Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

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ed K
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Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by ed K »

truck.jpg
This Scania has appeared with the MAN in the last few weeks, seems the bridge needs double the haulage power now even tho big bertha never seems to move.
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by Swift »

I notice that the Scania hasn't got twin steering axles ,so maybe it was bought for lighter duty tasks so as to save big Bertha only for when it's really required.
Last edited by Swift on Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by boronia »

That MAN must be at least 15-20 years old by now.
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ed K
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by ed K »

Yes, Qxx series would have started 1989/90. I would love to know how many km's the MAN has i might ask someone there next week.
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by Volvo Super Olympian »

Nice pic there Edison.

I wonder why they don't put one on either side of the bridge, wouldn't that mean a quicker response time if there's a breakdown on the soundbound?
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by The Inspector »

Havent seen the Scania yet but seen the MAN a few times, have a pic of it rescuing an STA bus in George st a few yrs ago, will try and dig it out.
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by Swift »

The bus I was driving ran out of fuel on the SHB one time and I was towed by Big Bertha with passengers to Blue St North Sydney while I steered.

The engine sounded abit like an SL202!
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Maladjusted
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by Maladjusted »

Are these to only rescue STA or anything big that breaks down on the bridge? The Scania has the No 14 on it.
I take it that Bug Bertha is the MAN and is an underlift?
A mate of mine bought a Holmes 500 wrecker with body that had supposedly been used on the bridge 1960s&70s for similar duties and is looking for photos of this in use. Would amyone have a collection of photos of tow wagons?
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by mrobsessed »

Q series plates were issued at the same time as Sxx series, around 1993/4.
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by Simes »

Maladjusted wrote:Are these to only rescue STA or anything big that breaks down on the bridge? The Scania has the No 14 on it.
I take it that Bug Bertha is the MAN and is an underlift?
A mate of mine bought a Holmes 500 wrecker with body that had supposedly been used on the bridge 1960s&70s for similar duties and is looking for photos of this in use. Would amyone have a collection of photos of tow wagons?
They for anything big that the tilt trays can't handle (there's at least one thats a bit bigger than your common all garden towy tilt tray truck) I guess their main use these days would be to rescue stranded buses or coaches (whoever the operator)
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicles

Post by boronia »

mrobsessed wrote:Q series plates were issued at the same time as Sxx series, around 1993/4.
This truck would have originally been registered on MR-nnn or DMR-nnn plates; these would have been cancelled when the DMR morphed into the RTA in the early 1990s, so 1993-4 could be correct; it is surprising that it did not get RTA-nnn plates though.
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicl

Post by Peta mechanic. »

A little trivia here. When the MAN was built, it was originally a single steer vehicle and that I know because I saw it at the Truck Show (the old Yennora Woolshed ones!) when it was new. Unfortunately it was too heavy on the front end when unloaded but fine with a load which a lot of towies are/were at the time. The RTA then had it converted to twin steer and there was a lot of uproar about it from other operators saying that it would be unsafe especially in the wet because of the fact that with weight transfer it would be very light on each front tyre when loaded.

For the record too, the vehicles are on the bridge to clear anything, not just STA vehicles.

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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicl

Post by The Inspector »

As promised, here is Big Bertha rescueing a failed Scania in George st back in 2004.
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Re: Big Bertha and new Sydney Harbour Bridge recovery vehicl

Post by vernbale »

That MAN certainly wouldn't struggle hauling that scania bus out of the way, decent sized tow truck!!!
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