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Re: The way we were

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:12 pm
by Jeremy Rowland
Once again great stuff Fred :claphands: all from the 50's too, quite amazing to learn who was building what type of product.

Jeremy

Re: The way we were

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:42 pm
by Mrsmackpaul
Fantastic stuff Fred never new Blaw Knox made scrapers really interesting to learn all of this stuff thanks for taking the time to research and share this information
That would have been a huge machine in its day I would think were there many sold and were they successful ???

Paul

Re: The way we were

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 11:08 pm
by FOWLER MAN
Hi,
Thanks for the replies, I don't know how many Goliath scrapers were made but I have seen pics. of them working in the UK, New Zealand and in the Netherlands.
They went on to develop an odd looking hydraulic version, couple more pics below.
Fred
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Re: The way we were

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 6:06 pm
by FOWLER MAN
SOME EARLY DIGGERS
Hi,
I think I posted on here somewhere that the first hydraulic backhoe I used was a MF 203 with a 220 digger on the back, and that was the first I learned to drive properly.
I did however, before that, get to do some trenching with an "Allen Tractor Operated Shovel," (ATOS), circa 1958/9. It was owned by a local farmer and I used it behind my old IH TD6 crawler.
The ATOS was driven from the tractor PTO and was quite useful, a big improvement on the alternative pick and shovel anyway.
I recently found an article from the launch of this machine in 1952. It had no bucket crowd, the bucket was fixed in one of three positions as can be seen from the pic. below. There were no stabiliser legs either , there was a sort of sprag arrangement like a winch anchor which was designed to pull into the ground when you started digging. If I remember rightly it slewed about 45 deg. to either side.
According to the write up I found it would dig to 8ft. 6in. deep and load over height was 12ft. 9in.
The hydraulic system used three separate pumps one for each of the movements so that full power was available to each ram when using two or three services together. Control was by three levers.
Like most hydraulics of that era pressures were low 1,000 Pounds for hoist and arm and 750 pounds for slew.
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The Whitlock Dinkum Digger of the same year had no bucket crowd and similar stabilisers to the Allen too. (see below)
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This pic of a Dinkum on a Platypus PD2 dozer shows that they had sorted a bucket crowd ram out by 1954.
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Re: The way we were

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 10:59 pm
by essexpete
[quote="FOWLER MAN"] SOME EARLY DIGGERS

the first hydraulic backhoe I used was a MF 203 with a 220 digger on the back,



Wow I have something in common with the Govnor!

Re: The way we were

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:43 pm
by FOWLER MAN
Hi,
I had quite a bit to do with the " Neal Unit" excavators in the late 60s/early 70s, so thought I'd like to share these pic's I found with you.
They were pretty good.
Everything was gear driven through a worm and wheel reduction box, no chain drive like all the other makes I worked on.
They also had a" Bomb Proof" worm drive derricking winch and "Bomb Proof" internal expanding travel brakes which were far in front of anything Ruston's ever designed.
Fred
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Re: The way we were

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 7:46 am
by Jeremy Rowland
Hi Fred :wave: there's an old Neal Unit crane in a Bilston yard not so very far from where I live; its sort of in preservation although it does nothing other than stand there and rot which is a real shame but the owner of the yard has some old kit on there and a couple of Hymac 580C machines too.

Jeremy

Re: The way we were

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 4:25 pm
by noddy
hi fred nice memories i worked for few of gloucestershire plant firms in the mid 60s late 70s durston plant who took over broughton plant excavators in cheltenham they were great days drov most types from jcb 2b 3c 806 through to cat 951 955 977 d8 d9 hymac 580 even a tower crane as the firm i was on hire to their driver decided not to turn up when there was a mas pour of concrete on the tesco store in northgate street gloucester they where the days no cpc or driver certs you just got on and had ago still drive a 3c 111 part time noddy

Re: The way we were

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 5:52 pm
by FOWLER MAN
Hi Alan,
Your post triggers more memories for me.

I remember Frank Durston and Durston Plant well, they were big Priestman users and I bought one of my Mustang 220s Ex. Durston Plant.

I remember Priestmans had a marquee set up at Durstons,(circa 1978), for the launch of the 108 S. It was launched as the 580S and there was one in the marquee with 580S written all over it but Hymacs threatened legal proceedings and Priestmans had to change the model number.

I still have the original Priestman 580S leaflet from the day.
I don't know where Hymac got 580 from or what it signified, but 108 was for 10.8 tons.

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I used Durstons for skip hire when we worked in Bristol too.
Fred

Re: The way we were

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 9:37 pm
by Jeremy Rowland
Fred if memory serves me correctly Hymac got 580 from 580 cu in which was the bucket capacity of the machine.

Jeremy