The 2008 Little Casterton Working Weekend was another spectacular success with visitors being recorded from as far away as Canada, Holland, Sweden & South Africa. The featured theme for 2008 was Case machinery of Racine, Wisconsin, with a selection of tractors, combines, threshing machines and other equipment, supporting the other veteran and vintage machinery that is always a feature of this event.

However, the crop of spring wheat was only cut on the Thursday before the show so the marking out and designation of tractor-free walkways for the public and working areas was a last minute affair, but you would never know. The only visible evidence was that the ploughing engines and some of the rubber-wheeled tractors were working on part of the car-park field across the road from the main show, as parts of the main field were still considered too heavy-going after the rain of a few weeks ago.

Star of the show was the 1936 Case combine which was cutting some of the remaining wheat at different times during the weekend, ably supported by the Case 600 combine. Sadly, the Case threshing drum didn’t really get going and became a static feature, but the McCormick Deering machine more than made up for it. This set-up, powered by the 1929 Ruston & Hornsby traction engine, was gobbling up the sheaves as fast as they could be collected from the combine or Sunshine binder also being used to cut the corn.

The Ransomes baler, powered by the 1926 Ransomes traction engine, was also turning out bales at a great rate of knots. Another Ransomes machine was the Rapier Muck Shifting Crane, which was kept busy filling the McCormick muck-spreaders, which then distributed their loads across the top end of the field thanks to the assistance of International B250s.

Back across to the corn and once the combines had done their stuff, The International model H with Nicholson side-rake was moving the straw ready for the Caterpillar and New Holland baler to do their stuff. Some of the stationary engine exhibitors were also making occasional forays into the straw, as there were a trio of chaff-cutters in the line-up this year.

With the organisers express desire not to clutter up the field with caravans this year, several of last year’s engine-men had declined to exhibit, so we were the only small engines amongst our bigger brethren of Blackstone, Crossley, Hornsby Ackroyd, Richard Hornsby, Ruston Hornsby, Bentall & Bamford. The large Blackstone mill was powered by a 1937 Case on Saturday and by the more diminutive Cletrac The General tricycle tractor on Sunday.

It was good to note that at least one of the commentators on the circular trailer rides knew enough to be able to talk about the Lister D and cattle cake breaker, Wolseley and corn mill, Bamford and Clipper chaff-cutter, as well as the bigger stuff. Well done and thanks, Nick, it’s very much appreciated as we’re often over-looked.

The balance of the tractors were in the main engaged in ploughing, cultivating, harrowing and rolling the patch of land in front of the stationary engines. One could see Case, Marshall, Field Marshall, Fordson, Garner, IH Mogul, Ivel, Oliver, Renault, Rumely, Wallis, Cletrac and Schneider. With a variety of ancient and vintage machinery to choose from, many tractors swapped implements over the weekend.

The Stamford-based 20-49 Motor Club added some variety with a number of vehicles on both days ranging from the pre-war AC and Morris Cowley to the 1960s Volvo Amazon estate car. There were a trio of Morris Tens, from 1937-1939, all in maroon but each one a different body-style. Likewise, the pre-war Singer and MG looked very similar but with a startling amount of differences close-up.

For more information on the Case special theme, please look at our other report Casterton Casebook, which gives more information about the Case exhibits at the 2008 event. Look out also for an addition to our tractors pages shortly when we add this well-known but often overseen marque to our listings. For those like us who can’t wait to come back next year, 19-20 September 2009 are the dates. Pencil them in now.