The Classic Machinery Network

Was on FB last night and this came across the screen
A Challenger 3 in the Australian Army though of Fred right away




Paul

Hi Paul,
That Challenger 3 is the Leyland engine version and it has the Australian made "Moore" blade like the one pictured below.
Moore's modified some of these and fitted them with a fluid drive.

must have been a few around, i believe Victoria had them for the roads and it seem's the army had them as well.

Another one sold today in South Australia




Paul

Paul that's in an amazing condition when you consider it was built in the 50's mind you don't get the damp and rain down under that we get.

Jeremy

I would agree considering that almost every other bit of farm construction or logging machinery from that era would be battered and bruised pretty much all over and have coves and track guards missing from front to back

Paul

Jeremy Rowland wrote:Paul that's in an amazing condition when you consider it was built in the 50's mind you don't get the damp and rain down under that we get.

Jeremy

Yes the condition is amazing. Built between 1951 and 56.
This one has the Meadows engine option, you can tell at a glance from the position of the exhaust. I don't recognise the blade so it's probably made in Oz. by Moore Road Machinery.
I don't know where the 24 tons comes from though.
The bare tractors weighed in at 23,600 lbs, that's a little over 10.35 imperial tons. Although the dozing equipment looks heavy it can't be over 13 tons.
The machine with the equipment can be no more than 15 / 16 tons .
These tractors sold in the UK in the 1950s for £3.525-00.

Fred.

Fred did you notice the rippers on the back of the blade for ripping when backing up for the next cut
This was fairly common thru the 50's and 60's in Australian and then faded away I guess when full hydraulic blades became common and you could then push down

And I would have thought 24 ton was a bit ambitious but I know very little about these machines

Paul

Mrsmackpaul wrote:Fred did you notice the rippers on the back of the blade for ripping when backing up for the next cut
This was fairly common thru the 50's and 60's in Australian and then faded away I guess when full hydraulic blades became common and you could then push down

And I would have thought 24 ton was a bit ambitious but I know very little about these machines

Paul

Hi Paul,
I only just noticed your last post, and yes, I did see the rippers on the back of the blade.

There were cable blades that would push down too. They used the spare drum on the cable control winch to pull the blade down.
See the picture below of a powered up and down cable blade on a Fowler3.

I have never seen anything like that Fred I do wonder how successful they were but I guess hydraulics came into there own and we will never know now
Still learning stuff everyday

Paul