Sennebogen 825

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Eric

It’s hard to drive by a machine like this Sennebogen 825 and not feel the urge to stop and take a photograph. So that is exactly what I did. Plus I like to say the name Sennebogen. This particular 825 looks to be setup for timber work based on the boom attachment. One of the more interesting aspects of this machine is the elevating cab. If I am reading the brochure correctly the cab can rise to a height of 8 foot! No more craning your neck to see what you are lifting.

Sennebogen 825 – Click to Enlarge

The video below shows the Sennbogen 825 in action.

For more information you can visit the official Sennbogen by clicking here. Plenty of interesting machinery and cranes to gawk over. Well worth the visit. Who knows, you may even learn some German.

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CSX Jet Powered Snowblower

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Eric

Growing up near a busy rail yard I’ve heard this piece of equipment working before but I never saw it in action. That has yet to change but I finally did grab a shot of the machine responsible for the noise. By the time I caught this guy he was busy motoring back to the maintenance shed. Some quick google searching reveals that this jet engine runs on kerosene, a fact supported by the hazardous materials placard on the fuel tank.

CSX Jet Snowblower – Click to Enlarge

This is little machine that makes A LOT of noise. On a cold winter night the sound carries for miles.

Related Article

It’s  a Snow Thing – Jordan Spreader

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Truck 57 – Onondaga County DOT

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Eric

My neck of the woods came through relatively unscathed by the storm/blizzard that will be known to future generations as Nemo. For the most part it was just a regular winter storm that brought a respectable 6 – 10 inches depending on your location relative to the NYS Thruway. If you are from the CNY area you know that the Thruway is the dividing line for all weather in this part of the world.

Anyway, grabbing photos of plow trucks is usually about being in the right place at the right time. Carrying a camera on your person 24/7 is a good idea as well. As fate would have it I arrived home Friday afternoon just as truck 57 of the Onondaga DOT crested the hill near my house. Grabbing some photos and videos required nothing more than to stand in my driveway and watching the truck cruise by. Living at the end of a plow route has its advantages as the truck is usually back within a minute or two to clean the other side of the street.

Click to Enlarge

Usually I can see the truck swing the u-turn for the return pass.

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The next morning all was clear and bright. I had just returned home when truck 57 again paid a visit to my street.

Click to Enlarge

By now the drivers must think I am stalking them but in reality I haven’t done much more than stand outside for 3 minutes all weekend. Gotta love that low hanging fruit!

Guess what, video.

*Reader Update*

Joe writes “Truck 57 is a 1999 International 2674 4×2. There are a total of eight of these in their fleet. These replaced 1988 International Paystar single axles auctioned in 1999.”

Thanks for the info Joe!

Posted in On the Job, Snow Plows | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Big Rig Bounty Hunters

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Eric

I never complain when a new truck related show hits the airways. Our friends at the History channel seems to have the market cornered when it comes to new trucking shows. This Thursday (2/14) Big Rig Bounty Hunters premieres at 10PM. According to History the show premise is as follows…

Every year, thousands of trucks carrying valuable cargo across America go missing. These big rigs have to be hunted down and hauled in or the trucking companies pay the price. Vital to our nation’s economy, the United States depends on these trucks to deliver the goods. In Big Rig Bounty Hunters, HISTORY tracks five groups of colorful characters along a perilous competition to retrieve the missing loads while facing a ticking clock and life-threatening duty. A day in the life of a truck hunter is never easy, but the dollar signs keep these truckers hunting.

Time will tell if the show is nothing more than hyped up drama (Storage Wars) or something a little more realistic. Below is a trailer of what to expect.

Seems like the perfect way to spend Valentines Day! 😉

Posted in Diesel on TV | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Heavy Equipment Answers

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Eric

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in December of 2011, I ran a post with some photos of what I thought was a heavy equipment bone yard comprised mainly of CAT dozers and Euclid scrapers. For as long as I could remember the equipment had sat parked in orderly rows. They never appeared to move I would always wonder what the deal was as I passed by. Were these fine machines destined to just rust away? I could only wonder. Finally after all these years an answer has arrived. The short version, the machines are cared for and actually still run. In fact, they last worked as of 2007. I love it. To read the old post with all the updated information click here.

