Forestry Memories

Timber harvesting team in Monaughty Forest , Morayshire

Timber harvesting team in Monaughty Forest , Morayshire

Date Added: 28 September 2021 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1955 Picture No: 5170

The photographs are courtesy of Myra Younie, Clerical/Admin Officer at Laigh of Moray Forest and Moray Forest District, who maintained forestry photograph albums over several years.

Some of the Monaughty Forest timber team heading out to a new work site on what looks like a war time Fordson N series tractor (Registration HYE 104)substantially modified for working in the forest with addition of large spade ground anchors and one assumes a wire rope winch. The starting handle aperture does not seem to be present? The tank under the blacksmith made front protection cowling could be for additional hydraulic oil to operate the rope winch. Perhaps someone will confirm the model and the modifications. The tractor is pulling a small sawbench for cross cutting logs in the forest (see follow on images).

The team have been named from the left as:
J McLeod
Danny Younie
Jim Farquharson

Any comments would be very welcome.

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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Northeast Scotland , Timber harvesters, processors, forwarders and cable cranes

4 Comments

A number of companies converted the Fordson N for forestry work.

That one was probably done by Stanhay of Sevenoaks Kent .

The tank across the front is a vacuum tank to assist the brakes when pulling a trailer.

 Comment left on 28 September 2021 at 17:43 by jimmy Thain
Thanks Jimmy for that info. I am still puzzled on how they started the tractor unless a very extended handle was able to go over the top of the front guard rail and under the air tank? Perhaps a starter?

Norman Comment left on 28 September 2021 at 20:04 by Norman Davidson (Website Curator)
If you look closely there is a hole for the handle under the air tank.

 Comment left on 28 September 2021 at 21:11 by jimmy Thain
Spot on of your previous awnsers, it’s a Stanhay conversion, only done on industrial models, identified by the short steering column, some were ungoverned engines and we capabile of a hair raising 30mph plus in top on the road!!!!!! Winch unit would be a Darlington or Auto Mower, starting handle was extended from the front to the guard and had a removable handle so it couldn’t snag on stumps etc, a friend has an ex Forestry Commission one that came out of Dunkeld depot many years ago where my grandfather worked out of. Great picture! Comment left on 09 December 2022 at 22:01 by Greg wilkinson
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