LOOK OUT!!!! It's a low-flying crane... And here it comes again!
Keep yer head down! (OK so I'm just being daft) Yes, Nick garlick has sent me these pictures and e-mail to say: "Morning Brian, I did a job to Saltdean last weekend on the south coast. Ainscough were doing the lifting using two mobile cranes. Here are a few snaps of the biggest, a Liebherr 8 axle 500ton monster. Nice eh?"
Nice indeed, now click though here for some unusual old-timers also spotted by Nick (and there's a pie or two in it for BLB anoraks...!)
Nick continues: "Further to the earlier email here are a couple more for the blog. I loaded at an old WWII airfield recently and came across these 'Best of British'. The Bedford TM looked remarkably well. Its now used for hospitality work." Ahhh...yes Nick but for a pie, what's that strange thing poking it's snout out next to it eh?
Nice line-up of old Scammell refuellers too.
And for pie No 2 what's this? Nick concludes:"The AEC is still a runner and was being used up until recently!" Great stuff Nick, you do get to some out-of-the-way places for sure!
Some interesting machinery there Nick!
The red crash tender beside the Bedford TM is a Scammell Nubian. This was an updated version of the very successful Thornycroft Nubian with a Motor Panels cab.
The TM is a beauty too - it's quite rare to see a full - width day cab one in rigid form.
The AEC is a Mammoth Major. The MOD specified these with AEC's 760 engine, rather than the less powerful Marshall with the 505 engine.
Also, I reckon those "Scammells" are possibly AEC Mammoth Majors too - Scammell generally didn't build 6 wheel chassis with the "low" version of the T45 cab. The 8 wheel Constructor used this cab, but the 6 wheel S26 normally had a "High Datum" cab (with a door that ended at wing height)
The MOD replaced some ageing Ergomatic cabs with the T45 cab in the mid 90's - I recall a number of folks in the vehicle preservation scene obtaining decent surplus used cabs at this time!
NEVER HEARD AN A.E.C 760 OR THE V8