Pete was right loved the diary mate.makes me want to go back to the job !!! give Bobby Boden my regards and is NZ Dave (Ex Donkey Freight Chasetown depot) is still with you guys say hello to him too !!
If you have no objections I will send a link to this thread to Brian Weatherlery to copy a few photos for the RT.com Big Lorry Blog - he will love it too as will his readers.
In answer to Pete, the axles look Nicholas to me, but the cabins make me think is an ex Alsthom girder set … wiling to be proved wrong though…
Also did I spot a ballasted Titan as well as the Fauns?
awesome diary
reread so edit: Pete the Renault Tractor is a Tractomas owned by Rotrans, Dennis who runs it has quite a few of them and is a regular contributor to Big Lorry Blog
Thanks Rikki I thought you would love it and also thanks for letting me know what the tractor from Renault is called correctly,it was a excellent post so perhaps you can delve now back in your memory’s and pictures perhaps and post your own post on this type of work
I never got as far as this type of work, the girder type jobs I was on I was very much a minor contributor, helping out or driving the spare ballast tractor, the world of proper ballast tractor driver is very small and those guys that get into it are really the best of the best, I am proud I have moved loads that 99% of drivers will never get a chance to, of that 1 % who get to do what I enjoyed only a tiny minority will get on to be Ballst tractor drivers… in my view the best of the best…
Saying that, any load once you get into special order moves, is not about the driver, the steersman/trailerman is as important if not more so, and there is an entire team. moving loads like this is not down to the driver , but a team effort. Any driver who thinks otherwise would not be in the job…
The Title should read "And now for something completely different.
What a superb Diary, true Professionals to the end.
I doff my cap to you all.
Without doubt, the elite of the elite.
Nowt more to be said.
15/02/2010
Crossed the border back into South Africa with a fresh new 3 month Visa in my passport. A short day with not many photos as I was too busy inspecting my eyelids.
Middle of the road when crossing bridges and no gear changes. Any sudden shunts from the gearboxes can throw the bridge off its support buttons.
Waiting for Rotrans 10x10 Tractomas to clear the road through Piet Retief so we can turn right, took us 4 hours to get around here, thanks to a telegraph pole on the corner.
16/02/2010
Another short day, traveled from the outskirts of Piet Retief to the laybye 50/50 which is 50km from Piet Retief and 50km from Ermelo. Simple.
Up until recently, they still used steam trains because of the huge stocks of coal. These trains go on for about 3km with 3 locos pulling.
The rest of the day was spent changing tyres, tracking the steering arms and modifying the brake chambers on a Faun. Teflon shuttles in the chambers swelled up in the heat and applied the brakes randomly, so it needed a quick tickle with a polishing disc to narrow it down.
17/02/2010
50/50 to Ermelo. Rain stopped play, as the police won’t move you in rain, fog or the mega heat. Though our mate Dennis Child had been asked by our South African office to take photographs of the outfit He worked his magic with the police and persuaded them to move us to Ermelo.
Parked outside Ermelo uncoupled the tractors to fuel up and was joined by 3 Tractomas’s in the laybye on their way south to Richard’s Bay.
What an interesting topic. Never been into the heavy-haulage scene, but this has been brilliant. I’ve read various stories, usually about Wynns, but never realised that this sort of stuff still happens. Particularly thought provoking was the comment about not changing gear when crossing bridges.
Great stuff, and looking forward to more.
18/02/2010
Ermelo to Hendrina
Few shots today, as we made our way north the road conditions became worse, we only managed 20kph on a good road, so potholes and other obstacles didn’t help.
19/02/2010
Hendrina to Middleburg
Swerving out the laybye with 4ft deep potholes that would easy rip out a axle on the trailers.
We reached Middleburg by midday and got armed security to watch over the trailer for the weekend, while we parked the tractors in a truckstop.
22/02/2010
First obstacle was a very low bridge in Middleburg, only just squeezed through. Lowest on trailer and tower height hydraulics.
More mountains to slow us down climbed these at no more than 3kph for about 3 hours, then the same coming down the other side, 2nd gear and low box in transfer box with retarder on for the Fauns.
Made it to Groblersdal that day where the laybye was a ditch full of turd and stunk of bladder splatter, spot on for going under the trailer and checking the tyres.
robv8:
Middle of the road when crossing bridges and no gear changes. Any sudden shunts from the gearboxes can throw the bridge off its support buttons.
Have I got this right Rob?? What you seem to be saying is that it would not be a good place to start showing off your double de-clutching technique.
I,m following your route on Google Earth. It is superb. I,ve been doing it for a total of 6 hours since I got up this morning. Sad ■■ that I am. Had a half hour break for dinner, then back on the road to Piet Retief in Mpumalanga
looks absolutey fantastic and what an oppertunity to have. un believable. 
He worked his magic with the police and persuaded them to move us to Ermelo.
