The vehicles required steam cleaning and a coating of red oxide paint to prevent rust during the sea journey.

They had to be carefully wrapped, and once in the container, all oil was drained from their engines.

“I used Wombat to clear up my father’s property, but when it was time to leave, he wouldn’t start,” Rogers said.

“It was almost as if he was protesting at leaving Carmarthenshire.”

Wombat is a 1954, four-cylinder, 26hp Ferguson TEF general farm tractor with four forward and one reverse gear.

It’s one of the first diesel Fergusons produced.

“Edgar had owned Wombat since 1987 and was still used for weekend tasks and vintage shows.”

Rogers has named his own 1951 model TEF Edgar, in honour of his father.

Raised on a dairy farm until he was 8, Rogers developed a keen interest in tractors from a young age, with his first word being “tractor”.

He recalls receiving farm toys every Christmas, dismantling them, and then struggling to reassemble them, often resulting in tears.

As he approached the end of secondary school, a career in art and design seemed likely.

However, between finishing school and starting his course, he began restoring the TEF with his father and discovered his passion for it.

“I started my art course, but after nine months, I switched to a diesel mechanic apprenticeship, and I’ve never looked back.”

Rogers continues to work as a diesel mechanic and is well-equipped to restore his beloved TEFs.

He planned to meticulously restore Edgar to “showroom condition” and restore Wombat to “good working order”.

Wombat is being used in its existing state at Waikato Vintage Tractor and Machinery Club Inc. meets.

“I have a two-furrow Ferguson plough that can be attached for ploughing competitions and a Ferguson sickle bar mower.

“Once I’ve restored it, I can also attach the MIL loader and use that.”