The Vickers Vigor

[biggerdigger]

I know a lot of you are fascinated by old machines, and the Vickers Vigor was cutting edge in its day. You didn't get many in the States due to the prevalence of Cat, Allis Chalmers and International Harvester. But the Vigor was Britian's answer to the post-war track type tractors. Here's a great article my Classic Machinery writer has done on this: http://www.contrafedpublishing.co.nz/Historical/Rugged+reliability+-+the+Vickers+VR180+Vigor.html

 

[Leadfoot]

Sounds like they went the way of the Do-Do bird, but it was mainly due to the tracks, too bad, I like the concept though.

 

[Deas Plant]

Vickers with little vigor.

Hi, Bigger Digger.
Not a bad article, I suppose but from what I've heard, the clutch housing would eventually leap apart when you whistled due to the number of times you had to replace clutches, especially on dozer work. There were a number of them imported into DownUnder too - the REAL one over to the West of you - including a heap for the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. I've come across a couple of fitters now who worked down there and hated the sight of them. Apparently, the engine was the best part of them.

And Yes, Leadfoot, they have gone the way of the Do-do bird - long ago. There was one sitting in a paddock on the side of the road just South of a town called Nowra on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, the last time I was down that way about 5 years ago. It was actually gainfully employed in a cost-effective way - it was doing duty as an advertising billboard for a local contractor. See photos below. See also a cutaway schematic of the beast. And, PLEASE, don't ask me what the clothesline from the tree pusher back to the brush canopy is for. I don't know.