The man who contributed the information has his own collection of Euclids and other “vintage” equipment. He has a great video on Youtube of his 1965 Euclid C 6-5 dozer that I recommend you watch. Once this beast starts up there is no mistaking what power plant is in use.

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World of Concrete 2013

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Eric

Extravagant hotels and casinos. Fabulous shows. Gambling. Free flowing liquor. These are just some of the reasons why millions of people visit Las Vegas each year. Over the past few years I’ve come to realize there is another reason to visit this fine city, the trade shows! For example, World of Concrete. For most this show sounds lame but where else will you see the latest in concrete technology? The trucks! The heavy equipment! If you attended this years show you know that Western Star trucks sponsored a drivers challenge in a nearby parking lot. You could test your skills in a brand new rigs against other drivers for a chance to win tickets to a NASCAR race. For some cool shots and videos of the event click here. I really would have liked to drive that 6900XD!

Also at the show, new products!

Navistar unveiled a variety of refinements to their existing product line mostly centered around the WorkStar. Improvements  such as break-away mirrors and LED lighting have been added along with, wait for it…..SCR! A WorkStar vocational tractor setup also premiered. Visit this article at ForConstructionPros.com to learn more.

CNG continues to make headway with both Freightliner and Kenworth showing their first CNG concrete mixers. Click here to read more courtesy of Commerical Carrier Journal. For the Kenworth story click here.

Finally, Mack donated a brand new Mack Granite with a McNeilus mixer to the Concrete Industry Management program. The truck was auctioned to help provide scholarship support to students seeking a B.S. in Concrete Industry Management. Click here for the full story.

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Name the Crane

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Eric

My wife spied this crane the other day outside of her gym. She was nice enough to take a picture for all of us to enjoy. The crane belongs to Solvay Iron Works. I’m not sure of the model so I will just go ahead and say it’s a Grove. Anyone else have a better guess?

Click to Enlarge

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Brother from a different mother

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Eric

Daimler Trucks North America, the parent company to both Freightliner and Western Star trucks. Below is an interpretation from each sibling company on what a plow truck should be. Which one would you choose?

Freightliner 114SD – Click to Enlarge

Western Star 4900 – Click to Enlarge

Posted in At the Dealer, Snow Plows | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

International 9670 Cabover

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Eric

I know I have plenty of cabover fans out there so this one is for you! Don shares with us a great photo of his 1987 International 9670. If you attended the ATHS show in Springfield last year you may have seen this great truck in person. I really enjoy the paint job and graphics on this rig. They make for a great combination.

International 9670 – Click to Enlarge

Related Article – Last of the cabovers

Posted in International | Tagged , | 3 Comments

U-Haul Supergraphics

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Eric

I happened across this little U-Haul truck a few months back and was intrigued by the graphics on the side. How could I ignore what appears to be a Peterbilt hauling an over sized load across a frozen ice road? I followed the directions that instructed me to visit uhaul.com and was surprised by a well put together story for each of the “supergraphics.” You can view the story about the Canadian Northwest Territories by clicking here. I guarantee you will learn more about ice road trucking from U-Haul than by watching the six seasons of Ice Road Truckers.

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On the topic of IRT, will there be a season seven? According to Dave Redmen, a driver from past seasons, the answer might be yes. A video posted on his Youtube channel claims that producers, cast and crew have assembled in Canada to film a new season. Alaska is out of the season this year. Possible drivers include Jack, Tony and Austin. As usual, Dave has some colorful opinions on the show and of his former TV friends. The premise for season seven pits Hugh and Mark (Polar Industries) in a head to head company competition. Hugh has supposedly assembled 10 trucks in Canada in a bid to unseat Mark. Dave points out that the TV show covers the cost of all repairs and maintenance to the trucks involved in the series. This allows Hugh to buy junk trucks, fix them, and then sell them for more than he paid at the close of filming. Interesting stuff. You can check out the full video by clicking here.

Posted in Diesel on TV, Industry News | Tagged , | 1 Comment