# Vintage Machines Storage Yard, Devon (pic heavy)



## Foxylady (Nov 3, 2007)

I've seen this place several times whilst on bus journeys to Exeter. The last time I went past it looked abandoned and there appeared to be several JCB's there, so I noted it for an explore. After several weeks of trying, I finally managed to get out there yesterday morning. 
I thought it was going to be a bit special, but didn't realise until I actually got there how special it actually is. I took some photos of the outside as I walked up to it, then noticed someone working in the yard, so I skirted around the back of the loading shed to get a few pics. The owner came around from the other side and saw me, so I went up to him and explained what I was doing and asked permission to take photos. He was really good about it and in conversation later on, told me the history of the yard and a bit about some of the machines there. He's now retired and it's no longer a working yard, but he keeps it as a storage yard for vintage machines and continues to work on them. They weren't JCB's, as I'd thought, but very old tractors, plus trucks, a road roller and a wonderful steam traction engine.

The History 
The yard was a sawmill from 1895 and previous to that there were sawpits on the site. The loading shed was put up in the fifties and later became a scrapyard.

























































And there's more where that came from...


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## Foxylady (Nov 3, 2007)

Lots of wheels...





















And a wonderful red tractor in the loading shed.































And more to come...


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## Foxylady (Nov 3, 2007)

Parts of a road roller...and a rather cute wheel.






Next to this is the steam traction engine. It was made in 1911 for Peebles in Morecambe, Lancashire. Currently being worked on.


























Just turned around from taking this one when I saw the tractor in the next pic. It looked fantastic with the sun glinting off it and I took a photo of that, then found I'd run out of film and didn't have any more. Very glad I got that one, though. I can feel a new avatar coming on... 

Cheers


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## krela (Nov 3, 2007)

Wow I love old machinery like this, it reminds me of the Dramway scrapyard north of Bristol (which has now been cleared). Great stuff


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## mr_bones (Nov 3, 2007)

It looks like something out of Fred Dibnah's back garden - interesting stuff especially as these type of places are few and far between.


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## lost (Nov 3, 2007)

I like the yellow Magirus-Deutz and the older C-registration truck I'm not sure of.


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## Foxylady (Nov 4, 2007)

lost said:


> I like the yellow Magirus-Deutz and the older C-registration truck I'm not sure of.



I wouldn't have a clue, Lost.  I only know how to recognise a few bits of farm machinery and that most tractors used are either Massey Ferguson or John Deere, and that's yer lot!  Those trucks are great though, aren't they!


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## Cerberus (Nov 4, 2007)

Cool. The red tractor in the shed with the big spikes on the back could well be in use for forestry. The big spikes are lowered into the ground to act as an anchor for a winch to pull big logs out or otherwise winch stuff much heavier than the tractor itself.


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## Richard Davies (Nov 4, 2007)

mr_bones said:


> It looks like something out of Fred Dibnah's back garden - interesting stuff especially as these type of places are few and far between.



A couple of weeks ago Fred Dibnah's family auctioned off a lot of stuff from his back garden.


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## Foxylady (Nov 4, 2007)

Cerberus said:


> Cool. The red tractor in the shed with the big spikes on the back could well be in use for forestry. The big spikes are lowered into the ground to act as an anchor for a winch to pull big logs out or otherwise winch stuff much heavier than the tractor itself.



Ta for the info, Cerberus. I've been googling for farm machinery websites and hadn't seen anything like that (not that I'm obsessive or anything, mind! ).


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## King Al (Nov 5, 2007)

Nice one foxy, great to see something different from time to time, whats in the giant shed pics 8+9


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## Foxylady (Nov 7, 2007)

King Al said:


> Nice one foxy, great to see something different from time to time, whats in the giant shed pics 8+9



Just looked through the pics again now that you've asked that Al, and I hadn't realised before that it's not a shed...looks like a container from a lorry or something like that? No idea if there was anything inside. 

A couple of websites, if anyone's interested in checking out farm machinery. There's other interesting stuff on them too such as cranes and various industrial machinery.

www.tractordata.co.uk

www.classictractors.co.uk

Cheers


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## scammell23 (Jul 8, 2008)

*Commer truck*






This is an intewresting old truck. It has the same cab as a Karrier Bantem!


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## Neosea (Jul 8, 2008)

Nice going Foxy, that is a cool site. Have you been since?


