Scania population doubles - updated

With the latest arrival from the Netherlands the population of Scania trucks in eastern Canada has probably doubled.  Milltown Trucking's impressive bright green Scania has now been joined by a more sedate looking unit from the Netherlands.

The green unit has been in Canada for some time, working out of St.Stephen, NB, but the blue one has just cleared customs at Fairview Cove and will be on its way to its new home today. It has a slightly lower roof line and different fairing on the back edge of the cab, and thinner visor, but is very similar in appearance.

Reported to be 23 years old, but with "some work" done on it, the rig would qualify for duty-free due to its age. It has the usual European air lift rear axle. The two men were reinstalling streamline panels on the fuel tanks, which were likely removed for the boat trip, and re-torquing the wheels.

The green rig has had "some work" done on  it too, including the rally lights on the roof. If the "new" one gets the same treatment it will be an equally impressive sight bombing down the roads of New Brunswick at night - deer and moose beware.

I saw the green truck in July and posted a photo of it here: Scania 2

Aside from the conventional cab water truck - which may or may not still be around - the two COEs pictured may represent the entire total number of Scanias in this region of Canada.

Update:

I should have noted that the green unit is a 2004 R580V Topline (6x2) that came originally from Norway. [Thanks to a reader's coomment on a previous post.]

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More Heavies

 I have seen a few more oversize loads waiting for permits:

XLR Transport from Montreal had a Junttan PM16 pile driving rig. Built in Finland the unit has a working weight of 37,000 kg. The all white KW looks good too, hauling a four axle MANAC trailer with two axle dolly.

 

Parked next for a while was another truck from Quebec:

TMF Heavy Haul from Mascouche had this German made Bauer BG36H / BS95 mobile rotary drilling rig on a big three axle Aspen trailer with a two axle extension and two axle dolly. In contrast to the previous rig the three axle Kenworth W990 with mid-rise sleeper was in basic black.

Seeing the two together points out the contrast between the traditional long hood design and the W990, introduced in 2018.

 The local company TDR (part of the Dexter / Municipal Group) had this Metso Lokotrak LT 106 rock crusher from Finland - probably for one of their own quarries:

Their Western Star only needed a single axle dolly to spread out the load from the three axle trailer.

J.D.Irving Ltd's large fleet of trucks includes this daycab Freightliner with a third axle.It is used to haul components for JDI's crane business, particularly the large ballast weights needed to keep the cranes on the ground.

The set-back front axle unit is equipped with a big "headache rack"and a pair of stacks that are set well in behind the cab.

J.D.Irving Ltd is the parent company for Irving Shipbuilding Inc, operators of the Halifax Shipyard. The yard recently launched a new ship, and used a fleet of Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) to move the ship onto the launch barge. JDI appears to own some SPMTs, but brings in more when needed. Some come by ships from Fagioli in Europe. The SPMTs are built by Scheuerle.

Others apparently come from other parts of the world. I noted this one labelled "Berard", which is a company based in New Iberia, LA. I believe they also manage the moves. The interesting thing about the photo is the truck hauling the unit is a Day and Ross Volvo. Day and Ross is also a New Brunswick based company and are competitors with Irving in the trucking business, and it is indeed rare to see any Irving related business going to Day and Ross.

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Grove GMK5150L-1

 Just in from the factory in Europe and now on a rail car and ready to head out, this Grove GMK5150L-1 All Terrain crane is an impressive sight.

The riggers are readying the unit to board the flatcar.

The GMK5050L-1 is a 150 tonne (175 US ton) capacity rig and with a 6 section main boom, swing away and various boom and jib extensions may have a maximum tip height of 88m (288 ft.).

Grove is one of the Manitowoc brands, along with Potain, National Crane and Shuttle-Lift.

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More HRFE+S

 Halifax Region Fire and Emergency Service serves a population of 430,000+. Spread out over an area of 5577 square kilometers, which includes some very sparsely populated rural areas and a fairly densely populated urban centre, the HRFE+S has 51 fire stations with about 1,000 personnel, of which 489 are career firefighters and more than 600 are volunteers.

