Tullogher-Rosbercon Vintage Club Hosts National Rally

The Tullogher-Rosbercon Vintage Club has swung back into action after the disruption of the last two years with a tractor run in the autumn and the hosting of the Irish Vintage Society’s national rally last weekend.

The weather cooperated on the day and several hundred tractors, cars, bikes and other exhibits assembled on the Co. Kilkenny side of the river at New Ross.

American influence

Although there was no official theme to the event, there were a number of notable tractors that were American built, and the contrast between these and more European orientated models underlines how different farming is on the two continents.

Massey Ferguson New Ross — The Massey Ferguson 1135 was built in Detroit from 1973 to 1978. It has since been fitted with a new engine according to its owner, Ronan Walsh

One that made a strong impression was the Massey Ferguson 1135 that had originally been working in France.

A six-cylinder Perkins providing 134hp may be small beer today, but nearly 50 years ago it was a big deal.

New ross vintage tractor club — This 1928 Ford Model A had been converted to farm use in 1940

We might think of tractors as being in short supply over here during the war, but the U.S also suffered non availability and so many cars were converted to pull a plough, including a Ford Model A which was powered by a 24hp petrol engine.

Case steam traction engine — A third scale model of a Case traction engine neatly shows off the long lines of these machines

Long bonnets have always been a hallmark of American vehicles and the trend started back in the steam age where compactness of size was hardly a worry in the big new country.

Case was one company whose machines featured longer boilers than was normal in the old world.

Classics from the Tullogher-Rosbercon club

No rally would be complete without a smattering of Fords of various ages and description and the Tullogher-Rosbercon rally was no different.

Ford Rosbercon vintage rally — A nicely preserved Ford 7600 with non unusual cab option

Less common models are also lovingly restored and maintained, including a Deutz D7206 from 1978.

New Ross Vintage rally — Offering 70hp, the air cooled Deutz D7206 is a lovingly kept example of he type

Popular tractors in their day were those from Fiat, such this F115 (below) which turned up on the day. This one is still in daily use on a local farm.

Fiat tractor at Rosbercon — Other than their innate ability to rust, Fiat tractors of the 90s were highly regarded machines

Old tractors can conjure up many memories from bygone years, including the ever more popular era of pre-electronic machines.

In the row reserved for classics of this time stood two fine examples of around 90hp that would have gone head to head in the market of the late 1970s.