Lokomo Plough at work
Photographs courtesy to Jim Christie, Crook of Devon.
This photographic illustration of the Finnish Lokomo plough working in Wales shows something of the character of this very large machine which also worked in the Teindland and Aultmore area of Moray, Black Isle and Perthshire. Note the very large pieces of oak stems fitted in to act as packer boards to push the spoil away from the drain edge. Can anyone say if this was a local modification?
Note also the very large tractor size (BTD20), powerful winch and large diameter winch rope which must have been very difficult to handle manually and hence the provision of a small mechanical winch on the back of the plough. The tractor was fitted with large ground anchor spikes on its front A frame to drive into the ground when it winched the plough forward – the only method of progress.
The author believes a 6 foot man could easily step through upright under the arch and still have clearance above his head.
The drawing of the drain profile shows the potential from the head dimensions but in actuality the sides of drain were much more torn up and hence wider than indicated.
See the PDF for details.
Can anyone describe this machine working on any of the sites in Scotland?
Incidentally, the photo of the BTD 20 in the PDF with picture 2019 has been printed back to front! Check with picture 486, and you will see that the exhaust pipe is on the right hand side of the bonnet, not the left. Comment left on 01 December 2013 at 20:11 by Ian Cameron, mobile mechanic Perthshire in the 1960's.