Sunday, May 08, 2016 at 10:02
9900Eagle - Yes, the early LeTourneau "Tournapull" motorised scraper certainly did earn a reputation as a widow-maker.
The problem was the post supporting the ball on the gooseneck was too thin, and the post would fracture with age and hours, and the tractor and the prime mover would separate - quite often at speed.
The result was the scraper riding up over the prime mover and killing the operator.
It wasn't helped by the fact that most scraper operators are quite mad! - and they drive like the craziest speedway drivers!
It was a common saying amongst us older earthmovers, that the 1st requirement to become a scraper operator, was to have your brain removed! - because the constant scraper bounce would shake it out, anyway! LOL
The old LeTourneau motorised scrapers were often driven at speeds up to 50mph (80kmh).
The operators would throw them into angel gear (they only ran a foot clutch and 5 speed "crash" gearbox) on long downhill runs doing cut-to-fill, and they would fairly wind up speed on the downhill leg.
They had those fantastic 4 wheel multi-plate disc brakes, so the operators felt they had the ultimate earthmoving "race cars".
Then LeTourneau sold out to Westinghouse Air Brake company in 1953 and WABCO removed all the LeTourneau disc brakes - and replaced them with WABCO drum brakes, that were next to useless!
The reason given was the complexity and cost of the LeTourneau braking system, and the fact that some other poisonous materials - besides asbestos - were used in them, making them a real health risk.
The simple fact remained that WABCO drum brakes still used asbestos brake shoes, anyway!
Bob Y. - Yes, bulldozing with the Tournadozers was a black art. You spent all your time trying to stop them from bouncing, and making waves with the blade.
They did much better as scraper-pushers, whereby hooking the blade into the scraper push block would stop the bouncing.
Cheers, Ron.
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