R.E. plant Photos

[Zero-Five-Two]

Further to my turning out the photo cupboard, here is a selection of RE Plant in various situations.

 

 

Allis Chalmers TL645 Bucket Loader. Designated as a Medium Wheeled Tractor. Dating from the 1960's and very much old hat when this shot was taken in the mid 80's

 

 

Better view of the dumptruck. Again 1960's vintage. The civilian versions had various titles depending on who was who at the newly formed British Leyland. Scammell LD55, AEC 690, etc, but the Military one always sported the Rampant "Invicta" Horse badge of Aveling Barford Ltd, on the front. We just called them Barfords.

 

 

 

 

Volvo 4400 Bucket loader a far more modern Medium Wheeled Tractor than the old Allis, and Haulamatic Dumptruck which replaced the Barford. The Haulamatic had an Allison automatic transmission which many felt wouldn't stand up to the abuse meted out by the average Sapper driver. However, they proved to be more than up to the job, and were a vast improvement on the manual "fight to the death" crash box of the Barford

 

 

 

No passengers seat in the Hauli

 

 

 

Volvo 4400 digging

 

 

 

NCK 406 Rope Operated Excavator Few and far between in the Corps and a specialist course for anyone planning to use one.

 

 

 

Bit of a distance shot NCK and Volvo

 

 

 

Caterpillar D6D Medium Crawler Tractor. Bulldozer to the uneducated

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything drinks diesel, and the easiest way to fill up on site is to syphon in. Volvo 4400 and D6D

[paulbrook]

A Fiat-Allis methinks - they were designated RTFLT 8000Lb in 17 Port Regt RCT - we had both forks and 4in1 buckets and about half the fleet were waterproofed and could wade in 5ft of water without preparation and manage a 2ft6 swell on top of that. Great machines. They tried to replace them with Volvo 4400s but they were just too fragile.

 

The Fiat Allis had replaced Michigans, and were themselves eventually replaced (in the port role at least) by Case.

 

I was always a bit of a fan of a Fat Allis though!

[Richard Farrant]

A Fiat-Allis methinks - they were designated RTFLT 8000Lb in 17 Port Regt RCT - we had both forks and 4in1 buckets and about half the fleet were waterproofed and could wade in 5ft of water without preparation and manage a 2ft6 swell on top of that. Great machines. They tried to replace them with Volvo 4400s but they were just too fragile.

 

The Fiat Allis had replaced Michigans, and were themselves eventually replaced (in the port role at least) by Case.

 

I was always a bit of a fan of a Fat Allis though!

 

Hi Paul,

The Fiat Allis came later, the one shown is as described, a pure Allis Chalmers TL645, with an AEC 505 engine. I remember them well as I worked in the RE Bay of a REME Command Workshops from early 70's on and had a lot of experience in repairing them. They were replaced by the Terex 72-51 MWT with the screaming Detroit 6-71 engine, spent a lot of time working on them as well.

 

regards, Richard

[remevmb]

Further to my turning out the photo cupboard, here is a selection of RE Plant in various situations.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110870[/ATTACH]

 

Allis Chalmers TL645 Bucket Loader. Designated as a Medium Wheeled Tractor. Dating from the 1960's and very much old hat when this shot was taken in the mid 80's

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110871[/ATTACH]

 

Better view of the dumptruck. Again 1960's vintage. The civilian versions had various titles depending on who was who at the newly formed British Leyland. Scammell LD55, AEC 690, etc, but the Military one always sported the Rampant "Invicta" Horse badge of Aveling Barford Ltd, on the front. We just called them Barfords.

