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Coles Crane access problem


ploughman

Question

Our group has a 15 ton Coles Rail Crane. Very similar to Military road mobile versions.

Currently undergoing a bit of a restoration to use.

One problem we have is getting access into the turntable area to clean out rubbish and bits of trees.

The only access holes I can see are in the engine bed deck plate.

Does anyone know if there is an access hatch anywhere?

Or do we need to lift the crane top off the ring to get access?

 

Photo 1 shows the jib end layout and turntable ring. There are no obvious access holes from the underside.

 

Photo 2 Operators cab and again no obvious means of access. Electrical contactors behind the side panels.

 

Photo 3 Shows a slewing motor on the engine deck plate to the left of this can be seen a small access hole, there are a few of these around the engine deck and all very small and buried under or behind motors, compressors or rope drums.

 

We need to get into that foot high area below the horn. If possible without having to strip the thing down.

Any ideas please?

Coles Crane 1.jpg

Coles Crane 2.jpg

Coles Crane 3.jpg

Edited by ploughman
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Bryan,

 

I believe that the superstructure of your crane will be very similar to that of the Coles Milo 16-tonner I owned until a few years ago. I faced a similar problem and, as far as I could determine, there is no access to these areas. I will check the Milo manuals etc which I still have, but I certainly don't think that there's a hatch.

 

I believe that the philosophy was much the same as with our R&R cranes - if you needed to access the nether regions you did it during a major service when it was likely that you'd have the superstructure off anyway.

 

We have a very early Grafton (sadly dieselised) which needs attention to the patent "soft slew" mechanism. Once again there is no way to do this except by lifting the crab off the carriage.

 

Roger

Edited by utt61
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Thanks for the replies.

The crane at M Shed is not the same as only 4 wheel rather than 8 on 2 bogies and the lift is only 5t rather than 15t.

 

Found a few more locations where similar cranes are listed.

However none look as if they are being worked on currently, which does not mean that they are not in use.

There about another 4 of a similar size and capacity to ours.

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Bryan, I have checked through the manuals etc for the Milo, which I believe to be essentially very similar if not identical in this respect and there is no access of any kind into the voids other than the few small openings you already know about.

 

There's a photo of my old Milo, taken before I sold it, here: Coles-mobile-1956-milo-S-20T-6x4--02

 

In fact I've just realised that it's actually one of my own photos which appears to have been "lifted" from a post on another forum and reused without any acknowledgement!

Edited by utt61
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