Students go on the pull with the ‘International Educator’

Degree level students will spend their year working on a major project to put together a Supersport Tractor, only the fourth one of its kind to ever be built in the UK. The chassis and transmission, including the gearbox and real axle, have been shipped over from the Netherlands especially so the build can take place, with students already calling the machine the ‘International Educator’.

Kate Livesey, FE Assistant Head of Mechanisation at Myerscough College, is overseeing the project, and said: ‘’The college has bought the components as a project for our students from the first Interaction team. There’s a successful Dutch tractor pulling team called ‘Rattle & Hum’ who, like us, are a group of students. Our plan during the year is to make a 4.5 tonne machine ready for competition.’’

The students involved are now looking for a DT468 engine block as well as the other components needed, after already acquiring a Holset Turbocharger and a Sigma fuelpump. The team will then build the tractor over the coming months.

Kate adds: ‘’Myerscough College Mechanisation has just entered into the world’s most powerful motorsport! We’re operating under the built not bought philosophy and how we build the tractor will be up to us.’’

‘’Massive thanks to the ‘Oh Bonnie’ tractor pulling team for all their help and support and also to the guys from the Bear Essentials team for bringing the tractor back from Holland so we can work on it. This will be a fantastic project for our students to be involved with.’’

The basic idea of a tractor pulling race is to pull a heavy trailer (sled) along a clay-sand race track as far as possible. The winner of the race is the one who is able to drive the longest distance and the aim is to complete a ‘Full Pull’ by finishing the 100 meter course. The trailer is built so that the drawing resistance increases along the race. While pulling, the weight on the trailer moves towards the front making it gradually more difficult for the tractor to move.