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## scammell23 (Jul 8, 2008)

*Fordson Thames E4 GS 4x4 gun tracor truck*






This is an interesting old truck. It has the same cab as a Karrier Bantem! Of course its a Fordson Thames E4 GS 4x4 Gun Tractor from the 1950's
I'd love to drive the kids to school in that beast!


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## Foxylady (Jul 8, 2008)

Hiya Scammel
Thanks for the info about that...I know virtually next to nothing about vehicles, but I do love these old trucks, etc.



krela said:


> Wow I love old machinery like this, it reminds me of the Dramway scrapyard north of Bristol (which has now been cleared). Great stuff



D'you know, I thought about Dramway myself, Krela. A shame it's all gone now. Are there still photos of it on DP or did they go when the gallery went?



Neosea said:


> Nice going Foxy, that is a cool site. Have you been since?



Weirdly enough, I was thinking about it recently. I haven't but I'd love to go and visit the old guy again and see what he's working on now, but it would mean a special bus trip out there so I've kept putting it off.


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## spacepunk (Jul 8, 2008)

Pics 8 & 9..love the number plate GTA (Grand Theft Auto)
I could spend all day in there FL, looks amazing.


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## Foxylady (Jul 9, 2008)

spacepunk said:


> I could spend all day in there FL, looks amazing.



Yes, I could've stayed for a lot longer as there were so many interesting things to rummage through, but I didn't want to outstay my welcome. I'll have to look in again when I've cleared my current list of explores.


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## ricasso (Jul 9, 2008)

Cerberus said:


> Cool. The red tractor in the shed with the big spikes on the back could well be in use for forestry. The big spikes are lowered into the ground to act as an anchor for a winch to pull big logs out or otherwise winch stuff much heavier than the tractor itself.



I agree, we use a similar winch and ground anchor [ but on a john deere ] to pull over big stuff when we're
felling, absolutely phenomenal power in those old winch's


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## smiffy (Jul 9, 2008)

*yard stuff.....*

Thats a great yard Foxy .....having had a look at the photos there is some really interesting old stuff in there , here's what I've managed to sort of identify...
The *first crane is a Coles *either an Argus or Anieus model (all their cranes of that era were named after Greek gods and/or mythological figures) 6 /8 tonne lift capacity . 
They were diesel / electric in that the diesel engine ran a DC generator to operate all the lift/slew/hoist motors etc...(How do I know? Cos I owned a couple of them a long time ago when I was in the demolition game) 
The little JCB sort of excavator immediatley behind the first crane *is a 'Whitlock' *which was an early competitor of JCB they were usually based on either a Ford or Massey Ferguson agricultural tractor and were also a very good 'budget' machine and ( !!!! ) a Whitlock was the first ever excavator I was allowed to drive by my Dad.... I was 4 years old (yes 4 honest !) and I still have the old cini film of me (filmed by my Grandad) digging out a septic tank at the house my Dad was building .
In the far corner of the yard is another *Coles Crane *, same sorta model as the first...These cranes were very popular throughout the 60s & 70s (along with their biggest competitors 'Jones Cranes') with engineering yards and factories ....also British Rail owned a lot that were often rigged on rail wheels and one of mine was an ex National Coal Board crane.......
Oh yeah (edit) The loading shovel is (I think...) a *Chayside* or possibly a *Muirhill*.........Not ot sure but summat like that of 60s/70s era anyways....
On another noter...(slight hijack sorry Foxy) there was an incredible yard like this just outside of Coventry owned by a Marceau Demoulder...... he was a great fella to deal with and would let anyone wander his yard looking for stuff to buy...Over the years i bought a lot of kit from him but haven't been there now for well over10 years ...Is he still alive ???? Anyone in that area fancy having a look for him ???
Have found the Coventry yard ...here's the Flashearth...looks like uits being cleared out though .......
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.45155&lon=-1.432071&z=16.8&r=0&src=msa


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## jock1966 (Jul 9, 2008)

love the pics, what a great find.


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## lycos (Jul 9, 2008)

Excellent site Foxy, and a great explore, a restorer's dream, looks like quite a big site, was there much more?
Lycos.


