Further tales from the Druid's workshop

[V8Druid]

putting all the Crimbo decorations away in the attic I tripped over a box of paper pix, from way back, some of which were work related .... there're bound to be loads more up there somewhere and some time I'll have to have a bit of a search, but thought some of these might interest a few
First ones were semi topical --
regular customer, who loved his truck, wanted a new back for it as the original had completely disintegrated ... only had about 35k on the clock but the rear tub had to be seen to believed - sadly don't seem to have any pix of the original (unless they're somewhere else)
Anyway ... could we make him a new much more solid/sturdier bed ... took a couple of days to create - but we managed it and he was well happy with the result - probably outlasted the rest of the truck - 2.5mm tub and 2mm outer-skin/body panels

Nice V8S in the back ground

that's Johnny Barnes's truck in the back ground, picking up some steel for one of his projects and a tidy Sambron I'd bought off the guy with the pick up (and yet another SD )

Leyland Cruiser recovery unit behind, (would and did pull 44t no sweat), Rapier HS10 mid paint, BTLs and my 18t Ford D1100 lift bed truck - bound to have some more pix of that somewhere -- would pick up 7.5t - mentioned elsewhere in the past

being paper and as me scanner's bollo-ed, (doesn't want to play anyway ), I'm having to take pix of these paper pix and fanny about with them, so progress'll be 'slow and steady' shall we say, going forward

 

[Stock]

Excellent work there Der Druid..............................................................................................................

 

[V8Druid]

This old girl has been mentioned recently else where ... Grove TMS475ELP ... was a great tool ... but a hell of a lump on the road

this eventually went to Paraguay ... twice ... got to the first port of destination and they didn't have anything big enough to lift it off the ship - so it came back to Southampton - and eventually to a.n.other port that could handle it - Fella called Luis Carballo bought it off me and he was NOT happy to have to wait an additional two months for it to arrive happily it was his **** up

this has also had a few mentions elsewhere ....
Iron Fairy Onyx 12tonner - 4x4x4 .... bought it at a local auction for not a lot (1800quid) ..... pulled it to bits and had the slew ring off and re-con.ed for 1200 quid [new one was £3.5k] ... body work was beaten to hell, so made it some new body panels, cab was easier to renew than repair - only original bits were the door sliding gear IIRC and the fairy badge on the front .. was a handy little tool and'd go just about anywhere ... eventually went off to sunnier climes in South Africa - Ideal - cab would lift off in about ten minutes, couple of wiring plugs and four bolts .. turned a very handsome £10k profit on it when it went, plus all the work it did
looking it over fore the auction

it'd been fitted with UPVC window units

and after we'd 'breathed on it

there're probably more pix of this somewhere - looked the Mutt's when we'd finished giving it the treatment
that spiral staircase on the trailer in the background was 'a fun creation' .. and used to make a lot of those 'bale trailers' - sold well

 

[V8Druid]

few more crane pix
getting a good steam off the week I bought it .... the very last Coles 25/28 Hydratruck ever built .. great lifters and almost 90ft of stick, with the manual out ... plus more with the lattice fly jib .. Cummins V555 and Roadranger 13sp splitter box IIRC 29t on the move .. was a nice drive - 40 tops, but pulled like a train

and this was her sister ... the very first Coles 825 Supertruck that replaced the 25/28s .. Grove/Coles rep got quite excited when he saw 'em together in the yard
looks like she's just had a wash off too
V504 Cummins V8 - 8.5 ltr - 145hp and another 13sp Roadranger box, dragging IIRC 28t .. comfy ride and a decent drive, but long for some places, with the low, out front cab - full tele 84ft boom and then plus swingaway .. only had it on her a few times - bloody heavy thing
servo controls, made it a nice thing to op. too - was a very good machine

one of the best work horses Grove ever made TMS 180 ...
bought with a damaged first tele section after some Paddy put it on its side, with no knowledge of how to op. it ... w
tele-ed out over the cab, came round over the side - with no jacks out/down ...
bought a s/h boom complete, off a TMS150 that'd hit a low bridge and torn the dynamometer & winch off it - altered it to Grove's spec.s - they altered the ram for us - put it all together and job did --
ran it for years 26t, V504 & 13sp Roadranger again - 60 ft of tele plus another 20ft of manual plus another 20ft of underslung fly - she was a good lifter/reacher and went well ..