 

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110872[/ATTACH]

 

Volvo 4400 Bucket loader a far more modern Medium Wheeled Tractor than the old Allis, and Haulamatic Dumptruck which replaced the Barford. The Haulamatic had an Allison automatic transmission which many felt wouldn't stand up to the abuse meted out by the average Sapper driver. However, they proved to be more than up to the job, and were a vast improvement on the manual "fight to the death" crash box of the Barford

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110873[/ATTACH]

 

No passengers seat in the Hauli

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110874[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110875[/ATTACH]

 

Volvo 4400 digging

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110876[/ATTACH]

 

NCK 406 Rope Operated Excavator Few and far between in the Corps and a specialist course for anyone planning to use one.

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110877[/ATTACH]

 

Bit of a distance shot NCK and Volvo

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110878[/ATTACH]

 

Caterpillar D6D Medium Crawler Tractor. Bulldozer to the uneducated

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110879[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110880[/ATTACH]

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110881[/ATTACH]

 

Everything drinks diesel, and the easiest way to fill up on site is to syphon in. Volvo 4400 and D6D

 

I passed my HGV 2 test on a Barford dump truck at 22 Engr Regt in 1978. Cracking thing to drive. If you can drive one of them, everything else is easy. I don't remember anyone having a good thing to say about the Haulomatic when we got them.

[ploughman]

When I was at 22 Engr in 52 between 78 - 82 We had Allis's as our main bucket loader for Airfield Damage repair.

In that role they excelled doing everything wanted, but they were dated.

They tried to replace them with Terex Medium Wheelies but they were hopeless.

The Allis could dig down well below its wheels where the Terex might manage an inch or so.

The 4 in 1 Bucket was better. Agility and speed in the Terex was also lacking.

When I returned to ADR in the TA at RAF Leeming and Waterbeach we were equipped with the VOLVO 4400 and I for one found it to be equal to or maybe better than the old Allis.

The punishment that ADR inflicts on plant, especially the Bucket loaders, is severe, and the Volvo would take it in its stride. The TEREX would have no chance.

 

In 52 we had a fleet of Barfords split between home at Perham and on RAF Bruggen in store. The drawback with them was a lack of speed otherwise they took a lot of abuse with ease. I remember seeing one loaded Barford with Greedy Boards rolling over when it was turning when a drain collapsed under its wheels on one side. It left a large imprint in the ground, The nearby Michigan 275 operator put his bucket under the skip and righted the Barford which then proceeded on its way after a quick check over.

In the TA we had Hauly's and I had no complaints about those other than the lack of a second seat which meant a lie down on the internal bonnet cover for the unauthorised passenger.

 

The photo on p11 of the attached shows a typical allocation of plant and vehicles for ADR in the 70s - 80s

http://fauntrackway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/RRR_guide_to_airfield_damage_repair.pdf

[Zero-Five-Two]

Thanks for clarifying the Allis details Richard, saved me doing it. The Fiat Allis version was always referred to by the RE as a Mark 4 but they weren't on general issue, only went to RCT and port units.

 

The Allis in the photos is at Engineer Resources Long Marston. We had a couple there, a very elderly Mark 1-2 which had a floor change gear lever, and a Mark 3 (the one in the photo).

 

I'm sure I remember fitting an armoured cab to it at a later date, and it went on to reside in the Brompton museum

 

The Terex 72-51 loader, mentioned as a replacement for the Allis, and seen here skulking behind the O&K MH5 Excavator really was a poor second

 

 

The original civilian loader wasn't too shabby, even with the screaming two stroke, but after the mandarins in Whitehall had added a useless winch on the front and a worse than useless ripper on the back, plus all the other extra garbage they decided it needed, the poor thing was so weighed down it could barely move itself around. All noise and no action.

 

Speaking of the Engineers Museum at Brompton, here's an ID parade of some kit that had been restored by HQ Engr Res and was awaiting delivery to Chatham.

 

 

Anyone care to offer suggestions as to what they all are. Answers and more pictures on next post

[Richard Farrant]

 

 

 

Speaking of the Engineers Museum at Brompton, here's an ID parade of some kit that had been restored by HQ Engr Res and was awaiting delivery to Chatham.

