The Classic Machinery Network

jcbjohn wrote:Hi guys, currently working on a job in Czech republic on new boom for Denys, one if the guys has put a few pics together on you tube, take a look it's good ! Search " Chek pipeline"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_PPzQHs4x0

here you go

Speaking of Monk's,an old fitter of their's who used to run out of their Warrington Padgate depot still works for me occasionally on the yard plant and occasionally on the dozers.He's called Billy Stratford and is probably in his early seventies but going strong

Monk pipelines & Monk & Co, although essentially the same company usually acted as two seperate entities, particularly as welded steel cross country pipelines is so specialised compared to most civil engineering projects (bit like specialising in lifting enormous bridges into place) The regular Monk guys who worked out of Padgate were similar to someone who worked on the Council - their jobs were permanent whether they were carpenters, bricklayers, plant men or agents etc. They seemed to plod along oblivious to the real world, working regular hours, I even had a guy (name of Fred) who drove a 12T Coles on a site and he even used to fill in (and sign) his own time sheets even though technically he was on hire to my contract and the hire charges had to be paid by Monk Pipelines to A. Monk & Co. He was very annoyed when I insisted on examining his sheet and then signing it myself! He was the most uncooperative crane driver I've ever met, he worked to the letter of the law, so as to speak... how he came to tip the thing over I will never know but he did (At Northendon) I may even have some photos from that job, I'll try & find them! The bottom line was that we generally tried to source plant from anywhere other than Padgate. I believe Burt Packard was a Padgate hand, he was big unit, ex LRDG, if he said it was wednesday, it was wednesday!