One thing that is very useful for visitors at vintage machinery shows is the sign which tells you a few relevant facts about the machine on display. If the owner isn’t standing next to his machine, the information on the sign can be a valuable when tracking down the owner for a chat.

That’s exactly how it was when I saw this 1954 Ferguson TEF tractor at the 2015 Waroona Vintage Machinery Rally, about 120km south of Perth, in September. At a quick glance, it was just another nicely restored ‘little grey Fergie’. I could have easily walked straight past, but there was a sign hanging on the side of the tractor that gave me two reasons why I should learn more about it.

The main reason was that it was owned and restored by the grandson of the o