Club Run to Metcalfe
Vintage Tractor Pull & Turpins Falls
18th September, 2016
Vintage Tractor Pull & Turpins Falls
18th September, 2016
Ok, so here I was sitting in the Clubrooms on a cold and very wet Sunday morning at 10am wondering if anyone was going to turn up for the Club Run today to Metcalfe. The notice on our blackboard that read "Club Run this Sunday, rain hail or shine" eased some of my fears, but still, why was there no-one here yet? Yesterday I'd decided to bring the Rotor today, but listening to the rain overnight and seeing it steadily falling this morning had changed my mind. Yeah - pussy, I know.
However, I don't remember the last time the Rotor was wet, maybe in the '90's perhaps. And it wasn't going to be again today. We brought the work ute. So me and Tom are waiting patiently for another member to roll up in their daily when Bruce appears in his Corvette. Then several others in their classics, then Shane in his Torana - so it seems I'm the only sucker in their daily driver.
It was still raining when we left the Clubrooms and headed out along McIvor Highway to Longlea. Axe Creek road to Elphingstone was certainly no smoother than the last time I was on it in the Rotor. It's just that this time I didn't feel every bump through my kidneys and spine. Quite a pleasant drive actually. Most of us commented we had never been to Metcalfe. I thought it was a Shire, didn't know it was a town. We weren't sure what to expect, but it's a quaint little group of houses nestled in a valley - not sure if it even had a pub. At the Recreation reserve all the guys in their classics were ushered into a Collectibles display area, while I was the only one that had to look for a park out on the road.
The rain had stopped by now and there were a lot of men in blue singlets with sharp shiny axes and big chunks of wood - and a lot of old guys with even older tractors. The rusty machinery was really interesting - Bull Dog tractors seem to be the go. I have never heard of a Lanz Bull Dog, but now I'm pretty much an expert. Manufactured by Heinrich Lanz in Germany in 1921 through to 1960 when the company was bought by John Deere. The engine is a horizontal single cylinder hot bulb two stroke engine between 6.3 litres and 10.3 litres. They produce somewhere between 12 hp for the smaller engines and up to 55 hp for the larger ones. The engines run on pretty much any type of fuel available, including waste oil and are started using heat from a fire or a blow torch or another small engine. See - I'm an expert, just from talking to one guy. Another guy showed Deano and me his thousand dollar axe. When someone that's a little cross-eyed makes a big deal about how sharp their axe is, it's probably time to leave.
We followed the leader towards Turpins Falls, which happens to be located along a fairly muddy dirt road. Fine for my ute, not so good for several others who may have had a tear in their eye as the mud sprayed up into every nook and cranny under their vehicle. And others who could hear the underside of their car scraping along the raised centre section of the dirt road. Or the huge gutter that had the Corvette worrried just as we pulled in to Turpins Falls. With all the rain we've had recently, plenty of water was flowing over the falls. Bit of a walk to the bottom and a bit of a photo session, before the hard climb back to the top. It was then another 10k's or so of dirt road to the bitumen. Because I was at the back of the group, I had the opportunity to take notice of numerous marks in the dirt where people had under-estimated the sharpness of some of the corners and may have entered a little too quickly.....
We stopped at the Redesdale pub to re-group, have a couple of coldies and a de-brief before heading home. A really, really good day. Thanks again to the Events Guys, and thanks to all who braved the weather and bought out their classics. (Me not included).
__________________________________
And a message to Brendan from Pedders - we might have to book Shane's Torana in for a wheel alignment or some major undercar work due to the rate at which his tyres are wearing out.......
However, I don't remember the last time the Rotor was wet, maybe in the '90's perhaps. And it wasn't going to be again today. We brought the work ute. So me and Tom are waiting patiently for another member to roll up in their daily when Bruce appears in his Corvette. Then several others in their classics, then Shane in his Torana - so it seems I'm the only sucker in their daily driver.
It was still raining when we left the Clubrooms and headed out along McIvor Highway to Longlea. Axe Creek road to Elphingstone was certainly no smoother than the last time I was on it in the Rotor. It's just that this time I didn't feel every bump through my kidneys and spine. Quite a pleasant drive actually. Most of us commented we had never been to Metcalfe. I thought it was a Shire, didn't know it was a town. We weren't sure what to expect, but it's a quaint little group of houses nestled in a valley - not sure if it even had a pub. At the Recreation reserve all the guys in their classics were ushered into a Collectibles display area, while I was the only one that had to look for a park out on the road.
The rain had stopped by now and there were a lot of men in blue singlets with sharp shiny axes and big chunks of wood - and a lot of old guys with even older tractors. The rusty machinery was really interesting - Bull Dog tractors seem to be the go. I have never heard of a Lanz Bull Dog, but now I'm pretty much an expert. Manufactured by Heinrich Lanz in Germany in 1921 through to 1960 when the company was bought by John Deere. The engine is a horizontal single cylinder hot bulb two stroke engine between 6.3 litres and 10.3 litres. They produce somewhere between 12 hp for the smaller engines and up to 55 hp for the larger ones. The engines run on pretty much any type of fuel available, including waste oil and are started using heat from a fire or a blow torch or another small engine. See - I'm an expert, just from talking to one guy. Another guy showed Deano and me his thousand dollar axe. When someone that's a little cross-eyed makes a big deal about how sharp their axe is, it's probably time to leave.
We followed the leader towards Turpins Falls, which happens to be located along a fairly muddy dirt road. Fine for my ute, not so good for several others who may have had a tear in their eye as the mud sprayed up into every nook and cranny under their vehicle. And others who could hear the underside of their car scraping along the raised centre section of the dirt road. Or the huge gutter that had the Corvette worrried just as we pulled in to Turpins Falls. With all the rain we've had recently, plenty of water was flowing over the falls. Bit of a walk to the bottom and a bit of a photo session, before the hard climb back to the top. It was then another 10k's or so of dirt road to the bitumen. Because I was at the back of the group, I had the opportunity to take notice of numerous marks in the dirt where people had under-estimated the sharpness of some of the corners and may have entered a little too quickly.....
We stopped at the Redesdale pub to re-group, have a couple of coldies and a de-brief before heading home. A really, really good day. Thanks again to the Events Guys, and thanks to all who braved the weather and bought out their classics. (Me not included).
__________________________________
And a message to Brendan from Pedders - we might have to book Shane's Torana in for a wheel alignment or some major undercar work due to the rate at which his tyres are wearing out.......
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Nice work on the new outdoor heater/BBQ Deano.......
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