There are nineteen stations in the urban core and three on the old Halifax peninsula (where I live). Station 2, University Ave, Station 3, West Street and Station 4 Duffus Street. [There is no longer a  Station 1]

The rigs seen exercising yesterday are based on the peninsula, and Platform 3, the 2020 Pierce Arrow, 20-618P is brand new to the West Street station. [The "20" on the apparatus number represents the year the unit was ordered]. The previous Aerial 3 was active earlier in September, but has since been removed from service and is currently unassigned:

A 2009 E-One Cyclone II it had 1750 gpm pump, 250 gallon tank and 114 ft Bronto aerial platform. It carried the number 09-498P.

On September 7, when it was exercising, it had a companion pumper, Engine 3 (which is still in service):

A 2017 Spartan ERV with 1250 GPM pump and 625 gallon tank, it is number 17-585E. It looks very much like most of the current engines in Halifax which have Spartan cab/chassis but came from Carl Thibault in various years including 2011, 2012 and 2020. 

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Pierce goes high and a flashback

 Although it was a rainy day, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service was exercising today, giving me a chance to see a pair of Pierces.

Quint 7 runs this 2017 Pierce Arrow XT6700 . It pumps 1750 gpm, has a 400 gal tank and a 75' rear mount aerial ladder. It operates from Station 7, Bayers Road and carries HRF+ES number 18-581Q.

A more recent acquisition is this aerial platform:

Platform 3 operates from West Street with this 2020 Pierce Arrow XT, with 1750 gpm pump, 250 gal tank and 100' mid-mount. It carries HRMF+ES fleet number 20-618P .

Firefighters travel in relative comfort and safety nowadays. "Back when" they had to ride in open top apparatus:

 

Back in September 1966 when the West German ship Wuppertal arrived in the port of Halifax with fire in its cargo of baled cotton, the response was by the King Seagrave pumper in the foreground and an unidentified pumper in the background. I believe there were municipal hydrants in the area,so they did not have to draft seawater from the harbour. 

The fire was extinguished without serious consequences, except to some cotton.

 

 I know this is a truck blog, but a little car identification is always fun too. The Rambler on the far left was my family transportation on the day.

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Kenworth Days

 Although tomorrow, September 16 is the official opening day of the new Bayview Kenworth facility in the Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth, I decided to have a preview today.

This very smart straight reefer/box truck with sleeper was on display out front. For long hauls with high value perishables, such as lobsters, this type of vehicle has long been popular with fish dealers in the Maritimes for their frequent trips to Boston. 

Also in the lot was this brawny tractor fitted out for logging by C.E.Harrison Woodlands. It is rare to see driving lights mounted inside the bull bars, but they are both essential equipment for back roads.

Across the harbour and back in Halifax, A-1 Towing and Recovery from Lower Sackville, NS was just hooking up to this broke down International.

The set back front axle truck has lost its KW radiator emblem, and now has a bulldog mounted on top, but its ancestry can't be concealed that easily. The fifth wheel wrecker unit mounted on the long chassis is a rare sight in this area, but does allow the truck to be converted back to semi-trailer work quickly when needed.

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Trucks from far and wide

 With the wide variety of cargoes coming and going through the Port of Halifax it is not surprising that trucks come and go from all points. Today I spotted one from Saskatoon, SK. Rockport Carrier Co advertises that it has 40 drivers and works across Canada and the 48 United States with more than 100 dry vans and decks.

This Western Star is about as streamlined as they get, featuring the huge fairing over the sleeper, something not usually seen on trucks hauling step deck trailers. 

Behind it is one of Total Transport + Rigging's "trombone" Paron trailers, stretched out to carry an Airbus A220-300 fuselage imported from France and headed for Mirabel, QC. The aluminium-lithium and composite fuselage is secured to a dedicated "trolley", which in turn is secured to the trailer.

