Carter Diggers

[JD450A]

Speaking of older Japanese machines, I seem to recall working a komatsu it would of been a 180 or 210 not sure on dash. but blue and yellow colour scheme, with a wind up door window (like a car), never seen one since, is my mind tricking me?

-3

 

[craig]

-3

Cheers Rory, the other one had sliding window, funny what you remember

 

[Old Operator]

The UK became a 'petro currency' from about '84 on, by '91 more barrels of oil were annually coming out of the UK North sea than out of Saudi Arabia. This jacked the currency up to the point that it was impossible to manufacture here to economically sell abroad. The home market was not big enough to sustain Hymac, Priestman, RB, etc. It is a pity there was not only just enough oil for our domestic needs. This though was the cookie jar politicians could not leave alone. Oil works for Norway & up to a point for Saudi, but not elsewhere. They drilled the Falklands till it was like Swiss cheese hoping to announce a second golden age of prosperity, but found little. So the party is now over. Note that Sheffield Forgemasters was nationalised the other day to keep it alive. This would not have happened even a few years ago.
Pity because the design capability of Priestman was good, look at the unique VC15 - Can reach further & boom lighter than conventional machines. One of these was repaired at Threlkeld & put back to use down south. Another was rebuilt in Vancouver & put to use. They also
designed a knee action face shovel in the 70s. The past is another country, they do things differently there.

 

[V8Druid]

The UK became a 'petro currency' from about '84 on, by '91 more barrels of oil were annually coming out of the UK North sea than out of Saudi Arabia. This jacked the currency up to the point that it was impossible to manufacture here to economically sell abroad. The home market was not big enough to sustain Hymac, Priestman, RB, etc. It is a pity there was not only just enough oil for our domestic needs. This though was the cookie jar politicians could not leave alone. Oil works for Norway & up to a point for Saudi, but not elsewhere. They drilled the Falklands till it was like Swiss cheese hoping to announce a second golden age of prosperity, but found little. So the party is now over. Note that Sheffield Forgemasters was nationalised the other day to keep it alive. This would not have happened even a few years ago.
Pity because the design capability of Priestman was good, look at the unique VC15 - Can reach further & boom lighter than conventional machines. One of these was repaired at Threlkeld & put back to use down south. Another was rebuilt in Vancouver & put to use. They also
designed a knee action face shovel in the 70s. The past is another country, they do things differently there.

there's been a VC15 on FB market place for a few weeks now ...... think Tim had a 20 -- Rory'll know @JD450A ?

 

[Mogman]

I had a VC15 for a while but had a strange fault would only curl the bucket if another service was being used, you never noticed it while using it (always using more than one service anyway) only when loading on the trailer setting everything down

 

[Lynchy]

The UK became a 'petro currency' from about '84 on, by '91 more barrels of oil were annually coming out of the UK North sea than out of Saudi Arabia. This jacked the currency up to the point that it was impossible to manufacture here to economically sell abroad. The home market was not big enough to sustain Hymac, Priestman, RB, etc. It is a pity there was not only just enough oil for our domestic needs. This though was the cookie jar politicians could not leave alone. Oil works for Norway & up to a point for Saudi, but not elsewhere. They drilled the Falklands till it was like Swiss cheese hoping to announce a second golden age of prosperity, but found little. So the party is now over. Note that Sheffield Forgemasters was nationalised the other day to keep it alive. This would not have happened even a few years ago.
Pity because the design capability of Priestman was good, look at the unique VC15 - Can reach further & boom lighter than conventional machines. One of these was repaired at Threlkeld & put back to use down south. Another was rebuilt in Vancouver & put to use. They also
designed a knee action face shovel in the 70s. The past is another country, they do things differently there.

 

[Old Operator]

My dad has a copy of the Go Between, he likes it - or Julie Christie!! I must have a look some wet day. Re the VC 15 - Moore Dutton of Whitchurch, & Law of Kidderminster both ran them. There was once a smaller VC8 (12ton) but I never saw one. I think RB Lincoln had the rights to the VC, all then these & all the Navvy makers eventually subsumed into a company called Selsden Plc? I presume they now hold the rights - but the design would be by now out of patent? As late as 1990 R&R built a walking dragline for India - beating competition from the USA, Russia & India itself. Where the R&R works was is now a housing estate. The same firm built under licence a 'Caldwell' lorry mounted pile borer - at least one is still used for shaft sinking in the opal mining fields as shown on Oz opal hunters. This unit has been repaired & is still working over 42 years later!! so British engineering could hold it's own

 

[Bri963]

Have RB completely disappeared from Lincoln now? I thought there was a parts warehouse there a few years ago..

