Need a few good yarns

Onya Pauly,
Our Dad's were of a different era- one where you just got in and did things. Australia was built by people like that. And sadly it seems that those people no longer seem to have much place in society, as they aren't "compliant"..
But It's terrific that you took the pics, and could put the stroy down so well for people to read.
Well done!
Here's a couple of pics from McRae's place next do0r- nothing to do with your water wheel, but hey, there's a couple of trucks involved at least!
Dad was down there helping to cart hay, I think when Jim was crook?
Our uncle Jim McRae was a lovely fella. We used to knock around with the McRae boys a bit- one still drives trucks, good lads and a good family.
Have a great day fellas.
Cheers
Rich

Breakdown.

Back on the horse job - the trucks were well set up and maintained so not many problems on the highway.
The first semi float built for G & G had 11 spaces on a single axle trailer. 3 at the front faced forward, then
2 across the trailer behind them. Another 3 facing back, a strapper or cargo compartment over the axle then
3 facing forward at the rear. Could run heavy on the single axle fully loaded. Originally built with short leaf
springs which broke, so they fitted air bag suspension. Being the first attempt at semi floats there were a few
teething problems. Had to drive carefully with horses loaded across the trailer until they settled and got used
to that way of travelling. Most thoroughbreds were carried front or rear facing. Trailer length restrictions at
the time led to it being built this way. Surprised to see they ran rag recaps on the trailer

Trip just before Christmas 1980 with the leading driver to take a full load of mares and foals to studs in the
Upper Hunter. Return load of mares and foals to Victorian studs, to be home before Christmas. Picked up the
load and on the way, quite hot weather, blew a tyre on the right side of the trailer north of Jerilderie. Fixed that
and continued. Normally drove at up to 100 k's, but as it was hot decided to reduce that to 90 as only 1 spare left.
Through Wyalong and while turning left at Marsden noticed left trailer wheel seemed back a bit. Pulled up and
got under to find the welds holding the air bag arm onto the axle had broken and the axle had moved back.
Mate was really worried, over $4 million worth of horses on board. With 2 jacks and levers were able to move the
axle forward into place and let the weight off. Went along slowly to the first big property, getting on dark but light
on so drove in. Spoke with the workshop man and he was happy to help. Good welding gear there, insisted on doing
the job himself. All cleaned up and underway again. Mate was really tense, so took it easy. Had to go round through
Gunnedah so bought two good tyres there. Noticed the left air bag was leaking! Mate rang the office and organised
the mechanic to bring up another air bag and spare truck to split the load on the way home.
Eventually delivered the load around the Upper Hunter and picked up some of those for the home load. Waited at
one of the studs for the mechanic. Threw the air bag in, loaded up and on the way with the mechanic to sleep.
Split up at Shepparton, the mechanic did the deliveries on the way into Melbourne. We took the rest in the semi to
Sutton Grange, Digger's Rest and Mornington Peninsula. After washing the truck out, got home at 2 am Christmas
morning. Not popular with the wife, as we had young children, but that was the job.

No more rag recaps, trailer suspension repaired and fully checked. First trip up the Newel in the New Year, dropped
off some goodies and cash at the property north of Marsden with thanks for their help. Trailer did a lot more trouble
free trips over the years.

Way back when, when I was just a lad in my late teens, I worked for a bloke with tippers, redi-mix, cranes and earthmoving gear. If something needed doing, you just jumped in which ever truck or machine was required and off you went. No one asked me for a license, so no worries.

After a couple of years, I moved to the local Holden dealers as a mechanic. One day the boss came up to me, along with the local Sergeant. Sarge says to me, "You can drive a truck can't you". Quick as a flash, "Sure", says I. "Good oh, come with me, We are going out to a farm to re-possess a log truck, as the bloke there is a bit firey and the repo agent is a bit scared".
So I'm driven out to the farm in the cop car to pick up a butter box AACO with log jinker attached and drive it back to the holding yard at the dealers. Didn't hit anything or break anything, so all good.

About 6 months later, I jump on my old motor bike and head down to the Police Station to book in for my truck license. OOPs it's the Sarge who is on duty. When I tell him what I'm there for he unloads on me big time. After a while he calms down , then burst out laughing. It seems that to book me, he would have to book himself as an accessory.

So I have to admit, I got my Class 3 truck license on a 1954 Excelsior 125cc motor bike.
EDIT:

Forgot to mention, back in those days, you had to hold a Class 3 (rigid) licence before you could get your Class 5 (semi) licence. So a couple of months later, went back in my trusty GTR Torana and the good old Sarge wrote mine out for me. It sure felt different to drive knowing I finally had the right paperwork and not having to worry about being pulled up by an out of town cop.

