The Chimes

For years, the piggery on New Norcia farm, about 2km out of town, has been a graveyard for old, and now heritage, farm equipment. Ian and Jim from Grounds recently spent a challenging two mornings solving a range of issues that would ensure these vintage vehicles are protected. Their task was to move the equipment down to the old dairy area in order to maintain possession of them after the farm sale is settled.

"The old pieces of machinery are fragile, some more than others, and haven’t been moved for many, many years", said Jim, "so we had to use all our expertise to prepare them for the approximately 1km journey in order to deliver them in one piece". Sadly, the old Massey Ferguson Sunshine 500 combine seed and fertilizer drill machine was missing two wheels and one hub had been cut off, so was beyond their physical capability to move it.

The duo did move an old mobile water pumping rig from Milner’s lake, used to pump water to a header tank for the old swimming pool. "I truly didn’t think this old lady would move, at first sight", Jim reflected, "but we hooked her up to the new tractor and she travelled without incident".

Next was an old scrub roller. Here the challenge was getting it hooked up. The frame on top is made of old sleepers and very heavy. "We trusted Archimedes*", quipped Jim, "and it was a matter of leverage, blocking and much sweating".

On the following morning they managed to lift an old front-end loader bucket onto a trailer and simply reverse the procedure at the other end. Their main challenge was to prepare the old seeder for transport. "She was in the worst condition. We had to lift all the discs so we didn’t plough the road all the way back, and then consulted with Archimedes again to get the machine hooked up. This old lady barely survived the journey, but we did deliver her in mostly one piece – though I did pick up the odd piece along the track that had fallen off".

It has been a very interesting couple of days for the dynamic Grounds duo. But thankfully, the precious cargo is now under protection of its original owners.

*Greek mathematician, well known for his inventions and scientific discoveries. Archimedes is famous for his quote, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world”.