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HIGH, WIDE AND AWKWARD !

15th November 1963
Page 86
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Page 86, 15th November 1963 — HIGH, WIDE AND AWKWARD !
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Keywords : Scammell, Load, Crane, Trailer

IT was by no means the heaviest load ever carried by Stutter Bros. Ltd., and I neither was it the longest the company have had to deal with. The difficulty with this load was its height-21 ft. 6 in., which, combined with its width, 18 ft. 9 in., made it, to use the words of John Robinson, one of the Northallerton firm's longest serving drivers, "the awkvvardest load we've had ".

What exactly was this giant? The B.B.C. announcer described it as a " flame thrower" when particulars of the route were given over the radio on Saturday night and Sunday morning, and motorists were warned that "this could cause congestion ". In fact it was a cooler and flame trap for testing jet engines, manufactured by Head Wrightson (Teesdale) Ltd., and destined for the National Gas Turbine Establishment at Pyestock, near Farnborough, Hants. It actually weighed 85 tons, but the gross weight, including the Crane six-axle, 24-wheeled trailer on which it was carried, was nearer 140 tons. The length was 130 ft, Sunters received the first inquiry for the job as long ago as November 8 last year. Together with the small handful of heavy haulage specialists who have the equipment necessary for such a mammoth job, they made some rapid costing, based on route investigations, etc., and quoted. Eventually they were offered the job.

It was then that the paper work started, and it will be realized that &inters go a good deal further than they are required to under the special types order when I say that at least two months before the date of the movement, letters were sent out not only to all the road, bridge and local authorities concerned, but the dimensions were sent to the various Post Office telephone area offices, electricity generating boards and local reditfusil companies under whose power lines ai wires the load had to pass. Police noti cations atone totalled 150.

Because of its height Sunters &cid, that the most expedient method of gi ting the load to. its destination was to ha it from Thornaby to Middlesbrou docks, ship it to Southampton, pick it again at the docks there and haul through to Pyestock via Winchester. was on the second road stage, witt Hampshire, that any trouble could

peel ed and altogether Mr. P. ater, the 21-year-old son of the naging director of the company, and lireeror in his own right, inspected the !ice-recommended route on two occans--in March and again six weeks Tore the date of the movement—to ke Sure all was well.

Eventually the date was set, the vehicles acted and the sea passage arranged. t at the very last moment it was disiered that. because of two manholes itruding from beneath the load, it luld be impossible for it to be carried the bogies earmarked. At this late ge, therefore, it was decided to use Crane trailer and this, as well as the d. was shipped from Middlesbrough to ttha pton aboard the "Levers Fisher

Pushed and Pulled Flauled by a Rotinoff Atlantic G.R.7 ctor, powered by a Rolls-Royce engine,

pushed by a Scammell Super Conictor tractor, the load left Head ightson's at 6.30 a.m. on Tuesday, tober 29, arriving at Middlesbrough :ks three hours later without incident. was off-loaded at Southampton the lowing Saturday (November 2) and the ctors. which had meanwhile travelled tun Al. picked up the load on Sunday

kt precisely 11 am.—the scheduled rtirig time—the massive load began ling. accompanied by a police motor:le escort of three, two police cars, vans belonging to Rediffusion, the ;t Office engineers department and the Vricity Board. Timing was all impor.t because a railway crossing had to be gotiated and, on the first day, the load 3 to pass beneath a power cable at tley carrying 132.000 V at 1.30 p.m.— time decided an by the Electricity aid when the current could be reduced it was thought necessary.

Rings went smoothly enough within athampton itself. Police halted oncomtraffic well ahead of the load and ;t Office crews, working in relays, took

down some hundreds of telephone wires, connecting them up again after the load had passed. Rediffu, sion crews did the same —.viewers having been warned in advance that their service would be interrupted for a time.

It was after Botley that the snags came in two formsoverhanging trees that had to be sawn off by men travelling on top of the load and, even more troublesome, the sightseers. The B.B.C. announcements and local newspaper warnings to avoid the route, in fact attracted hundreds of spectaiors. Indeed, at Twyford—a village through which the vehicles passed with only inches to spare on either side— it was more like a carnival day, so dense were the crowds.

Because of the overhanging trees progress was slowed down considerably, causing congestion behind. At one stage there was a queue well over a mile long, but severat halts allowed vehicles to pass.

As darkness fell, the load had not reached its night stop--a layby on the Winchester by-pass. Just after Twyford the Rotinoff had to be taken out of service because of a fractured air compressor pipe. and the Scammell was brought forward to haul the load along, Peter Sunter pointing out to me that this was the reason for sending two of Sunters' largest tractors on the job, "just in Case".

At 6.30 p.m. the vehicles were halted for the night on the Winchester by-pass, having taken n hours to complete about 15 miles. The Rotinoff, now repaired by its driver, Jock Fraser, caught up here and continued the haul next day.

On the Monday, the load continued on its way. After negotiating another heavily loaded power cable (everyone was ordered off the vehicles except the drivers, in case of electrocution) a reason-able pace was kept up all day. The police halted the convoy for an hour and a half to allow evening rush-hour traffic to pass, and the last lap to the site was finished ;once more in darkness.

Unloading the next day (Tuesday) was completed successfully, the whole operation having taken exactly a week.

Apart from the overhead tree boughs that hampered progress, the movement was undertaken with the least amount of inconvenience to the general public—a tribute to Sunter Brothers, its drivers and crews and its young operational commander, whose ability was remarked on favourably by all who came into contact with him.


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