Alleys Collection

Alleys Heavy Haulage and General Haulage of Studley, Warwickshire, was started some 50 years or more ago by the founder and owner Maurice Alley.

Fortunately, the Allely family retained ownership of some of the early vehicles used those days. Five of those vehicles have now been fully restored and are road legal once again.

The latest addition to the vintage collection is the Atkinson Borderer powered by a Cummins 220 unit. This tractor unit had been in the shed at the family's farm for some 18 years. It is a worthy partner to the rest of the vintage collection, very well restored.

Here you see the entire vintage collection at a recent event at the family farm in Studley. The event was for the family and friends and members of the North Worcestershire Vintage Tractor and Engine Club.

The Atkinson in front and behind from left to right is the Austin K2 Dropside; Thorneycroft Sturdy; Seddon MK5 and a Bedford Livestock unit.

The Thornycroft Sturdy leaving a Classic and Vintage Commercial show, Malvern, Worcestershire.

Nuffield Tractors (part 6)

The continuation of the restoration and rebuild of my Nuffield 3/45 progresses very well.Sometimes you may think that we have not done much, but it is down to detail stuff right now.

Yet another look at the rear, this time a genuine PTO shaft cover is now purchased and fitted. The original was missing.

This is a view of the front and right hand side

Another view from the side showing the air cleaner and fuel return lines in place.

The PTO lever assembly now in place.

Nuffield Tractors (part 5)

The Nuffield is making progress, albeit a little slow. Simply because I am unable to fulfill all the relevant tasks, so we have to rely on others involved in order to restore it to its original factory condition.

When a restoration project commences, there are a multitude of issues that have to be addressed. When a vehicle or tractor is purchased, ideally it helps if you can obtain one that is more or less 'all there'. We understand deterioration and decay together  parts or components missing. With tractors for example, they tended to be 'bastardised' by previous owners, pricipally to reduced the repair costs and keep them going. Tractor tin work can be well damaged either by misuse or rust.

In this business, there are of course a vast number of suppliers of replica items. Avoid these like the plague if possibly. Study the tractor and manufacturer and establish the principle of common components used by other manufacturers or models. So when you go looking for items at a tractor breakers, you need to have sufficient knowledge of where else that part may just be lurking. In the case of the 3/45 model I own, certain components were used on the Nuffield 4/65, Leyland 344 and early JCB's.

So armed with this knowledge, suitable tooling and permission from the breakers yard owners, you can now locate the precise item, assess its condition, remove, pay up and eventually reuse.

 Now here we have the author studying the parts manual for this tractor. This photo was not taken at home.

The best way to clean out a wire gauze air filter is set fire to it.

The PTO cover is an example of a component from another tractor. Courtesy of Ron Greet Tractors of Devon, this came off a Leyland 344.

The newly painted dash panel is offered up.

Foot rests also now going back on.

Another photo showing the dash and just behind it is part of the air cleaner system.