Old Quad Axle Low Loader n Dolly.

Gidday Men and Ladies.
Needing help to find some photos of the old style Quad axle Low Loaders, pre Expandable / Swing Wing design.

I am wanting to build a scale model of the floats that where used throught the 60's , 70's and 80's and I am sure the odd one still around today. I know Catalano's still has theres going up in Geraldton.

I have copies of the Blue Prints from 1967 and although the best for all the details they do not show the finished product as well as a photo.

Areas of particular interest are the gooseneck, the front of the bed, rear suspension and the removable side board supports. Or just any photos of these great units and the blokes that did the heavy haulage like my Dad did in that era.

I live in Yallingup West Aust, the Bosich and Boomerang trailers where the 2 major suppliers over here.
Any help would be much appreciated in either photos or leeds as to whom may have one that I can go and see and get some shots myself.

Many thanks.

Shane.

Shane have you tried to contact Boomerang or Bosich, they are both still in business.

www.boomerangengineering.com.au/profile.htm

www.bosich.com.au/index.htm

You say - "old style Quad axle Low Loaders" - now would this be a 4 x 4 or an 4 rows of 8, same with the dolly 2 x 4 or 2 x 8 ?

regards greenie [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

Hey Greenie.

The Low Loader I have plans for is a 4 rows of 4 with a 7" drop deck, the Dolly has 2 rows of 4.
I have a brouchure from Bosich that shows a 2 rows of 8 x 15" wheels Dolly that the Main Roads Department had built with a flat deck that was good for 60 tons. You could run 10:00:20 wheels on the same dolly.

I am hoping to go to Boomerangs and get details of there floats and the cable suspension that was used on all the Low Loader in that era also.
Although the cable suspension was heavy it was able to handle the rough dirt roads better than the spring suspensions. Bosich Trailers used the Boomerangs cable suspension in some of there customer spec builds as well.
I am also hoping to see Milan again for some questions about there floats and maybe see if he has some photos when I get up to Perth.

Anyway Mate , lets see if someone out there has some shots for me, hope so.

Shane

I had a Boomerang drop deck quad float with cable suspension and matching dolly. It was heavy but it was tough. I completely refurbished it before reluctantly selling it only a couple of years ago due to personal reasons. I repainted it in off white and grey. Very recently I went to Tropicana Gold Project out in the middle of nearly nowhere and bugger me there it was. An earthworks contractor who had it since I sold it uses it a lot particularly for floating his large excavators around. They remarked it has done a lot of work. I pulled it around with a White Road Boss 550 HP. Big tough truck and big tough float both of 1979 vintage and excellent for floating D9R or smaller dozers and excavators. Pity I sold both. Great toys. Sorry I haven't any photos.

Yeh G-Day Mate.

Buying a brand new Float from Boomerang, I am guessing you are from the West Christopher. Did you upgrade the power plant in your Road Boss later in it's life ??. I would imagine it had no problems pulling anything you put on the Low Loader with 550 horses pullin that baby along.
All my trucking experience was riding shotgun with my Dad in my early years and I can't remember listening to anything else but a 8V 71 Jimmy and watching him swapping lots of cogs even at the slightest inclines. I think they where around 325 horse power and you could do a little better on a decline but most of the time it was 50 mph on the flats.

Anyway. We have been puting the Blue Prints from Bosich Trailers onto a 3D CAD programe getting ready to send off to the Water Jet profiling for our 1st trailer to be cut out.We will see what we need to do or add before cutting any amount of trailers out. An absolute mountain of work to get all the profiles of the RSJ / UB & Web plating done, it should all go together like a jig saw puzzle. We nearly have 150 pieces just for the Float without suspension,axles, outriggers, wood boards and decks yet. We have had to make some tiny changes so the scaled down 13.3:1 steel plate equals what is available for cutting.

I have received some photos of Catalanos Low Loader sitting up in there yard in Geraldton. I only just found them today in my junk mail that had been sent to me almost a month ago, so there is some seriouse thank you emails I have to do and get them off today for the people that took them for me. It is a huge help now for the plating to be done on the trailer.

I am sure we will find some photos sooner or later but thanks for your reply Mate and looking forward to hearing more about yourself.

Take care .

Shane

we at matic transport have an old quad axle low loader with dolly from the 60's still in use, we can be contacted on 0419 249 797 for anyone who wants to have a look, in return we love to be able to see the blue prints.

thanks

eugene

There is an old one in a yard in Bellefin Drive, Balajura next door to Kambos, a big electrical goods shop on the corner of Beach Road and Bellefin. When I drove for Bell Bros in 1970, I used to reckon they were the most awful things to reverse I had ever driven. I once spent a day reversing down the old State Ships wharf in Dampier to load up huge drums of conveyor belting to take to HI's yard half a mile away. I had TK 281, an old Mack with a quad box and no power steering. After 10 trips, I needed a double arm transplant.