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Post Info TOPIC: Clayton and Shuttleworth tractors


Legend

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Clayton and Shuttleworth tractors
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There seem to have been two types of Clayton & Shuttleworth tracked tractors used in WW1.

One that looks very much like a Holt 45 tractor and another with the general configuration of the Holt 75 (aka Holt 15-ton).

I haven't been able to find out any details about these tractors, their use or specification. Anyone know of any resources

with information on these tractors?

Regards,

Charlie

 



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Sergeant

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Hello Charlie, like you I haven't had much luck finding info on the C&S tracked tractors. I think one of the few mentions I've come across online is from this (somewhat poorly-written) website:

https://tractors.fandom.com/wiki/Clayton_and_Shuttleworth

"In WW1 they set up a subsidiary company Clayton Wagons at Abbey works, Lincoln...

...This was followed in 1916 by a 4 cylinder gas-kerosene engine crawler tractor ("Chain Rail"). This 40 hp. machine lasted till 1929. They also built an 100 hp. gun tractor similar to a Holt machine."

The Museum of Lincolnshire Life in Lincoln has a 1917 Clayton crawler tractor on display, with mention that they were "used for hauling gun carriages in WW1", but I suspect this one has more agricultural origins than military.

1917 Clayton Shuttleworth crawler tractor - Museum of Lincolnshire Life, 22nd July 2011 (1).jpg

1917 Clayton Shuttleworth crawler tractor - Museum of Lincolnshire Life, 22nd July 2011 (2).jpg

1917 Clayton Shuttleworth crawler tractor - Museum of Lincolnshire Life, 22nd July 2011 (3).jpg

Kevin



-- Edited by 11th Armoured on Tuesday 25th of May 2021 01:56:51 PM

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Sergeant

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There are also a few pictures of the Holt 75-esque on here:

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-and-history/ot-crawler-tractors-196276/index3.html#post1279563

The link seem to be broken on there unfortunately, however a larger size copy of one of the photos is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_%26_Shuttleworth#/media/File:1916_Clayton_&_Shuttleworth_tractor_01.jpg


Kevin



-- Edited by 11th Armoured on Tuesday 25th of May 2021 01:49:21 PM

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Legend

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The smaller Clayton & Shuttleworth tractor looks similar to the Holt 45, known in France as the Baby Holt.

The Holt 45 was extensively tested in the US as an artillery tractor in 1915. The French Amy ordered 850 of them

as artillery tractors in 1916 though I don't know how many were delivered. 

Charlie

 



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Legend

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Wikimedia Commons has the full sized images of the larger Clayton & Shuttleworth tractor:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:1916_Clayton_%26_Shuttleworth_crawler_tractors

The configuration is similar to the Holt 75 but the details are quite different.

Charlie

 



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The smaller C&S tractor (presumably the 40hp 'Chain Rail' tractor, if the first reference I quoted is accurate) is really quite small - definitely much more compact than the Holt 45, but that could be the large radiator & roof on the latter fooling the eye a bit. I didn't measure it, but I'd estimate that the bonnet height was about at my eye-line (give or take), which is probably 5ft-ish; the length being not too dissimilar to a typical '40s/'50s smallish farm tractor from memory.

W^D Models have one in their range (WDMT14 at the bottom of this page):

http://www.wdmodels.com/page5.html


Kevin



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I don't know if you've seen it already, but this webpage has a photo of one of the small C&S (35hp or 40hp depending on sources) tractors towing a heavy bomber

http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/ww1/1918.htm

Kevin



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Legend

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It's an IWM image - one of three of the C&S tractor with Handley-Page O/400 bombers.

I agree that the C&S tractor was a lot smaller than the Holt 45. It would be nice to have some idea of its development, specification

and how many were built. Unlike the larger C&S tractor I don't think any were sent to Russia.

Regards,

Charlie

 



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It appears that The Museum of English Rural Life at Reading University has an archive of C&S ledgers & production volumes, which may have pertinent information:

https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/clayton-shuttleworth/



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More details here:

https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/224088f0-1a0f-3b7c-aff0-ac5a6e51aa42



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