Road Steam - Ruston & Hornsby Plougher

Found under the washing line ! looking remarkably complete.

Our engine was made by Ruston & Hornsby and despatched from Lincoln on 20^th

August 1925 to Buenos Aires dealer Agar, Cross and Company Limited.

They were Ruston’s sole agents for steam thrashing machinery in Argentina. She is a SCLA class, that is Steam Compound Light Argentinian designed specifically for that market for direct ploughing.

Rustons made approximately 1100 Straw Burning SLA (single cylinder version) and SCLA class engines. The first being produced in July 1900 and the last in July 1926. All bar a small handful were sold to Agar Cross in Buenos Aires. This is a huge production output if you compare it to other British manufactures.

Dorset 2006
Alec Tanner driving, I'm steering.

Specification: 10 h.p; high pressure cylinder diameter 7 ¼”; low pressure cylinder diameter 12"; piston stroke 12”; flywheel diameter 4’0”; driving wheels 6’2”; width 3’1”; overall width 10’6”.

Although mostly complete she still needed quite alot of attention. The front fore-carriage, smokebox, chimney base and front tubeplate all needed repair and replacement.

Inside - descaling prior to tubeplate fitting.

View of the new smokebox and perch bracket being fitted in position.

Another challenge was the friction clutch. Ray Hooley had found a drawing of the clutch mechanism for a smaller engine. This proved invaluable. Combined with some broken pieces a new pattern was made for the central 'arm' and a second 'shoe' by David Ragsdale. For this to work successfully the crankshaft was removed - all 7' of it. The clutch journal was machined, new bearing and gear fitted, all with the help of Vince Hawkins. The engaugement mechanism was manufactured by James Cummins and we were off for the first time across the field. It performed magnificently.

Originally she would have been fitted at the rear with a lower 'fuel carrying' platform. On this the 'stoker' would have stood also. The same basic engine design was used as a basis for other export markets – SLB – for the Baltic states; SCLM – for Milan (Italy); SCP – Polish version. These had different features – drums or tanks for fuel carrying capability. We will add a similar arrangement at the rear to make her more 'useable' on the rallyfield. Ray Hooley has just provided me copied of the Ruston works drawings for these different engines so we can re-create to the original Ruston design.

Preston Rally 2006.

To show her working a suitable plough is required. Not an easy thing in the UK since most are balance ploughs suitable for the two engine, cable ploughing system. Steam Plough Club member, Steve Barraclough has provided the answer. He has recently acquired 'just the thing !'. Hopefully you can just see the Discovery in the background - it give you a sense of scale.

Technical information : Number of furrows 6, furrow depth 10', furrow width 14', weight 3.25 tons, land wheel diameter 5'2', overall length excluding drawbar 25'.

It is built using Ransomes plough parts with the frame scratch built for this plough. Steve believes that it was built in Norfolk, but doesn't know who by, for land reclamation including clearing parkland once the trees had been cut down and roots blown up. The plough was originally pulled by a Cat D8. It was bought some years ago by the late James Key for the Strumpshaw museum, but was never displayed. Steve bought it at auction in 2007. The aim is to re-build it and make it available for direct traction ploughing demonstrations with large direct traction steam plough engines. Hopefully we can team up next year.