TooTallMike

No hits on Google so I guess not! I suppose we've had it about 8 years. I think it came from R&R or similar with no engine. One of the guys fitted a 4-pot Bedford diesel but the original hydraulic pump drive arrangement wouldn't fit so he made it belt-driven. If you try to lift too much the belts squeal and you have to put another couple of turns on the tensioner! I broke the side shift when I caught the lever on a fence post while reversing down the narrow track in our field. When the lever got caught it rammed the J60 engine I was moving on a pallet into the fence and then the valve block casting broke and I couldn't move the load back. It took about half an hour of shunting to get the forklift about 2 feet to the left to extricate the the J60 from the fence! Oh, and did I mention it takes half a gallon of easy-start to get it to fire up:argh:. It really is a god-awful POS but very useful :-D

Here's ours: It's a bit unloved but that's always the way with plant :cry: Nice useful machine but I'd hate to take one on the road. It's bad enough to keep in the right direction just up and down the yard! Oh yes & it has minimal brakes, knackered steering box, wrong engine, dead clutch m/c, flat batteries and side shift lever broken... The aftermarket seat is good as it reclines, so if the people on the ground are taking to long you can tilt it back and catch some rays :cool: - Mike

Hi Mike, Ours has the same roll cage. It came from a construction company (the name escapes me - but it's still plastered all over it. McCabe? rings a bell). I'd hazard a guess someone was buying them at auction and converting them for civvy construction site use. The roll cage is great as it gives you something to hold onto and is great for keeping low tree branches out of your hair! I'll get a photo next time I'm up at the farm. - Mike

One of our halftracks has a dedicated transporter which is a former John Smiths beer dray. It's a 12 tonne capacity 2-axle Volvo F-something-or-other converted to a beavertail body. Cost under £4k all in. You only need a class C licence to drive it. Tax is Private HGV at normal car rate unless you want to use it commercially as well. It will have to be plated and tested as a normal truck. Remember though that even with the cost of fuel and the £1 a mile you'll be putting aside for new tracks, it's probably still cheaper to just drive the halftrack than buy and run the truck as well. And much more fun.:cool: nb. the advantages of the truck over the halftrack are reliability, speed, quietness, smoothness of ride and fuel economy. But if you like halftracks you're probably unlikely to be bothered by any of these! - Mike

Ooh, the shame :-D.

I warn you, it would be the work of a few minutes for me to write down that mental list I'm compiling. Yes, you know I'm referring to The List of Shame :blush:.

We all had a great time & I think I've just washed half the Plains down the plughole here! Huge thanks for organising the event, for the welcome, the tea, the breakfasts, the tours and the atmosphere generally.:tup:: It was a great weekend and I'm really pleased that we went after all the indecision on Thursday. It was also good to put faces to a few more names on here. - Mike ps. to Chris, Paul and Andy - the Hockey team were at Fleet services on the way back too...:cool2:

Guys, I've already translated the whole lot. Each phrase is in German then French underneath. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear! ie. STECKDOSE 380v = PRISE EXTERIEURE 380v = exterior 380V socket etc. - Mike

Yep, but on the down side, we now have to go at the speed of a petrol WLF :shake:. Look on the bright side, at 10mph our fuel economy is going to be great :-D.

Oi Mark! :n00b: See y'all tomorrow.

...and this one.

STECKDOSE 380v PRISE EXTERIEURE 380v - exterior 380V socket SYSTEMUMSCHALTER COMMUTATEUR P SYSTEME - P system switch (should this read '3P'? i.e. 3 phase system switch) PHASENSPANNUNG TENSION PHASE NUETRE - neutral phase power AGGREGAT GROUPE ELECTROGENE - generator HEIZUNG CHAUFFAGE - heating STECKDOSEN 3PH PRISES 3PH - 3 phase sockets SCHMIRGELMASCHINE MEULE - grinder STECKDOSEN LINKS PRISES GAUCHE - left sockets LICHT ECLAIRAGE - lighting STECKDOSEN RECHTS PRISES DROITE - right sockets TRENNTRAFO TRAFO DE SEPARATION 200v - no idea what 'Trafo' means The German is just a translation of the French. Hope this helps? - Mike

Ignore this post.

Agreed, much better. Thanks Joris! Looks like everyone is getting used to the new set-up :thumbsup:

Actually maybe he's more of a Prat-Nav, but don't tell him I said that:n00b:.

They'd better:nono:, we need them to complete the ensemble.

I was going to fire up the SatNav - is it likely to take me some wierd-ass route? Perhaps I should use Grasshopper-Nav instead?

Of course! We have standards you know...

Started to pack the trailer in the rain today - bloomin' scatter cushions got wet :cry:

Ok John, Speak to you tomorrow. - Mike

He seems to be proposing me as competition. Best not though, I wouldn't want to embarrass you:whistle:. Tony, come 'ere :n00b:!

I have a load of photos from there. We went to look round when it was being cleared after one or both of the brothers had died. I was interested in the ex-Billy Smart's Mack but it was too far gone. The pictures don't seem to translate very well into digital format so if someone can PM me how to do a better job of it I'll post them up. There's Humber trucks, Martians, Thorneycroft Big Bens, Militants, Green Goddesses, fire crash trucks, CMPs, Austins, GMCs... all sorts of stuff.:cry: I've also got photos from Charlie Russell's and Main's of Benson (Oxon.)

I response to the comments earlier about the Antars at Hunt's of Molesworth, here is one of them (in case you can't see it, the cab is on the left & the front top of the rear wing can be seen towards the right!)

Grasshopper, MarkHeliops and myself also have h cat. if that helps . - Mike

I'd assume road legality is all they should be bothered about?