The Classic Machinery Network

first class pictures hedgehog.many thanks.

thanks for posting Steve I reckon the 8.s and boxes where on hire from Wigley plant from Barby , five base tractors(no blade fittings} and boxes and and a D8 and ripper as pusher.

also Russ and Steve I am in regular contact with Peter Kendall, we had a good craic two weeks ago.

I am suprised nobody picked up on the name of the scraper driver Bob Geldorf - I don't think he stayed around on the M23/25 very long before leaving to form the Boomtown Rats. He mentions that he had worked on the motoways operating a T23 in his book "Is That It"- I can remember saying good morning to him when he was driving a TS24 parked near the Merstham offices one day but not sure if I got a reply.

Steve Waddington

sorry to report that Peter Kendall died early this morning r.i.p.

Worked with Peter Kendall back in 1988/1989 on the M40 with Mowlems. Had heard of his passing R.I.P.

Hi

W C French became French Kier which is now Kier

Hello Martyn,

No the company I am talking about is W C French, They where a big company, all their cranes and navies where generally painted in black and white vertical stripes. The 3W in the picture I am going to "try" and post was an exception, It worked on the Datchet reservoir in the early 70's, it was double shifted, my father on one shift and Ron Barker on the other. They also did a lot of motorway and bypass work.[/quote]

I was with W C French on M6 at Burton Kendal about 1968 or 9, they were about the only company who paid a small bonus to the scraper drivers apart from one of Wimpeys' jobs at Water Orton. I was on a either a 977 or 955 on that job, it was probably one of the cushiest numbers I ever had on muckshifting with a nice little sideline of digging roots up & getting rid of some trees for a few farmers, but, I had a couple of probs with 'some figurers of authority' & had to get away in the end.