 

 

 

Anyone care to offer suggestions as to what they all are. Answers and more pictures on next post

 

Looks like a Marshall Gainsborough there, but when I worked on them they had a bucket not a blade. I had a military book some years ago with a photo of one and it seems it was designed by Daimler, that would account for the Wilson pre-select gearbox I suspect. I will not name the others, let someone else have a go.

[Degsy]

From the left Fowler Challenger, Marshall Gainsborough, No Idea, Cat D4 or International BTD, Coles/AEC, Bedford RL

[RattlesnakeBob]

we had a couple of ex army Haulomatics on a big site back in 2006/07 on a muck hauling job........rough old things they were but they worked very well...

[Rangie]

I love old Haulamatics. Fearsome beasts to the uninitiated.

If you have the balls to get it in top gear in the allinson and let it wind up, by Christ it does some speed!! :nut:

 

Alec.

[Richard Farrant]

Haulamatics ...... argh, bloody awful things to work on, much preferred the Aveling Barford (built by Thornycroft), a quality lorry.

[ploughman]

The Terex 72 / 51 might have been rubbish but At least the 72 / 71 that we had as a replacement for the Michigan 275 was a right beast. That could shift some muck and not too shabby on speed.

I remember using one at Leeming and fully loaded a Hauly in one bucket with clay. Back end was floating around just a little bit.

 

I have previously posted some of these but What the hell here they are again.

52 Sqn plant yard 1978. Michy , Allis and O+K amongst others

Compactor rig, great at flattening cars with the 5 ton drop weight otherwise slow and cumbersome.

Volvo 4400 at RAF Linton On Ouse open Day

Terex 72 / 71 at Leeming

Aveling Barford Super MGH 113 Grader, Excellent machine.

Michigan 275 at Bruggen

Size comparison between the Terex and the Volvo at Leeming.

[snort]

Keep posting thes pics, I love them! Military Plant is great to see.:-)

[paulbrook]

Agreed - makes a nice change from landrovers and bedfords!

 

I have quite a collection of plant brochures, manuals and handbooks, until now I tended to keep quiet about it but now I think I may come out of the closet...

[Zero-Five-Two]

It's quite satisfying to start a thread that raises a bit of interest. More pictures to follow, but first, that museum kit. I found another photo that shows the line slightly better.

 

 

So, from left to right;

 

Under the canvas is a rare instrument of torture. Towed mine layer for Mark 7 Anti Tank Mines. needed a crew of something like 8 or 10 blokes sat in two rows down each side and worked like a production line to arm and prepare each mine which was then dispatched down a central shute to be ploughed in underneath the beast.

 

Next up the Vickers Vigor Dozer. A vintage monster from the 1950's and a personal favourite of mine (more pictures later) Rolls Royce 6 cylinder supercharged diesel motor, Full independent suspension, Two gear levers, each on a H type gate giving something like 12 forward and 4 reverse. Top speed was 30+ mph.

 

After that the Marshall Gainsborough as identified by Richard, but with a cable operated blade rather than a bucket. it was meant to be operated by two people, one to steer, and one to work the blade.

 

The yellow article is a Caterpillar D8H, but not a construction machine. This one has been adapted for pushing work rather than digging. I cannot remember where this one had been stationed, but there was an identical one at 23 Base Workshops in Wetter, Germany that was used for pushing the Chieftain tank hulls about as they went through the refurbishment programme.

 

 

Hiding beside the 8 is it's baby brother the D4, A nice little dozer ideal for when space is a bit limited as it could certainly punch above it's weight. Somewhere along the way the blade had been removed and subsequently lost and it arrived at HQER with just the frame. A replacement blade was hastily purchased from a civilian second hand plant sales place so that it could go to the Museum at least looking the part. Prior to display in the Museum it was fitted onto an air drop platform, and I believe it is still on show like that.

