Help needed on RAF MG-2 "Cultivator"

Originally posted by mike currill
Often used for towing trains of bomb trolleys

A few were also painted red all over and used to tow fire fighting equipment ( slowly ) 😀 , they are’nt too good at towing stuff over concrete , any real load on tow and the tracks just grind away at the concrete , however on grass they will pull a surprising load.

Originally posted by geedee
Noramlly painted a light blue in colour…sort of sky blue !….and where used mainly for horticultural purposes. I didnt know they where used for other duties during the war by the services!

I have a few piccies kicking around of them in normal civvy street colour’s and will scan them in over the next few days.

would have thought they would have been painted that lovely RAF blue/grey colour in service.

And powerfull ?…teehee

Often used for towing trains of bomb trolleys

Originally posted by dhfan
Alastair

RAF Ground Support Equipment since 1918
F J Adkin
Airlife 1996
ISBN 1085310 562 7

Smartarse again, searched the forum to find the original post.

Ken

And yet again. Just did a Google UK search using the full title and found 7 entries. Good luck.

Got your PM Ken , have already Emailed the chap , many thanks.

Alastair

RAF Ground Support Equipment since 1918
F J Adkin
Airlife 1996
ISBN 1085310 562 7

Smartarse again, searched the forum to find the original post.

Ken

And yet again. Just did a Google UK search using the full title and found 7 entries. Good luck.

I’ll go there Thursday evening Alastair, and I shall make some photographs. I’ll mail them to you, together with an adress. I’ll check out who is going to do the restauration, as he will be the best contact. Thanks for you help and interest in the project. You can have a look at their site, the MG-2 isn’t there (yet), but it gives an idea. www.crash40-45.nl

Best wishes, Roger

Roger , could you mail me the address of the group who are restoring the MG-2 , I have looked out some magazines with articles on the MG-2 . I also have a petrol tank in very good condition and MAY have a JAP 600cc side valve to suit it too – it’s just had the main bearings and big end replaced – and the cylinder it has just been rebored and has a brand new +25 thou piston and rings fitted , the magneto has just been reconditioned – it is a VERY clean engine and just needs an AmalCarb fitted to complete it. I can send the mags and the petrol tank free of charge and if I do decide to buy a new Rotovator the engine will be free of charge too , just expenses for the Fed-ex man. I would rather see it going to a good home rather than gather dust in my barn. Do you have any photo’s of her , it would be interesting to follow her restoration.

DH Fan , if you are out there HELP , you mailed me the name the book about RAF Ground Equipment – unbelievely my local Library had it sent out to them and I took it home for 2 weeks , I took it back – intending to buy a copy for myself – but I can’t get a copy anywhere – and to compound things the Library has sold it . Is there any chance of mailing me the exact title , author , publisher and ISBN number so I can track one down – many thanks.

If anybody has any photo’s of RAF ground equipment from 1940 -1950 , especially Tugs , I would be very grateful if you could mail them to me at

[email]ageorge@haemonetics.com[/email]

ANY photo’s would be welcome however poor they are. Many thanks.

Thanks Alastair. They are going to take it apart this weekend. Won’t be there as I fly to North Weald tomorrow (or better, I am just onboard a Ryanair 737 as a passenger) for the FlyPast fly-in. On Thursday I am in the museum and hopefully the more technical members can tell what is missing or broken. I’ll be in contact with you then on the emailnumber you gave me. Found out yesterday that the machine has been used for 50 years to tug boats in and out of the Northsea here in Holland, so it must be that there is a lot of salt water damage.

Thanks again, I’ll be in contact next week.

BW Roger

Originally posted by Roger S
Thanks for the info everybody. This weekend they start with cleaning and repairing the vehicle. Then, in a few weeks time it is hopefully time for repainting. Don’t know if we can get it “on the move” again. Looks like some parts aren’t there. I’ll mail a photo next week. BW Roger

Parts for them are readily available Roger , engine parts especially are available from Meetens Industrial Engines , Wimbledon , London . There is also a Ransomes Owners Club who have a good spares section , if you have any problems mail me and I’ll help out as best I can . They are great fun to drive !! , just don’t put your hand down over the left hand side as the exhaust runs down that side and it gets hot !! , keep your hands on the levers at all times !!!!

Edited to include – I have a spare fuel tank in great condition – available FOC if you need it , and may have a suitable JAP 600cc side-valve engine too – just needs a carburettor.

Thanks for the info everybody. This weekend they start with cleaning and repairing the vehicle. Then, in a few weeks time it is hopefully time for repainting. Don’t know if we can get it “on the move” again. Looks like some parts aren’t there. I’ll mail a photo next week. BW Roger

Originally posted by dhfan
I was wondering how long it would take for you to pop up, Alastair.

I know , it’s a sad hobby but it’s all I can afford 🙁
I now have 2 road legal Fergies and I LOVE causing major tailbacks 😀
However , I have just had my left leg repaired so at present I’m not driving anything anyway 🙁

Originally posted by ageorge
Roger , as a tractor / agricultural collector…

I was wondering how long it would take for you to pop up, Alastair.

Hmmmm…. buying one of these may be the nearest we get to having an ex-RAF warbird!

Roger , as a tractor / agricultural collector ( sad , I know ) keep a look out for “Classic Tractor” or “Tractor & Machinery” . The Ransome MG crawlers are still in use in many market gardens and orchards as they don’t cause so much soil compaction . The RAF bought a few of these for general duties – grubbing out drainage ditches etc . You can buy a secondhand MG2 in excllent condition , with implements for a couple of hundred pounds , the RAF bought them in the standard Ransomes red/blue ( they are normally blue with red tracks and sprockets) colour scheme and sprayed them a gray/blue colour . My neighbours have a couple for cleaning out the bottom of hedgerows with a single furrow plough – they are great fun to play around with and you can still get spare parts no probs , and are very cheap . If you want a few magazines featuring the MG2 and other variants of them – just send me your snail mail address to [email]mail@alastairgeorge.fsnet.co.uk[/email] and I’ll stick a few editions featuring the Ransomes to you FOC.

There is an owners club , I’ll try to look out their address and post it , there will be a few at the Biggar Show next weekend and I’ll try and get some ( invariably poor) photos , the RAF purchased small dozer blades for cleaning snow from walkways , rollers and some hitches for pulling Tiger Moths around , amongst other implements.

Noramlly painted a light blue in colour…sort of sky blue !….and where used mainly for horticultural purposes. I didnt know they where used for other duties during the war by the services!

I have a few piccies kicking around of them in normal civvy street colour’s and will scan them in over the next few days.

would have thought they would have been painted that lovely RAF blue/grey colour in service.

And powerfull ?…teehee