Old Pond publishing days

Talc at Luzenac - Liebherr machines

'Luzenac talc for the world' is the catch-phrase of Rio Tinto Minerals' Pyreneean talc mine north of Ax-les-Thermes in the Ariege region of south-west France. We have been filming there courtesy of Alexander Kristen, the mine's general manager and Laura Jones, Rio Tinto's European communications manager. See blog 4 May 2009 for DVD (Massive Earthmoving Machines Pt 4) details.

The softest of all minerals, talc is 'a perfectly stable and chemically inert hydrous magnesium silicate' that has a laminar structure. The weak binding of the laminae (sheets) allow them to slide over each other, making the rock so soft.

The mine is in a staggeringly beautiful landscape, at about 1700 metres, with vultures wheeling on the thermals and, at this time of year, carpets of flowers.

Nothing prepares you for the whiteness of the mine (right). The deposit lies in a deep, wide cleft slanting diagonally down between other rocks.

The deposit has been mined here since the early 19th century. Until recently the company had the policy of repainting in white all its vehicles, like this Cat 777C (left).

The Liebherr 994 Litronic (right) makes short work of shifting waste material.

At the end of our first day (left), high above the mine, the warning is sounded for a blasting.

Down on the wet talc concrete slabs are used to make movable roadways. The transporter (right) is a Liebherr 942.

The talc is carefully taken by small machines like this Liebherr 900 (left) and separated into different shades and qualities.

Articulated dump trucks like this Volvo (right) are used to move talc to the stockpiles above the crusher ...

... where a Cat 98G (left) selects from eleven grades.

Inside the loading shed (right) the buckets are filled for transport down from the deposit at Trimouns to the processing and depatch factory at Luzenac. 

The filled buckets start their run on the cable (left).

As the filled buckets descend  (right) they contribute power to raise the empty buckets back up.

The main uses of talc: in the manufacture of polypropylene, especially for car bodies; paint manufacture; paper coatings; cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; ceramics; agriculture and food. If you'd like more information before our DVD (scripted by Steven Vale) is available, Talc de Luzenac has a highly illustrated book available in French, German or English. The English version is called 'The Epic of Luzenac Talc'. Check www.luzenac.com/talcdeluzenac

Fabero mines: Hitachi and Komatsu earthmovers

As part of Old Pond's programme of recording earthmovers at work we've just spent some time filming in northern Spain, courtesy of the Union Minera del Norte SA. Our guides were Roberto Brana and Maria del Pilar. See blog 4 May 2009 for the DVD (Massive Earthmoving Machines Pt 4) details.

The three mines we visited were at Fabero, Tormeleo and Cerredo in north-west Leon and the Asturias. On the left is Fabero.

The company uses Hitachi EX5500s (right) for heavy work on the overburden at Fabero. We believe these are the only 5500s in Europe.

The coal seams are surprisingly shallow. The ones we saw were maybe 40 cm deep. We were told that they can be as little as 20 cm and still be economic to work. Here (left) a 350 with a specially adapted bucket is gathering on a seam.

The contrast in size between the two Hitachis shows clearly when they are working together (right).

Among the dump trucks were these converted 1100s (left).

The Komatsu PC 3000 (right) is working in the Tormeleo mine.

Loading coal from the stockpile at Tormeleo (left) is the highly manoeuvrable Komatsu WA800 wheel loader.

At Cerredo, high in the mountains in the very south of the Asturias, we concentrated on just one special machine: the Hitachi EX3600 (right).

International tractors at Doncaster - forthcoming DVD

Founded in 1902, International Harvester of Chicago formed its British division just four years later. The acquisition of the Doncaster site in 1938 was the first step in establishing a UK manufacturing base, but it was not until 1949 that the first British Farmall M tractor rolled out of the Wheatley Hall factory.

International at Doncaster: British production 1949-75 DVD by Stuart Gibbard runs for approximately 85 minutes. Now in stock, Old Pond Publishing. £15.95.

Stuart Gibbard's programme focuses on the golden years of British production, covering all the principal wheeled and crawler models built at Doncaster and its satellite Bradford plant up until the early 1970s when the worldwide range was phased in. The tractors are seen in action with a variety of implements throughout the seasons.

The featured machines, both restored and working examples, have been selected to display the diversity of the marque - from the actual first Farmall of 1949 to the last McCormick CX model to be made at Doncaster before the factory closed in 2007. This is a magnificent tribute to the glory of the British International years.

Stuart Gibbard is author of many tractor books and DVDs. He is editor of Old Tractor magazine.