 

 

Next up Mark 5 Coles crane on AEC chassis. At one time nearly every Engineer Unit would have had one of these. They could be driven/Manouvered from the crane cab and it always made you look twice when you caught sight of one going past with apparently no one driving it!!

 

 

Everybody knows the Bedford RL, must have been thousands of them throughout the whole of the Armed Forces at some point. I cannot remember the significance of this particular wagon, but there would of been a reason why it had been earmarked for preservation. It has a command box on the back and I think it had been used by some notable chaps or it had been at some big "do".

 

 

There is an Assault Boat right on the far end of the line, but I don't know anything about it.

[Richard Farrant]

 

 

 

Speaking of the Engineers Museum at Brompton, here's an ID parade of some kit that had been restored by HQ Engr Res and was awaiting delivery to Chatham.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110908[/ATTACH]

 

Anyone care to offer suggestions as to what they all are. Answers and more pictures on next post

 

I think the yellow one is an old CAT D8, with rubber track pads and it was used by an army workshops for pushing tanks around. Little one is a D4 I am sure.

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Rob,

Looks like we posted at the same time! Do you know the approx. date of those photos? I was at Wainscott on a course in about 1980 and I recall a large crawler on show in the maintenance school building, which had been used for pushing tanks around, but thought it was a Vigor. Also while there I had to put the steering clutches back in an old D4 so it could be driven on to a plinth by an officer who was leaving.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Hi Ploughman, and thanks for the contribution. I never got to do ADR, so never got the pleasure of the big Michigan or the Terex, but I must say it does look a capable bit of kit. How's that leaning on the Wheel? He looks like a bloke I knew called Pete..... but then most Planties had that 'tash and haircut.

 

I might have posted these scraper pics before, but they are always worth a second look

 

 

 

 

Terex TS8

 

 

 

 

Terex TS14

 

 

Haulamatic Tipping

 

 

Cat D6D

 

 

Another shot of the Vickers, This time on display plinth at an open day. Having got the thing up and running and painted some of us asked permission to take it for a run out and a bit of digging at the bottom of the camp. Our MPF Boss strictly forbade any use of it in case it got damaged. So being good loyal troops, we just waited until he went on leave for a couple of weeks then took it for a blast. The noise of that roller motor at full chat is something else, and despite only having small grousers on the tracks she can push a full blade with ease. Belting along in top gear is quite the white knuckle ride!! :-D:-D:-D

 

 

 

Couple of shots of Primary and Secondary Crusher set up. Made by Goodwin Barsby they were mounted on artic trailers so they could be towed to site with the Scammell Crusader unit, of which there usually was a few around in Engineer Units. The Primary Unit is fed by excavator or bucket loader and simply breaks up the big bits so they fit into the secondary. The Secondary crushes it further then screeds it into different sizes of aggregate and fed out by conveyors into a fan shape at the far end. Frighteningly noisy even with ear defenders on, and very dusty as well. Not a nice place to work

[Zero-Five-Two]

Hi Richard, The pictures of the Museum kit would have been taken 1987 or 88, but some of the stuff never made it onto display until much later when the Museum expanded. I remember seeing a shed full of stuff at the Lodge Hill Training Camp at Chattenden in early 2000's some of it in a very sorry state. The Vickers especially. It had spent a good few years in the open at Upnor hard, the sea air did wonders for the paintwork. But more so, it had been visited by vandals who had smashed the dashboard and tried hard to break the gear and steering levers off.

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Richard, The pictures of the Museum kit would have been taken 1987 or 88, but some of the stuff never made it onto display until much later when the Museum expanded. I remember seeing a shed full of stuff at the Lodge Hill Training Camp at Chattenden in early 2000's some of it in a very sorry state. The Vickers especially. It had spent a good few years in the open at Upnor hard, the sea air did wonders for the paintwork. But more so, it had been visited by vandals who had smashed the dashboard and tried hard to break the gear and steering levers off.

