Saturday - cruise control

Leaving the excellent Hotel du Commerce in Oucques this morning, I refuelled at a small petrol on the edge of the town. There was only one pump and the owner, M Aubrey, was enhusiastic about the tractor. He told me that many Fergusons (and Fords) were imported to France after WW2 to work on the reconstruction of the country. I asked if there are still many around, but he thought not now. Overall, I've had probably half a dozen people tell me that their dad or other relative used to have one. Probably reflects the continued strong community connection to farming, in this part of France at least.

I plotted a route down to Fleuray, near Amboise, using almost entirely very small roads. Although the landscape leading on towards the Loire is quite flat, it was a pleasant journey with almost no traffic. In the early part of the day it was pleasantly warm, though by midday it was only by keeping moving (at 18km/h...) that I stayed cool. I reckon it must have hit over 30C, and also some cloud was building up. I reached Fleuray at about 1.30, and was pleased to be able to sit out with a couple of beers.

The tractor speed control now operates very differently, M Sires' fairly brutal bending having removed the friction on the throttle mechanism. If I set the speed, and it's quite sensitive, it will hold that speed up modest hills. Obviously a precursor of modern cruise control. However, as I explained yesterday, it is wildly unstable on a sudden change of speed, eg on starting off, but I can try to live with that.

It was my shortest run today - only 50km -so I shall need to be a bit more ambitious from Monday on. I'm taking a day off tomorrow, savouring the prospect of a late breakfast and not having to get kitted up to sit on a tractor for several hours. I tell myself I've earned it; I've travelled 390km in France, making it 670km since setting off last Saturday morning. Must be close to halfway!

Finally I' ve succeeded in posting the picture of yesterday's encounter with my new friend and his wife on their tandem. I mailed the pictures to him last night, and now have the additional information that his name is Phil and he was in the French navy. I may or, may not have mentioned that he is a keen radio ham, but I now have his call sign too.

Friday. One week done

Set off from Illiers Combray, fairly confident the fuel problem was understood, and so it seems. Crossed the Loir ( the small one) at Montigny, and lunched at Cloyes. Slightly disturbed to notice the amount of oil issuing from the left rear axle, via the brake drum. This renders an already inefficient brake useless, meaning I now have one wheel braking. Setting off after lunch, was intrigued to notice the already hysteresis-prone speed governor now showed essentially 100% hysteresis. I suppose you could say it was binary - either shut right down or flat out. Depending as I do on engine braking to control it on hills, this was a complication I could do without. So, approaching my destination this evening, I stopped by the side of a small road, raised the bonnet, and got out the tools. I concluded there was a friction problem at the carburettor and was trying to fix this, when a French couple turned up on their side by side tandem. En panne? The usual stuff. It turned out that he a is a radio ham, and speaks good English, though his wife does not. So we had a multilingal chat. He advised talking to Bernard Sire, te local garagiste. Pictures of the encounter attached (Or I would if I could make it work - too late at night). Anyway, I saw the said Bernard, and he and a mate diagnosed the governer shaft as the problem. I explained why this was not the case, and they then applied a lotof force to the oil breather pipe which, I have to say, improved the linkage friction, all for 5 Euros. Now, speed control seems have some effect, but the more mathematically inclined of my readershio will recognise what happens when you don't have enough friction in a closed loop control system. That's right - it's quite underdamped, so I go along in a series of lurches until it settles down. As David has observed, a Ferguson tractor is designed to plough a field, not drive at (relatively) high speed across France

Escape from car park- day 6

In the event, the car park was easy. I asked the receptionist to hold the gate open, put in in first gear, kept my head down and drove out. Why did I worry? It was a beautiful morning in Vernon, and I drove in rolling country to the east of Dreux, and then followed the Eure valley towards Chartres. Stopped for lunch at a workmen's place, and ate and drank for 10 Euros. The place held about 30 men at a given time (no women), and everyone was served with incredible efficiency by one lady. As I left, a couple of guys admired the tractor - "magnifique", "bon courage" etc. One did point out that the tyres rotated in the wrong direction - all the better for stopping I said, thinking quickly.

Transnavigatinfg Chartres was a nightmare. In the event, I couldn't avoid using the ring road, and had huge trucks either hammering past, or sitting close behind. Never again.

I'd booked to stay the night some 20km SW of Chartres,a nd eventually reached there about 5.30. I found it odd there was no-one around and, when looking back at my battered Michelin guide was rather horrified to discover it was a restaurant without rooms. Something obviously failed in our communication. I did recall I'd stayed at a place some 12km away earlier in the year, but of course I had no phone number. So, it was back on the tractor for a fast run to Illiers Combray, where I was highly relieved to find a room.

After dinner, I went out for a final look at the tractor, and was a little disturbed to see petrol dripping fast from the carburettor. Luckily, I was assisted in the study of the problem my a fellow guest who pontificated on the likely causes while leaning over it with his lighted cheroot. We agreed it was the chaleur. I believe it was also the cause of Tuesday's difficult starting and subsequent cut-out. I suspect I blocked the air hole in the tank filler cap when I sealed the rusty interior with epoxy paint. So now the cap stays loose.

