21st February 2003

A TCP Hi-T500 compact tracked dumper on hire from Sibbons of Colchester has solved a difficult stone handling problem for Thames & Colne River Aggregates at its large site alongside the river Colne near Fingringhoe in Essex.

The company, which extracts sand and gravel at a rate of some 180,000 tonne per year for shipment to London via barges, is currently undertaking the second stage of a major land restoration project. Installation of main drains has already been carried out and now spur drains are being added to further improve the area to enable it to be used for grazing.

Because of recent weather, the land is very wet and the company did not want to cause any unnecessary damage by using wheeled machines. The 500 kg capacity Hi-T500 has therefore been hired in by contractor D. Pittock to transport and tip a total of some 60 tonne of stone into prepared slit trenches.

Despite the very sticky ground conditions, the dumper has proved ideal for the job - a job that otherwise would have had to be undertaken using wheelbarrows running on lengths of old conveyor belting.

Manufactured by Taylor Construction Plant at its Maldon factory, the robustly constructed Hi-T500 has an unladen weight of 448 kg and is powered by an electric start Kubota diesel developing 7.4 kW (10 hp). Despite its diminutive size, the machine exerts a track ground pressure of just 0.351 kg/cm 2 (4.99 psi).

Visit the Hi-T500 page for more information