The Classic Machinery Network

The classic plant working field held at this event has become second to none in my opinion, it has overtaken the GDSF and the amount of classic working plant that attends this event is growing. The overall event is well worth a visit with a decent auto-jumble, classic cars, trucks, military, motorcycles and much more.
This is the first outing after the dreaded pandemic and the show was rammed on the Friday; normally nothing much happens in the plant working field on a Friday but this time there was plenty to see, including CMN member Ian Perrott with his Hy-mac 370C and Clive Grey with his Cat motor grader, also Robert Knighton took along his MF450S.

Jeremy

The Mustang certainly stands out.

Thanks Jeremy, good to see so many old Brits working. I like the MF, rare sight. Where were they built/assembled.

essexpete wrote:Thanks Jeremy, good to see so many old Brits working. I like the MF, rare sight. Where were they built/assembled.

Pete; I believe the MF was made in Italy, I always thought they had good clean aesthetic lines, apparently this one has been well looked after and was originally supplied by Ben Turner Plant who Robert Knighton worked for and he carried out the PDI on this very machine.

Rob the Mustang was specially painted for this event; it is set to appear at next weeks Cromford Steam Rally which I will also be attending.

There was another classic that brought a tear to my eyes, none other than a Seddon Atkinson 400 series powered by a Gardner 8LXB 240 engine; there is a long story about this truck that was never even registered, it was bought new by Gauden Shepherd Transport of Mucklow Hill near Halesowen, it has been fully restored by Ray Hingley of A Hingley Transport who I met there and talked about many of the lads who I once worked with who he knew, sadly many have now passed away.

Jeremy

One last thing about the 400 series, the registration number MEA899P was originally assigned to a similar truck in all aspects but that was operated by Adam Jones & Sons Transport from Blackheath.

Jeremy

Thanks for the photos of the 370c! Great to meet up again and shame I was plagued by fuel starvation problems, nativity on my part by just draining the tank and not flushing it out, that's my job for this week.
Fantastic show and well worth a visit with exhibitors from all over the UK attending the show to make the working area a hive of activity.
Cracking video taken today of a classic line up of backhoe loaders working alongside each other MF50B Ford auto dig, Case 580G and Hymac 370c the cast

Whitlock 505 wrote:Thanks for the photos of the 370c! Great to meet up again and shame I was plagued by fuel starvation problems, nativity on my part by just draining the tank and not flushing it out, that's my job for this week.
Fantastic show and well worth a visit with exhibitors from all over the UK attending the show to make the working area a hive of activity.
Cracking video taken today of a classic line up of backhoe loaders working alongside each other MF50B Ford auto dig, Case 580G and Hymac 370c the cast

Where would the video appear?

I have posted a couple of videos that I took at this event including one of Ian in his 370C and one of Mark Hobbs in his 580C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Ymj-dxDEc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SIZxm38OBc

Jeremy

Great pics Jeremy, I wanted to go but just could not spare the time this year, Love the Hymac 580, 370 and the JCB 4D all of that kit brings back a lot of happy memories as a child growing up and spending time on local building sites with mostly Irish labourers and operators being allowed to sit on machines even have a little go if the foreman was not watching none of it would be allowed now, most kids now would rather be indoors on their playstations!!

topkit wrote:Great pics Jeremy, I wanted to go but just could not spare the time this year, Love the Hymac 580, 370 and the JCB 4D all of that kit brings back a lot of happy memories as a child growing up and spending time on local building sites with mostly Irish labourers and operators being allowed to sit on machines even have a little go if the foreman was not watching none of it would be allowed now, most kids now would rather be indoors on their playstations!!

I doubt the kids today are any happier and they miss that direct interaction with older non family folk and, at worst, their own family. I must be getting old!