Our roving reporter in France, Gerry Freed, has posted these pics in a JAlbum - it is a bit wacky at present, but Gerry will fix it.
See here <a href="http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gfreed/basque.htm" target="_blank">Gerry's Pics from France</a>
Can you pick the Renault?
Here is some edited text, with some tractor info for the likes of Ray et al.
"Had a marvellous day with the Basque ID/DS Club. We visited a farmer in the Landes near the basque country, who collects Verizon tractors. They were French made and based on the German Lancing patents.
The engine is a single horizontal cylinder of 12 litres (yes twelve). It has no engine driven valves and is a two stroke. On the intake side it has an external non return valve. The ignition is hot bulb. There is a propane fired burner at the front on the head. Its flame heats the igniter to a cherry red colour. Then the engine is turned by hand until the oil burns, at which point it starts to rotate. Which way it goes is optional and changed without stopping the engine by blocking the inlet valve at the right momen,t so that it does not pass tdc and runs back, which is then a preferred direction. It can run at 0 rpm by rocking without a full rotation. Once it is warm it runs at about 800 rpm max and the ignition sustains the igniter temperature so that the propane can be turned off. They develop 65bhp and run on fuel oil. Manufactured well into the 1960's and still in use.
We then went in convoy to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed Kir, local red,white and rose plus asparagus soup, fois gras, confit de canard, local jambon sec and then an entrecote followed by a three chocolate mousse and coffee. Its a hard life keeping up with these people!"
See here <a href="http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gfreed/basque.htm" target="_blank">Gerry's Pics from France</a>
Can you pick the Renault?
Here is some edited text, with some tractor info for the likes of Ray et al.
"Had a marvellous day with the Basque ID/DS Club. We visited a farmer in the Landes near the basque country, who collects Verizon tractors. They were French made and based on the German Lancing patents.
The engine is a single horizontal cylinder of 12 litres (yes twelve). It has no engine driven valves and is a two stroke. On the intake side it has an external non return valve. The ignition is hot bulb. There is a propane fired burner at the front on the head. Its flame heats the igniter to a cherry red colour. Then the engine is turned by hand until the oil burns, at which point it starts to rotate. Which way it goes is optional and changed without stopping the engine by blocking the inlet valve at the right momen,t so that it does not pass tdc and runs back, which is then a preferred direction. It can run at 0 rpm by rocking without a full rotation. Once it is warm it runs at about 800 rpm max and the ignition sustains the igniter temperature so that the propane can be turned off. They develop 65bhp and run on fuel oil. Manufactured well into the 1960's and still in use.
We then went in convoy to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed Kir, local red,white and rose plus asparagus soup, fois gras, confit de canard, local jambon sec and then an entrecote followed by a three chocolate mousse and coffee. Its a hard life keeping up with these people!"
