Brambles Long Distance

Those Bailey sort of bridges that NSW loved were beauties too, the one over the Tweed, when I was an apprentice I used to have to take new Louisvilles down to Murwulumbah to register them with IS plates, was pretty narrow with another truck coming the other way, even the one over the Logan river, though wider wasn't exactly spacious. I did a few trips to Townsville to in the early 80's and I remember those one lane bridges well, actually from memory it wasn't until the mid 80's that they were gone, I could be wrong there.

The story about the Walking Dragline cam wheel at Bellata sounded very familiar as I was the crane driver that reloaded it back onto the float. I have a couple photos of the job and when I work our to post pics I will post them.

Well there ya' go,

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bluddy small world, eh.

regards greenie [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

ps - posting pics ---- read all about it

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www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?virboard=OldTruck;num=1361926839

pps - do please post the photos and tell me what Wes didn't.

Greenie, attempting to post photos, you were right about it being very close to the power line and pole. Also it steamed rolled a parking bay ahead sign as I recall that an RTA road crew had just erected. It was lucky that the RTA crew had just moved their truck into the shade or it would have hit as well. That info came from the crew when I got there the next day to reload it. url=http://s1346photobucket.com/Dragline cam Wheel-1/img

Those one lane bridges between Proserpine and Bowen claimed a heap of Brumbles gear in the early 1970's.

Not sure if it was Duck Creek or Hay Gully - but one of them.

From memory there were 2 Brambles floats heading north - both carting transformers. Cant remember exactly what happened but something casued the lead truck to stop in a hurry at the narrow bridge. Behind him was a pilot in an F100 ute followed by the other float.

The 2nd truck didnt stop and sandwiched the F100 between him and the float in front. The F100 had a row od 44's behind the cab - which caught fire (sadly) killing the driver. The initial hit pushed the first float into the creek - and all caught fire. The ist float and load, the F100 and the prime mover of the 2nd float.

They bought another Mack and flat top trailer, and a crane on a B Model Mack carrier up from their Mackay depot. In all the confusion - they forgot to put the legs down on the crane. It fell over - with the boom taking out the prime mover pulling the general trailer.

All in all 5 vehicles lost in the one incident. The road was closed for about a week.

Oldfulla

Hi Oldfulla, that happened before I got started there, the bloke driving the second one, was John Kane.

He earned a horrible nickname from that lot, it did twist him a tad in the upstairs department, according to a lot of the other drivers that knew him before it happened.

I think Ken George was the truck up front that had to stop, he mashed a cow and did a bit of damage to the front.

This was one of the reasons why Brambles H/H, were never allowed to travel in convoy again.


regards greenie [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

G'day all
Terrific stories, thanks Greenie and others. Almost brought a tear to my eye SteveB-near new C line. Hopefully Greenie your yarns will drag out a few other stories from a few more old buggers.
And I think I can remember those Brambles Road Bosses in Briso. How many did Brambles have?
This history again highlights this forum as a great source of knowledge and history of times we'll never see again.
Keep sharing the stories fellas.
Cheers

Duck Creek and Hay Gully claimed a few over the years ay..
We lived at Duck creek in the early 80s


Keep em comin fellas, some good reading there


chocs

Duck Creek and Hay Gully claimed a few over the years ay..
We lived at Duck creek in the early 80s

Sheesh Chocs, you a Queenslander and now living in that cold miserable bloody place, don't your bones ever tell you to get back up here, where it's at least warm ? :


regards greenie [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

Started here Greenie..
Went up there..
Came back here...

Yes the sanity is questionable!


chocs

And I think I can remember those Brambles Road Bosses in Briso. How many did Brambles have?

Brambles Heavy Halauge, Hendra, had three, all speced the same.

Brambles Long Distance over at Acacia Ridge had another three, but they had 13 speed R/R fitted.

Brambles Long Distance Darwin had two bigger units, one with a big GM and the other with a CAT 3406, the Cat 3406 eventually ended up in the Heavy Haulage yard at Hendra.


regards greenie [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]