Old Pond publishing days

Sweet tractor music

Every band should have one, more regular than a metronome: http://tinyurl.com/dk4occ

Scania book now in stock

Scania at Work: LB 110, 110, 140 & 141 by Patrick W Dyer is now in stock at Old Pond, £19.95. For more information see blog 4 February. 

An outstanding review of the Demolition Giants DVD

In the June issue of Earthmovers magazine editor Graham Black has given a whole page to a review of Steven Vale's programme Demolition Giants. Here are some quotes from the article:

'This is the best demolition DVD that I have ever watched ... effectively 1 hour 25 minutes' worth of good quality television that can be watched any time you like, over and over again for £15.95. No American hype and no comedians, just the sights and sounds of the tall structures being ripped apart by massive machinery, acompanied by an informative documentary-style English-language voice-over.'

'The footage of the extremely tall rigs at work is simply stunning, particularly the giant machinery in Holland.... However, for those with a professional interest in the subject, it also provides a unique insight into cutting-edge European demolition technology; it is a business essential. What was a stylish and worthwhile touch was the DVD extras, including an interview with David Kocurek. If you want to know about high-reach demolition rigs, this East Anglian engineer is a well-respected world-class expert.'

If you aren't already receiving Earthmovers magazine, go to www.earthmoversmagazine.co.uk. You'll find that they are now adding exciting video footage to their website.

For more information about the Demolition Giants DVD and a Contents list look at our blog of 8 February. To buy online go straight to Old Pond

DVD Massive Earthmoving Machines Part 4 advance information

This DVD deals with some extreme Mountain Movers from Hitachi, Komatsu, Cat and Liebherr. They are at work in the coalfields around Fabero, northern Spain, and the talc mine of Luzenac in the French Pyrenees. You will find two sets of photographs in our blog of 3 July 2008.

Massive Earthmoving Machines Part 4 Mountain Movers, by Steven Vale, DVD, approx 90 minutes, ISBN 978-1-906853-06-8, IN STOCK at Old Pond at £15.95 (inc VAT). 

The programme contains some truly memorable footage recorded by Jonathan Theobald and Roger Wiltshire, the team who worked on the first three critically acclaimed programmes in the series. The script is by Steven Vale whose previous work includes the Aitik DVD and Demolition Giants.

Contents

SPAIN
FABERO COAL MINE
Hitachi EX5500 excavator (520 tonnes) – only ones in Europe
Cat 789C dump trucks (200-tonnes capacity)
Komatsu D475A dozer (100 tonnes) – biggest in Europe
Cat 5110B excavator (130 tonnes)
Cat 988F wheeled loader
Plus Tamrock drills, a blast, numerous other excavators and coal loading.

TORMELEO COAL MINE
Komatsu PC3000 hydraulic excavator (250 tonnes)
Cat 16M grader
Hitachi Zaxis EX850 hydraulic excavator (85 tonnes)
Komatsu D375A dozer (70 tonnes)
Komatsu WA800 wheeled loader (100 tonnes).

CERREDO COAL MINE
Hitachi EX3600 hydraulic excavator (360 tonnes) – rare machines in Europe
Komatsu WA600 wheeled loader (53 tonnes).

FRANCE: LUZENAC TALC MINE
Liebherr R994B hydraulic excavator (340 tonnes)
Komatsu HD985 dump trucks (105 tonnes capacity)
Cat 777C dump trucks (95 tones capacity)
Cat 992G wheeled loader (100 tonnes)
Numerous Liebherr excavators extracting and loading talc with special front shovels.
Drills, a small blast, and a novel bucket and cable transport system.

FABERO EXTRA
O&K 120-C hydraulic excavator (220 tonnes)
Demag H185 hydraulic excavator (200 tonnes)
Demag 95 hydraulic excavator.

Ice Road Truckers Season 2 DVD in stock

Old Pond has now received stock of this 9-hour epic 3-DVD set (see blog 3 March for more details). Ice Road Truckers Season 2 is available at £19.95.

Demag AC350 crane at work

On 29th April, yacht Gaia is perched outside the Spirit Yachts boatyard in Ipswich Dock. Gaia is 30 metres long, 'Spirit 100' class, a classical beauty constructed of laminar wood.

A different sort of beauty (left): the Terex / Demag AC350 crane arrives at 7 a.m. on 30th April. It has been hired by Quinto from NMT crane hire.

The counterweights are transported by two DAF 105.510 tractors (right) with Broshuis trailers. Each can carry up to 70 tonnes, a 90-tonne gross weight.

The weights are 6 or 10 tonnes each (left). The total for this lift is 122 tonnes.

The crane weighs 100 tonnes and cruises at 50 mph.

The lift was quick and trouble-free in the hands of operator Trevor Hill. That's just about £4 million he has at his fingertips (right), or two years' work for the boatyard. The crane's mast is extended 33 metres.

Even if (like me) you don't know anything about yachts you may remember the boat at Venice in the Daniel Craig Casino Royale. That was from this yard, a 54-foot version.

The crane was extended to its full 56 metres to handle the 40-metre mast (left). If you look at the detail of this photograph you may just make out a Terex / Demag G107 steadying the lower part of the mast.

Someone's enjoying his work: up the mast (right) to free the tie.

This day's work was recorded for Old Pond's  first crane DVD in which Steven Vale will look at the large wheeled cranes. This is a 350; we expect him to find some 1,000s or 1,200s.

If you have really deep pockets and appreciate the best in yacht design check out Spirit Yachts.

Suffolk filly Tanzin's first day out

At the Woodbridge Horse Show today Colony Tanzin made her first appearance. She had to adjust to the noise and bustle of a busy public occasion.

Groom Richard Gibbs from the Suffolk Horse Trust led Tanzin in the Class for 2-year-old Suffolk fillies. Tanzin won a blue rosette for second place (out of two). She is sponsored by Old Pond Publishing - see blog 28 September.