Smith Rodley

[DaveS]

Ardie,

Nice web site! You'll need to do an English version!

Your list doesn't appear to go down to the baby Smith 8.

Here's a couple of leaflet covers from my collection showing different ages.

Dave. S.

[Xilence]

I don't have enough information and photo's for a webpage of a Smith 8.
The leaflet covers is in any case a start.
Thank you.
I'am working on a english version, most of the visitors are english.

Very interesting transport for the Smith super-10

It's a 1904 7hp Marshall traction engine 'Pride of Mona'

[XS650]

Smiths cranes not a thing that turns up very often on ebay. Ex British army Smith LT11 currently on EBAY .
If only my drive was longer

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[Stephen Carter]

Photos to accompany last post

[Stephen Carter]

Smiths Super 10 dredging 5th Nov 2009 at Douglas, Isle of Man

[essexpete]

What was the proper livery for the Smith of the Super 10 era. My father ran them in the mid 50s to early 60s by which time they were very obsolete. IIRR one was red and one green. They were powered by Dorman 2 cyl engines similar to the Motor Rail dumpers that were also used.

[XS650]

Yes nice pics , who owns the Smith ,wonder how the American Lorrain crane ended up in Douglas. When i had my yacht parked up in this bit of the harbour for the 2007 TT their was also a Hydrocon their.

[Stephen Carter]

The Smiths Super 10 when new was post office red with I think a grey roof. It was still in this colour when I bought it. The Lorain MC 540 came from a firm called Cochez in Paris. It was bought as part of a job lot of cranes by a dealer Geesons in Derbyshire and we bought it from them about 15 years ago. We had a smaller MC4 20 ton Lorain of 1944 vintage ( now scrapped) and liked the smaller one so when this one came on the market we bought it. It has very good pick and carry and free on wheels duties and we use it both for grab and dragline wqork dredging and also for lifting all the yachts and boats out at Douglas and Laxey harbours, in both ports you have to pick and carry the boats. The Hydrocon came from Marseyside to replace the MC4 Lorain about 10 years ago.

[XS650]

Interesting Stephen so assume these cranes are owned by the harbour people and you work for them ? Does the Lorain need two drivers to operate pick and carry free on wheels ? Seem to remember their was another crane museum at Ramsey harbour

[Stephen Carter]

Hi Craig,
my company, the Laxey Towing Company Ltd own them. Laxey Towing is a harbour service company owning various boats, tugs, barges, passenger boats etc and the cranes are an intregral part of the operation. Normally when pick and carrying with the Lorain we have 2 drivers, one in the chassis cab and one in the crane cab although if you hang the boat over the rear of the crane with the slew lock in I have often done it single handed. This machine has very good free on wheels duties. Free on wheels with a 40ft boom,over the side at 12ft radius the swl is 47,950lbs or 21.40 tons. We use it draglineing with a 90ft boom and a 3/4 yard dragline bucket. She will cope with a 1 1/4yard bucket with 60ft boom but we prefer the longer reach when dredging.