In the mid 19th century attempts were made to mechanise ploughing. A number of ideas and
inventions were tried out, and the most successful proved to be the roundabout system. This
consisted of a winch or windlass containing two drums, each with several hundred yards of wire
cable and driven via a flat belt by a Portable Steam Engine.
The ropes from the windlass were laid around the edges of the field to be ploughed via anchors
and pulleys and supported at intervals by 'Porters' to help reduce wear and friction. A one-way
horse plough is shown on one of the pictures. This could be tipped at the end of the furrow and
does not need to be turned round.
The models were made from measurements made on a full size Hayes outfit owned by a friend of the model maker.