Paul and Rahnee McNae, from the Gold Coast, with Paul’s “Best 60” … the McNae family brought about 20 tractors and four engines to the rally
September 21, 2015
The “Vintage Iron” rally held in Kingaroy at the weekend featured some of the “Best” vintage tractors in Australia (pun intended).
There were also several Holts … and a magnificent display of bright yellow Caterpillars which were produced when the C. L. Best Tractor Company and Holt Manufacturing Company merged in 1925 in the United States.
The 90th anniversary of this merger was a great excuse for the Kingaroy & District Vintage Machinery Club to make “Caterpillar” its featured marque for this year’s rally, the third it has held at it rapidly developing club grounds near Kingaroy Airport.
There were more than 60 Caterpillars of all shapes and sizes on display, some static while others were busily moving around mountains of dirt.
The 2015 rally is the biggest the club has hosted so far, with hundreds of pieces of machinery on display, ranging from vintage chainsaws to massive prime movers.
The tractor-pulling competition was as popular as ever in the club’s special arena, as were the record number of entries in the grand parades on Saturday which huffed and puffed their way around the circuit.
Also popular were the large display of stationery engines – many driving pumps – chugging away in their new enclosure, and a working display of heritage chainsaws.
Tractors of all varieties took turns at testing their abilities in the red earth paddock at the back of the grounds.
Warren Hall, from the Logan Model Engineers Society IncThe Logan Model Engineers Society were offering rides on their steam-powered 4″ scale Showman’s engineMore Logan club members … Dave Smith, John Firth and David BundyThe Kingaroy & District Vintage Machinery Club must have some of the best turned over soil in the South Burnett … all weekend there was machinery of all sizes ploughing, digging and scrapingWatching a Caterpillar D9 in action were John Postlethwaite, Crawford; and Lee and Thornleigh Black, from KingaroyBrad Seiler, from Wondai, with a 1930s model Blue Streak Junior chainsaw … there was a big display of old chainsaws as well as an operating dragsawGetting ready to roar into life … a couple of cranks and this Case tractor was ready to goAs well as tractors, stationery engines and chainsaws, there was a large display of trucks and even vintage and classic carsHugh, Andrew and Frances Tilly, from Tilly’s Crawler Parts in Toowoomba … the family had a marquee and display set up and brother Glenn brought along a massive Caterpillar D9The tractor-pulling competition always attracts a crowd of people in the stands … the further the tractor goes down the track, the more weight is transferred to the sled, testing the tractor’s pulling powerHarry Haynes, from Brisbane, brought along a 3hp Buzacott stationery engine and a Forrers piston pump which have been working together since the 1940s … they were originally installed in a Gold Coast hinterland dairy
