The sound of the engines resonated in the field at 104 route de Val Dieu this weekend for the second edition of Tractor Days. A meeting which brings together enthusiasts and lovers of old tractors, organized by a fan, Aubelois Patrice Somja.
”My dad has been restoring old tractors since I was little and I got hooked that way”, he remembers. Independent in the earthmoving sector, he developed a passion over the years for old machines through his father, Jean-Marc Somja, collector.
Read also: Return of old tractors to Aubel in 2019
”What fascinates me is that the old mechanics still work, even 100 years later. Will electric vehicles still work in 100 years? Old tractors are metal so as long as they are well lubricated and maintained, they can last another 100 years! “In order to share his passion with others, he decided to create the first Tractor Days in 2023.
The objective was to relaunch an event of this type in a family and festive atmosphere for all, including inflatable castles, pull-up competitions for 50 CV ancestors and a walk in the Aubel region which will start around 11 a.m. The latter is the moment most awaited by fans, confides the organizer. “Because they restored their tractor and they want to drive with it.” Without this type of event, outings are rarer and collector’s items remain hidden from view in the hangars under tarpaulins.
Read also: “All oldtimers are welcome”
A sawmill dating from 1920!
This year, Patrice Somja chose to put the sawmill in the spotlight with the demonstration of an ancestor dating from 1920 at work. “She comes from Rodez, in the South of France. It is a forestry and mobile sawmill. At the time, it was half buried in the forest so as not to raise the trunks too high.”, specifies its owner Jean-Marc Somja.
It works using a tractor which is connected by flat belts. “There is a pulley on the tractor and the belt serves as a universal joint to operate the sawmill mechanism. It’s the same principle as the bicycle chain”, explains Patrice Somja. The machine has been dormant for 12 years. This Saturday, the final adjustments were made. This Sunday, this collector’s item will transform large trunks into simple boards.
Other pieces from another time await visitors such as the Lanz Bulldog. “It is in its original condition, that is to say in the condition it was in when it was sold at the time. It must date from after the war, around 1947-1948.”Other gems like the Percheron dating from 1948 or the Allgaier from the early 1950s are on display until 6 p.m. this Sunday.
Info: 104, route de Val Dieu to Aubel – 0496/75.65.36
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