Michigan 175

[Scurvey Knave]

Hi David,

The International was the 100B, the Engineers had quite a few of these and we also used to look after one on the local Ranges, along with Allis Chalmers 645 loader, then later a Terex 72-51 (I think that was the model). I was very familiar with the Mk5 Coles that you showed in the last post as well. What period is this? Guessing late 70's to 80's.

 

Hi Richard,

I have posted another picture of the International since both you and Bryan have shown in interest in it. To be honest, I couldn't have told you the model - it was just passing through. The drivers at Rhu were encouraged to become familiar with anything that arrived on site since we were required to put it safely on to the ship - better to cabby around and get used to the characteristics before driving it down the ramp and into the confined space of the tank deck.

We got the Coles on loan from 343 Engineering Park Livingstone in 1979 when our own Ransomes Rapier 6/12 was involved in an accident and got bent out of shape (picture 2). The third photograph was when I stopped on the A8 after picking it up - usual check for any oil leaks etc. after covering a reasonable distance on a strange machine. We had some old kit at the time but this took the biscuit. I was used to driving the 6/12, which was a joy to drive on public roads - high/low range and a torque converter lockup made it quite a capable road machine. The Coles was like driving a shed with a steering wheel though it held the road well. I had some rudimentary instruction from one of the depot staff. Like a fool, I asked where the levers were for extending the jacks - the guy just fell about laughing. When he told me that you could drive the chassis from the crane cab, I though he was pulling my leg. I never did get used to that - it was just plain weird! It had an old bakelite telephone in a box let into the crane body next to the counterweight so that you could speak to the slinger - everything about it from pulling the jib round with a piece of rope from the stowed position to setting the safe working load indicator was just crazy. I done a number of jobs in it - once taking it up to the ammunition depot at Glen Douglas - single track road with passing places and scary deep storm ditches on either side - now that really was interesting. We only had it a few weeks before the nearside tracta joint failed. I remember the fitter dismantling the hub assembly, carefully cleaning everything in a paraffin bath and painstakingly compiling a parts list for the repair. When the order went in, we were given a complete service exchange axle - all that work for nothing! Due to the palaver of pulling out the jacks and screwing down the pads onto railway sleepers, we tended to use it as a static crane whenever we could - picture 4. After about six months or so, we were issued with a new 6/12 from Ashchurch. I wasn't sorry to return the Coles to the Sappers!

Last picture is me and my WDM20 - I see that you have one. Sold it to raise the deposit for a house and regretted it ever since!

 

Regards - David

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Dave,,

Good photos, bring back memories. I worked for REME workshops from 1976 in a section that specialised in RE equipment and plant as well as other heavy vehicles. Not many liked working on that kit but I was in my element, with loading shovels, graders, scrapers, dozers, Hymacs, you name it. One interesting old beast was a Marshall Gainsborough loading shovel. That Coles you had was the last of the diesel electric type and the truck engine was a 760 AEC, quite powerful, in comparison to the previous AEC Coles which was based on the Mk1 Militant. Now they were slow, think they were around 25 tons. We always functional tested the machines before passing them out and had a bit of ground to dig around on to put them through their paces. Sadly photos were not permitted in those days, so it is down to memory, that is why I enjoy seeing your photos.

Nice M20 by the way :thumbsup:

 

regards, Richard

[wally dugan]

DAVID

It is a small world just been going through the records of the MUSEUM OF ARMY TRANSPORT because we had a BRAY

for a number of years the records show BRAY 455M came from the RA range BENBECULA 03 EU 43 we also had COLES

CRANE 01 FU 89. I have attach a photograph of the museums MICHIGAN 175 01 EU 60 this came from 52 port sqd loading the museums BISON going to the TANK MUSEUM were it still is on display

 

REGARDS WALLY

[Scurvey Knave]

DAVID

It is a small world just been going through the records of the MUSEUM OF ARMY TRANSPORT because we had a BRAY

for a number of years the records show BRAY 455M came from the RA range BENBECULA 03 EU 43 we also had COLES

CRANE 01 FU 89. I have attach a photograph of the museums MICHIGAN 175 01 EU 60 this came from 52 port sqd loading the museums BISON going to the TANK MUSEUM were it still is on display

 

REGARDS WALLY

 

Wally,

Our Bray was 03 EU 75 - I am almost sure that it was cast on age rather than anything being fundamentally wrong with it so it might still be around somewhere. I may have driven your Bray at one time. I recall a Bray being delivered to Rhu by low loader for the Hebrides. I gave the driver a hand to get the chains and chocks off and to prepare the low loader for unloading. I told him that I regularly drove a Bray and offered to drive it off and park it up. Starting a Bray was fairly easy - climb onto the rear wheel, turn the battery master switch, reach into the engine and press the cold start fuel enrichment plunger on the fuel pump, into the cab, switch on the ignition and press the brass/rubber waterproof starter button. Climbed into the cab WTF! - didn't recognise a damned thing. On our Bray I was used to a straight array of switches, lamps and gauges on the right of the steering wheel. This one was laid out totally differently. Searched around frantically for the ignition switch with my face getting redder and redder. Eventually the low loader driver had to lean into the cab and switch it on for me - what an embarrassment! I could only figure that the manufacturer bought in panels ready-made from different suppliers depending on cost and availability.

