The Classic Machinery Network

Just been introduced to this site and find it fascinating and , as the last living male member of the Whitlock family who was involved at the factory from 1962 till 1972 ( my father being Carleton Whitlock who was responsible for the introduction of tractor mounted backhoes back in the early 50s and who died in 1967 ) -- the interest in our Company and products I find amazing and fills me with a degree of pride . Now living close to Sydney in Australia -- but making fairly regular returns to Essex -- and , though never technically minded ( ! ) have a good historical knowledge of the business and its products and would be pleased to help any enquiries to the best of my ability .. Nevil Whitlock ( whitrn@bigpond.net.au )

Hi Nevil welcome to CMN there many questions that CMN members will want to know about Whitlock.

Jeremy

Welcome to the forum Nevil.

Yes welcome Nevil , if you don't mind me getting straight into it , one question springs to mind -
Some websites credit Whitlock with producing the very first tractor mounted backhoe / loader, beating JCB etc to the market, do you think this is correct ?
Craig

Coincidentally spotted this old but solid looking Whitlock ( 605 ? ) in an old railway station yard ( where else! ) yesterday.

Thanks for the Ransomes pics, I knew of the dumper but had no idea about the loader!

G'day Nevil

I am sure many of us on here would be delighted if you could sketch out a little of the Whitlock history (including the Agricultural side).

If I remember correctly the factory site at Gt Yeldham was taken over by various companies including the Hunnable group and Spot machinery and now is a housing estate.

Peter

hair bear wrote:Thanks for the Ransomes pics, I knew of the dumper but had no idea about the loader!

Hi,
I took these pics. of the Ransome based Whitlocks at "Tractor World" last weekend. Both had the Drayton, (Sthil), diesel engines.

Also this backactor which I haven't seen before. I'm told Ransomes made this themselves to a French design so it probably shouldn't be in the Whitlock thread.

XS650 wrote:Yes welcome Nevil , if you don't mind me getting straight into it , one question springs to mind -
Some websites credit Whitlock with producing the very first tractor mounted backhoe / loader, beating JCB etc to the market, do you think this is correct ?
Craig

Coincidentally spotted this old but solid looking Whitlock ( 605 ? ) in an old railway station yard ( where else! ) yesterday.

P1090764.JPG

Hi Craig,
That takes me back That's definitely a 605, must be all of 45 years old.
The first digger I owned was one of those. It was G Reg. That makes it 1969 and I bought it in 1974,
It was reliable and powerful, it would run rings round the JCB 3C on front end work but the back end was a bit cumbersome and awkward in a tight spot with the centre fixed king-post.
It went part ex. against a new 580C Hymac in 1977.
Fred

Welcome to the forum Nevil, there are a lot of whitlock fans on here, i found this whilst surfing youtube enjoy although i think the old boy was just finding an excuse to play rather than work with his digger!
Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0YYB85MRtk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

FOWLER MAN wrote:

hair bear wrote:Thanks for the Ransomes pics, I knew of the dumper but had no idea about the loader!

Hi,
I took these pics. of the Ransome based Whitlocks at "Tractor World" last weekend. Both had the Drayton, (Sthil), diesel engines.

02191_Capture.jpg

02196_Capture.jpg

Also this backactor which I haven't seen before. I'm told Ransomes made this themselves to a French design so it probably shouldn't be in the Whitlock thread.

02192_Capture.jpg

02193_Capture.jpg

Looks like a bit of Mechano Fred, and do I see a Trantor Mk 1 in the back ground?