Historic NZ Earthmoving Projects

[malcolm]

HI
Not sure about the red ones at Matahina must have been in to much of a hurry to earn a buck
than do sign writing the others are mainly Roadmakers you are right Merv Baldy and wife

 

[X Quad Operator]

great pictures Malcolm, I haven't seen a picture of a D pull in years, we use to use them a lot back in the early 1960 on small road jobs as a matter affact on all jobs. The electric stering and the famous GMC four silender Diesel engine is what I remember the most, we would use them to pickup windrows for the fine grade, this is of course before John Deere came out with the famous padle wheel scraper. Was the John Deere the 460 padel wheel? I still see them around every once in a while here in washington state. one more question Malcolm in the 1960 did Caterpillar have the operators sitting on the right side of the scrapers in your area or did the come like they did in the USA? Thanks Malcolm. Mike Nebergall

 

[RDG]

They were allways left hand drive as in ths USA from all the ones Ive seen.

 

[malcolm]

Sorry Ray
Got side tracked off your thread , Here is the Mangere Airport pics i have
cheers Malcolm

 

[malcolm]

More

 

[Showpony]

Higgins Earthmoving lineup Twizel 1980

 

[Diggerdozer]

I met a fellow many years ago by the name of Graeme Craw? North Island who had a huge Packard car collection plus many other things. Apparently He used vickers crawlers and was very heavily involved in major earthworks projects . He had been interested in agetting a vickers again, although He has passed away some years ago would be interesting to see some photos

 

[D6 Merv]

yes graeme is deceased, but his son Fenton still runs the collection. Sheds full of vintage earthmoving machinery, including a vickers vr180 and a immaculate allis chalmers HD19, and alot of others. Huge collection of packard cars too.

 

[willd8r]

I worked with some of that Higgins fleet,it would have to be some of the most immaculate gear around at the time,also there fleet of XY/XA Falcons.Are they still around.Cheers

 

[Diggerdozer]

yes graeme is deceased, but his son Fenton still runs the collection. Sheds full of vintage earthmoving machinery, including a vickers vr180 and a immaculate allis chalmers HD19, and alot of others. Huge collection of packard cars too.

HI D6 Merv

oh terrific, I got lost in the old factory for hours whilst Graeme told stories of his toys , good to see He found a VR 180 , fascinating fellow, a simply amazing collection of gear

 

[RDG]

Hi Merv, where is this collection at? might have to have a look next time i am back over there, was over there for the rugby world cup back in sept and if I had known about that I would have gone for a look. Cheers RDG.

 

[D6 Merv]

Hi RDG.
Its in the old maungatapere diary factory on the road from whangarei to dargaville. About 10 minutes from whangarei end.
i only got to see it thru a mate of a mate, and managed to invite myself. Fenton is a real nice guy to talk to and you can certainly get engrossed and lost in the place.. is easy to spend over half a day there.
Don,t know if you,d like it tho. LOTS of Allis Chalmers, and Caterpillars there; but none of cyrus Hs stuff, ! ! !
Cheers Merv

 

[malcolm]

Some Photos of Craws

 

[RDG]

A good collection there, at least they are all under cover, the VR 180 looks quite tidy, even a couple of vickers onions scoops. Thanks for the info Merv if I get time next time Im over I will try and get up that way. Got plenty of time on my hands at the moment, had 6 stubbies on sun arvo then thought I better clean the pool, ended up having a slip/trip/ falll or what ever and now got plaster from the knee down 2 crutches to get around on and about 4 wks off work, what a day probably should have done things in reverse order might have had a different out come. Cheers RDG.

 

[RayC]

Benmore..Contd

Heres a few more article photos to enjoy..

 

[malcolm]

Thanks Ray for the pics
These are the 1st pics I have seen of a TD24 with a single exhaust pipe , It must have been the last of them
they are all late model ones with the air cleaner on the left hand side but the last pic shows 2 machines
pushing a 2t75 the 1st with twin stacks and the second only one as in your 1st pic , cheers Malcolm

 

[RayC]

Benmore

Hi Malcolm..Heres another photo of the 24 from another angle... Ray

 

[Contraman]

Great posts fellows
Spent my younger years working on Cat Equipment in NZ (Gough Gough & Hamer)
Mainly on the Tongariro Project, Raurimu Spiral Bypass and some time at Deep Cove.
Would be interesting to see some pics of them if available.
Cat 12H, D8H and D6C were new back them.
Now in Laos, doing training, Just love it here, but work permit is running out soon :-(

 

[RDG]

I have a book called Servicing Caterpillar by a bloke called Ken Anderson who was a GGH service man in Taumarunui back in those days, 200 pages of pics and info from down around Tongariro/ Taumarunui. It has lots of info on machines s/ns and who bought them + some of the names of staff at GGH at the time as well as lots a info on the history of Cat in NZ in the early days. Dont remember where I got it from, think my son saw it somewhere on line and got it from there, its published by C&S PUBLICATIONS Taumarunui, if thats any help. Cheers RDG.

 

[D6 Merv]

Sadly Ken passed away about 3 years ago; But the book is a exellent read and alot of great photos. It was for sale through goughs in auckland, and also the caterpillar museum in rotorua. Ken also helped write the kopuku book about W Stevensons big opencast coal mine there that ran from the late 40s to the late 80s. And another one about bush logging tramways in the king country.
He was agood friend of mine and wabcomans on here.