Small gravel pit Essex 1964

[essexpete]

I recently came across some old cine footage, taken by my late uncle in 1964. The Pit was really set up in that guise by my late father, although Grandfather called the shots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3UPFstt5I4&t=327s

[Billy26F5]

Nice views, like the Major powered stuff there.
Sandy

[Matchless?58]

Nice one Pete . Particularly like the footage of the lorry being loaded . I was 6 in 1964 and I used to stand and watch scenes like that whenever I could . I was totally in awe of the men and the machines they were driving. Those were the days when you could let your kids play in the streets so our little gang used to wander around all the time watching different stuff happening in our local area. Happy days .

[essexpete]

Nice one Pete . Particularly like the footage of the lorry being loaded . I was 6 in 1964 and I used to stand and watch scenes like that whenever I could . I was totally in awe of the men and the machines they were driving. Those were the days when you could let your kids play in the streets so our little gang used to wander around all the time watching different stuff happening in our local area. Happy days .

I was 4 in late '64, I barely remember that immediate era. When Dad sold the pit, to a larger company, the man levelling off the load on the 6 wheeler carried on working for him for another 10 years. I spent many a day on a succession of tippers with dear old Norman. No one batted an eye at a primary school kid levelling off or having a wander around the plant. I don't think i was ever in any danger, I had grown up with it and knew where to stand, where not to walk, and to make sure a driver knew where you were.

[Matchless?58]

Trouble is these days they don't credit kids with having any commen sense so they are not allowed to do anything and because they are under the constant watch of the risk aversion police they never learn anything about risk taking . Not saying it was a perfect world because it wasn't but I'm glad i grew up then .

[XS650]

Great little film.
The guy on the dumper at 1.47 has great faith in the dragline operators accuracy
I see your uncle had a front wheel drive Weatherill.

If you were buying a 2wd loader back then
Is a front wheel drive better than a rear wheel drive?

I can see pros and cons with both.

Craig

[essexpete]

Great little film.
The guy on the dumper at 1.47 has great faith in the dragline operators accuracy
I see your uncle had a front wheel drive Weatherill.

If you were buying a 2wd loader back then
Is a front wheel drive better than a rear wheel drive?

I can see pros and cons with both.

Craig

I had missed your post all that time ago. The front wheel drive needs a different driving style to rear wheel drive. The 2wd needs weight transfer continuously to fill the bucket. It require some forward motion to enter the stock pile and immediately requires a combination of lift and crowd to keep traction. The rear wheel drive needs the opposite and often might have the front wheels off the ground when pushing. The front drive may have an advantage when reversing with a full bucket due to the weight in the right place and was generally more manoeuvrable. Generally the front drive was hopeless off reasonably hard surfaces. Both set ups usually had the driving wheels ballasted with either wheel weights or water.
The 15 years or so from 1950 to 1965 saw a very rapid evolution of loading shovels from the last knockings of Fordson based rope shovels to powerful 150hp or more 4WD machines with full power shift transmissions.
The 42H Weatherill in the film was a big step up from a Fordson Major engine (the drive axle was Fordson) and with a torque converter and shuttle shift was quite a fast loader. That model was made by Weatherill way past it's sell by date, particularly useful in yard applications. It did receive the Perkins instead of the Ford 6yl and a more robust Twin Disc transmission (the original was a Brockhouse).