RE Plant in the Falklands 1982

[Tarland]

Hi,

Does anyone know what the dump truck is in the centre of the photo below?

 

From the 59 Independent Commado squadron RE Facebook page. The former OC Rod MacDonald has posted a large photo album showing 150+ photos covering the voyage south, San Carlos water and Stanley post the surrender.

This looks to be the Stanley Airfield in the reapir phase. Forklift looks to be an Allis Chalmers

[john1950]

I think the dumper may be a Thwaites.

[10FM68]

16 minutes ago, john1950 said:

I think the dumper may be a Thwaites.

I think so, too - a Thwaites Alldrive 5 tonner.  Certainly RE used a lot of Thwaites kit, as I recall.

[radiomike7]

18 minutes ago, 10FM68 said:

I think so, too - a Thwaites Alldrive 5 tonner.  Certainly RE used a lot of Thwaites kit, as I recall.

Agree, this claims to be a Thwaites Alldrive 5 ton.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/28083135@N06/11693793733

 

[Tarland]

Thanks - a cabbed dumper - I thought these were a relatively recent idea..........

From the Thwaites website

[ploughman]

Recall seeing the dumpers at the Ponderosa in 1979.

Didn't most of them go down on the Atlantic Conveyor?

[Hair Bear]

It appears there is/was one in the yard at Rush Green.

[Tarland]

Romford?

There was one on Ebay recently but had been converted into a logging/recovery vehicle with a lift beam and a Hiab......

 

[Hair Bear]

Sorry, Rush Green Motors, Hitchin.

[10FM68]

On the subject of unidentified kit on the Falklands, what is the tracked vehicle on the right in this photograph?  Clearly, it is in use by the EOD Squadron (and I think the photo originated on the Sapper website under an EOD squadron thread), but it isn't the same as the one on the left (a BV206, I think) and I haven't seen another photo of it anywhere else.

[fv1609]

Earlier I incorrectly posted up a picture of 28 KB 35, I should have posted the picture of 28 KB 36 which has the double cab rather than the single cab of the other one.

28 KB 36 is not listed on MERLIN but 28 KB 27 - 28 KB 31 are listed. Note that I think "ARMOURED CAR" should read as "ARMOURED CAB".

FVE23B1168

EXCAVATOR CRAWLER MTD MED ARMOURED CAR SWAMP TRACKS HYMAC 59OCT (MODIFIED)

Note how these civilian style ERM plates are made up of detachable black characters & the "8" has a snapped it's top lug allowing it to swing down on the remaining lower lug, the same thing happened to the "8" on 28 KB 35.

These vehicles went into service in December 1982 & most struck off in early '90s.

Note the hand signal being given by the driver!

I see that 28 KB 30 was modified for remote control.

[David Herbert]

A Hymac 590C is a crawler mounted 360 degree excavator and thus a totally different machine to 28KB36. I believe the 'T' suffix denotes extra wide tracks but I don't have documentation to prove that. There are lots of photos of HM 590C on google. I think that the "(Modified)" relates to the armoured 'Cab'. I have seen these in service with armoured cabs.

I have no idea what 28KB36 is but it seems to be a low ground pressure tracked carrier or dumper. Probably a standard commercial plant design.

David

[10FM68]

Thank you both.  I had looked at Merlin and, no, it isn't there.  but it is in among a collection of less common bits of kit - Hymacs, certainly, but also Ford Transit EOD vans and, of course, BV206s a bit further on - where 28 KB 80 fits in.  I think it is certainly likely that it was a COTS buy (commercial off the shelf) specifically for ue in the Falklands for EOD use - the headlights are commercial as are, of course, the number plates (wonky - just like the '0' on the front door of No10!)  But, what it is I'm not sure.  From your picture, Clive, it seems that there is an open back behind a simple, 2-man cab - which isn't armoured and there is something mounted there - could it be a chair?  If it is a chair then, perhaps, there is a small excavator or crane mounted on the back?  (But, no, I'm not saying its a Hymac - I know those!)  I'm sure someone will come up with the answer in due course.  And, talking of Merlin, it is a fascinating resource - the sheer volume of non-standard vehicles held on charge by various units is amazing - far greater than I had imagined.  What it also illustrates, though, is the enormous amount of kit the Army held in those days - and the short lives some of it had.  

[Sean N]

Might be some variant of a Nodwell Flextrac? MoD had them, and I think the Antarctic Survey still have. Cab doesn't look quite right but it's the closest thing I can think of.

Edited November 5 by Sean N

[10FM68]

1 hour ago, Sean N said:

Might be some variant of a Nodwell Flextrac? MoD had them, and I think the Antarctic Survey still have. Cab doesn't look quite right but it's the closest thing I can think of.

