RFleet1066
09-20-2007, 12:53 AM
Alice was a bitch
She's a 20 to rough terrain crane I bought from the Army. She 4-wheel drives, 4-wheel steers, oblique steers, and has an 11 foot dozer blade on front. An 8 cylinder Cummins diesel on the carrier and a six cylinder in the crane house. 52680 pounds of raw beast.
When I bought her, I cranked her up (161 hours since overhaul) and drove her home...........with one little detour. Coming down I-64 at a blinding 45 mph, she started harmonizing with the slabs of concrete and started to skip. My chase car said he could see light under all four wheels at once. Since there was no load on the steering, her hydraulic steering decided to go right. Through the guard rail and down the hill. Since we were airborne, the brakes were not working too well. After snapping numerous trees like matcksticks, she finally slowed down and stopped.
I got the wrecker from hell to winch her back up to the world above and took off the steering cylinder and repaired it at my shop. Bolted it back up and off we went again.......a little slower and more cautious.
I used Alice for a couple of years building my house. She was also great for clearing the land. This is the original stump-o-matic.
I sold her when finished and got to the last nickle what I paid.
That's a happy ending crane story.
Ryland Fleet
Acme Gadget Division
Inventor of the spring
She's a 20 to rough terrain crane I bought from the Army. She 4-wheel drives, 4-wheel steers, oblique steers, and has an 11 foot dozer blade on front. An 8 cylinder Cummins diesel on the carrier and a six cylinder in the crane house. 52680 pounds of raw beast.
When I bought her, I cranked her up (161 hours since overhaul) and drove her home...........with one little detour. Coming down I-64 at a blinding 45 mph, she started harmonizing with the slabs of concrete and started to skip. My chase car said he could see light under all four wheels at once. Since there was no load on the steering, her hydraulic steering decided to go right. Through the guard rail and down the hill. Since we were airborne, the brakes were not working too well. After snapping numerous trees like matcksticks, she finally slowed down and stopped.
I got the wrecker from hell to winch her back up to the world above and took off the steering cylinder and repaired it at my shop. Bolted it back up and off we went again.......a little slower and more cautious.
I used Alice for a couple of years building my house. She was also great for clearing the land. This is the original stump-o-matic.
I sold her when finished and got to the last nickle what I paid.
That's a happy ending crane story.
Ryland Fleet
Acme Gadget Division
Inventor of the spring