The Cromford Steam Rally is certainly a highlight of the rally calendar and attracts a wide variety of interesting equipment from yesteryear. In 2022, the 51st gathering, was no exception, with a great display of commercials, cars and tractors to complement the steam entries which are the main draw.
Also on display was a fine collection of vintage plant equipment, which was headed by a1970 Ruston Bucyrus 22RB dragline that was certainly put through its paces over the weekend. Add to that a flypast of a Spitfire on one day, and a Hurricane on the other, from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and all of the other attractions on offer, the show was well worth a visit and in excellent weather compared to 2021.
Concentrating on the which was the last Ransomes compound ever built. It was sold to an agricultural dealer, and passed into preservation in the early 1960s when bought by John Vernon, hence its name. It later passed to C Hutton of Foolow, Derbyshire, while much older was John Carr’s 1918 7hp agricultural engine No. 27596 which was built for the WWI Agricultural Committee, but was not delivered. Instead, it was sold in 1919 to C H Johnson of Ripon and used on threshing duties, but was then given as a dowry, along with the threshing round, to J Eddy of North Stanley and worked with them until 1956.
