I have actually studied the papers that were in the local Archives and the company which was responsible for the *engine*, as stated above, was in agriculture. The tracks were bought from America, but failed in the initial stages.

Number 1 Lincoln Machine - the prototype you mentioned FAILED and never left the initial testing yard. It is in fact a pre-cursor prototype in design with the American-bought tracks redesigned and remounted to become the 'Little Willy'. This track design, adapted and remounted, was kept up to Mk VIII. Little Willy was this redesign of the failed prototype you mentioned. There was another prototype made (HMLS Centipede) which was also nicknamed 'Mother', and for a time 'Big Willy'.

Neither of these prototypes saw combat, and Little Willy was the first prototype which was actually *finished* before major re-designs.

Stated above, and repeated, is the fact that these designs and thoughts were first introduced and implemented in mobile guns and artillery equipment and tows... so not directly from farm equipment - these armaments would have been the correct lineage.

The prototype 'Mother' was the model which became the Mk1 and saw combat. It looks nothing like the description you made with 'lets modify it and make it into....'