Old plant revived

Press, 17 November 1977, Page 7

Old plant revived

If anyone in North Canterbury knows anything about the Cooper shearing plant, Mr J. Drummond, of Rangiora, would like to meet him. At a fair held on Kaiapoi Park by the local rugby football club, Mr Drummond used the plant for a demonstration. An arranged blade shearer was unavailable so after a lastminute search for a handpiece, Mr Drummond agreed to assist. He is shown shearing a pen of crossbred sheep. Alongside a restored Twigg engine is chugging steadily. Mr Drummond bought the Cooper plant about three weeks ago in North Canterbury. It is believed such machines were in use during the 19305.

Mr Drummond has cleaned off years of grime and oil, but still has to

restore the grinding plant, which fits on the end of the standi He plans to replace the metal “water joey,” obviously mended a number of times, with a smaller plastic tank. The plant, run on a 3 h.p. motor, has a self-contained water circulating system. Mr Drummond is seeking details about the machine from Australia, where it was manufactured. The Twigg machine was made in Hastings in 1908, and it is believed to be

the only such model in working order in New Zealand. Ten years ago, Mr Drummond located it in an Ashburton workshop where it had run on kerosene since its manufacture, working a lathe. Fifteen years earlier its working life had ceased. Such restoration work is Mr Drummond’s hobby. Once he had 24 old machines, but lack of space means he now has six.