Wayne Clarke, with the old tractor used in the 1931 earthquake, at the 2019 Hastings Blossom Parade. Photo / Paul Taylor
Wayne Clarke, with the old tractor used in the 1931 earthquake, at the 2019 Hastings Blossom Parade. Photo / Paul Taylor
When Havelock North resident Wayne Clark's trusty steam engine broke down for the first time in 25 years before the Hastings Blossom Parade, he decided to get his 1924 Fordson F tractor out of storage and give it a whirl.
And it was nearly as good as new.
Wayne Clarke with his traction engine at a past Hastings Blossom Parade.Photo / File
The tractorwas one of 1931 Hawke's Bay quake's heroes, used to clear up the rubble and rescue the injured.
It was built in 1924 in the Unite States by Ford, and imported to Hawke's Bay. Back then, there were a few of them running around, Clark said.
It was used on a range of mass-produced, general-purpose tractors manufactured by Henry Ford & Son Inc from 1917 to 1920, by Ford Motor Company (US), and Ford Motor Company Ltd (UK) from 1920 to 1928, and by Ford Motor Company Ltd (UK) from 1929 to 1964.
The latter (Ford of Britain) also later built trucks under the Fordson brand.
The Model F designation began in 1919. Sales boomed in 1918 and 1919.
"It was built as an industrial tractor, not an agricultural tractor, and it worked around Napier in and around the port area and the industrial area in Napier.
"It weighs 2.7 tonnes", and has very heavy, solid wheels, he said.
"It was used to pull freight, and following the 1931 quake it was used to help with the rescue and clean-up effort."
Clark recalled sailors from HMS Veronica being transported around Napier in trailers pulled by such tractors for rescue or salvage work following the quake.
He is an avid collector of traction engines and a "few old tractors", and he acquired the historic tractor at least 20 years ago, from the owner of a transport yard.
Wayne Clarke operating his steam engine at the Hawke's Bay A&P Show at the Hawke's Bay showgrounds in Hastings. Photo / File
"I was given it by a guy in Napier at least 20 year ago."
However, while the tractor is still chugging along nearly 100 years after it was mass-produced, it is beginning to show its age.
"It is still working but there's always ongoing maintenance and repairs."
Wayne Clark, Havelock North, with a 68 litre diesel Blackstone engine he rescued from a scrapyard in Wellington at the Hawke's Bay Royal A&P Show. Photo/ File
The tractor is currently enjoying retirement at Faraday Centre in Napier.
"The tractor needs to stay in Hawke's Bay because of all the history associated with it.
"At the Faraday Centre it is just an interesting thing for people to look at and reminiscence. It needs to be looked after and preserved for future generations."
As for its reception at the Hastings Blossom Parade?
"It is quite unusual looking so it attracted quite a bit of attention from the crowd."
