question Falklands County Tractors

According to a recent issue of a UK tractor magazine at least 3 County Forward Control tractors, likely 1184s were purchased by the MOD. A picture in the magazine shows a unit coupled to an artic trailer coming off or going onto what I believe is a Mexefloat raft.

 

This indicates that it was after the end of the war phase and in the garrison build up after.

 

There is also a mention of some remote control ones being used for de-mining.

 

Does anyone know:-

 

-The army / navy / air force registrations of the units?

 

- Are there any other pictures of the tractors apart from the one in the magazine?

 

- What was the fate of them?

 

R

i have pics of them in a book,i,ll dig it out,as far as i know they are still down there

Slow night tonight... nothing on TV. Wondering if any of this is of use

 

http://www.county-tractors.co.uk/models.html mentions falklands but dont see no green ones

 

it seems a few came home http://farmphoto.com/thread.aspx?mid=922640

 

more info... says 2 came back rest were scrapped http://www.farmphoto.com/thread.aspx?mid=339443

 

http://www.cheffins.co.uk/lot/-426795-vintage-0

 

http://www.oldpond.com/acatalog/ford_tractor_conversions.htm

 

If I didn't have MV's I would have a County, spent many happy hours driving one in my youth, they are awesome I love em.

They are/were a favourite of RNLI to launch boats. Maybe that's what they were wanted for. County and the old Roadless made some bizzare tools in there time. County also do/did a 4x4 conversion for the Transit van. DERA had a few.

06 sp 20 was one of them

Edited August 4, 2011 by landyandy

If I didn't have MV's I would have a County, spent many happy hours driving one in my youth, they are awesome I love em.

 

first tractor i learnt to drive was a 754 with no cab then we got a duncan cabbed version,god was it noisy and rattled,then 1164,1174,and last was 1884

first tractor i learnt to drive was a 754 with no cab then we got a duncan cabbed version,god was it noisy and rattled,then 1164,1174,and last was 1884

 

You was lucky, I learnt on a Ford Dexter. That didn't have a cab either. :-D

 

On a more serious note, there was a couple of normal control Countys at HQ Engineer Resources Long Marston '85-86 ish that were said to have been ordered for the Falklands and never got there.

We had normal control counties in the engineers proir to the falklands, classed as Engineer Construction Plant. Used in the main with sweepers or the rotavators in conjunction with powdered lime for soil stabilisation.Have to check on the forward control model as its ringing bells on a recent spot........must interigate brainRegards Tim

H ,

 

Iappear to have got crossed wires, the photo of the proofed version was the one i recognised. As tony B stated, initialy developed for the RNLI.

 

See attached pics.

 

Note the reg No with the previous photo. This machine was classed as obsolecent when spotted by the boat ops in a depot.

Just the item needed for launching the boats off the hard. Whilst not classified as amphibious........its does float with about 6" of freeboard as they discovered one day when the medway current grabbed them and took them off the hard. Snagged on a handy bouyline and dragged back in .

 

Interesting to see the basic tractor within its sealed body, reminds me of the principle of the DUKW.

 

Regards

 

Tim

We had normal control counties in the engineers proir to the falklands, classed as Engineer Construction Plant. Used in the main with sweepers or the rotavators in conjunction with powdered lime for soil stabilisation.Have to check on the forward control model as its ringing bells on a recent spot........must interigate brainRegards Tim

 

I dont remember them being Counties, I thought they were the smaller Ford 4000 with the soil stabilization, and the surface dressing spreader machine (called a Pheonix?) was based on a 3000 tractor that faced backwards. I may be wrong though, it was a long time ago

 

I dont remember them being Counties, I thought they were the smaller Ford 4000 with the soil stabilization, and the surface dressing spreader machine (called a Pheonix?) was based on a 3000 tractor that faced backwards. I may be wrong though, it was a long time ago

Your memory does not decieve you as they were both in service together, smaller fords most definatley with the ADR teams fitted with front brush and occasionally the towed box sweeper. Correct with the reference to the Pheonix chippng spreader, nice piece of kit to use. We had fords and counties in Cyprus, but by preference the county was used for the soils work as it had more oomph as it were. I was grandley announced as the NCO IC ECP equipments in Cyprus, i suspect on the basis that i was most recently off the course and no one else wanted anything to do with them as repairs could be rather awkward out on the island. Found it not too bad to be honest as long as you kept aboard it.RegardsTim

I now own one of the tractors, which I was told saw service in the Falklands.

