The Cowra Crankhandle Volume 27 No. 4 September 2019 Cowra Crankhandle Page 2 COWRA ANTIQUE VEHICLE CLUB INC. POSTAL ADDRESS: PO BOX 731 COWRA NSW 2794 ABN: 95 035 591 220 Public Liability Insurance No. AS A172000 PLB Fair Trading Registration No. Y1784746 Shannon’s web page http://carclubs.shannons.com.au/cavc Facebook web page http://www.facebook.com/CowraAntiqueVehicleClub?ref=hl Name: Cowra Antique Vehicle Club BSB: 032820 Acc. 283380 PATRON: MAURICE RANDELL - Molonglo’ 25 Mallon Rd Woodstock 2793 Ph. 0432258544 [email protected] PRESIDENT: MAURICE RANDELL - Molonglo’ 25 Mallon Rd Woodstock 2793 Ph. 0432258544 [email protected] VICE-PRESIDENT: MR. PETER O’SULLIVAN - 23 London Drive Cowra 2794 Ph. 0408510108 [email protected] SECRETARY/ CMC DELEGATE: KATHY DENNING – 39 Dawson Drive Cowra 2794 (02) 6342 3117 Email: [email protected] TREASURER/PUBLIC OFFICER: IAN REID -19 Gower Hardy Circuit Cowra 2794 Ph. 6342 1699 PLATES REGISTRAR/EDITOR: MR RUSSELL DENNING – 39 Dawson Drive Cowra 2794 Ph. (02)6342 3117 Email: [email protected] Mob. 0402078142 SCRUTINEERS: MR. KEN MASTERS MR. STEVEN BARKER MR. RUSSELL DENNING MR. IAN REID MR. VIC BOWER MR. JEFFRY CURTIS MR. JOHN MOONEY MR. Kevin THRUPP PROPERTY OFFICER: DAVE BARRAND - 10 Chapman St Cowra 2794 Ph. 0410494704 [email protected] EVENTS / FUND RAISING COMMITTEE: All Financial Members The Cowra Antique Vehicle club meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Cowra Railway Station Clubroom Life Members Russell & Kathy Denning Maurice & Moya Randell John Toohey Ken Masters Opinions expressed in this magazine/newsletter are not necessarily those of the club or the committee. Information supplied to the editor for inclusion is published in good faith; therefore responsibility for its accuracy cannot be accepted by the club, its members or the editor. Materials are invited for inclusion in the magazine and should be forwarded to the editor bearing the name of the author. Materials submitted may be edited to improve clarity or for space purposes. Cowra Crankhandle Page 3 Editor’s/Plates Notes Another month has flown past, it goes so fast. I would really appreciate all members thanking those who just show up to help out when the occasion is required. It is so good to have so many members willing to help. For the first time I can remember there has been no shortage of members to help. It used to be left to a small group of volunteers, now people just show up and get stuck into whatever is required. No instructions required, or directions, it all just happens. Photocopier is on its last legs, so old now that parts are getting hard to obtain. The old one was second-hand ex TAFE and has served us very well for many years, at least 10 years I believe. There are a few choices, replace copier with a modern Laser Colour Photocopier around $6000 or for less than half that a Laser Colour printer. Printer downfall is that although it will collate it can’t staple. The thought was to buy also an electric stapler, problem is that you would have to sit beside the printer and remove copies to staple one at a time. A photocopier will collate and staple and can print the whole number of newsletters while unattended. The controversy over H & D Plates and Log Books continue no word yet from the RMS regarding the Log Book Review, but I believe it is here to stay and will eventually increase all costs involved with the movement. A WA friend of mine had his last roadworthy inspection on his car in 2009. Inspections not required, concessional registration inspections have been taken away from the club and now the owner is responsible for roadworthiness. There was a news item the other day about “cheap” registration for modified cars. As a licenced Authorised Examiner I am gobsmacked by this, WOW no annual inspections, we all know that drivers never notice things going wrong as it develops so slowly it takes another driver to notice any faults. How often does the motorist check his tyres, how often are you amazed at your own tyres baldness. Every day we see cars with one headlight or stop light out. How often to you hear of drivers with metal to metal brakes and the owner never noticed. We have seen over the years many cars that are Happy Motoring unroadworthy even though they have been inspected by an authorised examiner. Russ Denning Often simply jacking up a car to check the ball joints incorrectly has been picked up quite a few times. Incorrect jacking loads the ball joint, take the load off and the joint is stuffed, happens too often. Joke A Newfoundland farmer named Angus had a car accident. He was hit by a truck owned by the Eversweet Company. In court, the Eversweet Company's hot-shot solicitor was questioning Angus. 