First win at Newark for Fordson enthusiast James Wood and his Whitlock Dinkum Digger

First win at Newark for Fordson enthusiast James Wood and his Whitlock Dinkum Digger

After 15 years of exhibiting at the Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Show, Lincolnshire-based collector James Wood finally struck gold, taking home the Best Fordson Derivative award with his 1960 Whitlock Dinkum Digger.

Built by Whitlock Brothers of Great Yeldham, Essex, the Dinkum Digger is one of the rarest Fordson conversions ever made.

With a Fordson Power Major engine, it was designed for heavy construction and drainage work, with a front-loading shovel and a rear excavator arm powered by a hydraulic system far ahead of its time.

“It weighs about five tonnes,” James said. “It’s got the Power Major engine, a Series 2, which is the same as the Super Major, and it still gets up in the morning ready to work.”

James bought the machine at auction on the outskirts of Lincoln in the mid-1990s. He can’t remember exactly how much he paid for it, but thinks it was less than £1,000.

He originally planned to use it for snow clearance near his home between Eagle and Thorpe-on-the-Hill, but it quickly became an all-round workhorse.

“Since we retired, we’ve set up a self-storage business and a big caravan storage yard,” he said. “The Dinkum did all the groundwork for that.”

Although unrestored, the digger remains fully operational. Over the years James has fitted a new injector pump, replaced bearings, resealed the front rams and carried out general maintenance to keep it running smoothly. “It’s had a bit of work but nothing major,” he said. “It’s still capable of earning its keep.”

Rarity also adds to the Dinkum’s appeal. “I only know of one other blue one, and a couple of later yellow versions called the 406,” James said. “But this is the only one I know of that’s regularly seen out at events.” He has taken it to Cromford Steam Rally near Matlock, where it won Best Unrestored Working Plant earlier in the year – making Newark his second win of the season.

At Cromford, visitors were able to watch the digger in action in the working area. “I was pushing soil with it, black smoke pouring out the stack, still going strong,” he said. “It’s a quirky little machine but it just gets on with it.”

After years of bringing tractors to Newark without a prize, James admitted he was “blown away” by the win. “I didn’t even know I was getting an award until someone told me to go to the presentation,” he laughed. “It’s nice to be recognised after all these years – especially with something as rare and quirky as this.”