Zero-Five-Two Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 Next couple of batches come from BATUS Canada 1990. We were out there setting up things for the Exercise season that year Aveling Barford Grader, reshaping a stretch of track Terex 72-51B and Winget 6 ton Roller going behind the Grader. The bloke who appears to be taking it all for a walk is actually controlling the throttle of the rollers vibrator engine Bored with walking he has hitched a ride, or maybe vibrations got too much. 'Elf an' Safety would go mad Caterpillar D6D Dozers. Nice landscape shot, gives you an idea of how big and flat the place is. I can't remember what the trench was for, but it went on for a good few miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero-Five-Two Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 This was being set up for a "Tin City" urban warfare type of thing. Volvo 4400 used to lift the tower up so it could be locked in place with an explosive release pin. Top tank was to be filled with water then at the appropriate time it would be set off to crash down on the unsuspecting ground troops. Wouldn't work as a straight tower, at first, so they had to weld the extra piece on the front Bit of self recovery going on here. Spot the deliberate mistake of the bucket getting in the way on picture 2 BATUS Plant Yard, Residents include; Muirhill A5000 (with engine cover up). Fiat Allis with the forks. Terex 72-51B and Cat D6D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero-Five-Two Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 Last Lot for now Somebodies Bedford being recovered by the BATUS REME Wrecker. I reckon the wrecker was a locally purchased job, don't remember seeing any like that in the UK Any equipment movements on the training area are handled by the Canadians with these trucks. They are a bit lie the MOJO's were in Germany. No Speed Limits, No Tying Down, No Safety at all. If you saw one coming towards you, you just pulled over and got out of their way. Absolutely mental they were. The rest of the world travelled in bombed out Land Rovers. Wouldn't recommend anyone buying an ex BATUS Rover it would have had a right kicking. Seen here one Engineer Troop Commander and his Driver. Note the extra customising on their motor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Last Lot for now Somebodies Bedford being recovered by the BATUS REME Wrecker. I reckon the wrecker was a locally purchased job, don't remember seeing any like that in the UK Hi Rob, That REME wrecker, probably a Western Star as one of them ( I assume there was more than one) was brought over from BATUS to join the REME Museum's vehicle collection, probably at 12 years ago, it has recently been moved to the new REME Museum at Lyneham .....still in the red paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Zero Two Five thank you for those photos, BATUS is a bit of a hobby horse for me. Here is my mates 109 that I helped him with pointers for the cam scheme, your picture shows he needs antlers to complete the job! Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero-Five-Two Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Found a few more photos you might like to see Allis Chalmers Coles 315M Coles Hydra Husky Hamm DV8 Roller Haulamatic Dumptruck Muir-Hill A5000 Another shot of the "Molly" Volvo 4400 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero-Five-Two Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Some of them actually got to do some digging! Hymac 590 loading Haulamatic Not sure what went wrong here, or the young Sappers name (might be Merton), but was a nasty job getting that track back on NCK 406 Excavating, Volvo 4400 loading Haulamatic, MPF spectating Pair of Volvo lining up to winch something, if I remember right it was a Cat D6D that had come off the bund sideways Volvo 4400 up to its axles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 I found out one problem with the Volvo 4400 and that was when you got severely bogged ie. most of the tyre is buried then you loose all air in the system as the muck releases the air taps on the tanks between the wheels. Did a tandem pull myself on a Volvo 6x6 dumper converted to a drain clearance machine at Leeming. It got stuck buried up to the load bed. We had to pull from full length of the winch rope due to the boggy ground. Another godsend was that a ripper had been fitted the day before to my Volvo with tines upside down as usual. Made it very easy to unbog yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
militant-nick Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 This old Muir Hill A5000 rests in my works yard near Derby WD No. 01 HV 87 hopefully you can zoom in to the plate to see more details. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Militant Nick you are so bad showing things I am not allowed to buy . .. Ploughman and two five zero did the Volvo 4400 have a 4 in 1 style bucket? Kind of looks like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigduke6 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 On 2 January 2016 at 10:37 PM, Zero-Five-Two said: Wouldn't recommend anyone buying an ex BATUS Rover it would have had a right kicking I wouldn't recommend anyone going to BATUS........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) 17 hours ago, robin craig said: Militant Nick you are so bad showing things I am not allowed to buy . .. Ploughman and two five zero did the Volvo 4400 have a 4 in 1 style bucket? Kind of looks like it. Yes and very good it was too. I think it might even have been better than the Allis Chalmers that was in use in the 70's - 80's and streets ahead of the Allis's replacement in the Terex 72-51 We certainly tested them to extremes on the Airfields. Any other job and it would have been classed as abuse. Edited December 20, 2019 by ploughman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
militant-nick Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 The owner has another in yellow so I could make enquires about this one 🧐 😁 He also had an ex mod Jcb 410 fitted with loading shovel but I’ve not seen that for a while. this link may already be on hmvf somewhere but here it is anyway; http://www.classicmachinery.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12095&sid=6520c633976cab767f6f213259150af6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