 

Hi Rob,

I was invited to check out some kit that the museum wanted to dispose on in early 2000's and went up to Lodge Hill, problem was everything interesting was already allocated as I recollect. There was a Gainsborough and a Mk5 Coles / AEC there, think a Bedford RL workshop truck as well. Did look as though the vandals had got there first.

 

Talking about the Michigan 275, in late 70's I changed an engine on one, a brand new Cummins, out of the crate. Some years later it came in again after working in the Falklands on the rock crusher for the airfield. It was so worn on the centre pivots I had to change the pin and bushes. No mean feat to separate the two halves and get back together.

[paulbrook]

It was decent kit wasn't it - and I was never convinced that later stuff had the robustness and simplicity of the earlier versions. I remember going back to Marchwood in the 90s when all the forks were Case - decent enough but fearsomely complex and there was really nothing to show in performance for that complexity. Not only that but the Elf and Safety lunatics had been about - I recall a small yellow sticker, no bigger than 5inches by 4 inches, just ahead of the centre pivot on the Case warning of the dangers of standing in the pivot area. Trouble was you had to be no more than a foot away to read the warning...

 

Anyway I digress - in the 80s we had a D8 for port recovery, as I recall it had (big) rubber track pads and no blade. Fine machine it was. By the time we got to the 90s the Clever People had replaced it with a Foden.

[ploughman]

Hi Ploughman, and thanks for the contribution. I never got to do ADR, so never got the pleasure of the big Michigan or the Terex, but I must say it does look a capable bit of kit. How's that leaning on the Wheel? He looks like a bloke I knew called Pete..... but then most Planties had that 'tash and haircut.

 

 

That was Pete Wines from near Salisbury.

Very much into Heavy Metal and I don't mean big diggers.

Not seen him since he left 52 possibly for Berlin.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Trying to prove there is life outside of the new tanker, I've been back in the photo cupboard again.

 

 

 

 

First off my all time favourite, again, the Vickers Vigor

 

 

Another shot of the Cat D8 from the RE Museum collection

 

 

 

 

Haulamatics being loaded by a Hymac excavator. I think it's a Hymac 590 but not sure

 

 

Aveling Barford Grader

 

 

 

This is the AB Grader Crossing a Medium Girder bridge that was set up across the vehicle park. Gives you an idea of the size of the thing.

 

If you're not sure how big the Grader is try comparing it with these 2 potential operators who were 6 and 4 years old at the time of taking the photo

 

 

The 4 year old in the red shirt is now 28, 6ft 6" tall and 20+ stone. seems to have grown up a bit

 

 

Selection of RE cranes, not sure what they all are, one on the right might be a Smiths, Hydra Husky next. Next is a Coles something, cant remember the model but had a Cummins engine that was always a pig to start. No idea on the fourth one. The Forklift on the far end is a Henley Hercules

[Richard Farrant]

 

 

Selection of RE cranes, not sure what they all are, one on the right might be a Smiths, Hydra Husky next. Next is a Coles something, cant remember the model but had a Cummins engine that was always a pig to start. No idea on the fourth one. The Forklift on the far end is a Henley Hercules

 

 

The middle crane, the Hydra Husky, had an AEC 505 engine in it, the far one, the Coles 315M had a Cummins V8. I did most of the crane testing and calibrating in the area that our REME workshops covered and started off on the AEC/Coles Mk4, how technology moved on in the safe load indicator systems from the old mechanical set up of the Mk4 and Mk5. I learnt a lot over the years.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Thanks for the memory jog, Richard, on the Coles 315M. It sparked another memory too, I was posted back from Germany in the mid 80's and one of my first jobs at my new unit was delivering a couple of these cranes to the docks at Fleetwood for shipping to Ireland.

Driving through Merseyside at that time was quite a shock. I could not believe the industrial devastation I saw. Empty Factories and derelict Warehouses everywhere. Groups of blokes just standing about because there was no jobs and not much hope either. I'd never seen anything like it.