Talking of licenses, reminds me of another story-
I was still in school in Victoria, where the License age is 18. But a girlfriend of mine who'd just turned 17, had a parent on a farm just on the NSW border. So of course she got her license at 17, and I thought this was a terrific idea. So the week I turned 17 we shot up there from Geelong on the bus, I went to the local cop shop and got my learners permit. You could get your "P"s on the same day in NSW, but the local cop must have been a bit suss, so he told me to go away and drive for a month or so, then come back... Spewing, I was only there for the day!
So we drove my girlfriend's dads car to the next town an hour up the track, there was an RTA station there. The buggers told me that I'd need to make a booking- shit!!
Anyway there was a tiny one horse town on the way back to the border, we ripped in there to the local cop shop, the plod was just walking out the door, he apologised for not being able to take me for a test as he was in a hurry.. then he said "can ya drive"? to which I of course replied "of course"..and he wrote out the license.
So that was my license- from then on I drove my mums car to school every day in Geelong, I even got pulled up for speeding whilst driving home for lunch in my High School uniform...I handed my NSW license license to the copper whilst trying to squirm down into the seat and magically make my school uniform invisible.
Anyway when I turned 18 a year later I was in the truck with Dad, we were loading smashed cars for Vic at a wrecking yard in in a north NSW hinterland town that is famous for free love and hippies...
We decided it was about time I got my truck license, so we borrowed the wrecking yard's big tow truck, and I drove to the police station to give it a whirl. He was a nice bloke, and I asked him if I could have a quick look at the road rules book, as I hadn't seen the book since I got my license a year ago (!)
He asked how I went driving the big tow truck down, I said "no worries!" to which he said "ah, bugger the rule book son, if you can drive that shitbox you're doing alright!"
And with that I had my truck license too! And as you did back in the 80's, I eventually had a NSW, QLD, and SA license...I'm not entirely sure why, but it just sort of happend that way.
It was certainly a bit cruisyer than today eh.
Cheers
Rich

A mate of mine got his Class 3 back then after being on the piss with the local copper out Narrabri way. Pete asked him before they went off home if he could od the truck liecense, the copper said yes, see me in the morning. No truck no questions just the paper liecense to drive.
As for me I was on my driving test for the car in my old FC Holden. Doing everything that was asked of me and he said to drive straight ahead. As I approched an intersection another car blew a stop sign on my left. I jumped on them old drum brakes that had just been adjusted up and stopped before we hit. Instructor said that we better go back to the RTA. I thought shit what did I do wrong so when we got out I asked him. He said that you just avoided an accident that was not going to be your fault come inside and get your liecense. So onto P plates I go and because of some pacey driving habbits done some points and had to hand in the car liecense. Well at least I still had the bike one so I rode that around. Come time to get the car one back I rode over to the RTA again to pick it up. It was not a busy day and when I went inside and asked about getting back the car liecense they asked me how did I get there. On my motor bike of course, see here is my helmut. He said you know your liecense was cancelled don't you? Not my bike liecense mate, you cancelled my car one not my bike. HE said they were the same number and I said you only asked for my car one. He shook his head and conceded the loop hole.

When I acquired my bus driver's licence, doing all the usual things that you do, including reversing it around a corner onto a vacant block. While doing this I noticed a mangy dog laying asleep, I remarked on it being there and asked whether the constabulary would like it run over. The reply was, "You get that bastard and you've got your licence without going any further mate." :ohmy:
Bloody thing woke up and pissed off before I got to it (much to my relief), but it didn't effect the outcome of course and I still got my licence.

Way back when, when I was in another of my many lives, I was working for the RTA as it was then, at West Gosford as an Inspector and Crash Investigator. Scene set.

Now old mate, call him "Gums" suffered from Polio as a child and recovered from most of the affects. The only exception was that about every 7 or 8 years, the tendons in his foot gradually shrunk, tightening up until his foot was arched up and causing a lot of pain. He had to have operations to cut them, so his foot would work normally. Now Gums, in his say, late 50's had had enough of these operations, so told the Doctor to "Just take the bloody thing off". Instead, the Doc removed the front half of his foot, so no more operations needed.

Gums, being a bit cheeky, heads off to the RTA to get an Invalid Parking Permit. No worries say the Dept, but you will have to either hand in your truck license or at the very least, take a proficiency test in a truck. No way Gums is giving up driving for a living, so organises to take the test in his mate Smithy's KW.

The truck pulls up for the test, Gums goes inside to arrange it. All good. You should have seen the face on the inspector as Smithy jumps out of the drivers seat. Smithy has only one leg.

I know, I was there.

Thats bloody good eh? There is some inspirational people around alright.
Whats the guys name who had only one arm- I think he may be still around? He has had an Inter (160? 180? ) for ever, goes to a few truck shows. Been a truckie all his life.
I read about him in VTA magazine I think-
That story would be worth repeating here, if anyone knows it?
Cheers
Rich

prodrive wrote: Thats bloody good eh? There is some inspirational people around alright.
Whats the guys name who had only one arm- I think he may be still around? He has had an Inter (160? 180? ) for ever, goes to a few truck shows. Been a truckie all his life.
I read about him in VTA magazine I think-
That story would be worth repeating here, if anyone knows it?
Cheers
Rich

I think you are talking about George Pyers with the AS180 International. I have heard several versions of the story. I saw he won a tarp tying competition at Clunes(?). He did a better job with one arm than most people did with 2.

At one Lake Goldsmith my truck started making a horrible squealing noise as it came through the gate. I had only just stopped and the bonnet was opened, Problem diagnosed as the generator bearing, problem bypassed so I could get back to Melbourne if careful. All done within 10 minutes of arrival and faster on the tools than a lot of mechanics. He wouldn't take anything for it just a wave when I left later. Next time I saw him the first thing he asked was did we get home without problems! an amazing man and a real gentleman

Dan Nicholson owned Land Vehicle Spares in Silverdale, Sydney (may still) he raced in 10 Australian Safaris and he drove a manual Inter on bush recovery work.

All good but he only had one leg. His left leg had gone AWOL.

When the RTA found out about his missing left leg they put an Auto only clause on his truck licence so he had to change the inter to an auto.

Didn't seem to make him any slower in the bush driving a manual Land Rover.