An amateur film produced by Ken Ellwood of a Marshall agricultural steam traction engine 79441 (Ref: FU 4677) working to power a threshing machine on the farm of Harry Pantry in the village of Haxey in Lincolnshire. Working together some of the labourers load the sheaf's of wheat or other cereal crop from a barn into the threshing machine while other either work to transport the full sacks of corn by hand onto a flatbed lorry or work to move the waste straw onto a conveyor and into a...

An amateur film produced by Ken Ellwood of a Marshall agricultural steam traction engine 79441 (Ref: FU 4677) working to power a threshing machine on the farm of Harry Pantry in the village of Haxey in Lincolnshire. Working together some of the labourers load the sheaf's of wheat or other cereal crop from a barn into the threshing machine while other either work to transport the full sacks of corn by hand onto a flatbed lorry or work to move the waste straw onto a conveyor and into a baling machine also powered by steam. The film also features Deborah and John Ellwood playing around on the farm as well as other local children both messing about and helping with the work. A man stands on the footplate of a steam traction engine which is attached by a belt to a threshing machine. The thresher is parked beside a barn, men stand atop a large bale feeding sheafs of wheat or other cereal crop to other men on the thresher who feed the crop into the machine. Around one side of the thresher the corn pours into sack watched over by two men, one of whom ties a full sack. A winch is used to lift the heavy sack to shoulder height so it can be safely loaded onto a man's shoulders and carried away. At the other end of the machine the waste straw comes out dropping onto the ground where a small boy with a pitchfork scoops the bundles onto a conveyor which then drops them onto a large stack of hay which are moved by two men with pitchforks. John Ellwood attempts to climb a large stack of hay; a crowd gathers around the traction engine. A man and boy stand on the footplate, the man pointing out various levers and dials. The work continues. Some of the workmen stop for lunch sitting on bales beside a conveyor eating their bait while others look over the now stopped traction engine. Deborah and John Ellwood run around the farm playing, a workman cleans a filter on the underside of the thresher. Back in operation again a woman comes over and stands chatting with one of the men looking after the engine. Atop the thresher three men work to fork the cereal crop into the machine while two more move the sheaf's from the large stack in the barn to the thresher. At the rear of the thresher two men and a boy work to move the bundles of straw onto the conveyor. Back atop the thresher one of the workmen adding the crop into the thresher uses a knife to cut the bundles loose before it goes into the machine. In another part of the barn Deborah and John play around the bales of hay stacked high inside, Deborah jumps down holding two eggs. The woman seen previously walks over to where the sacks are being filled with grain. Again, the filled sacks are winched to shoulder high and carried away. A group of boys play around the now shrinking stacks of wheat in the barn which is still being fed into the thresher by the workmen. While the stack of wheat shrinks, the stack of waste straw grows ever larger. Two men stand beside the engine chatting as Deborah takes a turn winching a sack of corn that is then carried away by one of the workmen. She goes over and watches the boys playing in the barn. The engine and thresher are moved beside two large structures made from straw but in the shape and size of a house. Workmen climb onto one of the roofs adjusting and adding more straw. A second machine attached to the thresher turns loose straw into bales. The work continues threshing the wheat or other cereal crop with full sacks of grain being lifted and carried away. The boys stand around a basket full of dead mice as sacks of grain are loading onto a flatbed lorry. The boys watch the work continues and bales being made from straw.