum, indicating that this engine is pulling the implement towards itself.
The engine at the other side of the field will have its drum coiling mechanism on the opposite side to this one, thus engines were said to be left handed or right handed, worked as a pair and were usually ordered from the manufacturer as a matched pair.
Panasonic GH2, 14-45 f/3.5-5.6 zoom
Barrie
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
The amount of work that could be done in one day was limited, so steam power was introduced. Some of the biggest and most powerful engines were the steam ploughing engines which, working as a matched pair, hauled implements across the field drawn by long wire ropes wound on drums located beneath the boiler of the engine.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
This is a Fowler K7 class compound ploughing engine, built in 1918. Here the wire rope is slack indicating that this engine is ready to pay out its rope as its opposite number at the other side of the field pulls the implement across the field away from this engine
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
In this case the implement is a cultivator being used to break up a previously ploughed field. The operator on the cultivator steers the implement and also raises and lowers the tines that break the soil up. When it reaches the other engine at the far side of the field that engine driver will allow the wire to go slack and then move his engine a short distance forward. He then gives a whistle signal and the other engine gently takes up the slack on the wire which will turn the cultivator round, then it's pulled back across the field.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Here it's approaching the engine on my side of the field
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
The wire is now taut as it is coiled up onto the winding drum, indicating that this engine is pulling the implement towards itself.
The engine at the other side of the field will have its drum coiling mechanism on the opposite side to this one, thus engines were said to be left handed or right handed, worked as a pair and were usually ordered from the manufacturer as a matched pair.
Panasonic GH2, 14-45 f/3.5-5.6 zoom
Barrie