657 on the road

[Broken Piston]

Great picture! No chance of moving plant like that these days. Only got to see something like that once. It was in Wicklow on the M11 job. Howley Contracts used to move the 40 ton ATD'S from one end of the job to the other during the day depending on ground conditions for working. The little village of Rathnew used to shake with up to 15 dumpers in convoy passing. I we thought we where pushing our luck moving Volvo L180' about on the roads.

[Renaultman]

Great picture! No chance of moving plant like that these days. Only got to see something like that once. It was in Wicklow on the M11 job. Howley Contracts used to move the 40 ton ATD'S from one end of the job to the other during the day depending on ground conditions for working. The little village of Rathnew used to shake with up to 15 dumpers in convoy passing. I we thought we where pushing our luck moving Volvo L180' about on the roads.

You say that but due to its location, Margam opencast is up a narrow lane so they drive CAT 777 about 3-4 miles down country roads and into a Town where a lowloader is waiting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c_nYNJS ... re=channel

[ronnie]

where i live in the usa we did it alot i can rember getting a police escort and roading scrapers in heavy traffic with pssengers in cars looking at me as if i were crazy but not anymore thats a big fine today i gues it just goes to show things change with time

[go back]

a lot of firms down are way still think we are in the 60s we still tramp most of are dumpers

[western ex]

Western Excavating had, I think, four 657s, massive machines when you consider most of the plant fleet at the time were Foden 15 yard dumptrucks with a few AB SNs and Euclid R-35s! In later years we had TS-24s and 631s, including some from Dyggor-Gaylord who introduced the first Cat 992 into Cornwall.

[western ex]

I understand from a work mate that the Western Ex 657s returned later, being operated by a firm called Public Works (Bristol) at the Great Longstone China Clay works.