A digger, a bulldozer and a truck roll into a bar…..

[Gorby]

On my recent trip to Scotland I saw these beauties just south of Lybster on the A99. If you are familiar with the frozen far north, there is old machinery everywhere, rusting in fields or gardens. These look nicely restored and are displayed outside a construction company, so I don't know if they are old company vehicles, or have been salvaged elsewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS. The sky wasn't photo-shopped in afterwards, it was actually sunny!

 

I hope you like them.

[stringbag]

Love that old Dodge flatbed.

Thanks for posting.

[busnproplinerfan]

Says a lot for a company to save stuff like that, most would just see the scrap value.

[Gorby]

6 hours ago, busnproplinerfan said:

Says a lot for a company to save stuff like that, most would just see the scrap value.

Yes I thought the same. I had a look at their web site - they are quite a big company that has been going since 1912, but there must be someone there who is willing to put quite a bit of time, money and effort into keeping these in good condition. They are located quite near the coast in the far north of Scotland (about 30 miles from John o'Groats) so not the friendliest of conditions to keep something outdoors in such good state.

I had a look on Google street view and the digger and bulldozer appeared between 2008 & 2011 and the truck joined them sometime after 2011.

[busnproplinerfan]

Was all three pieces theirs? I could see someone holding onto the truck, but the dozer and crane not many would. I have seen videos of people starting to save cranes and other now rare stuff like that. They are finally realizing once it's gone that's it. Hopefully the find some way to preserve them with the salt air, at least they're not on the water's edge.

[Gorby]

4 minutes ago, busnproplinerfan said:

Was all three pieces theirs?

Only the truck has their company name on it.

 

It is an odd area, there are many bits of machinery that have just been abandoned in fields and gardens, old JCB's, tractors and plenty more besides, so they could have acquired them anywhere. Having said that, with the salt air things deteriorate quite quickly, and these look to be in too good a condition for them to have been left in the open commensurate with their age.

 

[busnproplinerfan]

What year roughly is that Dodge? What maker made the truck before the Dodge name was put on it?

[Circloy]

22 minutes ago, busnproplinerfan said:

What year roughly is that Dodge? What maker made the truck before the Dodge name was put on it?

Genuine Dodge product - they produced in the UK from the early '20's. That particular cab style was also used by Leyland & Albion and known as a LAD cab (from initials of the users) Late 50's - mid 60's.

 

1 hour ago, Gorby said:

Only the truck has their company name on it. 

 

It is an odd area, there are many bits of machinery that have just been abandoned in fields and gardens, old JCB's, tractors and plenty more besides, so they could have acquired them anywhere. Having said that, with the salt air things deteriorate quite quickly, and these look to be in too good a condition for them to have been left in the open commensurate with their age.

 

The CAT also has the company name on on the rear tank, & the BR22 also has a name high on the rear but the picture here don't show it clear enough to make out.

[busnproplinerfan]

32 minutes ago, Circloy said:

Genuine Dodge product - they produced in the UK from the early '20's. That particular cab style was also used by Leyland & Albion and known as a LAD cab (from initials of the users) Late 50's - mid 60's.

 

The CAT also has the company name on on the rear tank, & the BR22 also has a name high on the rear but the picture here don't show it clear enough to make out.

Thanks didn't know that. Think I saw a resin cab for the Dodge in truck modeller magazine.

[Pete in Lincs]

And the Ruston digger would have been made here in Lincoln.

In the same works where they made the WW1 tanks.

Nice pictures.

I saw an old restored truck in a front garden yesterday. 

No name on it but my memory says it was probably a Guy from the early sixties.

[stevehnz]

Thanks for putting these up Gorby, I enjoy old machinery in general but especially old trucks. I drove a LAD cabbed Dodge for about a year in the mid 70s, not a bad old bus, primitive as all heck by today's standards, maybe why I'm pretty much deaf in my left ear now, it had a flat deck but with under body rams & drop sides so I got a fair variety of work.

Steve.

[Gorby]

11 hours ago, Circloy said:

The CAT also has the company name on on the rear tank, & the BR22 also has a name high on the rear but the picture here don't show it clear enough to make out.

Well spotted that man.

I only had my eyes checked on Thursday, perhaps I should ask for my money back.

 

Although I primarily love wingy things, I am partial to old machinery, much to Mrs Gorby's total bemusement. She stayed in the car while I drooled over them.

[stevehnz]

1 hour ago, Gorby said:

She stayed in the car while I drooled over them.

I've got one of those at home too.

Steve.

[Gorby]

Just to give some idea of the number of wrecked stuff by the roads I've have a brief wander on Google street view.

I don't know if the car in the last photo was a wreck, I couldn't get a better view of it.

 

I tried to find a crane and a JCB that I saw, but I can remember where either of them were. 

[Windy37]

That Daihatsu Fourtrack looks to be in good order apart from the obvious damage . Shame , cos lots of farmers around my parts swore by them in the 1990s . Looks like a last shape Ford Granada Scorpio behind it . 

Gary .