 

Regards - David

[robin craig]

Scurvey Knave you should post picture of everything you have and not just because you think someone will like them. I for a fact LOVE them and others who will follow behind will find this invaluable, please don't hold back, honest, they are smashing. It is the ordinary and everyday that no one takes pictures of that becomes obscure because of a lack of reference material.

[Ashcollection]

Scurvey Knave you should post picture of everything you have and not just because you think someone will like them. I for a fact LOVE them and others who will follow behind will find this invaluable, please don't hold back, honest, they are smashing. It is the ordinary and everyday that no one takes pictures of that becomes obscure because of a lack of reference material.

I totally agree, any pictures of plant doing anything are interesting, there is a lack of them on the web. point in case is that Clarke Ranger fork truck of mine I mentioned in an earlier post. its only mentioned about 3 time with 2 pictures on the whole of the world wide web!

[Scurvey Knave]

One of the last pictures that I took of 01 EU 81 - exhaust was blowing and the fitter was doing a repair. The old girl finally bit the dust when a steering ram hose failed. Since MOD had none in stock we had to put in a purchase request, which lead to the vehicle being cast - it was so old by that time, literally no money was being allowed to be spent on it. Whoever bought that Michigan got a real bargain - it was a good un.

The Michigan was replaced by a Fiat Allis - a sort of evolution of the old Allis Chalmers. it was brand new when we got it - articulated in the middle, so no good for fast road runs. I never really took to the Fiat Allis and this was the only picture that I took of her.

 

Regards - David

[Ashcollection]

You can never have too many loaders, the Eager Beaver and Clarke Ranger, couldn't make it to the photo shoot due to being trapped behind an dead Martian

[Tarland]

Remembered this thread when I came across the following;

 

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/army-innovations

 

British Pathe news film of the former Christchurch Military Engineering Experimental Establishment (MEXE)...home of the Bailey Bridge, Mexeflote and FV180 CET.....

 

A couple of the forklifts mentioned in the thread get a look in as does a trenching machine.

 

This a great Thread - fantastic to see the everyday equipment in Deep Bronze Green

[Scurvey Knave]

That's a great clip Tarland. I have found another showing Royal Engineers putting together a floating bridge using a Michigan.

 

Link is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1292CRYUV2o

 

The fascinating thing for me is at around 29 secs into the clip. The team are launching bridge pontoons from trailers. They have half-heartedly banged in a ground anchor to hold the pontoon on to a rope, but the rapidly moving pontoon easily pulls out the ground anchor (subsequent launches are done with the retaining rope wrapped round a tree trunk). It's like a "Dads Army" moment. So - the question is - do the brave lads of the Wilmington-on Sea platoon gamely hold on to the rope whilst they are dragged into the river or do they let go and watch the pontoon float downstream whilst Captain Mainwairing slowly shakes his said and says "stupid boys!"

 

Regards - David

Edited June 20, 2017 by Scurvey Knave

[Scurvey Knave]

For some reason, the above link does not seem to work - the youtube clip has the title "Bridge Building AKA Army Bridge Building (1963).

 

Regards - David

[Tamber]

 

Found it. That certainly could've ended with an unintended bath.

[john1950]

Persistence pay off

[Tarland]

 

Found it. That certainly could've ended with an unintended bath.

 

No manual handing or task risk assessment done for that job........!!! Probably not a lot of volunteers for the next job either.....

[Tarland]

You can never have too many loaders, the Eager Beaver and Clarke Ranger, couldn't make it to the photo shoot due to being trapped behind an dead Martian

 

http://british-army-in-hameln.com/the-beast-of-408-bridge-troop-re/

 

Link to photos of the Hybrid Smith Crane/Michagan 285 in BAOR service.....

[Scurvey Knave]

No manual handing or task risk assessment done for that job........!!! Probably not a lot of volunteers for the next job either.....

 

Some years ago I worked with a retired Royal Engineer Major. He done some time at Halton Camp on the River Lune near Lancaster where they used to train soldiers to build bridges. He reckoned that you could always tell a bridge builder sapper by the missing fingers. Seems that no matter how often they were told not to, they would stick their finger in the holes when mating two parts up to see if they were flush and the pin would slide in. Any movement in the structure and the finger was guillotined off!

