Machinery talk thread

[Motu]

I heard of some very cheap machinery after those big schemes - but just getting them to somewhere else was a huge expense, and then what to do with limited use plant when you do have it in your backyard.

[unstuck]

I guess it is just like the military after the war, sounds like they dumped heaps of machinery around the pacific seas. The old front axle scrapers were not a huge hit, so I am told, as they were sometimes hard to steer and were always breaking axles. Had a wee play with a couple of Terex scrapers on the motorway that now goes past the town that used to be albany.They can really throw you around, I much prefered pushing them with the D7.

[unstuck]

CRANKUP day this weekend in Edendale, http://www.edendalevmc.com/events.html

[unstuck]

Oh yeah

[rebel]

It was used as a hauler.( will confirm that) Ngaroma mill had two locy's. The were both sent to Arohena. The other one went on a large skid platform towed by my fathers old RD8. I have a photo of that in my collection.

That same year, my father and his brother drove that D8 from Arohena to Mokai. They virtually made their own road through what we call the Dam country nowadays, to Mangakino. They would back the bulldozer into any streams that looked a bit iffy, then winch themselves out the other side. Took the tractor across the bridge at Mangakino ( no dam then) across below the no.7 hill ( Tokaroa-Whakamaru rd) and onto Ongaroto- Mokai.

Where there was a bridge and it didn't look too safe, they would back the tractor onto the bridge, line it up, set it idling, and pull the master clutch in, then hop off. Dad would wait across the other side, jump on the tractor, turn it around and off they went.

Love hearing/reading old stories like this. NZ truck journal magazine has a few and this would fit right in.

A few that I work on in NW West Australia.

Quad road trains gross at 170 tonne. This joint runs Volvos 700 and 660hp. 8x4, 8x6 and 6x4, drivers run them hard foot flat on either the gas or brake



Broken down Mack Titan 620hp Cummins ISX that I drove 200km to do a turbo on, mid 40 degree heat. Pulling 170 tonne.



Western Star Cummins ISX Euro 5 with EGR and DPF filter, fucking lemons spend more time in the workshop than on the road.





Fuel tanker, I think these gross about 120 tonne



Jappa I used to drive around the Coromandel as part time job when I was an apprentice.



My full time steer linehaul all over NZ taking a break from the tools. 460 Volvo slow as fuck.



Going back a few years now, but when I was in the RNZN after leaving school.

[awa355]

In an earlier post I mentioned my father and uncle driving a D8R through the bush from Arohena to Mokai in 1946. Found photos of that very same tractor. Tom was driving it for the sawmill during ww2. In 1946, the Arohena mill closed down. The loccy posted earlier, was taken from Arohena to Ngaroma. on a GMC.

That same year, dad and his brother bought the D8 and drove it making their own way to Mangakino. I dont know why they crossed the Waikato river at Mangakino, then proceeded onto crossing back over the river at Ongaroto then onto Mokai. The road from Mangakino to Tihoi was in place at that time. May have been a time/distance factor. or the country between Tihoi and Mokai was too rugged to push through.



re; the road trains, do they have the towing hitches offset slightly on alternative sides of the centreline to prevent them 'fishtailling'?

[Nova.]

found out the loader that was in the video is a wa100 - 2 or 3

[Motu]

Another strong memory from my childhood, Dale's Freightway's Leyland Buffalo, another of my father's favourite things to work on. They were the biggest truck Leyland made, and one of the biggest on our roads. Of course with this sort of input into our young brain, my brother and I both became truck mechanics.



Apparently many years later it was rebuilt into this, not much of the Buffalo left, just the chassis and diffs.

[awa355]

Dales Frieghtways worked with my fathers heavy haulage co on a number of transporting jobs. The crane on the transporter is an O & K owned by my father and Frank Wilcox. It was a massive dragline that worked a 5cubm bucket. This photo is from the Taupo-Napier hw.

[Motu]

The Foden!!!! My father was at Dales when they got the Foden, it was the latest greatest thing. Years later in my apprenticeship my foreman had worked at Fodens for 10 years, and he remembered the Foden for Dales - it wasn't a happy build. Foden's came with a Gardiner, Rolls Royce or Foden 2 stroke engine, but Dales wanted a Cummins - the boss at Fodens wasn't the sort of person you told what to do. I don't remember what gearbox went into it, but presume a Roadranger with a Cummins, and that wouldn't have gone down to well either.

[Nova.]

The Foden!!!! My father was at Dales when they got the Foden, it was the latest greatest thing. Years later in my apprenticeship my foreman had worked at Fodens for 10 years, and he remembered the Foden for Dales - it wasn't a happy build. Foden's came with a Gardiner, Rolls Royce or Foden 2 stroke engine, but Dales wanted a Cummins - the boss at Fodens wasn't the sort of person you told what to do. I don't remember what gearbox went into it, but presume a Roadranger with a Cummins, and that wouldn't have gone down to well either.

we have a 2002 8 wheeler foden, love it.

[unstuck]

The first thing that I noticed from that photo awa was how close to the road those fences were, wouldnt be allowed now.

[rebel]

re; the road trains, do they have the towing hitches offset slightly on alternative sides of the centreline to prevent them 'fishtailling'?

Interesting, never thought of it. 5 new sets of trailers have been put on the road riding on airbags, which fishtale all over the road and the rear trailer of one has nearly taken out a road train coming the other way. Drivers say the best bet is to back off when another train is approaching then hit the gas as it passes to straighten it out. There is talk of making the two dollies leaf springs to try and settle it down. Most other units are leaf springs and are very stable on the road, no more fishtailing than a B train in NZ believe it or not.

Pulling 170t in 30-45 degree heat takes it toll on the engines, Cat C15/16 and Cummins Signature will be good for 12,000 hours, as a comparison a truck running in NZ hauling up to 45 ish tonne will get 20,000 with the right care no worries. My Volvo I posted above was on around 19000 hours and 1.275 million kms unopened engine. She used to get a bit hot on the steeper hills of NZ

[awa355]

I was told back in the 70's that by off setting 3" alternate sides of the centre, that it eliminated the fishtailling effect. The Aussies should know I guess.

[lb99]

got the pc100 a bit bogged, ended up winching it out with a crane. a few days later they poured a concrete foundation on this spot