Allis -Chalmers HD41 & 31 At Lydney OCCS South Wales

[western ex]

There was an HD41 operating for a time in Cornwall, late 1970s (?) with Western Excavating, can't remember who the supplier was. It was pushing to a 992B with a fleet of R50s. Trouble was the guy on the tip had a clapped out Komatsu 155.

[Deas Plant]

Hi, Fowlerman.
The HD 41 came with a V12 Cummins engine that produced 525 hp and it weighed in at around 70 US tons which, if I understand it kee-wreckedly, are only 2,000 pounds - commonly called 'short' tons outside the US. This gave it a working weight of about 64 tons in Imperial terms. This gave it about 10 tons over the D9G similarly rigged, an extra 10 tons to to hold down an additional 140 hp. (By way of comparison, the last Cat D6C's were around 17-18 tons and 140 hp.)

On my observations around my part of the world, this may well have been a contributing factor in the 'why' of the HD41's having so many track and final drive problems. When I first saw the specs for the HD41 in mid-1971, that was my first thought about them, way before I had ever gotten near any of them. When I did get near any of them, it didn't take long to hear that they would out-rip and out-push a D9G in a canter - trouble being they couldn't KEEP ON doing it 'cos they were in the 'recovery ward'.

There were no models between the HD31 and the HD41. In fact, the HD31 was released AFTER the HD41 and was 'apparently' an attempt to de-rate the 41 in order to try to keep them running with some sort of reliability. I think it would be a pretty safe bet that the AC machine in the Big Muskie bucket is a 31 'cos, to the best of my knowledge, ALL 41's had the twin exhausts to cater for the V12 'donk'.

That is a nice photo of the HD41 stockpiling. Thanks for sharing.

Just my 0.02.

[Basilbrush]

Bitton Plant near Bristol used to have a big Allis Tractor not sure of the model though. Its blade sat at Tytherington quarry for years after the firm finished.

BB

[dicky]

im not sure but I think john ogbournes bitton plant hire use to run a couple of biggish hd's ,usually found in arc tytherington and chipping sodbury