Macks at the ready (mix that is)

1. A pair of mighty Macks, the one on the right with a Simard Suspension twin steer arrangement.

2. A newer Mack compares favourably with an older Volvo.

3. The Mack Stone Slinger, with Simard twin steer and fancy red mud guards stacks up against a Western Star.

While most of the concrete contractors were working Saturday, the Mobile Ready Mix yard was quiet at Rocky Lake. The fleet is a bit of a mixed bag, but there were some fairly new looking Macks, with high flotation tires on some of them.

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Thorson's sharp Volvo

Thorson's, the enclosed vehicle carriers, usually operate sharp trucks. Today's find is a low rise sleeper Volvo, with a nice critter fence up front. Not much of a match with its trailer in terms of colour or shape, but a disctinctive rig nonetheless.

I'm also not sure when the last time was I saw a spring cap on an exhaust stack.

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Fresh in - another Mammoet crane

This new Liebherr was on the rail car and boarded up by the time I caught it. The crane arrived only this morning on the ship Fidelio, so that was quick work by the ground team.

The last big Lebherr had an 8 axle arrangement: http://truckfax.blogspot.com/2011/03/dear-sir-your-crane-has-arrived.html

This has a 7 axle arrangement, and according to the Liebherr website it is a 14 x 8 x 14. (All wheels steer, 8 wheels have drive) and it is a model LTM 1400-7.1 That means 400 tonne capacity at 3m, with a main boom 15.4-60m long and jib extension 7m-84 m.

Seems to be no end the numbers of these coming in.

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Land Rovers - still around

From time to time a vintage Land Rover shows up, and who can resist a Land Rover? This one appeared in Seaview Park this afternoon, while the owner took the dog (s) for a run. 1. Carrying the name The Tramp, this LR has a meaty winch mounted up front.

2. Mandatory tire on hood - check. Nice to see a long wheelbase model, and in desert tan too.

3. Tarp top - for real winter adventures - not so bad for dogs though.

4. Nova Scotia plates - so not a visitor, but right had drive nevertheless.

5. Spotted last fall on Sackville Street. Check out the aerial in the middle of the spare tire, and high rise roof.

6. Also last fall. I know this to be a 1964, in a constant state of restoration. Note the low rise roof, and wing mirrors.

Green and White Patrol

Police have traditionally had black and white cars, and now it seems that refuse haulers have green and white trucks.

Save money by buying trucks in factory white, add a green compactor body and off you go.

With this scheme you need to look carefully to see whose truck it is.

In this case it is not industry giant WM (Waste Management) but RE Group, a locally owned company, part of the Municipal Group, which includes Dexter Construction. Its official name is the Royal Environmental Group. Royal started, as far as I can tell, with the creatively named portable toilet company Royal Flush, and now RE Group serves over 2,000 commercial customers in the Halifax area. It also claims to have the largest fleet of refuse trucks in town.

This particularly nice Mack Granite is backed by a Canadian made Universal Handling Equipment refuse body. Photo April 1, 2011.

Routemasters in Pink and some interlopers

Ambassatours had such success with their Big Pink campaign last year (raising awareness and funds for Breast Cancer research) that they are going all out this year, painting the majority of their Routemaster fleet in Pink in addition to the large bendy coaches shown previously.

This morning's line up was quite impressive, with only one non-pink Routemaster. (This is not the entire fleet - there are more!)

Also down at the end of the line were a couple of Bristols, one blue, one pink.

Several of the buses just have the pink base coat yet, but they will be getting the lettering as the tourist season nears.

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Odd Auto Carriers

Watch for unusual auto haulers in the days and weeks to come. Both Chrsyler and GM are in the midst of disputes with their normal auto haulers, mainly Allied Systems, but others too. The carmakers want to reduce rates, but the haulers have collective agreements with their employees. As a result Allied has withdrawn its services.

Chrysler's Windsor minivan plant is running out of storage space and driving the vans to dealers lots, and paying dealers $60 to come and pick them up.

This morning I saw this very nice looking Western Star belonging to Oak Wood Transport Ltd of Ingersoll, ON with a load of Chryco minivans unloading at Steele Chrysler in Halifax. Obviously Chysler is finding some independent carriers to do the long haul work.

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