'Didn't you say to the RCMP at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine I'm fine?' asked the solicitor. Angus responded: 'Well, I'll tell you what happened. I'd just loaded my fav'rit cow, Bessie, into da... ' 'I didn't ask for any details', the solicitor interrupted. 'Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine!'?' Angus said, 'Well, I'd just got Bessie into da trailer and I was drivin' down da road.... ' The solicitor interrupted again and said ,'Your Honour, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the police on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident, he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question. ' By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Angus' answer and said to the solicitor: 'I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favourite cow, Bessie'. Angus thanked the Judge and proceeded. 'Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my fav'rit cow, into de trailer and was drivin' her down de road when this huge Eversweet truck and trailer came tundering tru a stop sign and hit me trailer right in da side. I was trown into one ditch and Bessie was trown into da udder. By Jaysus I was hurt, very bad like, and didn't want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moanin' and groanin'. I knew she was in terrible pain just by her groans. Shortly after da accident, a policeman on a motorbike turned up. He could hear Bessie moanin' and groanin' too, so he went over to her. After he looked at her, and saw her condition, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Den da policeman came across de road, gun still in hand, looked at me, and said, 'How are you feelin'?' 'Now wot would you say? Submitted by John Toohey Cowra Crankhandle Page 4 A Brief Ferguson History Henry Ferguson was born in 1884 to Scottish parents in a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. He was, however, called “Harry” throughout his life. He founded what was to become a worldwide tractor empire. He was a rare combination of engineer, businessman and visionary. He designed his own lightweight tractor and developed the “Ferguson System” which has become the universal 3-point tractor hydraulic system for use with farm implements throughout the world. Harry Ferguson has been given many descriptions in the past, including that of humanitarian, self-publicist, canny negotiator, disciplinarian, and above all, a brilliant inventor. His parents were farmers. He was a 15 year old when he saw his first car being driven on the roads. Determined to work in engineering, when he left school he went to work with a brother who had a garage in Belfast, studied at night school, and before long had established his own garage business. He gained publicity for his work with his daring exploits. At the age of 24 he built and flew his own plane after being inspired by Bleriot's channel flight in 1909. He was also a first-class motor racing driver. Harry didn’t like manual farm labour and was determined to find ways to mechanize farming. This inspired him to develop more modern and efficient ploughing methods By the time of World War One, he was a leading businessman, and was appointed by the government to review the efficiency of farm machinery and tractors in Ireland to ensure continued food production. His first tractor model was the Ferguson Black. In 1936 his first production tractor, the Ferguson Brown, went into production in Huddersfield. In 1938 he struck a deal with Henry Ford in the US to produce Ferguson tractors, known as the 9N and 2N, When Henry Ford retired after the war, a new board of directors cancelled the agreement, and told Ferguson they would build no tractors for him after 1947. In 1948 Ferguson began production of the TO-20 tractor at a new factory in Detroit Michigan. Ferguson sued Ford and won $9.25 million compensation in 1952. He returned to Britain and came to Coventry, making Banner Lane his centre of tractor production in 1946. The first model off the line was the TE-20, affectionately known as the "little grey Fergie". In 1953 he sold his world-wide holdings to Massey Harris. He retired from M-H-F after the new company refused to build his secretly-designed TE-60 tractor.