had an annoying habit, if it was sat about for a few days, of the beads slipping up in the front rims (very heavy front end) and it felt like you were driving on egg shaped wheels for a couple of miles - was terrible 'til we sussed why, even with a new set of Michys on it ..
used to just drop the front jacks and lift her off her springs, if it wasn't being used for a few days - cured the issue, but slowed your departure by ten minutes, of a morning.

went out 'bout 3am for plod one night, just 'fore crimbo one year ..... fruit and veg lorry on its side, blocking the road .... council lads, plod and me all came from there stuffed to the gunwales with boxes of grapes, tangerines, bananas, melons, dates - you name it -- I could barely get in the cab to drive home - and it was a big cab on it .. top cab was stuffed too -- my guys had the most 'fruitful' crimbo ever
council guys were shovelling it into their tippers to clear up what'd spilled its guts everywhere

three commercial pits was very helpful running several cranes (and meant you could park three in the dry, with easy exit of a morning, frost free)

Little Coles 12/14 ... handy for tight jobs, but op from down stairs (reversed passenger seat) so not the greatest of viz -- IIRC Bedford 500 - 6 pot and an Eaton 5/4 splitter - didn't set the world alight, but got about ok -- didn't keep it long - no one liked driving it but was a cheap enough buy, returned a nice little profit ... and made a decent amount on a job for BWW canal side, on several lock gate replacements that sod all else could get in to .. and reach
I didn't dislike it TBH
parked here at my parents' place after a weekend quicky for a neighbour, circa '82 ... wonder if it still exists ? ... probably earning its keep in Cyprus or Malta - loads of old Coles end up there

 

[craig]

The 4x4 iron fairy looks a handy tool, could you lift and carry with that?

 

[V8Druid]

The 4x4 iron fairy looks a handy tool, could you lift and carry with that?

it was a great little weapon. with the 4x4x4 could come off the pit that TMS180 was on and turn right round the other side of the dividing wall in the shop - was that manoeuvrable - would also crab - rear steer was on a tiller on the steering column and pinned straight for road travel -- IIRC she'd pick and carry about 5t over the rear and 3 over the front .... got the spec sheet for it some where
The Twin Disc Power shift was a horrible box though 3 + 3 (or might've been 4 + 4? ) Hi/Lo .. never roaded it far - 10-15 miles was enough - any distance it went on a truck if the hire warranted it.
Much like my little Rapier HS10 -- 20 miles was enough (and did it regularly)
heading out to a 3 week hire here between Lydney and Gloucester stripping an overhead gantry system out and installing a bigger set up ..

our old Ovlov F86 recovery, which got upgraded to the Cruiser, as we got 'bigger' things that might've needed towing in, next to Mal Fox's truck ... she was a good old tool though and a nice drive with 4t of ballast on the 5th wheel - still got that tow bar

 

[V8Druid]

My first truck mount when I started -- Coles Victor 10t .. AEC 6 pot - lovely motor - start first flick in 6 deg.s of frost - 6 sp box which you wrestled into every cog, but loved that old girl and would have her back in a heart beat.
carried 30ft of stick rigged (and folded for tranny) and another 75ft stowed ... could put it all on in just over an hour (but was hard work). had an impressive boom for her size and good capacities too ... would also work restricted FOW - 360.
Everything about it was 'work' - pull out legs, wind down jacks and gert oak banded cribbing blocks, but hell she would lift

and my first TK done some miles and earnt some bucks with 'em both
IIRC was a new loading bay steel structure for the BL factory in Llanwrytydd Wells -- a looong time ago ... as said, she'd happily work FOW ... diesel electric off a PTO and controls from the cab, with a flip over seat, or a second set at the rear N/S/L wing, with a hand throttle - could sit on the deck and operate 'em between yer legs on the rear - did not wanna be too big in the cab though -- can see the rear controls below - just .. was a lovely smooth operating crane

