117 Godley Road Green Bay, Auckland 7, New Zealand
Pukekohe is 35 miles south of Auckland and is reached by driving
through rolling pastureland, quite delightful unless you are
pulling a large Lister single cylinder 9 HP carriage mounted engine
which in turn is roped onto a tandem axle trailer and all is being
towed by a 2 Litre Holden Jackaroo (Isuzu Trooper). Held the
traffic up for miles!
The occasion was the Franklin Vintage Machinery Club Rally. The
date was the 6th and 7th of February. As the secretary of the
Vintage Engine Restorers, Auckland (V.E.R.A.), we had been invited
to take our restored engines along as part of the overall display.
The Rally included the Chrysler Car Club, vintage tractors,
traction engines, vintage military vehicle display, a tractor pull,
threshing-baling display and stationary engines.
The tractor pull was the first in New Zealand and is modeled
from an Australian design which in turn copied the American idea.
The novelty of this had all kinds of operators and tractors trying
their strength from a single cylinder Lanz Bulldog (German) through
an A.E.C. Matador 6 Cylinder diesel 1942 trooper carrier and Kiwi
Bigfoot 454 Chrysler engine and a Burrell traction engine. Most
enjoyable to watch but I have digressed.
The engines in our display were varied so that the public could
see horizontal open cranks as well as verticals. There were 10 New
Zealand made engines, 12 English engines and 10 American engines.
The New Zealand engines were all Andersons with a solitary Robert
J. Laird, all 2?-3HP. The American makes included Stovers, Moguls,
Iowa Clifton-marine engine, very rare, Associated Manufacturing
Chore Boy, Briggs and Stratton, Witte and a 1911 3 HP Ideal
(rate)
The English assortment had Listers from 2HP to 9HP on its
carriage and screen cooling system, a 2? HP Black-stone vertical, a
Petter 2-stroke petrol engine and direct coupled compressor and a
beautifully restored Bamford diesel engine.
We had visitors from Australia and up from Christchurch (South
Island N.Z.) and both remarked about the restoration standard-high,
but not over-done. We like to show the engines working as it goes a
long way to explaining why we had them at all. We had water pumps,
a vacuum pump, a milking shed display and a circular saw.
The weather was not all that good, with occasional showers which
tended to keep Aucklands away, but we enjoyed ourselves and still
got sunburned.
If anyone wishes to know any more about this show or are coming
New Zealand way, please get in touch with us.
