CPA Bulletin

20 CPA Bulletin > November 2021 www.cpa.uk.net working life at Charlton Sawmills near Chichester. It is currently having a major overhaul and a boiler recondition with the aid of a restoration grant from the Association for Industrial Archaeology. In 1939 control of the Thomas Smith firm passed to Thos W Ward Ltd of Sheffield. This company subsequently added Smith machines to its hire fleet. The 1940s saw the introduction of the Models 10, 12 and 21 crawler mounted universal excavators. Latter examples of these popular machines featured a stylish rounded cab which looked ahead of its time. During the 1950s Smith introduced truck mounted versions of its lattice boom cranes. By the early 1960s its flagship truckmount was the 30 ton capacity T30 on an 8x4 Foden Lowline crane carrier chassis. One of these was bought by Pointer Crane & Plant Hire Ltd in Norwich and it was then the biggest crane for hire in East Anglia! Pointers subsequently added a T35 and went on to become Quinto and a prominent CPA member. The first telescopic boom crane from Thomas Smith was a 4x4 machine built for the British Ministry of Defence. Powered by a 280hp Rolls Royce engine, maximum capacity was 10 tons and it could reach a maximum travel speed of 35mph. Arguably it was probably one of the first all-terrain cranes. Some 53 of the 10 ton Smith cranes with their big balloon tyres and distinctive double-ended operators cab were supplied to the British Military. But these high spec (and pricey) machines were not sold to commercial customers. The company did however make several truck mounted telescopic boom cranes starting with the 30 ton T30 in 1969. There was also an attempt to introduce the latest hydraulic (rather than mechanical) crawler crane technology with the introduction of the 35 ton Eurocrane 35-40C in 1976. Sadly the company did not develop its own range of hydraulic excavators and after changes of ownership, increased overseas competition (with the latest technology) and a UK recession, the Smith brand became consigned to history. The last excavators to be made in Rodley were two E14000 draglines destined for Trinidad in 1983. Amongst examples of Smith excavators now in preservation are a number of machines at the Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum in Cumbria. These include a late 1930s Smith 8 luffing shovel, a 1954 Super 10 backacter, a 1967 Smith 21 gooseneck backacter, a 1967 Smith 14 crane /dragline and a 1968 Smith 26 dragline. A good time to visit Threlkeld is during the Working Demonstrations organised by the Vintage Excavator Trust during the third full weekends in May and September each year. Meanwhile, the Friends of the Farsley Rehoboth Burial ground are raising funds to restore the graves there. Any contributions are welcome. Go to the Charity’s Gift Aid enabled and fee free Go Fund Me portal at https://www.gofundme.com/8ebrjy-Farsley- Rehoboth-Burial-Ground-needs-help GUEST ARTICLE: 2