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## Foxylady (Jul 9, 2008)

Thanks for all your comments, everyone. 
Smiffy, that's a fantastic amount of interesting info. I don't know much at all about these machines but I love 'm and am glad to be able to learn something.
Lycos, it wasn't a huge site but there was a lot of stuff there. Some parts were unreachable because it was packed in so tightly. I do have a lot more pics though. I might have a look through them later and scan a few more in if appropriate.
Cheers


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## BigLoada (Jul 9, 2008)

This is fantastic. Theres something amazing about old rusty vintage trucks aint there?
Me and Sausage could spend a whole day here and be very happy I reckon! The tractors are brilliant. We want more vintage vehicles!


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## underitall (Jul 9, 2008)

Looks great FL.
Only bad thing is, the temptaion to try and start some of the vehicles up! Nice collection, thanks.


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## pdtnc (Jul 9, 2008)

a traction engine... cool!! 
Like the looks of that old truck too reg: DUJ

good stuff FL


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## Bryag (Jul 9, 2008)

Old thread recently bumped. Missed it first time around, but glad for the bump to see it. Looks like a cracking explore, Foxy. I love old machinery like that, too. I would have been very much inclined to climb on and into though, but I am like that

Really nice shots, very much enjoyed


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## scammell23 (Jul 10, 2008)

*Front Loader*

Hi, I think the "Q" plate front loader might be a 1970's Volvo BM, like this one:












The cab is slightly different in my picture, maybe the one you pictured was a different model, but you get an idea from the picture what the beast looked like. 

A local crane hire company near my house has one of these Volvo BMs. Its a right strange looking thing! 

Great pictures Foxylady :notworthy:


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## smileysal (Jul 10, 2008)

Oooooooooh like these Foxy, you've got some pics of some very, very old tractors there, and absolutely loving that old rusty truck. That looks amazing. 

Good find missy, love the pics.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Foxylady (Jul 10, 2008)

Wow, I'm so chuffed at the replies form everyone, I'm going to give you another treat.  Just a few more pics...pretty much the same but some have a bit more detail on them.

Scammell, I can see the similarities, but I noticed that there are pneumatic arms at the front of mine, but a different kind of arrangement on your front loader. I wish I'd have taken more notice of makes now, or at least have gotten some make details in the pics.

A few more...
















Another view of the steam engine.






And my favourite photo from the explore...possibly my all time favourite.






Cheers


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## escortmad79 (Sep 15, 2008)

That's a 1911 Aveling roller, the front roll is from it.

That's been there for years, I drove past to take a look at it a few years ago as I'm big into road steam.

Shame it's not likely to be restored anytime soon


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## underitall (Sep 15, 2008)

Iv just noticed after looking at these again, that the registarion plate on one of th truck starts "GTA", and GTA it may well be....Nice one!


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## Mid diesel (Aug 29, 2009)

scammell23 said:


> This is an interesting old truck. It has the same cab as a Karrier Bantem! Of course its a Fordson Thames E4 GS 4x4 Gun Tractor from the 1950's
> I'd love to drive the kids to school in that beast!



A BLSP (British Light Steel Pressings) cab -- firm was owned by Rootes - who of course owned Commer...


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## Foxylady (Aug 30, 2009)

Mid diesel said:


> A BLSP (British Light Steel Pressings) cab -- firm was owned by Rootes - who of course owned Commer...



Cheers for the additional info, Mid. 
I've been to Newton Pop a few times lately and there have been a lot of changes to the site. I haven't had time to visit the yard and take more pics, though, but I might make another journey to catch up at some point.


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## bgoth (Dec 14, 2022)

Foxylady said:


> I wouldn't have a clue, Lost.  I only know how to recognise a few bits of farm machinery and that most tractors used are either Massey Ferguson or John Deere, and that's yer lot!  Those trucks are great though, aren't they!


Thats a Commer, an E4 I think, gorgeous old trucks, I'd love to save one of those


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## Foxylady (Dec 14, 2022)

bgoth said:


> Thats a Commer, an E4 I think, gorgeous old trucks, I'd love to save one of those


Thanks for the info, bgoth, and welcome to DP.


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## Foxylady (Dec 14, 2022)

Foxylady said:


> A couple of websites, if anyone's interested in checking out farm machinery. There's other interesting stuff on them too such as cranes and various industrial machinery.
> 
> www.tractordata.co.uk
> 
> ...


I just noticed this I'd posted in the thread. Obviously our last MP, Neil Parish, didn't take my advice instead of the tractor porn he looked at in the House of Commons!


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