oops!! - note the back of the cab - trans-shipping a load, after scotching up a bit quick

the yellow tubular garret jib on the back of the turntable, got a 1/2t chain block hung on it - lifted up and then pinned to lift yer sections off to build the boom (if required) .. travelling you swung it back round the front and secured it .. Old skool but it worked fine and that's how it was when these were made in '65 - this'd've been about 1980 -- replaced her with a Hydrocon Huntsman 15tonner (which I am yet to find pix of) and Victor stayed at the yard, most of the time
some where I have some pix of her with a long boom on - I'll add 'em when I find 'em

 

[V8Druid]

guess who, 'bout/at least forty years ago - '84/85 ?
and a lot less grey - obviously in the middle of saying summat - probably telling my old man to sod off with that camera - most of these appear to be his pix (especially if they're dated) - 'cos i'm in a lot of 'em

 

[kabin man]

Great thread. We all love a bit of nostalgia.
Isn't it shocking when you look back at pictures of what seems like not long ago, and everything looks so old and dated.
Like cars/trucks, tools& equipment etc..(clothes and hair too...)

 

[V8Druid]

Great thread. We all love a bit of nostalgia.
Isn't it shocking when you look back at pictures of what seems like not long ago, and everything looks so old and dated.
Like cars/trucks, tools& equipment etc..(clothes and hair too...)

Thanks .. hoped it'd be of interest
Yeh, ain't it bloody just .... seems like yesterday ... can't recall WTF I did last week, but a couple of decades ago is crystal clear
'S before some members were born possibly

 

[CPS]

'S before some members were born possibly

yea! Even me

Great pic's keep them coming

 

[TiltyShaun]

Great to see those old pics. You haven’t aged much!!
How many cranes did you own at any one time?

 

[V8Druid]

Great to see those old pics. You haven’t aged much!!
How many cranes did you own at any one time?

LOL the head might not have - just gotten wiser/wilier .... the body on the other hand would definitely put up an argument about that statement

usually five Shaun .. three, usually four truck mounts and the rapier - then the little fairy came along too cheap to leave with IIRC less than 500hrs on the clock - part of a workshop clearance I did - bought the lot on tender - couldn't move in half the workshop for a few weeks, 'til I passed/sold a lot of it on
we were never short of lifting capacity with five FLTs, ranging from a ton to 7t, as well, in the shop .. no reason for anyone to have a bad back or have to grunt.

 

[V8Druid]

yea! Even me

Great pic's keep them coming

glad you're enjoying them ... hard to tell if folks'll enjoy stuff or not ....... yer whippersnapper

 

[V8Druid]

My first truck mount when I started -- Coles Victor 10t .. AEC 6 pot - lovely motor - start first flick in 6 deg.s of frost - 6 sp box which you wrestled into every cog, but loved that old girl and would have her back in a heart beat.
carried 30ft of stick rigged (and folded for tranny) and another 75ft stowed ... could put it all on in just over an hour (but was hard work). had an impressive boom for her size and good capacities too ... would also work restricted FOW - 360.
Everything about it was 'work' - pull out legs, wind down jacks and gert oak banded cribbing blocks, but hell she would lift
View attachment 68158View attachment 68157
and my first TK done some miles and earnt some bucks with 'em both
IIRC was a new loading bay steel structure for the BL factory in Llanwrytydd Wells -- a looong time ago ... as said, she'd happily work FOW ... diesel electric off a PTO and controls from the cab, with a flip over seat, or a second set at the rear N/S/L wing, with a hand throttle - could sit on the deck and operate 'em between yer legs on the rear - did not wanna be too big in the cab though -- can see the rear controls below - just .. was a lovely smooth operating crane
View attachment 68156 oops!! - note the back of the cab - trans-shipping a load, after scotching up a bit quick View attachment 68155
the yellow tubular garret jib on the back of the turntable, got a 1/2t chain block hung on it - lifted up and then pinned to lift yer sections off to build the boom (if required) .. travelling you swung it back round the front and secured it .. Old skool but it worked fine and that's how it was when these were made in '65 - this'd've been about 1980 -- replaced her with a Hydrocon Huntsman 15tonner (which I am yet to find pix of) and Victor stayed at the yard, most of the time
some where I have some pix of her with a long boom on - I'll add 'em when I find 'em

