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Austins help in great national enterprise
Page 76
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Roughly one-seventh of Ireland is
bogland. Black barren wastes, 90% water, that would drown the man who walked on them. For generations the fringes alone have been nibbled for fuel. But today a great new enterprise is beating the bogs and harvesting wealth from the wasteland.
Ireland's biggest enterprise
Bord na Mona (the Peat Board), established in 1946, is now Ireland's biggest national industry. Its achievements in 14 years: 100,000 reclaimed acres, producing over 4 million tons of fuel a year. Employment for over 7,000 people; 2 huge hostels, 8 model villages for workers. 400 miles of railway criss-crossing the bogs. A research station, museum and factories for fuel processing and pipe making.
Bogs take 6 long years to drain and develop before production starts. Over the black expanses enormous machines lumber, stark against the sky, trenching, cutting, stripping, turning, stacking and loading the soil. The peat is used in homes and factories or fed directly to the 6 power stations sited on the bogs. Another product, peat moss, is exported to world wide markets.
On the road
Then there are peat briquettes. For these Bord na Mona started 2 new factories in 1958, importing 60,000 tons of material. Austin 5 tanners, one with Scamnaell trailer, shift 50-150 tons at a time from Dublin docks, averaging 40,000 miles a year. The Austin Scammell also tows giant machines, many 27 ft. long and 171 tons in weight. Austin 5 and 7 tanners transport pipes, labour and peat moss. 3 and 5 ton tippers work on housing sites. 30 Austin vans are used for personnel and servicing and one 4-year-old 10 cwt. is a hard-working refuse collector.
The Board have run Austins for 7 years. Soon 6 new ones will swell the fleet of 67. Shaun Banks, Transport Manager, says: "Austins are doing an excellent job for us. They're very economical, with little mechanical trouble. In 11 years I haven't had a let down. If I was asked to recommend a truck, I'd say—get an Austin."