Press Releases December 21, 2018
The Legend Runs On: Model D Tractor Restored
88 Years ago the Gallinagh family passion for tractors started growing
The Model D Tractor before the restoration
Crestmead, Queensland (December 21, 2018) – With a brand new 1929 John Deere Model D tractor added to their Western Australia property, they went about putting it to many and varied uses to make their farming life easier. After more than 30 years of service it was sent out to pasture (literally) and in the process, was ravaged by the elements for another 50 years. Then in 2009, Vince Gallinagh‘s enthusiasm for restoring antique machinery, coupled with his childhood memories, sparked a restoration journey to return the family’s original tractor to its former glory. With 2018 commemorating 100 Years of John Deere building tractors, it is fitting that we can share the story of this local piece of agricultural history.
The Tractor
Talking with Vince and his wife Sue while they were enjoying a relaxing fishing trip north of Bunbury earlier this year, it was intriguing to get their personal insights into the journey of their ‘family’ tractor through time.
The 1929 Model D was purchased for approximately £400 (Just over AU$700) by Vince’s father, Joe Gallinagh and shipped from the US to Fremantle in 1930 during the great depression. After arriving at the port, the tractor was placed on a train and hauled up to the Gallinagh family farm in Dowerin, in the central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.
Packed with cutting edge features for its time, one of the most notable assets of the machine was its interchangeable wheels: ‘steels’ with cleats for ploughing and ‘rubbers’ for seeding and harvesting. Even in these first models, ease of use was paramount, Vince noted that “changing the wheels was a matter of undoing a 3 inch nut, slide off, and slide on – pretty easy”.
The Model D spent much of its life dragging a log for land clearing. Vince added “(it was) such a reliable tractor, actually quite powerful 30HP, others (were) not as powerful… they were easy to start, no shot-gun shells or crank, just put the choke on, swing the fly-wheel and bang, away she went”.
After approximately 30 years of action, including a relocation to a new family property in Corrigin in May 1949, the family stopped commercial use of the Model D around 1960, but even then it didn’t rest. The tractor was repurposed and spent the next 6 years or so running a belt driven water pump taking water from the dam to a tank for garden watering on the property. Plus it spent time cutting chaff hay for the horses and cattle.
The Restoration
The next phase of the tractor’s life was not its finest. Unneeded and all but forgotten, the Model D lay parked under a big Salmon Gum in a creek bed for approximately 35 years. The years were not kind as you would expect. In 1996, concerned that a piece of history was going to rack and ruin before their eyes, Sue suggested that it might be wise to bring the tractor up and put it in their shed.
Once towed to its new home, Vince started to dabble with it as time permitted, pulling the head off the engine and getting it running. However, it did stay in its rusty condition in the back of the shed for a while yet. Vince would cast an eye over it every now and again while he turned the engine over to check it was still in working order.
Even in this rusty state it still managed to help the family, being used to transport Father Christmas to give out presents on a couple of occasions when a big Gallinagh Family Christmas was held. When they say big, they mean big - 96 family descendants converging for a celebration of mammoth proportions, with the tractor of course being a major talking point
In 2009, Vince and Sue thought they could finally ‘semi’ retire. It was then that Vince got to work on finishing the restoration. The engine was painstakingly restored. The radiator had a tiny seep around the gasket on the head tank but the brass core was still as good as new and has been kept as the original. Parts like mud guards and foot plates were sourced from John Deere in America. Carnamah local, Hal Walton, who owned a local John Deere dealership at the time and was a fellow restoration enthusiast, was another critical connection to sourcing the necessary parts to do the job right.
Vince got his hands on the final parts required in March 2011, just in time to show off his handy work at the local Rotary Club Vintage Show in April. The cleats came off, and the rubbers went on and it was ready to parade around the local town oval.
Onwards and Upwards
The now restored Model D is still kept in Vince’s shed but is available for public viewing at least once a year at the Corrigin Agricultural Show on the Ag Implements Narembeen (Local John Deere dealer) display. It’s an intriguing piece that’s popular with visitors when started up. This old tractor still brings a lot of pleasure to a lot of people and it is a credit to Vince and Sue for their dedication to preserving a fantastic piece of Western Australian history.
Further to the family’s John Deere Model D Tractor, Vince has restored a collection of other historical machines including a rare Chamberlain 6G Tractor and two Chamberlain 9G Tractors. At this rate, the Gallinagh’s might need to invest in a bigger shed. Vince added “I love old gear and I love restoring it… I’ve got a bit of history there”.
If you would like to see the Gallinagh’s Model D tractor for yourself, you can find it on display at the Corrigin Agricultural Show in the first week of September 2019.
The Legend Runs On
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Model D Tractor stripped down for restoration
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Every part received some much needed TLC
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The restoration of the Model D Tractor continues
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The Model D Tractor has a fresh coat of paint
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The Model D gets new rubber treads
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Vince Gallinagh behind the wheel of the restored Model D
About John Deere:
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com in New Zealand at JohnDeere.co.nz.
