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Plant & Equipment
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The Michigan 125 wheel loader is required to operate as a shunter on a quayside siding,
but will actually running on hidden rail wheels. It won’t be running over any points, just
about 18 inches of track, partly on the feeder canal quay and then under the bridge at the
end of the main yard / scrap yard where a loco will take over. I also have found a sound
file of one working and hope to have a speaker under the board to give it an added dimension.
One of the cranes in the Morfa Bank scrap yard is a former Matchbox Jumbo Iron Fairy crane.
As per the original toy with some new details. A nice little model and very accurate too.
The Eastwell Ironstone Company's back hoe is featured here (hired in as part of a redevelopment
project), whilst some maintenance is being carried out on a track type loader behind.
A rear view of the Insley model K Back Hoe, a whitemetal
HO scale kit from the Woodland Scenics HO scale range
(ref D237).
The track type loader is also hired in from the Eastwell Ironstone
Company and is another Woodland Scenics whitemetal kit
(ref D235).
Other hired in dozers working at demolition sites in the area, the green bulldozer is a
Langley whitemetal kit of a International Harvester TD6 bulldozer (1950s era),
whilst the blue bulldozer is from the Woodland Scenics range
(ref D233).
A Langley whitemetal kit of a Benford cement mixer.
Next up is an agricultural slurry tanker. The tank barrel is taken from a Kibri farm yard
set (Part No. 10908) and whilst the kit can be built into just such a vehicle, its appearance
is more modern than would be appropriate for my early 60s time frame. Searching through various
online farm auctions gave enough of an idea to allow construction of this freelance vehicle.
The front and rear aspects of the tank; to the front can be seen the motor which would be
driven via the drive shaft of the hauling tractor and could be used to either create pressure
for propelling the slurry or a vacuum for refilling the tank. To the rear is the output nozzle
which utilises a sprung loaded valve opened by compressed air.
A Wiking fork lift truck with added overhead guard mesh, seen at Hornsey Road depot. The
model has been further enhanced by reducing the amount of wheels on the front axle, and
the addition of lift and tilt levers made from track pins.
Coventry Climax Engines originally
built engines for use in cars and buses before eventually becoming involved with the
manufacture of fork lift trucks (their ET 199 model of 1946 was heralded as the first to
be manufactured in the UK). In 1958 they launched their 'Universal' model which, as the
name suggests, utilised an array of standard components to deliver bespoke trucks.
Not unsurprisingly dimensioned drawings of these vehicles are scant and so a careful study
of sales brochures along with online photos helped to build up an idea of a build schedule.
To this end the wheel sizes helped immensely (the front set are from a Coopercraft Monarch
lorry kit and the rear from the same Kibri kit that the slurry tank emanated from). By
using the size of these as a guide then it was possible to determine relative dimensions
of other components and thus help to achieve a well proportioned vehicle. The spares box
gave up a few helpful pieces (including the 2mm scale lettering for the rear of the engine
compartment) but in the main everything has been built from plain sheet or Evergreen strip materials.
This battery electric tug came from a air force ground crew accessory pack and has found a
new home at the milk depot. Partially painted in Metrobus Verona green it was previously in
use at the bus garage at Wibdenshaw.
Here's a couple of whitemetal fork lift trucks, the blue one having been made from the
Knightwing whitemetal kit with additional detail and a replacement meshed overhead guard. The
yellow model is a Langley whitemetal kit of a Clark Stalwart fork lift truck from the 1960s era.
The fork lift trucks finished and ready for service.
A growing collection of plant and equipment ready for hire, mostly whitemetal kits.
Hymac excavator at work in the Morfa bank scrapyard.
Whitemetal kit of a Dumper truck and heavily modified diecast excavator at Morfa Bank Sidings.
