Challenger 33 and mounted Tine plough
Photograph courtesy of Moray and Aberdeenshire Forest District.
The Challenger 33 (Is it a Challenger?) looks very old, the FC No and the registration FC16 12 66 and JUL644D placing it as new in 1966. It would appear that this is a felled site ground preparation demonstration site with several other machines working here such as the one in previous picture number. One name is shown on one slide – Delfur, Morayshire. This machine was possibly the early stage in the development of deep single furrow ploughing down to 90cms. The beam mounting mechanism changed in later versions.
Verbal information from John Keenleyside, Forres, confirms that this was a Forest Research cultivation experiment site and that this particular tractor and plough mounting assembly was tried out at Montreathmont Forest prior to this. At Montreathmont the system did not work well and had to be extensively worked on by an engineering firm in Friocheim, It worked well thereafter but was never painted as can be seen in this image. John believes the man standing in front of the tractor could be Bob Cathie who was District Officer in the area at that time?
Can the man be named?
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Northeast Scotland , Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines