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Wabco scrapers at work

RZucker

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Great video. It's an odd coincidence that 4 hours before you posted, I was driving by an old customer's yard and saw his 333FT sitting in the corner waiting for "THE JOB". He's discovered 627 Cats cost much less to run. He actually has two 333FT's, but one is down with major front engine issues and may have been cannibalized a bit to keep the other running. Oh, this Gent also has a Euclid TC-12 dozer in semi-operable condition, but she's more for yard art now.
Marlow, if you happen to stop in... It's number 12, and 14. Long history there. :D
 

stangoodman

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both 333fts working together
Fantastic to see 2 x 333ft scrapers working together. They are hard to beat and are still efficient too run even tho 45 years have gone by since they were made.
Our 252ft is doing load for load with our brand new 37 for the same fuel!
Isn't it a pity Wabco stopped making them. I imagine they would have developed full axel suspension, auto load and dump and be well on the way to automate the scraper or following scrapers.
 

Tones

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Geez Stan, that is a sad indictment of 45 years of Caterpillar manufacturing.
 

Tones

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Now that Komatsu owns Le Tourneau maybe they could start building scrapers again
 

Gord229

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Well said Tones now that Komatsu own the patents to the best loading (Wabco) bowls ever made. Hopefully they wouldn't make the same mistakes they made with the WS-16 & 23's with the ghastly air of hydraulic control system and the problematic suspension axle system.
 

Tones

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Yeah Gord, they have a wonderful base to start from. All komatsu has to do is to talk to the owner of the machines that are still running, find out what the bugs are and start building. My one requirement is to leave the sheet metal the same. :) cos it looks proper
 

Gord229

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Couldn't agree more with the above comments. Styling would definitely need to remain classic Wabco and the challenge for Detroit Diesel would be to make Tier 4 compliant 2 strokes. It would be good to put some competition for Caterpillar back into the market.
 

Showpony

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I think Letourneau was on the right track with his electric wheel, multi bowl, modular design machines. Imagine L60 and L90s with modern engines, cab and hydraulics. They would make new push pull set ups look ridiculous. Big elevators like the 333ft need special people. Open bowls are much better suited to big dummed down fleets. Things are overdue for competition for Cat in the scraper field, with tractors and ADT drawn scoops in the market proves Cat is not meeting it. I thought the Terex TRS15 was a good effort at addressing some of the problems with traditional scrapers.
 

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RZucker

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I think Letourneau was on the right track with his electric wheel, multi bowl, modular design machines. Imagine L60 and L90s with modern engines, cab and hydraulics. They would make new push pull set ups look ridiculous. Big elevators like the 333ft need special people. Open bowls are much better suited to big dummed down fleets. Things are overdue for competition for Cat in the scraper field, with tractors and ADT drawn scoops in the market proves Cat is not meeting it. I thought the Terex TRS15 was a good effort at addressing some of the problems with traditional scrapers.

This post opens so many possibilities... I for one after spending many hours on scrapers, completely despise anything Cat built. I would rather be on an old TS-24 with the V-12 up front than a newer 637. The green beast will self load to 75-80 percent without being humped by 2 dozers.
Having run 333FT Wabcos I agree you cant just put the kid next door on them. Damn productive machines with the right guy though.
Now... on to the LeT stuff. I think the L-60-90 machines would be great machines with updated soft start electrical technology and new style vacuum break contactors.
The lack of Hydraulics could be a big plus in certain areas around water etc.
 

Gord229

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Hey Stan
Finally coming to New Zealand - flying over on 30 April and leaving on 14 May 2018. Flying to/from Wellington so was wondering if there might be a chance to catch up with you and see your Wabcos. Will be with my wife and a couple of friends and are planning to do a self-drive exploration of he North Island during our time. Would be great to catch up.
Cheers
Gordon
 

DMiller

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What I see here anymore instead of scrapers are massive high yardage excavators to lines of dump wagons. Most of the trucks are Volvo while the excavators are Cat or Komatsu. Move a lot of dirt in short order and do not leave much dress out work behind when done with the dig outs. Fella on a site told me were using 1/3 less fuel and moving 1/2 again more dirt per day this method over scrapers with elevations changes more rapid.
 

mmourer

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img_1519702705317873900.jpg


One of our former machines going up for auction in George, Washington on May 18, 2018.
https://www.yarbro.com/project/details/27497/

Marlow
 

RZucker

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img_1519702705317873900.jpg


One of our former machines going up for auction in George, Washington on May 18, 2018.
https://www.yarbro.com/project/details/27497/

Marlow

Yep, that is old number 14. I will do some checking to see what is happening with #12. It needs a front engine overhaul IIRC, I did quite a bit of work on and operating both machines for John over the years and it was sad to hear of his passing. He had quite the collection of odd ducks too, including a TC-12 Euclid crawler... Unique machine there.
 

DMiller

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Is an old apparently derelict US GI Wabco not far from me. Front power only, blade on front, front hood is off leading to a thought of a bad power plant. No elevator just a smallish pan yet all tires are up.
 

RZucker

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Is an old apparently derelict US GI Wabco not far from me. Front power only, blade on front, front hood is off leading to a thought of a bad power plant. No elevator just a smallish pan yet all tires are up.
If that is the machine I'm thinking of, it was actually a Letourneau built machine with a 4 cylinder Continental gas engine. kind of a Jeep with a scraper bowl. I cant find the book I have that covers it at the moment. (remodeling part of the house).
 

DMiller

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Will get a photo of this little beast. Blade I estimate is 10' wide, is not a 'Small' machine.
 

RZucker

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Will get a photo of this little beast. Blade I estimate is 10' wide, is not a 'Small' machine.
Interested to see the pics, The only "Wabco" military scrapers of that size I have worked on were the Vietnam era 6 wheel machines pulled by the Michigan 290M tractor. That was a cummins powered articulated rubber tire dozer. The 18 yard scraper they pulled had a LeT-Westinghouse tag. (Wabco)
They were pretty strong as a scraper as long as the frame over the rear drive axle was reinforced. Used to be several around here owned by farmers.
 
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