ORDINARY MAIL POSTAGE PAID AT BAIRNSDALE 3875 VIC. AUST. Please return undelivered mail to PO Box 266 Heyfield 3858

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1 The Old Letter Meetings are the lst Wednesday of each month, 7.30pm. at our Club Rooms, Fawaz Street, Heyfield. Post Office Box 266 Heyfield New members welcomed. August 2017 ORDINARY MAIL POSTAGE PAID AT BAIRNSDALE 3875 VIC. AUST Please return undelivered mail to PO Box 266 Heyfield 3858 Meetings are the lst Wednesday of each month, 7.30pm. at our Club Rooms, Fawaz Street, Heyfield. - New members welcome. 1

2 CLUB CONTACTS 2015/2016 CHAIRPERSON NEIL COOK VICE CHAIRPERSON PETER COLEMAN (SHARON) SECRETARY/TREASURER BARB COOK (NEIL) NEWSLETTER EDITOR LIZ WRIGHT (DON) FEDERATION REPS NEIL/BARB COOK NHMA REP GHAC REP GSR REP VEHICLE INSPECTOR PETER COLEMAN (SHARON) BARB COOK (NEIL) PETER COLEMAN (SHARON) SAFETY (ENGINES) DON WRIGHT (LIZ) JOHN LEES (HEATHER) SAFETY (TRACTORS) NEIL COOK (BARB) SAFETY (STEAM) PETER COLEMAN (SHARON) LIFE MEMBERS MAURICE COLEMAN, COLIN COLEMAN, RON LANCASTER, JOHN MAHONEY TREASURERS REPORT and the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING REPORT - The treasurer s report will not be published in the Newsletter. Any Club Member wishing to view the club s financial report can do so by arrangement with the Club Treasurer. The minutes of the Annual General Meeting will not be published in the Newsletter. Again any member wishing to view the minutes may do so by arrangements with the Club Secretary. **CLUB PERMIT SCHEME - A message from your Secretary - A reminder** Club Permit Scheme (Red Plates) To receive this privilege you must be a financial member of the Club so pay your fees before the end of July, Vic Roads must be notified if you fail to pay (be a financial member) This means the privilege to drive your vehicle will be cancelled and any use of the vehicle may result (if caught) in a hefty fine (almost $1000) for using an unregistered /permitted vehicle. Within our Club any member requiring Club support must attend three events per calendar year. Please provide the Secretary a copy of your permit papers for Club records, and photographs of the vehicle as requested by Peter Coleman as per VicRoads rules. If you don t comply you will receive a letter outlining the requirements and be invited to explain your situation. The Club is mandated to advise VicRoads of any noncompliance. Only the Club s authorised officer(s) are able sign renewals.

3 CALENDAR 2017 Club Meetings 1st Wednesday of each month Club Rooms. 3rd September Swap Meet Nyora Recreation Reserve 5th September Meeting Club Rooms 7.30pm 10th September Swap Meet Shepparton (Goulburn valley Vintage Drivers Club) 9/10th September Wedderburn Annual Rally Engine Park, Racecourse Rd Wedderburn 17th September Swap Meet Dandenong Showgrounds Bennett St Dandenong 16/17 September Annual Spring Rally at Deniliquin Fordson Tractor Club celebrating 100 years of Fordson Rally for everyone. 17/19 September Bendigo Swap They are calling for helpers $10 ph for 2 hours shift Money to your Club. Must be years old to volunteer. 24 September International Club in Heyfield Hosts N & B Cook - Heyfield members are invited. More details at September meeting 3rd October Meeting, Club Rooms 7.30pm 7th November Meeting Club Rooms 7.30 pm 5th December Meeting Club Rooms 7.30p, /20 May Heyfield Vintage Machinery Rally Gordon Street Reserve Heyfield September NHMA Tractor Trek, Young NSW See NHMA website for en try forms etc th March NHMA National Rally Sturt Reserve Murray Bridge SA. Proud President Neil Cook presenting a deserving John Mahoney with his Life Membership Award A very good photo of both members so worth repeating. Not me, you all say, As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his mobile phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, " Ken, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on the Eastern Freeway. Please be careful!" "Shit!!," said Vernon,"It's not just one car. It's bloody hundreds of them! and using a mobile phone whilst driving!