Due to road restrictions, the unit only moves out of Halifax at night so I was not able to see what truck was doing the hauling.

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Yellow Loads

 Yellow loads come in all shapes and sizes.

Sampo Rosenlew from Finland makes yellow coloured combine harvesters among other kinds of farm and forest equipment. This one bound for Quebec took a nice two-tone Kenworth to haul it away from Halifax.

Some tires were deflated and others removed entirely so the unit fits on the trailer. Note the supplementary mirrors. The driver was just about to install another one on the drivers side. 

It was not difficult to fit this Volvo digger on its trailer however. It was more a question of positioning it correctly and chaining it down.

The bright Peterbilt from Stephenville, Newfoundland is equipped with a rugged bull bar, a necessary piece of equipment for trucking on "The Rock" where the moose pollution is a serious safety issue.

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Big Box, Big Pipe

 More big objects seen on the road today. 

Total Transport and Rigging appears to have a new Peterbilt under contract from a local O/O. Today it was paired up with a Trail King three axle trailer and a big box, bound for Guelph, ON.

The well equipped Pete, with mid-rise sleeper, looks to be ready for just about anything it might meet in moose country.

Nearby a well-visored Kenworth was delivering a load of drain pipe. In addition to the familiar black poly pipe, it also has a quantity of blue cellular poly storm water collection chamber sections. Designed to store storm water on site and release it slowly into the sewer system so as not to overload the system, it comes efficiently stacked, ready to assemble.

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More high, wide and heavy

 I've seen a number of odd loads in the last few days.

Watson trucks are a familiar sight in Halifax as they are the exclusive carriers for the Bombardier aircraft components. This good looking Peterbilt is typical of the fleet.

Fresh off the ship this wide tail assembly was bound for the Downsview, ON aircraft plant and will have an escort truck. Watson and its US partner Sycamore have now been acquired 100% by the QSL Group. In 2018 QSL partnered with Groupe Robert to acquire the company. QSL, Quebec Stevedoring Ltd, have also acquired Empire Stevedoring, including its operations in Halifax.

This large object would get the award for highest and probably heaviest.

TMF Heavy Haul of Mascouche, QC had the flatbed with the single axle dolly behind their Kenworth.

A couple of Grove crane ballast units were all the cargo this Kenworth from Quebec had on its trailer.

The truck had the name of Young Livestock, St.Pauls ON on its side, but a Quebec plate up front. I suspect that is a previous owner (incidentally from the former Downie Township, the homeland of a maternal ancestor).

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Retro Boomer

 Following up on two recent topics, I spotted another Ford Louisville the other day and it was a boom truck.

Sporting a big Manitex crane boom, the L8000 Diesel also has the set back front axle. That configuration was not available for the earliest Louisvilles but became popular when owners wanted shorter wheelbases and better turning circles.

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COEs and Droms

 Moving season is a big deal in the Halifax area because many military families are being transferred to new postings before the start of the school year. Moving vans are traditionally the most frequent users of COEs, and dromedary boxes to maximize cubic capacity within the length limits.

Tippet-Richardson is one of the longest standing names in Canada's moving industry. This Freightliner COE is an appropriate representative for the company, particularity with the nice drom box. I am not sure what is going on with the high-rise side window. The unit is from Surrey, British Columbia.

Despite the United Van Lines trailer, the Freightliner COE cab unit is labeled "operated by United  AlliedVan Lines". However there is evidence that some stripes have been peeled off, so the label may be obsolete.

The cab is well worn, with lots of bug stains, rust and an Ontario plate secured with wire ties.

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One for the Mines

 The Municipal Group of companies, based in Halifax, has wide ranging interests in construction, quarrying and mining. As part of those operations they have many trucks including trucking and courier companies. One of the latter is TDR Transport and Logistics. 

TDR is a "for hire" operation, but they also have considerable in house business, including moving equipment to their mines in Quebec. Today I spotted a TDR Peterbilt with a Sandvik mine truck.

