Vintage machinery feast at Sequel sale

What could end up as the clearing sale of the year is being held at Wokalup on Saturday, April 21.

The big fuss is because Tony Pailthorpe’s vintage machinery collection is on the market.

Mr Pailthorpe, who died in 2013, at one time held the biggest collection of International Harvester tractors in the southern hemisphere, totalling 150 models, along with a huge collection of implements, machinery books, operator’s manuals, mandatory company signs, tools and sundry gear.

His major contribution to the ag industry, apart from his innovative contribution to the WA dairy industry, was to collect and restore to near perfection, almost anything he thought should be retained as living history.

Needless to say, Mr Pailthorpe was a passionate man who traversed Australia and the United States looking for machines to match his red blood.

He was a familiar figure on Wheatbelt roads driving an eight tonne Mitsubishi cattle truck, often described by him and friends as the “Mitsubishi roadhouse” – it’s where you ate, slept and drove.

Mr Pailthorpe made nine trips across the Nullarbor after he started to become “really serious” about collecting 27 years ago.

His passion for collecting picked up another gear when he retired from his dairy farm about 18 years ago and trips got longer, through South Australia, on to Victoria and including one near to the top of Queensland.

A selection of the Tony Pailthorpe Vintage Collection was auctioned on-site in 2015 when 400 lots successfully went under the hammer.

This month’s clearing sale is touted as the “sequel auction” comprising the “really good stuff”.

Mr Pailthorpe’s last restoration, a Prairie Tractor called a Titan D, which was built by the International Harvester Company at its Milwaukee Works, Wisconsin in 1912, will be one of the standout items.

Also in the line-up is a rare 1917 Titan 15-30, a rare McCormick 0-14 tractor and a rare Farmall Widefront F12 (1932-38).

Other vintage tractors on offer include a International AW6 Standard (1953-57) which was built at the International Harvester factory in Geelong; a Hart Parr 16-30 (1924-26), so designated from the claimed 11.9 kilowatts (16 horsepower) and the drawbar and 22.4kW (30hp) at the belt.

Other vehicles include a 1910 International Harvester (High Wheeler Buggy), an International vintage truck (circa 1920s) and a Morris Minor.

For the not-so-serious buyers, there’s any amount of stationary engines, old wheels, tractor seats, signs, milk cans, horse-drawn implements and the mandatory fuel bowsers and oil cans.

The venue is Aberbechan Farm, Benger and gates will open at 8am with the auction starting at 10am under the expertise of ‘Have Gavel Will Travel’ auctioneer Tiny Holly.

More information: phone Tiny Holly on 0422 272 727.