Walsh and Clark 'Victoria' Cable Ploughing Engine

Backblipped for 13th October

It had rained all night. It rained almost all day but this did not put us off spending the morning at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket, much which is in the open air.

Among the many fascinating exhibits is this engine , the most obvious feature to rouse the curiosity being the radiator - steam engines do not have radiators.

The information panel (and google) tells us that Walsh & Clark Ltd of Guiseley, Leeds were manufacturers of an early tractor for Ploughing that was similar to the steam ploughing engines set up, where an internal combustion engine powered a pair of winches to pull a plough back and forth across a field. The system name was Victoria.
This tractor was a twin cylinder design introduced in 1913 and continued until the mid 1920's, resembling the layout of a steam engine. The horizontal cylinders were paraffin fuelled, with tanks holding enough for four day's ploughing, a pair of engines able to plough 7-10 acres in a ten-hour day. The system went out of popularity when flexible lightweight tractors became more popular.

Still active, this bears a current road fund licence disc as a historic item.

The ducks were enjoying guddling in the numerous puddles as we left to visit family.