 

It is a standard ag spec 1184TW and had been originally fitted with a brockhouse torque unit ,so it could be used over there

by remote control, on terrain which had been mined.When the tractor left the Falklands it ended up in Cyprus on soil stabilization work with a rotovator,but due to stress on p.t.o was sent by the Royal Engineers to get transmission converted back to standard dual power unit.

 

When I acquired the tractor it had done only 243 hours, and has now been fully restored back to ag colours.

 

 

Dear Muir Hill,

 

Thank you for posting and welcome to the forum although there is a section to do that.

 

I'm intrigued by your County, what other pictures do you have of it at the time of purchase? I see there was a second one sitting beside it. Did it have any military data plate attached?

 

What factors did you consider before making the decision to put it back into ag colours? I'm guessing your more of an agricultural equipment enthusiast than a military vehicle type, is that true?

 

Do tell us more about your tractor.

 

Regards

 

Robin

Edited April 6, 2012 by robin craig

Did you buy it from Jacksons or Withams?

 

R

Hi Robin,

 

The section for posting an introduction ,is no longer an option due to spam I was informed by the forum.

 

The tractor came from Jacksons, and was one of a pair both ex Cyprus, previously had been in the Falklands.

 

I have information relating to seven 1184tw tractors which were procured by the M.O.D for during,or after the conflict

 

six of these tractors , including mine, had the brockhouse torque units fitted.

 

I think that all of them went to A.T. Osborne's, A county tractor dealer , and were converted to ford series 10 dual power gearboxes after the Falklands due to the p.t.o shafts shearing under load.

 

I have a collection of county and muir-hill tractors ,and I also farm. I did consider leaving the tractor as it was , but things were needing done to it, where do you start ,and where do you finnish ?

County tractors have become highly collectible and especially a tractor with such low hours on it.

I decided that if I was doing it, I would prefer it back to an ag unit ,and had it professionally restored by Osborne's

who now sell county tractor spares, and service them.

 

My tractor's VRN is 07 CP 11.

 

I would be very pleased to hear from anyone ,who can remember or tell me anything more about this tractor,

 

or the others which were in the Falklands conflict.

 

I will post some more pictures I have, and can confirm, that the other 1184 in the photo, is now with a collector.

Would this be ex MOD on the bay at the moment ?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COUNTY-1184-TW-FC-TRACTOR-/150788444231?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item231bb11047

A bit more info I was talking today to a chap who rebuilt one of these falklands tractors from a number of stillages of parts , as it had been dismantled , and the firm went bust . He says he has some pics so will try and get and post He also has the mil reg number recorded . It was a forward control type with a fifth wheel type coupling .

I have seen a picture somewhere( total recall may come back lol) showing a couple of forward control countys in a vehicle park in the falkland so they did make it out.

 

The above photes of the Bigland 754 version (as RNLI) are interesting this one is shown in Stuart Gibbards County Tractor Book and is placed in Outer Hebrides could it be a drone Recovery from Benbecula, been trying to source photos of vehicles from there but not much available

Hope this helps

 

regards dave

I now own one of the tractors, which I was told saw service in the Falklands.

 

It is a standard ag spec 1184TW and had been originally fitted with a brockhouse torque unit ,so it could be used over there

by remote control, on terrain which had been mined.When the tractor left the Falklands it ended up in Cyprus on soil stabilization work with a rotovator,but due to stress on p.t.o was sent by the Royal Engineers to get transmission converted back to standard dual power unit.

 

When I acquired the tractor it had done only 243 hours, and has now been fully restored back to ag colours.

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]59945[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]59946[/ATTACH]

 

Just nosing thro the thread, nice to see at least one was rescued from oblivion. Not really surprised at the hours run, as you can probably imagine Cyprus being rather hard and rocky not a huge call for much in the way of soil stabilisation. :-DLooked to see if i had any pics of the counties left but no joy so far.

 

I do recall that i saw one in UK fitted with the extension cages fitted to the wheels, must have been horrible on steering

 

 

As an aside with a handle like Muir-hill i presume you are familiar with the A5000 LWT, spent many an hour of my youth sat in one of those

 

Regards

 

Tim