The Rural Life team have recently embraced the use of mechanical power for the working field displays, making use of Fordson, Ferguson and Case tractor power from the Museum’s collection of such vehicles.  These are not replacing the use of horses for such work, but are in addition to this and also give an indication of what is to come in the future, as a 1950s hill farm is developed at the Museum.

Below: Colin Slater sent through these views of the tractors at work during the recent (and ongoing) Festival of Agriculture, showing sail reaping and threshing in action. The threshing drum is Beamish’s own ‘compact’ example, restored a few years ago by the Saturday Friends team and now regularly used at events – its smaller size makes it nicely manageable and better balanced against the smaller amounts of corn that we have available – the aim is a working display rather than industrial scale production!