Robert Walker is a true tractor-obsessive.
The Meltham businessman and sometime potato farmer bought the gleaming piece of David Brown history last year and immediately set about discovering its previous owners.
This included travelling all the way to Somerset to find the answers – during his holiday.
Mr Walker said: “The tractor was manufactured in Meltham in 1965 and first registered in June 1963 in Crewkern, Somerset, by David Brown agents Gibbs.
“It had one owner up to 2006, George Henry Willies, who unfortunately died after falling from a lorry while thatching a roof.
“The tractor ended up in North Wales where a David Brown collector friend of mine acquired it. He offered it me in January 2014 as he knew that I wanted a red David Brown 990 Implematic.
“I purchased the tractor and brought it back to Huddersfield where we gave it a good service, and freed up a few tight spots with fresh oil and lubricants.
“I registered the tractor with DVLA which is how I found out that I was only the second registered keeper.
“The previous keeper’s address was very close to a friend (another David Brown collector). So we made a holiday of visiting Somerset and Dorset, a few sights including Glastonbury which is very close to the farm address at Langport.
“All has changed since the death of Mr Willies but I made a few contacts through the help of the local newspaper, the Western Gazette.
“I have since spoken with Ken Gibbs who first registered the tractor new in 1963 and painted the registration number on to the rear of the seat.”
Mr Walker, who runs Great Northern Street Motors in Huddersfield, has a small collection of David Brown tractors and implements which he uses for arable work including growing potatoes.
He uses the tractor for ploughing.
Another tractor has been stripped down for renovation at the garage.
Mr Walker said: “This is good practice work for our trainee who is now rebuilding his third engine in a year, rare stuff these days.
“This tractor will be going to another farm for arable work. Its the fourth David Brown overhaul job in the past 12 months.”
Meanwhile another historic David Brown tractor is hard at work - in Central America.
Former David Brown employee Boyd McNab came across a tractor while visiting Guatemala.
He saod: “The photograph may be of interest to some of your older readers who worked at David Brown Tractors at Meltham.
“I was recently on holiday in Guatemala and photographed this David Brown tractor working on a coffee farm . It still looked in good condition although it must have been over 40 years old.
“I worked for David Brown tractors from 1960 to 1973 and still have happy memories of the company and the people”.
