Transporting a 31-ton Excavator 400 Miles
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T-N R ING the progress of the Loch L./Eck road scheme it was found that the services of an excavator were requinxl, and with the least possible delay. The order for the Machine was executed by Ruston-I3ucyrus, Ltd., Lincoln, in a-few hours, as a certain stock of machines must be held against such urgent demands. In the meantime, the transport problem was discussed and the only course wasito send the 32/oton machine by road for the whole of the 400 miles.
The transport job was put into the hands of John Young and Co., 120, Kelvinhaugh Street, Glasgow, C.3, which sent off to Lincoln a special
Scammell machinery carrier. This has a semi-trailer of the user' S own design, which can be raised at its leading end to increase the ground clearance obtaining between the driving and trailing wheels. The last-named also can be steered, if necessary, to facilitate manceuvring, One Tuesday morning the vehicle left Lincoln with its load and reached Glasgow on the Thursday morning. The journey began again 24 hours later, and the excavator was delivered to the site of its labours on the evening of the same day, whereupon it removed 300 cubic yards of loose rock in its first eight hours' work, using six gallons of oil fuel in the process.
During the 400-mile trip there was much fog and the machine had to negotiate the 1,706 yards of Rest and Be Thankful, on the road from Arrochar to Inveraray. The steepest gradient is 1 in 7.1 and extends for 40 yards ; there is an awkward bend near the top. The overall length of the laden outfit was 37 ft. 6 ins, and the overall width 10 ft. 6 ins.
Had this carrier not been available, the work on the road scheme would have received a check and the excavator would have had, in all probability, to propel itself for a considerable distance at a low speed.