Report No 26 - The Caterpillar Mounted Toolbar
Two files containing about 65 Head Quarters Mechanical Development Committee Reports from 1950 to 1958 were saved from destruction by Jim Christie former Forestry Commission HQ, Plant Engineer. Jim, from Crook of Devon, has kindly made the reports available for scanning and entry onto this website. Please open the PDF to see this full report.
Report No 26 covers the trial of a forest plough mounted directly onto a Caterpillar toolbar in an unnamed East Scotland forest. The photograph does show some of the background landscape and is very similar to Fetteresso Forest which was being planted around this time and where experimental mounted tine ploughing was carried out. The plough head is interesting as it shows a heavy central vertical steel core with a tine sock protruding out and below the plough shares. This design was to remain the standard up until the 1990s and beyond. The tractor driver’s profile is also familiar and almost certainly Jock Brodie who was a tractor driver based around Fetteresso and Banchory. The date of the report is 1954 but it is thought the actual ploughing may have taken place in 1953.
The distribution notes to East Scotland show Mr Oliver (assumed to be Frank Oliver – Conservator) and then Mr Peniston and Mr Dier (District Officers) as well as Col. Bleukinsop (Engineer).
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Groups: Forestry Mechanical Engineering Reports , Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines