H.S.C.S. K40 STEEL HORSE – c. 1939

A contemporary visitor to Vienna and Budapest would be surprised by the links between the British Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19^th Century. They would be very surprised to know that one of the most elegant thoroughfares of Vienna once housed a tractor factory and on alighting from the train at Budapest Central Station, there are a number of statues commemorating the contribution of some outstanding British engineers to railway construction in Hungary.

As suggested by the names of the founders (see the heading), two firms were from Austro-Hungary and Clayton and Shuttleworth were well established in Great Britain. The partnership survived from the mid-1800s until 1921. HSCS is reputed to have started production of tractors in 1923 and the K40 probably emerged in 1935. 

WA Distributors (1956): Brown and Dureau Ltd, 312 Murray Street, Perth.  

Technical Specifications: Single-cylinder, 2-stroke surface ignition crude oil engine. The engine developed 40 hp at the belt and 33hp at the drawbar, operating at 1,000rpm. Engine size was 9” bore, and a 10” stroke. Blowlamp start was required to permit the surface ignition system to function. Weight 7,500lbs.

History: Hugh Manning saw this machine in a paddock on the side of Forrest Road, Armadale and after a two-year search, he found the owner, Mr Pingelly who was by then living in Victoria Park. Mr Pingelly had been a farmer in the Nungarin area before retiring and had bought the tractor from the country for his son-in-law.

In the late 1970s Mr Pingelly met Hugh on the farm to discuss the purchase price and to arrange delivery. The engine started without any trouble.  Mr Pingelly asked to be allowed to drive the tractor onto the truck. Half way up the ramps, he stopped the tractor and asked his wife to give him a pill which he placed under his tongue and then finished the loading without further ado. All of this gave Hugh a few anxious moments, but it all worked out well.

There was a bit of a “knock” in the engine which was diagnosed by Frank Hayward, then a Museum Curator. The “knock” was resolved by re-metalling the big-end bearing and this was carried out by Don Daw at this workshop in Byford. Frank Hayward reassembled the engine and made some repairs to body panels before repainting the Steel Horse to its original colours. The sand blasting and prime coat was paid for with a grant from the Lotteries Commission of Western Australia.

The tractor was finished and tested in its final restoration condition on 20 November 1994. It’s still going strong!