Hauling livestock

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May have posted this picture before but have no short term memory, Bill Crawford owned a sheep station called ":Weekaro" on the Adelaide/Broken hill line, near Mannahill, he also owned another sheep station about 30 miles away fully eqipped with shearing sheds, dipping facilities. Rather than build all new facilities at Weekaroo, he decided to puchase a semi-trailer with a removable crate built to carry sheep to the other station. After scouring the country for months for a suitable driver Elder Smith made the obvious choice, me!
I went to pick up the truck at the dealership and then to the engineering firm that built the special trailer. the Fargo was too light and you could have used the trailer for a tank carrier! When I got to the station I rigged up two gantries with block and tackles and lifted the crate off to see if it was OK, it had long steel bolts going down through the outer rails of the trailer with nuts to secure them.
When the shearing season started I took a load of sheep over to the shearers to start, then went back for another load and by that time the sheep had been shorn and dipped ready to go back to Weekaroo, due to being wet and the cold wind blowing through the crate some of the smaller sheep would be frozen, I would get them walking and they would walk about 20 yards and stop, damn crows would swoop down and pluck their eyes right out.
I preffered sheep to cattle, less dangerous and easier to handle, I carried a broom handle and if one balked on the ramp I would poke it in the ring and it would jump forward, unless it was a poofter sheep then it would turn it'd head and blink, plus a bit of lip gloss and eye shadow, sorry got off the track. :-[

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The pay on these stations was not great so I bought a Land Rover and went out at nights shooting roo's until I got about 7 or 8 and stopped to skin them, roll the skins in stock salt to keep the blowies away, the next morning when I drove past the same spot next morning there was not a sign of anything, just trampled grass. I used a browning .22 as they did not damage the hide like a 303, also on fine evenings I would camp out and at first light shoot rabbits as there was a freezer and caravan out on the main road where a man bought them in pairs. most of my work was maintaing windmills and the Velocette water cooled motorcycles, very quiet machines, I stopped shooting animals when I realised that they deserved to enjoy the day except for roo's that had jumped a fence and twisted their feet in the wire, I shot them as the crows had taken their eyes.

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After the sheep were all shorn and the wool baled I would take them to Adelaide including taking all the roo skins with me, I took them to the skin buyers who paid for each skin regardless of size, count them off the truck, one skin, two skin, three skin and so on. I also carried sheep to the Adelaide, the crate had a steel sheet between the decks and it amused me when the sheep waste flew out on following motorists sorry, they changed the rules on pictures, mongrels!!!!

Ron think you picked the wrong link needs to be the IMG link

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Trevor

If the Fargo had the same front axle as the Dodge it's a real nasty experience to break a main spring, there's no wraparound on the second spring, Yeeha!

Thanks Trevor for the info, I should post first thing in the morning when my little brain is fresh!

Ron, we don't care when you do your posts, just so long as you "Keep Posting", coz we all enjoy em. Cheers Tim

Tim

Have to agree i really enjoy Ron's posts.

Trevor

Ron - where do the LE Velocettes fit in. Lovely to ride with great handling but totally gutless!

Hey there Ron ol mate,

I reakons you av forgotten more than I'll ever know. :'(

Dunt matter to the ol Buc when ya be postin as long as ya keep postin.

I carried a broom handle and if one balked on the ramp I would poke it in the ring and it would jump forward, unless it was a poofter sheep then it would turn it'd head and blink, plus a bit of lip gloss and eye shadow, sorry got off the track.

I be with Tim & Trevor, ya got my vote.

Regards, Buc.