Thank you Sean.  I just had a look at one on U Tube and, yes, you may be right.  I'd never heard of them before, but, if, as you say, the BAS use them it is more than possible they came to the attention of those in the Falklands at that time and were acquired on UORs.

[Tarland]

https://www.1ststrike.com/auction/189/item/track-vehichle-cf60-nodwell-ford-industrial-317-t16-rear-end-hrs580-14761/

A Flextrac on an Auction site from 2014

Edited November 6 by Tarland

[Tarland]

4 minutes ago, Tarland said:

https://www.1ststrike.com/auction/189/item/track-vehichle-cf60-nodwell-ford-industrial-317-t16-rear-end-hrs580-14761/

A Flextrac on an Auction site from 2014

Theres also a couple of earlier versions on Milweb just now...........

Edited November 6 by Tarland

[Sean N]

1 hour ago, Tarland said:

https://www.1ststrike.com/auction/189/item/track-vehichle-cf60-nodwell-ford-industrial-317-t16-rear-end-hrs580-14761/

A Flextrac on an Auction site from 2014

I notice there's what appears to be a Tucker Sno-Cat behind it as well ...

[10FM68]

2 hours ago, Tarland said:

https://www.1ststrike.com/auction/189/item/track-vehichle-cf60-nodwell-ford-industrial-317-t16-rear-end-hrs580-14761/

A Flextrac on an Auction site from 2014

As they say, 'that's the badger', (though I don't know why they do!)  Many thanks, indeed for the identification - and for the excellent photos.

[Adrian Dwyer]

On 11/4/2024 at 1:08 PM, fv1609 said:

Earlier I incorrectly posted up a picture of 28 KB 35, I should have posted the picture of 28 KB 36 which has the double cab rather than the single cab of the other one.

28 KB 36 is not listed on MERLIN but 28 KB 27 - 28 KB 31 are listed. Note that I think "ARMOURED CAR" should read as "ARMOURED CAB".

FVE23B1168

EXCAVATOR CRAWLER MTD MED ARMOURED CAR SWAMP TRACKS HYMAC 59OCT (MODIFIED)

Note how these civilian style ERM plates are made up of detachable black characters & the "8" has a snapped it's top lug allowing it to swing down on the remaining lower lug, the same thing happened to the "8" on 28 KB 35.

These vehicles went into service in December 1982 & most struck off in early '90s.

Note the hand signal being given by the driver!

I see that 28 KB 30 was modified for remote control.

Well spotted.  The driver is signalling it is 2-minutes to Smoko.  A similar signal will be given if the Det Commander leaves it another minute . . .

[Adrian Dwyer]

I shared the image with the RE BD History group https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebdeodhistory/ .  Distant memories have suggested it was known as a Bombie (short for Bombadier?) and they were 'right pigs to drive'.  They may have arrived down south in late '82 but only seem to have become operational in '83.  The driver has also been identified and will be given a hand-signal refresher. 

All the best.

A

Edited November 8 by Adrian Dwyer
e

[Sean N]

Adrian, you probably know this but Bombardier are a big Canadian company who make over snow vehicles, piste bashers, trains, aircraft, etc. etc.

I don't think it's a Bombi though, as they're a tiny little thing, but they could have been using Bombi short for Bombardier as they made similar vehicles including the Muskeg, which is similar to the Nodwell.

Edit - and after a quick image search, I think we have a winner:

 

 

Cab still isn't quite the same, but it's close enough that I think we can say it's a Muskeg variant, or at least a Bombardier not a Nodwell

Edited November 8 by Sean N

[Adrian Dwyer]

16 minutes ago, Sean N said:

Adrian, you probably know this but Bombardier are a big Canadian company who make over snow vehicles, piste bashers, trains, aircraft, etc. etc.

I don't think it's a Bombi though, as they're a tiny little thing, but they could have been using Bombi short for Bombardier as they made similar vehicles including the Muskeg, which is similar to the Nodwell.

Edit - and after a quick image search, I think we have a winner:

 

 

Cab still isn't quite the same, but it's close enough that I think we can say it's a Muskeg variant, or at least a Bombardier not a Nodwell

Thanks Sean.  You are too generous: I know nothing about this vehicle other than it had very attractive red-pained wings!

[10FM68]

Well, it was close to the Nodwell, certainly, but, yes, Bombardier Muskeg looks to be on the money.  It won't be the first British Army Bombardier either - this from WWII:

[10FM68]

This caught my eye too - not for the cab, but for the back actor - looking through the cab of the Falklands one there is possibly a seat visible which may be for such?  Just guessing.