militant-nick Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) Just found this photo from December 2015 same yard Edited December 31, 2019 by militant-nick Photo wouldn’t upload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) That looks like an I.Harvester 65c (Hough) Later Dresser. Also licence built by Komatsu as Wa90. I did not like driving with the cab on the front section of the pivot. Thay had a prefabricated boom early ones were prone to cracking. Edited December 31, 2019 by john1950 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
militant-nick Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 27 minutes ago, john1950 said: That looks like an I.Harvester 65c (Hough) Later Dresser. Also licence built by Komatsu as Wa90. I did not like driving with the cab on the front section of the pivot. Thay had a prefabricated boom early ones were prone to cracking. Thanks, I wondered what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Brings back a few memories seing a photo of one. I remember the demonstrator driver saying you could drive it on full throttle as it had a soft shift shuttle control transmission. So my younger brother jumped on and off he went on a load and carry operation, when he came back the demo man said "I dont know how you kept your foot on the throttle It did not drop any revs when you were digging or changing direction" As he wandered of to get back on his TS14 he said over his shoulder "its got a hand throttle" I have also seen that loaded with all 4 wheels off the ground bounding down the haul road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Norton Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Dear All, A few memories from Northern Ireland which illustrate the versatility of the Royal Engineers Allis Chalmers Medium Wheeled Tractor. Mick Norton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 You operated in a different world, We just went in for a 7am start If driving a Cat 944 or Hough 65c had about 1100 tons to load onto varying sizes of vehicles by last load 16.15, Later if on nights on a Cat 966D 12 hour nights would be 4500 to 5000 tonnes a shift. With no one shooting at us or trying to set us on fire. I could not imagine swaping places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Those Allis 645 loaders were good tools, far better to work on than the Terex that replaced it. OK the cab was a bit stark but no one knew any better in those days. Good vision of the bucket too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Norton Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 John - 1950/Richard, In my 32 years service with earthmoving plant with the Royal Engineers the Allis Chalmers was a cracking bit of kit with very little modification off the commercial production line, which guaranteed its success.. For the N Ireland (once the armoured cab had been fitted) they came into their own and were invaluable support to the infantry role during rioting. With the armoured cab and wee visor all round visibility was very difficult and hand telephones were installed at the rear on the battery boxes with a speaker over your head in the cab which the infantry support could communicate with the operator. It didn't work that well..!! A fire blanket was always close to hand as rioters would often lob half a dozen bottles of petrol at the cab and then a "Molotov Cocktail" to warm up the proceedings. Known affectionately as "The Scoobie" the Armoured Allis Chalmers going full belt in a riot situation put the fear of Christ into those in its way. John, although the military plant operator role is a little different to the civilian counterpart we all share the love of operating/repairing earthmoving plant. The Allis Chalmers wasn't always used in the heat of Londonderry and Belfast as we did a lot of normal quarrying and earthmoving in places like Clogher, Dungannon, Florence Court and the Moy. Although the Allis Chalmers work in places like Belfast had it's worrying moments the most worrying moment for myself was having to clamber up our remote controlled Tower Crane that was sited at Crossmaghlen in S Armagh with my arse going "sixpence half a crown!" happy days. Mick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I have no personal experience of Allis Chalmers, but two used to work not far away and they seemed hardy working with very little maintainance and never greased, judging by the squeaks when they were working. Working on plant and driving could be classed as a clinical ailment, but there are no pills or cure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I spy the outline and lettering of a Haulamatic in one photo but also in the last photo the front of an Aveling Barford tipper. Another hard to kill machine. Although not exactly speedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero-Five-Two Posted January 1, 2020 Author Share Posted January 1, 2020 Nice pics of the Armoured Allis at work. As an ex RE POM, been there, done that. Have to say sitting inside that armoured cab with the door shut it gets a bit claustrophobic, lonely and downright scary at times. I remember one night going from the camp at Castledillon out Enniskillen way to shift road blocks during some demonstration there. Peering through the little letterbox windscreen trying to shovel up cars and other rubbish while an unknown voice shouts directions through a pye pocket radio I am trying to hold in my other hand wasn't exactly a happy time. I was well glad to get back to camp and could have done with a few more than the 2 beers we were rationed to at the bar. They did do an armoured cab for the Muir Hill A5000, but they weren't very popular. All that extra weight on one side made them quite unstable. I have got some pictures somewhere, I'll try and find them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Norton Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Zero Five Two, Here's a shot of an armoured A5000 Muirhill. Notoriously unstable but it had a greater "reach" than the Allis Chalmers which at times was a God send. Mick 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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