 

Regards - David

[Ashcollection]

Some years ago I worked with a retired Royal Engineer Major. He done some time at Halton Camp on the River Lune near Lancaster where they used to train soldiers to build bridges. He reckoned that you could always tell a bridge builder sapper by the missing fingers. Seems that no matter how often they were told not to, they would stick their finger in the holes when mating two parts up to see if they were flush and the pin would slide in. Any movement in the structure and the finger was guillotined off!

 

Regards - David

When I was a trainee engineer my first machine shop lecturer told us "never put your finger anywhere you wouldn't put your dick" that sound advise has saved me many times. I always pass that though on when ever I spot anyone poking a finger in some dodgy hole!

[Richard Farrant]

When I was a trainee engineer my first machine shop lecturer told us "never put your finger anywhere you wouldn't put your dick" that sound advise has saved me many times. I always pass that though on when ever I spot anyone poking a finger in some dodgy hole!

 

I was going to quote that saying yesterday, but thought someone might take offence

I have seen fitters fitting truck road springs and venturing to put there fingers in the spring hanger to check alignment, madness. Used to tell them off if I spotted them.

[David B.]

I loved the film of the bridge building on the Thames - very atmospheric and as those who worked on the river used to say -"plenty of water about".

Right at the very end there was even a QL crossing.

[chrisgrove]

Some years ago I worked with a retired Royal Engineer Major. He done some time at Halton Camp on the River Lune near Lancaster where they used to train soldiers to build bridges. He reckoned that you could always tell a bridge builder sapper by the missing fingers. Seems that no matter how often they were told not to, they would stick their finger in the holes when mating two parts up to see if they were flush and the pin would slide in. Any movement in the structure and the finger was guillotined off!

 

Regards - David

 

Not so. They would get confused with gunners who didn't get their fingers out of the way in time when loading heavy artillery!

 

Chris (ex infantry)

[Ex-boy]

Not so. They would get confused with gunners who didn't get their fingers out of the way in time when loading heavy artillery!

 

Chris (ex infantry)

 

I'm ex-REME and knew one Craftsman who lost a finger whilst aligning a Stolly wheel station on an overhead crane in a workshop (4 Fd Wksp in Detmold, since you ask). Also a Cpl who jumped off the back of a Bedford RL and left his ring finger on the tailgate catch. I think one of the worst was a Tpr with RH in Tidworth who bridged the battery terminals with a spanner and his wedding ring and virtually burned through his finger. Very unpleasant.

 

There are a lot of ways to lose fingers with military (or Ex-mil) vehicles, so please everyone be careful.

 

Steve.

[Zuffen]

I've also bridged the battery terminal with my Wedding Ring.

 

The skin on your finger slides off with the ring.

 

Wife wasn't happy and my finger even less so.

 

Still wear the ring, but with a chunk melted out of it.

[Ashcollection]

We have two of everything for a reason. one to use and one for spare. Its the bits we only have one of you have to really look out for!!! but personally I like to keep pairs of things as much as possible! haha

[Ashcollection]

Steering Column repaired and re-built, it had lost it's dual steer gears, and the inside looked like it had been under the sea. the lower worm and leaver box had frost damage due to water getting in through the "hole" at the top of the column where the seal and bearings should have been! Now all up and running again. I should have taken more pictures. Fuel system next so we don't have to hang a can on the side with farmers weld then the brakes.

[Ashcollection]

On ‎23‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 2:49 PM, Scurvey Knave said:

 

Wally,

Our Bray was 03 EU 75 - I am almost sure that it was cast on age rather than anything being fundamentally wrong with it so it might still be around somewhere. I may have driven your Bray at one time. I recall a Bray being delivered to Rhu by low loader for the Hebrides. I gave the driver a hand to get the chains and chocks off and to prepare the low loader for unloading. I told him that I regularly drove a Bray and offered to drive it off and park it up. Starting a Bray was fairly easy - climb onto the rear wheel, turn the battery master switch, reach into the engine and press the cold start fuel enrichment plunger on the fuel pump, into the cab, switch on the ignition and press the brass/rubber waterproof starter button. Climbed into the cab WTF! - didn't recognise a damned thing. On our Bray I was used to a straight array of switches, lamps and gauges on the right of the steering wheel. This one was laid out totally differently. Searched around frantically for the ignition switch with my face getting redder and redder. Eventually the low loader driver had to lean into the cab and switch it on for me - what an embarrassment! I could only figure that the manufacturer bought in panels ready-made from different suppliers depending on cost and availability.

 

Regards - David

saw a picture of one of these brays in a facebook page "hedgerow tractors" not for sale unfortunately .