 

[V8Druid]

My dad has a copy of the Go Between, he likes it - or Julie Christie!! I must have a look some wet day. Re the VC 15 - Moore Dutton of Whitchurch, & Law of Kidderminster both ran them. There was once a smaller VC8 (12ton) but I never saw one. I think RB Lincoln had the rights to the VC, all then these & all the Navvy makers eventually subsumed into a company called Selsden Plc? I presume they now hold the rights - but the design would be by now out of patent? As late as 1990 R&R built a walking dragline for India - beating competition from the USA, Russia & India itself. Where the R&R works was is now a housing estate. The same firm built under licence a 'Caldwell' lorry mounted pile borer - at least one is still used for shaft sinking in the opal mining fields as shown on Oz opal hunters. This unit has been repaired & is still working over 42 years later!! so British engineering could hold it's own

assume R&R are Ransomes and Rapier? .... made great little SP cranes and quite a range up IIRC 30 t
one of these came up on ebay a while back ... would've been well up for it 'back in the day

had a HS 10 .. was a great tool

 

[Old Operator]

I am told there are a few things in museums including the erecting shop clock, a fountain from the grounds & one factory wall that borders a park. I gather all rights parts etc went to Selsden of Derby who rebuild machines & may supply parts. Think this extends (or did) to other makes beyond RB. Yes R&R Indeed Ransomes & Rapier. The tale went that they were taken over by Stothert & Pitt, activities moving to Bath, then on them getting into difficulties the firm was acquired by a property developer for the factory land / buildings. Newton Chambers had joined with R&R in the mid '50s & all crane production moved to Ipswich. R&R also once made truck mixers to mount on lorry chassis / cabs. The pics above seem similar to the Jones 'Iron Fairy' machines that you would see, thanks for them. I will check with my old boss re. RB but am sure this is what he said, he as a graduate mech. engineer (spent his life with Tarmac) feels the decline even more than I do. R&R had their roots in Ransomes Simms & Jefferies who once built traction engines /rollers
Brendan asked about the Carters - not sure but the Rhinoceros range https://rhinoceros-minidiggersonline.com/ do one with expanding tracks & aux slew, the tracks make it very narrow to pass through gates - rather than an extra wide gauge to work slopes. To be honest I would keep away from them until someone proves them viable long term & with spares back up. I could not afford to be the 'Guinea Pig' on them

 

[Lynchy]

My dad has a copy of the Go Between, he likes it - or Julie Christie!! I must have a look some wet day. Re the VC 15 - Moore Dutton of Whitchurch, & Law of Kidderminster both ran them. There was once a smaller VC8 (12ton) but I never saw one. I think RB Lincoln had the rights to the VC, all then these & all the Navvy makers eventually subsumed into a company called Selsden Plc? I presume they now hold the rights - but the design would be by now out of patent? As late as 1990 R&R built a walking dragline for India - beating competition from the USA, Russia & India itself. Where the R&R works was is now a housing estate. The same firm built under licence a 'Caldwell' lorry mounted pile borer - at least one is still used for shaft sinking in the opal mining fields as shown on Oz opal hunters. This unit has been repaired & is still working over 42 years later!! so British engineering could hold it's own

Haha yeah classic film,saw the quote n it sprung to mind,love that film

 

[Bri963]

Gra, you must have a fantastic stash of leaflets. I’ve binned no end of collectors items over the years, including every edition of “SuperTruck” if you remember them from the ‘70’s and ’80’s.

 

[V8Druid]

Gra, you must have a fantastic stash of leaflets. I’ve binned no end of collectors items over the years, including every edition of “SuperTruck” if you remember them from the ‘70’s and ’80’s.

yeh I've binned way too much stuff too Bri, but as I have said sooooo many times, I couldn't keep it all ...... my info archive stretched to circa 10 file cabs full from memory, on absolutely all sorts of things .... bitterly regret binning some things

 

[pettsy]

Www.eBay.co.uk/itm/274892295459

Another Chinese import, I wonder what brand they’ve taken styling queues from

 

[Regy53]

Www.eBay.co.uk/itm/274892295459

Another Chinese import, I wonder what brand they’ve taken styling queues from

Christ you would be hard pushed to know thats not a kubota

 

[JD450A]

Christ you would be hard pushed to know thats not a kubota

Until a couple weeks down the line when it starts falling to bits

 

[Steve]

Until a couple weeks down the line when it starts falling to bits

At a guess I would say it started to fall apart already hence clocking 15hrs & probably swapped in.

 

[diggerjones]

My dad has a copy of the Go Between, he likes it - or Julie Christie!! I must have a look some wet day. Re the VC 15 - Moore Dutton of Whitchurch, & Law of Kidderminster both ran them. There was once a smaller VC8 (12ton) but I never saw one. I think RB Lincoln had the rights to the VC, all then these & all the Navvy makers eventually subsumed into a company called Selsden Plc? I presume they now hold the rights - but the design would be by now out of patent? As late as 1990 R&R built a walking dragline for India - beating competition from the USA, Russia & India itself. Where the R&R works was is now a housing estate. The same firm built under licence a 'Caldwell' lorry mounted pile borer - at least one is still used for shaft sinking in the opal mining fields as shown on Oz opal hunters. This unit has been repaired & is still working over 42 years later!! so British engineering could hold it's own

Peter v moore dutton of whitchurch, i worked for him in early 90s.

 

[T whiting]

Christ you would be hard pushed to know thats not a kubota

I wonder if you'll see some of them with Kubota stickers on like you used to see yellow drills with DeWalt on

 

[JD450A]

I wonder if you'll see some of them with Kubota stickers on like you used to see yellow drills with DeWalt on

I've a fantastic idea Rodney