Friday 18th April 2008
0630 Start. I'm off to Alconbury this morning and happily trundling along the A130 between Chelmsford and Great Dunmow when I suddenly lose power, the engine has cut out and won't restart whilst I'm rolling. Luckily I'm just coming up to a side turning where there is space to stop, actually that's really lucky as there are very few places on a busy, narrow and windy road.
I'm unable to shed any light on the problem, it starts and runs for a second or two before cutting out. I assume that is a fuel problem and call the office who promise assistance in one form or another. This turns out to be our fitter who services and repairs the machines, as I demonstrate the problem it has miracously fixed itself and is running happily. We decide to Jack the cab up anyway and see if anything looks wrong. Nothing is amiss so I restart my journey with him following as far as the M11 in case of trouble.
Everything is fine all the way up to Duxford and then the problem reoccurs between J10 / J11 I coast to a stop on the hard shoulder next to an emergency phone and let the Highways Agency know I'm there and am dealing with the problem.
I wait a while and try again, nothing doing so I call the office. We agree that I should wait a while longer and see if I can get off the M11 rather than call for recovery. At 0930 I decide that as it's not going and I'm freezing it is now time to throw in the towel and inform the office. I've just finished on the phone when I suddenly have an idea, there's a hidden deadman switch and when I look the switch is worn and presumably jumping to off. After taping it up, everything is fine and I'm able to get under way again.
I'm going on to Alconbury airfield to load a couple of Unimogs. They're by the gatehouse and I have my doubts if they're going to both fit on, however I like a challenge and get them both fired up and belching out smoke in the direction of the gatehouse.
The first one goes on, and I get a chain through the front eye before driving it tight up against the bulkhead.
The second one is slightly smaller but has a big winch and a towing hitch on the front, the hitch has to be removed to reduce the length. This one is then driven up behind the first one until it touches the front one.
There's abit of work to do chaining them both on.
But after an hour or so of trying different options they just manage to fit with the ramps almost folded upright behind.
I'm off back down the M11 to drop them off at the Unimog dealer in Chelmsford.
He's got some better pictures on his website.
http://www.parkagri.com
After I've done here things are a lit more straight forward, there's a Hyundai 55 and a dumper to move a couple of miles locally.
I get back to the yard about 3pm but immediately get sent out to Takeley to snatch back one of our Yanmar 75's, the company it's on hire to has just gone into receivership and we want it back ASAP. I take one of the machine drivers from the yard to help speed things up on a Friday afternoon.
Back at the yard it is offloaded and I'm home at 1700.
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