The machines shown in the programme: Farmall M (first production tractor) - Farmall M (1950) with International 8-A plough - Farmall M (1951) with Bettinson trailed cultivator - Farmall Super BMD with International 8-A plough - Coronation Super BMD with seed harrows - BTD-6 with Massey Ferguson 30 drill - Super BWD-6 (1954) with McCormick Deering 8C plough - B-250 with Howard Rota-Cadet - Super BWD-6 (1957) with International 8-A plough - BTD6-40 with harrows - BTD-20 with Bullgrader attachment - B-450 with McConnel S-12 backhoe - B-275 with International B-23 mower - B-450 Farmall with Dorman trailed sprayer - TD-8 (82 Series) with disc harrows - B-414 with Vicon Acrobat - B-614 with Browns pan-buster - B-64 trailed combine with International B-414 tractor - BTD-5 with spring-tine cultivator - 434 with Massey Ferguson 34 grain drill - 634 with International cultivator - 276 - 634 'Four Wheel Drive' (Roadless) with backhoe - TD-8 Bullgrader - TD-6 with trailed Leverton cultivator - 354 with Pettit 3-ton trailer - 474 with Quike loader - McCormick CX105 Diamond Edition - McCormick CX105 Xtra-Shift.

Yellow Trail from Texas in stock

Yellow Trail from Texas was the ground-breaking programme shown in 1976 as part of the BBC's "The World About Us" series. It featured Dale and Margie Starks and their crews of custom cutters working their way from Texas to Canada with Massey combines and Ford trucks.

The DVD of Tim Slessor's exceptional programme came into stock at Old Pond today. Running time approx 50 minutes. £15.95.

JCB3 and an original Bamford trailer

This week we spent an interesting afternoon as guests of JC Balls & Sons at Ambergate, Derbys, completing the filming of Tim Starkey-Smith's history of the JCB backhoe loader. For more details see blog 24 August.

Here we found a JCB3 under restoration (left).It was first registered in Edinburgh in 1960.

Importance of this machine was that it was the first of the JCBs to incorporate a side shift (above).

The JCB's engine and transmission had been taken out of the machine during restoration. Here it was - a Fordson Diesel Major, the skid unit that JCB received.

Traces of Fordson blue still to be seen.

Restorer and demonstrator David Whittle showed us a special piece of equipment in the corner of the yard. This was one of the original trailers made by JC Bamford in 1945-6. The tinwork came from redundant Anderson shelters and the tail-lift was still by a screw mechanism. 

Know Your Tractors - new book in stock

Know Your Tractors by Chris Lockwood is now in stock at £4.99. See blog 14th February

International BTD20 filmed

We've now finished filming for Stuart Gibbard's DVD about McCormick International Tractors: the Doncaster years.

The last machine to be filmed was this BTD20 belonging to Eamon Pell. It was built in 1956 or 1957, the sixtieth off the Doncaster production line. Eamon has owned the BTD20 since 1986, still using it for odd jobs. He has had to replace only the running gear and one track.

Eamon (below) is an agricultural engineer, based at Lambley, Notts.

Suffolk Show - tyring a wheel

We've spent most of the past week at the Suffolk Show, Ipswich, setting up, running our stand and packing it all away again. Plenty of enthusiastic visitors and good to see old friends. Disappointing end to the show when long traffic queues meant that it took hours (literally) to move the van on and off site.

On the Suffolk Horse Society stand there was a nice demonstration of how to tyre a wheel. In the brick circle on the left of the photograph the demonstrators had used wooden blocks - and some paraffin - to heat the metal tyre until it expanded. They carried the tyre over to the wheel and laid it round the wooden rim. They were now watering the metal to limit burning and contract the tyre to a tight fit.

Massive Earthmoving Machines DVDs now in stock

Keith Haddock's Massive Earthmoving Machines Parts 1 and 2 are now in stock. Detailed information about the programmes is given in the blog entries for 23 March.

The DVDs cost £15.95 each or the two together may be had at the offer price of £24.95. See www.oldpond.com

Marshall Diesel Tractors 1930-1957 - forthcoming book

Peter Anderson's book, prepared with the help of the late Jeff Bloom, is aimed at owners, restorers and potential buyers of Marshall tractors. Peter deals with the following models: the 'Colonial'; Model E (15/30); 18/30; 12/20 and M; Field Marshall Mark 1 and Series 2, 3 and 3A; MP4 and MP6; the Track Marshall; the Fowler VF and VFA and the Gainsborough loading shovel. The book includes 280 photographs.

Peter gives a potted history of the development of each individual Series and Mark. Wherever possible he offers current or potential owners a Buyer's Guide for each model. This describes areas of likely wear and tear or specific checks to be made before purchase.

At the end of each chapter Peter gives a specification sheet with details of general dimensions, capacities, optional equipment, production numbers and areas of distribution. He completes the book with chapters on preventative maintenance and trouble-shooting. Restorers are well served by Peter's knowledgeable discussion of what might or might not be counted as authentic.

Peter shares with the late Jeff Bloom a deep-rooted enthusiasm for Marshall. He is author of Three Decades of Marshall Tractors and numerous articles about the company and its products.

Marshall Diesel Tractors 1930-1957 by Peter Anderson, hardback book, approx 220 pages inc. 280 photographs. ISBN 978-1-905523-88-7. £24.95, Old Pond Publishing. NOW IN STOCK