Back into civils at last! 1:87 style...

[Bellboy]

Helloooo...

 

[Bellboy]

I read of this KZN roads Dept programme, where they give emerging contractors from Rural areas contracts on large road building and upgrade projects. I'm thinking of getting a Cat D9T, Cat Roller, and a semi for hauling shale and sand for my projects, then maybe I can start building roads.

I seriously need a dozer for this canal, as my scraper is not getting anywhere, and in order for him to be productive, I need several of them. I need to sort out operator accomodation as well as diesel tank and what not. Well, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

I'm using the excavata and ADTs to dig up the end of the canal, with the payloader to collect material for the excavata. As soon as they are done there, I'll send them to the collapsed culvert. Scraper is cleaning out the bottom of the canal, and the grader is maintaining the haul roads.

 

[Bellboy]

Some pics from this morning

1: The machines getting ready for the day
2. Case and Kaelble at the canal end
3. Case and Liebherr
4. Cat and Tipper at the collapsed culvert
5. 160H doing what graders do best

 

[Bellboy]

Some more of the same:

1. Dump site, well used
2. Cat and tipper relocating to the top of the culvert. Stuff kept rolling down, so I was just waiting for the big one.
3. Climbing up the mountain. Dunno what Fudge is doing there...

 

[stretch]

Sorry...been away on vaction for a few! Lookin' good so far...but I think you might want the blade to do a quick pass on the culvert road.

Hope you can find a way to get a dozer...they are a must on projects like these! And I'd say get at least one more scraper in the fleet to make it somewhat productive.

As for that quarry you mentioned...are you setting up a permanent operation or a mobile crusher?

 

[Bellboy]

It is a disused quarry, so there is a lot of reclaimable shale there. Shale is what we use for building roads here, and the stuff there requires very little if no processing. Shale is like the next step for clay, so it breaks up very easily. Even if there are big chunks, you just level them out with a payloader and follow it with a padfoot roller. After that you just grade it out and follow with a smooth drum roller.I think that we will excavate around the big chunks, and blast them when we need more material.

I finally got round to installing the diesel bowser. I know it looks very permanent, but we are going to be on that site for a while to come.

 

[Bellboy]

Some pics of the diesel bowser.

We got a lot done now that we are into the week. As you can see, from yesterdays end of day, there is a marked improvement in the canal. I think that we can bend some arms to get a dozer, but I think that actually cleaning the canal will require the dozer to push the material through, so that the ex's can load there.

1. Case digging the foundation for the bowser.
2. " " " " " " "
3. Coming up the haul road.
4. Dumping at the dump site
5. Loading at the canal end

 

[Bellboy]

These are mainly all of the installation of the diesel tank. I got our mixer to deliver the concrete (no really, I built the footing out of cement and sand mixed (we call it dagha))

1. All the materials arriving on site. The concrete mixer discharging his second load.
2. Again
3. End of yesterday. We got a lot done since Saturday. Half staff, half day. Nothing happened on Sunday
4. This time the tank is in place, we used the excavata to crane it.
5. Dump site in much the same situation.

 

[stretch]

Did you swing the tank off the flatbed over the cab?

Otherwise, :drinkup

 

[Bellboy]

Yes, yes I did. Gotta probl'm widdat?

 

[Bellboy]

I think i have posted enough pics of the site for now, so I am just trying to clean up my workshop for some pictures of that. My Cat 627G came in today, as it was building a dam on one of my friends farms, and it ran onto a fencing standard and got lodged in the front left tyre. It can't do any work with this protrusion going round and round under the machine. Now I know why I went for solid tyres when I bought that beast! Anyway, I will post some pics tomorrow.

I have a dancing comp tomorrow as well, so wish me the best of luck...

 

[Bellboy]

Here are some of the workshop.

The Case is in for his check up, but the CX330 has had weak hydraulics for a few days, so i had it brought in for a look at. I didn't get a pic of the scraper though. :drinkup

 

[Bellboy]

I have a dancing comp tomorrow as well, so wish me the best of luck...

Well, that comp went kinda well, seeing as for the Ballroom section, I didn't place, but for Latin, I got first in my category. My brother, who frequently comes posting with me, got third in Ballroom, and second in Latin. A lady sitting next to my brother's partner's mother told her that we are very noticible, as we are the only white guys who can dance. That was quite a compliment, as there are only a few "white" couples at these comps, and very few of them ever even place. This compliment also came from a 'black' lady, so that is quite something.

 

[Bellboy]

I went to town today, and go my second Case 340 ADT:drinkup, so i'll get some pics of him arriving, and a Bell 225A triwheel logloader. I'll get some pics of him with my two NH tractors.

the D9T and 966G are on order and should be arriving on Friday next week. I'll take the lowboy and go fetch them on Saturday.

 

[Bellboy]

Well, while I was on a HEF sponsored vacation, I got my 966G and D9T. Here are some pics of me going to fetch them.

The lorry had a fender bender, so his bull bar is skwonk. And if you're wondering why the signage says 'ABNORMAL/E' Its our road regulations. The 'E' makes it Afrikaans.

 

[Bellboy]

Port Project

We finally landed a rather large contract. It entails the removing of nearly 400 m3 of old, decrepit concrete at the old port. most of it is 340 mm thick, so it presents no problem to the liebherr and Cat, (the cat's first job). When things start to get thicker, we pried it up with the Case.

And on that note, does anyone know how to fix a snapped dipper rod?:beatsme

pics:

1. Liebherr scooping up some material
2. Case prying up thick concrete
3. Cat stockpiling and breaking, ADT coming for a load, case.
4. Equipment used
5. Over view of site

 

[stretch]

Uhoh...which cylinder broke, the right-hand lift cylinder? I found that an easy replacement is a paper clip, just take it easy with it afterwards. Mine's back at work on a substation job, afraid I can't put up my pics for a few more days though.

Good luck with this job, looks like it's some good work for a while.

 

[Bellboy]

Okay, the cylinder that broke was the dipper cylinder. the one that pushes the dipper in and out. I bought some Q Bond glue, the stuff is almost industrial, and used a couple of drops on the rod.

It is stuck together again, but i am too scared that any movement might break it again.

I did however buy a big Liebherr 974 excavator, but my truck is now way too small. Gonna use it on the road project and clearing the port if concrete, still haven't finished, and then use it to do the excavation and mine in my quarry.

Now i need some semi's for road hauling. I think that it could be a while before the road project gets going in earnest, but this is Africa, and it does take a long time to do some thing here.

 

[stretch]

I did however buy a big Liebherr 974 excavator, but my truck is now way too small. Gonna use it on the road project and clearing the port if concrete, still haven't finished, and then use it to do the excavation and mine in my quarry.

I've looked at buying a 974, maybe for Christmas since it's a bit out of my budget in this economic stuation. I think I'll look at getting at a 954 w/ a 90' demolition boom first.

 

[Bellboy]

If you do get the 954 with demo boom, where you gonna use it?

The Liebherr has exquisite detail, well, sort of, and it is a real beaut'. It is really cool and works well with my Case dumpers. I know you got some big trucks, but I suggest you know how to move it with that.

How can I build a Lego lowboy like yours that will attach to a diecast truck?