Farm Tugs 1

A farmer on a tractor . . .  notice anything unusual?

And these flags and a grandstand?  Well, tugboats have their competitions, and so do farmers.  They compete in

restorations like this century-old Case and this

or this A. B. Farquahar.  But like 18th century farmers had horse competitions and some lobsterman race their work equipment,

a farm tractor does only pull such implements as plows.  Nor is the end of the field always the destination.

Check out this Oliver or

this Cockshutt or

this John Deere.

Here’s some background on tractor pulling.  Will Van Dorp took all fotos yesterday at the Pageant of Steam held near Canandaigua sponsored by NYSEA .   For the sound of a steam engine pulling a competition sled, click here.  But if you choose to click on ONLY ONE link here, click on this one for sounds and smoke generated during the last three fotos above.  Horsepower equal to an average sixth boro tugboat and screaming like rockets.    Here are some “puller profiles.”

No need to remind you that the sixth boro’s tugboat race happens in about two weeks!!  Anyone know what would happen if there were a pull-off between a 1000 hp. tractor on a dock and a 1000 hp. tugboat each at an end of a long wire?