4 Private Collection International Tractors in the Netherlands. Remember last month I asked if anyone knew what the Marshall Plan was? Briefly it was a huge injection of USA money after the war to rebuilt Europe to minimise poverty, unemployment and dislocation post World War 11. In an address at Harvard University on June Secretary of State George Marshall advanced this idea. It was a unified plan signed into law by the USA President Harry Truman.in It was initially for all Europe including those under military occupation by the Soviet Union. Subsequently these countries and other Eastern block countries withdrew leaving seventeen countries across Europe from Norway, Iceland, Ireland Greece,Austria, Holland, Turkey, Great Britain and so on to benefit. The official name of the program was Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) it is now the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation. (OEEC) This information is from Encyclopaedia Britanica www. Go to the website and you will see a photo of this tractor working in the paddocks in 1956.The picture below is one of the tractors funded (given to the farmers all over the decimated areas) through the the Marshall scheme. There is to be a 75 year celebration and the owners have been invited to exhibit, in the street parade, in Belgium, this very tractor. It will be floated in the parade. in all it s glory. The family are deeply honoured that they have been given this task..\ It was interesting when I tried to explain that in 1954 we had a huge flood in the Mannum SA area, with the destruction of 1000 s of acres of country, a tractor of similar size, the little Grey Fergy,,100 s of them, came to rescue of the farmers. With the greatest of respect to our host, she had only one brand of tractor that was of interest and it was red, red and red. In the background are the stairs that take you upstairs to view the collection of common day items collected over the past sixty years. You might think that this lady (I can t recall her name) must have had it easy to amass such a comprehensive collection of tractors. Not so and in the next photo (sorry about the quality) she was left without a husband

5 and with three/four young children and had to farm the land to support the family, all who have gone onto interesting lives. One is a winemaker/farmer who has been presented an award by Prince Charles, one has a number of farms, one in Norway and Poland. More about this latter. A daughter who lives nearby and keeps an eye on the oldies and helps with the tractors and one more, my memory lapses. This is a photo of how the lady we met milked the cows and supported her children earlier in her life. The milking shed is portable and is moved around by the tractor, not an International as you can see.

6 This big boy is huge and has been pensioned off by the farming son in Poland. It has worked his farm in Norway and later in Poland where it broke the back axle. The story is that a replacement axle would cost in the vicinity of 20,000/25,000 euros and it is not economically viable to spend this amount of money on a tractor with many hours on the clock. Remember I said Internationals were dark grey - this is the original colour on two of the older tractors.

7 Here is an example of the number definitions D is for Diesel, 2 is for cylinders and the 19 is Horsepower There is a website but unfortunately it is Dutch There is a way to convert to English if you know how.. In one of the photo s on the web site you can see two sheds and on the other side of the drive are another two of equal size. Although you can t see it the house has expensive bricks on the front and the driveway, the other sides of the house the bricks are of lesser quality. This was a trick the builders/ homeowners use to save money and remain looking classy!

8 Above is a display of tractors in a shed, one of four or five sheds we inspected on the property this day. See the cover over the steering wheel - this is a little cubby used to shelter from the very inclement European winter Note the cleats for use on road and/or the soggy paddocks during winter. The property is in Rotterdam, think Dandenong to the Melbourne CBD. We can t help with directions/ public transport etc.the Museum owners are well respected with many photo s on the web site of invitations from government/international Harvester USA and even a visit to Dandenong International Plant.

9 ROCKER COVER RACING (My words), it is a world wide sport (just check the internet) for silly old buggers who have not enough to do.- Any one you know? Not in our house either, but somehow we have three rocker cover racers, the concept introduced to our family by the Classic Historic Automobile Club of Riviera Lakes. Why am I telling you this? Well at the last Heyfield meeting Barb asked for new ideas for the Rally and this was Don s suggestion. What happens now? The Committee needs you to have an understanding of the rules,- (pretty easy), - see if there is sufficient interest from Heyfield members, and if there is ask for a loan of the Riviera Lakes track (that should OK) and set it up during one/two day s at the Rally. The Riviera Lakes recently hosted the Good Times (Car) Club from Yarram and Rocker Cover racing was included - their members are really into building racers and in future a track; we have taken the track to the Bombala Engine Rally and their members built racers overnight! to compete (and likely a track since); the track has been taken to Mallacoota for a fun weekend with the Saphire Coast (Car) Club over recent years and spilled at our local Bunnings. Racers have been displayed at the Pambula Motorfest too. There has been some modification to Rule 6 - Rocker covers are graded into sections to give everyone a fair go. We recently worked to categories up to 2 kgs up to 3 kgs and 3kgs and over, but it is likely a maximum weight will be up to 4kgs. This is for safety reasons. The heavier vehicles are weighed with chunks of iron and can become a missile! We will need to develop some form of measuring weight, not to get the exact weight, but so that like weighted vehicles complete. Regardless of bearings/wheels etc. the heavier vehicles have an advantage. It can be good fun for children too (if their Dad or Grandpa lets them play). ROCKER COVER CAR RACING RULES Rocker Cover Car: 1. This is a fun event. Any person found to be taking it too seriously will be soundly ridiculed. 2. Any constructor who enters a protest will be automatically disqualified. Oh, thats a bit harsh. Okay, then they ll be given a stern talking to, asked to smile more and lighten up a bit. 3. Cars shall be based on an actual rocker cover (valve cover) from an engine. There shall be no limit on engine make, model, cylinder configuration, or displacement. 4. Racing rockers (cars) must retain at least 75% of the original rocker cover. 5. Cars must not have any form of mechanical propulsion or steering. Gravity is your friend. 6. Cars must not weigh any more than 3kgs. maximum. (By hand judgement of the starter). 7. Cars overall length shall be no more than 60cm (Note: The staging land is 60cm long). 8. Cars must have 4 wheels, each no greater than 15cm in diameter. Track: 1. The course shall consist of two divided lanes, approximately 50cm wide. A total track length of approximately 6 metres. 2. The staging area of the track should be no more than two metres high. 3. The staging platform is 60cm long. 4. The start will be by means of a manually operated release bar. 5. The finish line will be clearly marked. 6. There will be a safety area beyond the finish line. Racing Rules: 1. Cars will be run in heats of 2 cars each. The first car (any part) to cross the finish line shall be declared to be the winner. If a dead heat occurs there is a rerun. If necessary, best of three trials to determine the winner. If neither car makes it to the finish line the car that travels farthest shall be declared the winner. 2. Winning cars will be advanced to the next round until all are eliminated - except one who is declared the Champion. 3 While the judge s decision is final, bribes will be gratefully accepted. 4. Constructors wishing to wear racing clothes, fireproof overalls, helmets etc. do so at their own risk being laughed at, being fined by the Sergeant of Arms. 5. Downforce wings, spoilers, air dams, etc are all permitted. They probably won t do any good, but will provide a good chuckle. 6. Sponsorship logo s, racing stickers and car names are all encouraged. 7. There are no more rules. So get cracking, but above all, have fun.

