Michael Fahey’s collection of Fordsons spanning four generations of the marque from a 1918 Model F through to a 1953 Fordson Major.
WORDS & PICTURES Justin Roberts
H
ow do you measure the success of an event? By the money raised, by the number of visitors, the popularity with exhibitors or simply whether everybody involved agrees that it was indeed a great success and eagerly looks forward to the next occasion? If it is the latter then the recent attempt to break the world record for the greatest number of tractors collected together certainly counts as being an occasion that
was well worth attending and returning to next year. e record had been held by the Canadians at 1232 and they still cling to it but only by a margin of 104, a gap that will be easily filled according to the man behind the event this year and who will be spearheading the attempt in 2015. Michael Fahey is the gentleman concerned, a tall fit fellow, he runs his own forestry contracting business based a few miles south of urles and it is here at his yard that he keeps much of his own collection of vintage tractors as well as restoring and repairing those of friends in
addition to working on his own. If that sounds like he is a busy man, that he most certainly is with several machines in various states of undress in the workshop as well as a selection of projects awaiting attention parked up behind the buildings. e Fahey philosophy toward collecting is best illustrated by his collection of Fordsons which range from a 1918 Model F to a 1953 Fordson Major and this small group is perhaps worth a closer look, for out of all the tractors in his collection they are perhaps closest to his heart. ➤