Yes Jeff, it does get hot in the Pilbarra but it also gets cold in the winter. On one trip up the inland road, it was so cold north of Meekatharra that we had to stop and light a fire three times. There weren’t any heaters on our Fodens in those days, in fact, they weren’t fitted to our Mercedes until a batch of 2624s arrived in 1969 either. On the subject of the summer heat, I had a Foden with a
Gardner 150 boil one afternoon when we had a red hot tail wind up our bum for a couple of hundred miles north of the Exmouth turn off. But to go back to the hot nights, when I was on the manganese for Bell Bros. we used to pull three trailers loaded to a 10 ton axle loading permit from Woodie Woodie mine to Port Hedland. Some nights the easterly wind used to blow off the desert so hot and strong that you couldn’t even get in front of the cloud of red dust you kicked up. When you stopped to check your tyres, it always seemed as any flats were always on the last trailer. You could cheat a bit by putting the jack and wheel spanner on the road and driving forwards and then walking back, but by the time you had changed the flat and carted your tools back to the prime mover, you were knackered and made a bee-line back to the roo bar to have a swig out of the water bag hanging there. I came to WA to work on the railways as they still had steam engines in those days and prior to going lorry driving, I had been a fireman, however, when I found out how much you could make driving trucks in WA, I never even started on the railways.
Jelliot:
A lot of guys in the 60’s and 70’s seemed to have honed in on WA and Perth, was that cause it was cheaper/ easier to get to ?
I never had any plans so I went to Adelaida as the travel agent had some kind of flight and accommodation deal going, seamed as good a place as any to start.
That looks like a fairly good spot you found there, nice and smooth. What time of year were you there?
I have a mate that does fly in fly out rail track maintenance in the Pilbera area and was telling me last week it was 47, but the worst part was that was still 38 at 2 in the morning. He was pretty cranky when he got back.
Jeff…
My first road side tire change was about 200k’s south of Alice just after 4 in the morning on Christmas eve, and it was still mid 30’s, luckily the boss had shown me how to deal with spiders and dogs or I would have lost a finger trying to work it out.
There a was thing on Australian Story on the ABC a while back about an older grader driver that was working in the central west. He was usually out a month or so at a time. He had a caravan and a blue healer. The interviewer was having a hard time of it, he was asking the usual kind of questions and was only getting " yep, or suppose so" as and answer. It was quite painful to watch.
When I was doing East West if there wasn’t a back load I was often given the chance to go north up the west side so I’ve been up as far as Broome which puts an extra week on the trip. Most of the main roads are sealed now so it’s a bit easier.
None of our guys were keen to go up there as it was hard to get anything coming back south.
Jeff…
beaver 680:
Crossing the Nulabor 1967 dirt from Ceduna to Southern Cross,three dusty days.Tony
In a Thames van? Brave or what
BRS FH66:
http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/download/file.php?id=98968
I can just (only just) remember seeing Fodens like that still shunting for Aboods (Sydney) when I first got here in the late 80s.
Great photos there guys keep them coming.
Here’s a few for Jazzandy and Saviem…
Jeff…
We seem to have gone all wide here, can one of the moderators have a look.
Jeff…
hello jeff,great pics
any chance of putting a couple of your wifes cooper s? i’m really into my classic mini’s,owned twenty odd in our family over the years(just sold my 1380cc 120bhp beastie!!)
cheers,andrew
Jelliot:
We seem to have gone all wide here, can one of the moderators have a look.
Jeff…
Fixed it, seems to have had something to do with the pic of the Foden that BRS FH66 posted that I copied into my reply.
Thanks for that Park Royal.
I’ll dig some photos of the Mini out soon Andrew.
Jeff…
A couple to keep the thread going thanks to Phil Schubert, a machine and its undercarriage.
Oily
Looks like one of those Biscirus electrical excavators, quite heavy judging by the number of wheels.
Jeff…
Jelliot:
Looks like one of those Biscirus electrical excavators, quite heavy judging by the number of wheels.
Jeff…
Another angle, quite a lump.
Oily
11 axle, self steering, widening, osculating bogies, with a jeep dolly, I bet that wasn’t cheep, probably the best part of 60 ton empty.
I was following one loaded with the bottom half of a big mining machine a few years ago, heading up to Mt Isa and it was popping along at the best part of 80kph. It didn’t have a rear pusher though, the driver told me it was only 145 ton.
Jeff…
There’s always technical problems taking photos of white trucks on bright sunny days
8x4 unit, Pretty unusual for Tasmania, but plenty running about round Perth W.A.
]
Folded up B- Double log jinker.
When Ford stopped selling trucks in Australia Stirling took over… They not doing very well…
Bulk wood chips.
T 900 with a load of plantation logs. On street parking in Cambletown. Toll parked behind.
Jeff…
Hi Jeff, did you ever hear anything back from that job in Antarctica that you were thinking of applying for ?
This was in yesterdays local rag and as they start off in Hobart I thought that it might be of interest to you.
If they are looking for top fitters then it might appeal to N.Z. Jamie. 
Regards Steve.
Hi Steve,
Ah the Haglan driving job. I went for the interview then got on the shortlist of 3, about a week later they told me I was to old. I don’t know why they didn’t say something at the interview. I think the job went to the chief engineers son.
It also changed form a 3 month placement to a 12 month placement, and myself nor my wife were to keen on it after that either.
If the weather here keeps going like it is at the moment we’ll all be getting around in Haglands. I was hauling logs over snow last week, ( for those on the north side of the planet we are in the 6th week of summer at the moment, it was also blowing steady at 60 kph with gusts up to 140 kph
Not to worry I still have loads of other stuff to do.
I think Sausage Fingers (NZ Jamie ) is fairly content restoring Leyland Ergo’s and working on cranes over on Un Zud. He was muttering something about going to have a go on Road Trains a while back.
Jeff…
Hi Jeff, Wehave a tv show over hear about an Aussie heavy haulage firm called AHH , He runs Macks , he looks like he’s a bit of a tyrant to work for but all his trucks and tackle are very well presented.A nice metalic blue.
Hi Jeff I think you might mean Jon Kelly’s company HHA Heavy Haulage Australia, they’re well known in the heavy haulage industry on the north island ( main land).
Jeff.
