There’s a definite growing interest in steam threshing in Shropshire; as more and more derelict threshing boxes are springing back to life, with a ‘sight, sound and smell’ to behold.
The renowned steam thresher, Dick Tanner always said that in working days “you never saw an engine on the road without a box in tow”, so there’s still some way to go!
Peter and Linda Brown have been holding steam threshing days for many years with their threshing machinery and artefacts. And at their 2016 event it was the turn of their Ransome, once owned by Don Pritchard of Montgomery, and a ‘Jones Cub’ wire bailer, previously owned by Maurice Jones of Abermule.
This exact set was a regular display at our Bishop’s Castle rallies, and has been powered by various local engines over the years, including the Fowler engine ‘Tommy’, owned at the time by Ray Mathews, a former long-standing member of our Rally Organising Committee.
But for the last few years it’s been powered by Andrew Goddard’s ‘Burrell Devonshire’.
Also at this event, was a second set which also included a Ransome threshing box, powered by a Marshall ‘S Type’ steam tractor and both owned by Arial West.
Even though the tractor was on its first outing, and as can be seen from the photo by the amount of chaff under the box, it worked very well indeed.
The weather was good and a very enjoyable day was had by all.