Road Repairs

While searching for an identity for the Dodge tipper in the "Orange" thread in General Discussion I came across these interesting vehicles. All taken in Australia.


Really interesting road making in Sydney 1923. What is the 4X4 truck. Must have had some grunt looking at the ballast watertanks.


What a wonderful idea! In Brisbane 1921 Albion. The great feature is the ability to change the front axle from wheels to roller. What about all trucks having to have this system - how smooth would the Bruce Highway be if all the b-doubles were fitted with roller front axles!



Road building Rosalie Shire. The bloke winding the tipper winch would have to run along while turning the handle as the truck backed to spread the gravel!



Sydney roadworks. Pretty flash unit with what looks like hydraulic tipper in a period when everyone else was using power take-off pulleys and cables.



Sydney again.



A later era.



Just a final thought. We humans are pretty stupid and miss the obvious sometimes. Look at the trouble these people would have had without a little bit of silvered glass to see what was going on. Even the later Bedford has piss-ant lady's make-up hand mirrors. All on trucks doing jobs whose whole operation relies on being able to see what is going on behind them!


Lang

Lang,

Just a guess that 4x4 in the first picture wouldn't be Cardwell Vale would it? The wheels look correct for it.

Would be close to the right vintage! Also expect it would need the weight and ballast. It appears to be pulling the road ripper in the foreground and they aren't easy to pull especially when working!

These pictures are a great find Lang!

Just been looking at lots of these old tipper photos and notice many of them feature a sheet of ply? under the falling gravel.

Could not figure out what was going on until I realised the gravel was spread by hand and the ply was to allow the shovels to work at full pace down to the correct level without digging in or stuffing around raking. As soon as the gravel was spread (using the ply as a level marker) it would be picked up and moved into position for the next load.

Lang

Lang dont you think it would be to easy to get it out after all that rock on it . dave

Dave,

The ply was put down on the very edge of the drop from the last spread load. You will note they don't cover the ply but just start on the edge of it over on to the low area. Gives a continuous level carried forward. Sliding the shovels over the ply to clean off the last of the gravel creates this level.

With those small trucks they would only be moving a couple of metres at a time so eyeball height judgement would keep it pretty right.

They would be checking the accurate level every few loads from the surveyors posts or other datum such as gutter edge to keep the big picture rolling at the right height.

I had these two prepared for a different group.

700826W Essendon steamroller RSmith
This one was run by Essendon Council (Vic.). In this view it is working on Mt Alexander Rd; I have details of the precise position somewhere. AFAIK it was one of only two steamrollers in use in Melbourne in 1970, and has been preserved operational somewhere.

080726Sa 2hours from Purwodadi (Java, Indonesia) steamroller RSmith

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

hi Rodders and all .. that top pic looks like it is in Keilor Rd North Essendon....directly opposite Preston Motors

...you can just make out the tram line in the corner of the pic....cheers

Roderick,

Re the first picture. Will have to check my info at home (currently at work >). But at a guess the roller might be at Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club as we have a number of steam rollers from various Melbourne Councils. www.melbournesteam.com.au/ . I'm not sure but need to check on this one home.vicnet.net.au/~mstec/dmfowler.htm as I can't remember where it was based but could have been Essendon. But I don't think it is the one in the picture as it has provision for a rear mounted scarifier. But your picture doesn't show that fitting on the rear axle.


And checking one of our members websites www.lloydsteam.com it indicates that their unrestored fowler roller was ex- City of Essendon. (they could have owned two!)


(Pictures linked to the applicable websites)

Truck in 3rd picture is a coal scuttle International, I think the truck in the 4th and 5th pictures is quite a big Brockway. I'm pretty sure Merv Brunt at Colac has a similar Brockway truck. Great pictures Lang, are you sure the steam wagon/roller is an Albion?, I'm pretty certain Albion of Scotstoun never made steam vehicles. There was a brand of steam wagon called Allchin? I think, possibly it could be one of these.-thanks Hamish Petrie

A few more - all taken in Australia.


One of the first hydraulic tippers


Reo? and Chev?



Interesting tipping system


Melbourne


oops!


Why didn't they have decent mirors?


Good suspension shot.


Where are all these tandem Fords now?


First tipper in the shire.


Dad's new truck.


Basic gravel gate.


Tough looking unit.


Not Australian but very interesting side tipper.


And finally. I love this unposed action shot in Melbourne. Shows the ply system at work.