Tomorrow it's Oucques, which will not be as far as today (130km = 75 miles) which was too much

Should have added the photos

Across the Seine

I left Martin-Eglise, near to Dieppe, this morning in fog and dripping rain. This gradually cleared as I followed the river Varennes down to St Saens, to such an extent I was squinting into the sun by 11am. It's a really beautiful route, on quiet roads, with typical Normandy half timbered houses and dairy farms. From there the landscape is plainer, with large hedgeless arable fields.

At Fleury I wanted to continue south on minor roads, but was frustrated by closure signs, with the effect that I was being forced onto the equivalent of a major British two way highway, with artics thundering past threatening my continued existence. So I turned round, and took the closed road, driving round all the no-entry signs. For 2 miles it was effectively an excavated dirt road, with holes and ramps everywhere. But, no problem for a tractor; the guy sweeping the road with a huge machine didn't turn a hair. I refuelled in Les Andelys, and was rather concerned that the tractor had developed a high pitched squeaking sound. I ran through the possibilities: wheel bearing failing (no, too high a frequency); water pump bearing (maybe - should I have checked the greasing again?); worst of all, what about pre-ignition (really? with a compression ratio of 5:1....). After a while, I put my hand on the bonnet. It stopped. I hadn't set the catch properly. Panic over.

Anyway, I eventually reached my destination at Vernon, and finally crossed the Seine in the process, a total distance of 122km, rather more than I had intended, and really too much. Staying at the Hotel Normandy, where they have an underground car park. Good for security I figured. The only problem is that the gradient into the car park, and the inevitable bend, made it impossible to control the tractor on the feeble brakes; also the head height's not much. So I entered this car park accelerating out of control, crouched down to avoid decapitation. Tomorrow's challenge is to get out.

Weather forecast is good though.

Video - Seaford and the ferry crossing

Video footage from Tractorman's escape from the UK. He looks in great shape - more than can be said for the cameraman (woman) who has clearly been on the gin.

The spirit of Dunkirk lives..

The sheer speed, you can almost see distortion of his features, or is that exultant joy at having made it to the coast?









Our intrepid tractorman is spotted heading across the channel, our photographers having trailed him south were not allowed closer due to border restrictions.

Day 3 and 4

This will have to be short, because it's late and I'm well down the Calvados.
Yesterday was fine. Relatively easy run from Edenbridge down to Newhaven. Stayed over at Alfriston - a pretty village with too many Bank hol tourists. Also a lot of terrifyingly steep hills with sharp bends. With no brakes to speak of, this spices life to a degree I haven't experienced since working with a number of well known consulting companies.

Starting off from Alfriston this morning, I was amazed and delighted to be overtaken by Barbara and David, who had left this morning at 4am to see me off on the ferry. Slight problem as the tractor suddenly stopped in Seaford, but this seems to have been a temporary problem with fuel starvation. The mild panic this induced resulted in me heading off towars Eastbourne, readily correcte once I realised I was lost.

The ferry reached Dieppe at 4.30 pm, and was greeted with a reporter from the local press taking pictures and giving me a short interview. I'd already answered the ovious questions (why are you doing this?) by email, so we restricted ourselves to numerical things like fuel consumption and daily distances. He promises to send photos. Whether there will be an article I'm not sure.

Anyway, tomorrow's ploblem is to cross the Seine without going into Rouen, which is a challenge. Next blog will recount just how great.

still going strong

A classic picture from Tom as he passed through London on Sunday.

(p.s. for those worried about the lack of posts, don't be. His network coverage is patchy, but he is making progress and safely across the channel)

trans Londres

Day 2. Started at 5.30 am from Stansted Abbots, in dry weather. Very little traffic (unsurprisingly) so made good progress down A10 to London Bridge. Phoned Tom from Old Street at 7.20 and was surprised he was already on location, given his hangover. Delighted first to see Fionaulla waving furiously from the central reservation, and then Tom and Steve (P) with cameras. I will try to attach one of Steve's pictures. Good to have achieved the first real milestone of the voyage. It's been quite sunny today, so a much more agreeable journey than yesterday's.

Crossing the North Downs was an interesting experience, with combination of unexpectedly steep and twisting hills with ineffective brakes. David F did warn me of the Biggin Hill to Westerham section, and I was able to savour that.

Arrived at Edenbridge about 1pm, and got a call to say Janet was on her way by car. We went to lunch in the village. Driving at 40mph seemed terrifyingly fast after 170 miles at no more than 12mph. Still, Janet does have brakes.

Spotted: Saffron Waldon - Sat 29th May 10:45am

5 minutes north of Saffron Walden, still full of early enthusiasm, if a little cold. A quick bite and he is on his way again. Having covered 20 miles, he was in search of a petrol station.....

Any sightings across England and France, send in the images and we will post them here.






and a video... he sets off again headed south: