first memories of machines

[penfold]

When was you first encounter of machines??
and whats the first machine you operated??

My first encounter was about 78 i was 4 and remember the big draggon, i crapped my self and would not go out near it,
it was a trackmarshal, arms raised with 4-1 open, through frosted glass it looked like a draggon with its mouth open,
that was the first machine i ever sat on while my dad operated it,
that smell of old diesel engine oil and diesel mix is the best smell and takes me back to that first encounter,

i was 7 and the first machine i ever operated was a liebherr 911, sat on my uncles knee, pullin them levers, i thought i was king of the world,
sat on top of a row of houses that had just been pulled,
the dust and dirt, that sealed my fate and i knew what i wanted to do/be,

[martyn williams]

My first encounter with machinery was around 1964 at a caravan site on holidays.There were Cat and boxes being used to level sand dunes.I had my photo taken on one of these machines,this very machine is now owned by Sprocket
My first machine that I operated was a Ford 136 backhoe loader.
Martyn

Picture shows this machine at the start of being restored

[SRB]

My first real memory is going out with my dad (he was working on field service for Bowmakers)on a summers night to Stokeys D10 which was working leveling the ground at what is now the Merry hill shopping centre, i can remeber the struggle i had to climb up to the cab and feeling like i was sat on top of the world.

However, i have pictures of me sat on a D4 in the workshops at Bowmaker as a nipper, i'll try to dig it out.

SB

[John Gaunt]

My first memory was driving a David Brown 50D tractor leading hay bales. I was too young to throw the bales onto the trailer, so got the job of driving.
David Brown only made approx 1100 of the 50D tractors (6 cyl diesel), and these are very rare and sought after today, wish I had the one I learned to drive on !

[Martyn Henley]

Going home from primary school was a nightmare for me mum, i was only 8, lived in Worcester then, and first off out of the school gates was a new sewer pipeline being put in on the Hallow Rd, droitwich contruction were doing the job and digging it was a JCB4, next stop was a site just up the road a bit further, and on there was a JCB hydra digger, sometimes 2 of them, next was to see me my friends Jim and Butch who worked on the wimpey site we lived, Jim drove a massey 203x, spent all my school holidays with them, thats before elf an safety, and lastly my friend Colin who was a owner driver of a JCB 3 on the site next door from my house.
But what topped it all and got me completly hooked was a new site started up down the road, and there was a brand new JCB 4, spent hours there, then one day the driver calls me over and says would i like to have a go .. well i did, and he stood on the ground slightly to the left of me showing me what way to push an pull the levers, and that was it HOOKED.

Foot note to SB.. there was a JCB 3C that was on hire to wimpey from Bowmakers at that time, 1964.

Martyn

[Col 140]

Removed

[Ross]

First real memory of machinery was way back in the 80s.

This BadBoy sticks



Ross

[Col 140]

Removed

[tim]

Great old time Stacey's picture Col. First time i saw Stacey's machines was in Petersfield In 1973, two Cat 951's and a JCB 6D and they had Morris Minor operators vans. Thanks for posting Tim.

[Col 140]

Removed