Coolatai Tractor Pull 2014

[pop058]

Trip report(s) to follow. Watch this space :)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/621.jpg (http://s611.photobucket.com/user/pop058/media/Coolatai%20Tractor%20Pull%202014/003.jpg.html)

And this is how you start a 100 year old tractor

http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt194/pop058/Coolatai%20Tractor%20Pull%202014/039.mp4

[weeds]

I'm gonna hate the report..........

[Scallops]

Heritage tractor pulls and vintage machinery weekends......well, I'm hooked. If you have never been to such an event before, you really should. This event must rank as one of the gems on the annual calendar. A beautiful location between rolling hills with friendly local farmers who were genuinely thrilled to have "The Land Rover Crew" in Coolatai for this year's event. The weekend kicked off with a big night in the Walleroo Hotel, where we got to meet the event organisers and most of the town.....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/578.jpg



SLOW Inc. made a great impression in the classic car display area, with the most number of vehicles of any particular marque. There were 6 Land Rovers in attendance and all vehicles (including my Ford) drew much interest, questions and admiring comment. Here was part of the line up....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/579.jpg



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Big Steve, a local sheep farmer, brought his Gypsy in to join in the group....



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Johnny Bradshaw again imparted much wisdom and now Steve can start his Gypsy first time every time - even when it's FC....



Another fellow from just over the border turned up and joined us too...this one is a 120 inch wheelbase Isuzu ute alongside Grover....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/586.jpg



We were even joined by the town bum who was not only camped in the town's picnic shelter, but had a concourse resto Landy (RHS).....he pulled up next to Grover at the event.....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/587.jpg



And so much to see and do here....all the tractors were on NSW Historic rego and all driven by the local farmers....no bad ass moded stuff, just their passion on display.....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/588.jpg



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And this grand lady turned 100 years old this year....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/592.jpg

Camping spot....

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The bloke who brought her to the gig camped next to us so we got a guided tour Sunday morning.....



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Some of the SLOW crew drooling.....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/599.jpg



And you had to be there, but the New England Neenish tart did prove somewhat ellusive, although eventually one was tracked down. That made Neil drool....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/600.jpg



Kat particularly enjoyed the social aspect but also the working horses display. We went and said hello to them when they had finished.....



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And of course, there was also a wide variety of machinery to not only look at, but to listen too. Yes! I found it very therapeutic to sit by my Rover, ale in hand, and just listen to the Listers etc. ticking away.....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/604.jpg



Even part of a Helicopter.....from an Apache. I surmised it must drive the onboard bar fridge...



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And the Moree car boys also had some nice vehicles there.....



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/606.jpg



Yes, another top weekend away with the club. Why more folks don't come along to these is a complete mystery to me....I'll be going to this one again and I hope we can perhaps even support the event to some degree in future years.



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/607.jpg

[incisor]

cold down there was it?

for some of us work gets in the way at times :p

but life is like that at times

[Scallops]

cold down there was it?

for some of us work gets in the way at times :p

but life is like that at times


Not really. But the pub was lovely.

There were however, some of your relatives in attendance Dave. Uncle McCloot did say you were very busy, and says hello....!!!!

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/574.jpg

[incisor]

long as you got a handle on the family grope you will fit in :p

[S3ute]

Hello from Brisbane.

Not much extra to add on Coolatai, given the array of photos and testimonials that are already up here.

Here are a few and sorry for the repeats:

Heading home after a grand day out............

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/565.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014074_zps8c193835.jpg.html)

Happy campers..........

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/566.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014056_zpsc891b58d.jpg.html)

Ditto....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/567.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014060_zps4bcb0cb2.jpg.html)

A small but well-traveled collection of English jeeps.............

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/568.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014019_zps27620713.jpg.html)

What it's all about - tractor pulling (the sliding block adds increasing weight to the draw bar as the tractor moves forward until it either loses grip or stalls).....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/569.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014008_zps763d176d.jpg.html)

Not all tractors:

Duck dogs....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/570.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014005_zps1a1c8ae0.jpg.html)

Racing mowers....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/571.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014047_zps2a00c1be.jpg.html)

Neddies............

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/572.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014037_zpsbda4a24e.jpg.html)

And the general ambience..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/573.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014085_zps376575bb.jpg.html)

Looking forward to a bigger commitment in 2015.

Cheers,

[S3ute]

Hello again.