The underground loader has a huge bucket, and very cramped looking, but well protected cab.

The road-ready load was accompanied by escort vehicles ahead and following.

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Internationals make a mark

 I am noticing more Internationals, particularly the heavy duty HX model, which is going head to head with the other big names.

Total Transport + Rigging of Halifax have Macks and Western Stars too, but this Inter seems to be the truck of choice for some of the odd loads such as this aircraft tail wing. It arrived from Ireland by ship and will be headed to Quebec for assembly by Bombardier.

With the increase in demand come more deliveries to the dealers, and as usual these are by "piggy back".

These three HX models include  a sleeper / tractor and a pair of day cabs. Truck Movers, based in Kansas City, deliver trucks all over North America, many in this type of configuration.

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New, Oldie and Used

 There are still some remarkably old trucks on the road, and some late model used vehicles, with lots of life left in them.

It is hard to tell how old many trucks may be because manufacturers tend to produce the same model for many years. However it is possible to establish a minimum age based on when a model was discontinued. One of the best known truck models of the 20th century was the Ford Louisville produced from 1970 to 1998.

This L8000 may well date from the late years of the model. Aside from the bumper (!) it appears to be in good original condition.

A newer vehicle - possibly year 2000 based on the fleet number, this Western Star is likely en route to Newfoundland. Dutton Transport of Moncton, NB had a sleek looking mid-rise Freightliner hauling the step deck trailer.

A "less used" pair of Western Star day cab tractors were waiting for their next assignments down on the waterfront:

I think they were involved with set up for this Grove 5250L crane:

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Freightliner - Brandt R4 Power Unit

 The Brandt Group, based in Regina, Saskatchewan, operates world wide with a huge range of custom engineered products for many industries. Brandt Railroad Equipment is one of their divisions, and it produces Road Rail equipment including the Brandt R4 Power Unit, marketed as "the most powerful and versatile railcar mover on the market and the only highway-capable switching unit in the world". In other words a truck that can work as a railway locomotive.

This unit spotted today in Dartmouth, NS appears to be the "Railcar Mover" model (there is also a crane equipped model and a maintenance of way model). Using Freightliner chassis and a tridem drive axle, and with engine options up to 600 hp, can give a tractive effort of 50,000 pounds and highway speeds of 65 mph. Note the retractable coupler housed in the front bumper.

CN Rail has several scattered spurs in Dartmouth that require car sorting, but are fairly remote from their regular switcher engine locations, and so I could see this unit being dispatched over the road for a few moves in one part of town them relocating quickly to another area for a few moves. It would seem to be an economical alternative to a railway locomotive, or maintaining a small railcar mover at each location.

Brandt has an excellent web site with much interesting information: https://www.brandt.ca/

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Boom Trucks

 Boom trucks seem to be increasingly popular these days - I see a lot more of them on the streets.

The Elliott Equipment Company 50105 has a 50 ton lifting capacity and a 105 foot, four section, telescopic boom. Elliott's founder built the first truck-mounted telescoping aerial work platform and crane in 1948. They now have a range of forty products to chose from, and will mount on pretty much any chassis including Western Star. Headquarters is in Omaha, Nebraska.

Local steel fabricator Marid Industries has been running this Peterbilt for many years, as a tractor semi-trailer rig. It is very handy for delivering their products directly to construction sites and placing them in position.

National Crane is a subsidiary of Manitowoc, known also for its large crawler and truck mounted cranes, and the Grove and Potain trade names. The 600H model boom crane has a 20 tons (US) / 18.1 tonne capacity and comes in a variety of boom lengths ranging from 38 to 90 feet.

A European manufacturer, Fassi, produced this F800XF articulating type knuckle boom crane mounted on a tractor chassis. The cab appears to be a reconditioned International Transtar, and the forward most of the three rear axles has been added on.

Fassi is an Italian company represented in Canada by Strongco, but the F800XF does not appear in its current product line. 

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