loong day yesterday...
job site between Swansea and Amman ford ...
32Mw solar farm, unloading seven, 14t transformer HV/LV units built onto 20ft shipping flats/container skids from Ying Tong land. ....
Russ usually goes the long way round from his place down the M4, but as he wanted me with him, said he'd go Heads Of The Valleys A465 and pick me up in Aber on his way by ..
seeing as he was leaving Ross at 05.00
I'd've needed to be at his for then....
(03.40 start for me) ...
was a 04.15 start anyway, to be parked on the side of the HOV to meet him at 05.30.
Tried to decide on a spot I could leave the car all day - was gonna be Waitrose's car park, 'til I sussed they were 'camera'-ed and likely to get clobbered, so Pam volunteered to drop me in a lay by on the 465 (she's always up and prowling the house circa five o'clock anyway )
As usual, no matter how early you start he's (almost) always sat waiting at a Rendezvous (but not always
) .
emptied the Kia's boot of kit bag, harnesses, wet gear and grub bag into the Liebherr's passenger compartment, Pam disappeared and we set off.
Horrendous roadworks (STILL) at Merffa, but very quiet, so made good progress and arrived on site an hour early (Russ could not believe the time difference, form his usual route on the M4) so heads down for half an hour, 'til bodies started arriving on site
Agent arrived, who Russ has worked for before - decent bloke - apparently five of the seven trucks were parked in the services at the end of the M4, waiting to be 'called in' ... tiny lane access down what was essentially once a farm track, that's had 6" of tar and a lot of money spent on it to make it 'usable', so one in, one out, as required.
Rigged and ready for the first one by 08.00.
went and signed in and got Russ's RAMS signed off ..
view from the site office's stairs ..
acres and acres and acres of solar panels
pretty bleak spot and very 'inclement' - looked like it was gonna be pretty shite day
Russ was in lust with this
meant to get a 'closer' shot, but forgot - was tearing about most of the day
two in by 09.15
no 5 arrived by 10.15
and five on the floor by 10.30
was looking good for a real early 'knock'
then it fell apart - no one knew WTF #6 & #7 were
Ten past one #1 truck arrived with the sixth load - had been back to where ever they were coming from to get it
, so offed that and moved to where #7 had to be sat
and got our heads down again
... 'least the weather'd picked up considerably and we were now in shirt sleeves
#7 turned up by three and we had it sat on its final resting place, with its covers off
Ying Tong engineering at its finest - what a piece of crap ... cooling panels were (looked like) domestic rad.s, all built up into a core ... welding was diabolical and no bunding for when the tranny sh1ts itself
, which looked to be an inevitable eventuality
these had been a bitch to sling, with big voids under their covers ... a right balancing act, wrestling 12mm chains onto the corner lift points, balanced on the edges/cross bars ...
had a harness on and fall arrestor hung off the main hook all day .. only needed it the once, when I slipped off a cross bar and went backwards onto the covers, yanking at the arrestor as I went .. Russ said it looked hilarious and no harm done
I wasn't heavy enough to have gone through the cover
.....
not bad really considering the amount of clambering I did yesterday
one of Russ and his 'weapon'
and no the crane's not small - he's 6' 6"
just about to wrap up and the 'can you justs' started
wants to be here again so had to oblige ... picked a dead tracked carrier out of the middle of the yard and slung it to the edge (didn't get a pic. sorry - no idea what it was, breed wise - but on steel tracks and weighed 6t) - was missing an engine and a few other 'vital' components - dunno whether it'd died or been nicked?
and we were away at ten to four
horrendous traffic on the 465 at Merffa road works, but when it's all finished, it's gonna be an awesome route (Aiden
@CPS - you wouldn't recognise Baverstocks/Hirwaun area - I knew roughly where I was and didn't - will get some pix, next time we're down there)
Pam rang as we were leaving, for an ETA to collect me, from the Hardwick roundabout, outside Aber - has a great pull in - "
6-ish, barring traffic " .. "
Great - just about to put some cakes and a rhubarb crumble in the oven! "
rang her back later, sat in traffic carnage at Merffa - "
Better add a good 30 minutes to the ETA - we're stuck at the bottom of Baverstock's pitch and still got Cefn Coed and Dowlais top to get past yet , 'fore we're out of it all "
No sooner finished talking to her and Russ's rang - "
er - where are you Russ ? " - one of his mates, does recovery - had a truck on its side on the Ross spur, down a bank and crawling with plod who were panicking it'd roll over, down the bank and into a car park below .. "
In traffic on the 465 at Merffa -
Will be with you in about an hour or so "
Got to Aber about half six - I leapt out, grabbed all my gear and dumped it on the side of the road to await Pam's arrival and Russ shot off for Ross.
Bunch of young women stood where we'd stopped, one says to me "
are you coming to the Shania twain concert too? " I'm stood there, head to toe in Hi-viz yellow, hard hat and climbing harness in hand, bright orange kit bag on the floor - " Do I really look like I'm going to a concert?? " and with that their mini bus arrives and they're gone ... closely followed by Pam .. loaded me gear in the boot and we were outathere
Russ arrived to find this
https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media?attachment_id=803223058593920&message_id=mid.$cAAAAB54OFGyWta2E3GQhGdemMVnm&thread_id=100007012209778
one very slender tree keeping it where it was !!!!!!!