Coming back through the fine little dorp of Texas couldn't help but notice that the country music weekend was on again there in late September.

Texas Country Music Roundup By Texas Qld Inc. (http://www.texascountrymusic.com.au/)


Then as we did the regal lap of the town couldn't help but spot a few iconic B&Bs, inns, and what have you.

http://ffx-occupancy.s3-website-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/production/tab/photos/6461/th-195-146-P1090124.JPG

It's never too late to plan out a wasted life.....with or without a Series habit to sustain

Cheers,

Neil

[The ho har's]

Looks like a great weekend :)

Oh and when they hold events like these through the week we would love to attend:p

Mrs hh:angel:

[Landy Smurf]

Fantastic trip report guys.
Good to see the landys out and about.

[pop058]

The gent that owns this HD Prem also has a S2 ex-mil shortie. We have supplied him with all the right web sites, so hopfully he will be along soon.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/545.jpg (http://s611.photobucket.com/user/pop058/media/Coolatai%20Tractor%20Pull%202014/011.jpg.html)

It is a tractor pull afterall, so I thought a Cleveland would fit right in. :D

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/546.jpg (http://s611.photobucket.com/user/pop058/media/Coolatai%20Tractor%20Pull%202014/025.jpg.html)

A very clean "Californian"

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/547.jpg (http://s611.photobucket.com/user/pop058/media/Coolatai%20Tractor%20Pull%202014/022.jpg.html)

Even a Mopar

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/548.jpg (http://s611.photobucket.com/user/pop058/media/Coolatai%20Tractor%20Pull%202014/021.jpg.html)

This Cobra kit car has been a labour of love for the owner for more than 10 years

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/549.jpg (http://s611.photobucket.com/user/pop058/media/Coolatai%20Tractor%20Pull%202014/012.jpg.html)

[Timj]

Thanks for the report guys, looks like a good weekend.

Funnily enough that Mini Moke is probably the same colour as the Games. I have seen on a Moke forum that they used Yellow Devil on the Californians around 1977.

Cheers,

Tim.

[pop058]

Tim,

I would like to see a Game and a Moke side by side as that Califorian was "very" yellow in the flesh.

[Timj]

I'm not sure that any of the Games I know have a fresh paint job so they might look quite different as that Moke looks fresh. I have seen a photo of the Dulux paint code sticker and it is identical to the Game one so some of them would have been the same even if that one is not Devil Yellow.

Cheers,

Tim.

[S3ute]

Hello from Brisbane.

I guess you don't go to an event without learnin' sumpthin'..... so, here's some technical stuff.

The main draw card for Coolatai - beyond hunting for the elusive New England neenish tart and befriending the pub cat - was the fine sport of tractor pulling. In this case the sub-category of vintage tractor pulling.

Now tractor pulling, or power pulling as it is also known, is a recognised motorsport internationally - and when the really big stuff gets going is actually the most powerful motor sport of all.

Basically, a tractor (vintage in this case, but usually heavily modified) tries to drag a heavy sled along a 100 metre track of about 10 metres of width. The winner pulls the sled the farthest down this set track.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/438.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014007_zpsd75e845c.jpg.html)

The sled is technically called a weight transfer sled - as it moves down the track a heavy weight is transferred by gears or cables from over the rear axles towards the front of the sled. At the front there is a pan or flat plate and as the weighted block approaches it the resistance on the tractor's draw bar is increased. The farther the tractor goes the harder it becomes.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/439.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014083_zpsbf361263.jpg.html)

If a tractor makes the full 100 metres this is technically known as a full pull. If more than one tractor makes the full pull, more weight is added to the block and it starts again until there is a clear winner - needless to say, none of the vintage tractors actually made a full pull on the day.

Now part of pulling folklore is that the sport originated back in the horse plough days of the mid 1800s when farmers would boast about the strength of their plough horses. Supposedly, horse pulling contests emerged where horses would be hitched to a barn door laid flat and set to pulling it. As it moved across the ground more and more people would jump on to the door and the winner was the horse that pulled the door the greatest distance.

So, it was appropriate to have the odd horse in attendance:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/05/440.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/Tilly011/media/Coolatai_May_2014038_zpsdfb855a3.jpg.html)

There you go, get off the turps long enough and you learn something at Coolatai after all.

Back for more next year.

Cheers,

Neil