as a guide ... just tripped over a pic of a Victor folded ready for the road, with an almost full compliment of jib sections too (also see he's got a butty cab - spoilt!! ) wind down jacks and gert blocks though - needs a mate to get them down

and here's one getting a lift ---- very hard to find any Victor pix on the 'net .. like they've all but vanished off the planet, but were a popular machine - also did a 4 wheel chassis too

must all have been diesel hydraulics though (so later), as they all have the banana/slide out & down legs

and one with a bit of stick on ('bout 85 ft by my count) .... ... and/plus a fly

 

[V8Druid]

TMS180 on a site just outside Brecon - spent weeks there on several occasions .. 4 ft pipeline from Milford to somewhere in the Midlands carrying oil/fuel/etc. ... this was a 'pig' collection trap interceptor/insertion point - 4ft solid rubber ball catcher and booster pump station ... between products they bang in a ball, a 'bolas' of several thousand gallons of H2O, then another ball -- this installation'd either catch 'em or send 'em on by ... Never worked at the site myself - only ever rece-ed it initially, but apparently the noise these 'pigs' made coming up the line and either passing or getting caught was 'interesting'
either had one of my guys there, or occasionally, the old man'd have a day out, on a day off from plod ... he enjoyed some 'crane time' and particularly liked the TMS180 -- will have another piccy browse and see who was there taking this - probably him .

aye - was 'the bear in uniform ' ... out of it and in a boiler suit - not looking the happiest - nice 814 an' a CAT/Komie(?) in the background -- Grove needs a wash - must've been there a week or three - he's been gone 27 years

 

[Simon edwards]

Lovely old pics Druid,thanks for sharing them.Proper classic diggers in the background of the last one,cat 428 maybe and a shiny Jake 814

 

[V8Druid]

Lovely old pics Druid,thanks for sharing them.Proper classic diggers in the background of the last one,cat 428 maybe and a shiny Jake 814

cheers Simon ... as said previously .. never sure what may/may not appeal

 

[William127]

cheers Simon ... as said previously .. never sure what may/may not appeal

It's all very interesting, thanks for sharing is my opinion

 

[V8Druid]

this one has a rather poignant and salutary tale attached to it - sort of
commissioned to make a large fuel storage tank for a local-ish bus operator (who i'd known for a while and eventually grew to know very well - nice bloke and a real character, was Glynn)

Duly fabricated, painted and skated/carried (can't recall which), out of the shop, ready to crane on with the Coles 25/28, seen previously.

bit of a cold spell BTL,s

used a young local chap for some of our haulage, who was well priced and trustworthy to do a good job and perform on time, as required .. Jonathan - nice lad ... getting ready to back under said tank and bund when it went skyward .....
on and strapping down - this was 4.2m wide - can't recall the volume, but it was a lot and was relatively heavy with it

John awaiting Mr plod's finest sicclists (couple of lads I knew too) to come and escort him to just outside Ystrad Mynach, up the valleys - an interesting route for a 4.2m load .. -- was 6M long and prob.s circa 10ft high on the bed .. no real biggy, other than the width.

825 Supertruck crane'd already departed for Glynn's yard to unload and place the beast ... John got it there, no issues and everything went 'to plan' ... everyone happy.

A few months later (from memory), John was out in the lanes not far out of Aber. loading summat on his truck on a farm driveway .. midway, for some unknown reason, his handbrake 'popped off' and she started to roll .. he dashed down alongside and was trying to clamber into his cab door, when it struck a bloody big oak and crushed poor old John ... we closed for the day and all went to his funeral a week or so later.

So, after reading this .. if you ever find your selves in a similar situation/circumstance - let the ****ing thing go .. you can always buy another .. whatever the problem/issue/risk, .. the only thing on this planet that is worth risking your life for are your loved ones - absolutely nothing else