10 Local Engineering a real highlight is the heading from the Hamilton Spectator Apr 14th 2017 National Rally supplement. Four of the engines on display at the Rally attracting my notice were a restored Gem, Little Gem, Triumph and Star Later walking around the Pastoral Museum were a number of articles on display relating to the history of the makers of these machines. Briefly, the story goes as follows. An engineering works, Clyde Engineering Hamilton, was started in Hamilton in the early 1900 s by a Mr Erving offering a foundry, repairing steam engines, brass work and making stump jump ploughs. A Mr Deutscher bought into the business in 1906 and the business was renamed CT Deutscher and Son Clyde Engineering Works Hamilton The Deutscher family had migrated in the 1880 s and settled in the Wimmera where they became quite well-to-do. Son Heinrick (Harry) was 19 when his father bought into the business. and he began working in the business and subsequently produced the Gem in about The display board stated Birth Notice Born 1909 Hamilton Deutscher Factory 6-6 1/2 Horse power Adopted by the Mountjoys 1923 Reborn Harward What a Gem The business continued, diversifying for local needs, for instance doing major repairs on big heavy steam road engines for the Dundas Shire and McDonalds who had a large traction engine. As you would be aware most steam equipment was imported from the UK. Deutscher rose to the challenge building three traction engines powered by a two cylinder internal combustion engines. They weighed 4 1/2 tons, were completely underpowered and they were reported as a failure. This 6 HP Little Gem was displayed by I & J Kirkwood of Hamilton

11 During WW1 the business suffered a little because of the German name, however after the war the business became active again. Harry who was not a good businessman sold the business in 1918 to the Walker family. The Walkers moved the business to Ballarat continuing to make internal combustion engines one well know to all the Star In 1920 Harry gained another backer, Fairley, and continued on with foundry work as Clyde Engineering.until It was in this time the Triumph steam kerosenes engine was developed. The Triumph Deutscher Patent Steam Kerosene Engine NoA20 Patent Applied for 4 1/2 Hp at 350 rpm Made at Clyde Engineering Works Hamilton by C.T. Deutscher & Son in 1923 The most extraordinary engine in the Commonwealth -Dustproof - -Powerful - -Economical - -Runs best on cheap grade kerosene - Balanced crank and flywheels - -No floats, fuel drawn straight from tank - -Low running speed - -Made in sizes 4 1/2 to 20 Hp - Distributed by, - The Clutterbuck family of Victoria - Valley used this engine to drive their shearing machines. Cliff Brinkmann Harry went broke again, he moved and started a business in Ballarat where his grandson still operates a business today. Liz Wright) The owner of a golf course in Melbourne was confused about paying an invoice, so he decided to ask his secretary for some mathematical help. He called her into his office and said, "You graduated from the University and I need some help. If I was to give you $20,000, minus 14%, how much would you take off?" The secretary thought a moment, and then replied, "Everything but my earrings." This Newsletter has become quite big - to cut out the Rally info re the Gem etc. is too hard - the pictures become displaced.. enjoy