The British Columbia Road Runner, Volume 14, Number 1
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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA ISSN UJ!>2 -2Hl Runner PBUSHED BY T H E 1 INISTRY OF HIGHWAYS AND P UBLIC W O K WINTER 1977 VOLUME 14, NUMBE R 1 LANGFORD FABRICATION SHOP As earl y as 1958, development of a single-operator winter unit was considered imperative. Such a unit , fully con tro llable from the cab, had to be capable of sanding and ploughing as well as retaining its original fu nctio n as a dump truck. By 1960, Langford was in production of hydraulic systems, underbody ploughs and tailgate sanders. The basic hydraulic system has been improved during the intervening years but it still uses the same components. Improvements in design and function have developed the unde rbody plough and pres ent L. E. Croft demand is for a plough for each new unit. Changes Art Cook have also been made through the years to the tail gat e sander , which now is widel y used in salt delivery. However, the ori ginal design was sound and, the quality and durability of the sanders proven. The or iginal sanders produced in 1960 are still performing from Langford to 100 Mile Hou se. Over 700 sanders have been produced as well as hundreds of underbody ploughs and hydraul ic systems. Langford fabrication sho p has been the chief manufacturing centre over the years. The hydraulic systems, underbody ploughs, and front-plough mou nts for all new units are fabricated and, excep t fo r the tandem truc ks, are ship ped out fo r installation. Each tandem unit has a front-plough mount, an underbody plough , and a hydraulic system tailor made and installed in the fab ricat ion sho p. This is prac tica l because of the many modificati ons necessary . In addition to the plough mounts, underbod y ploughs, hydraulic systems, and tail gate sanders the shop produces no-post guardrail forms, d rill rigs, pavement evalua tion drills, sand bodies, wind.·ow proporrioners, flat decks, trailers, gravel hins, wat er tanks, pile p oin ts, dust eyclo nes, dust fans, aml sh ear pfns and bushings. An important function of the fab rication sho p is the overhaul of returned parts and the supply of sanders, ploughs, and hydraulic pa rts to units in the field, as well as tech nical advice. Devt:lopment of better, more dependable and safer units is a continuing process. The many years of technical experience, the knowledge, craftsma nship, and R ed Cox, M echanic Welder, happily creative ability of sho p personnel make any problem a welcome cha llenge. Th e shop fabricating hydraulic tank with a new operates unde r the supervision of L. E. Croft, the Shop Foreman is Art Cook. automatic wire feeder. Barn ey Cha rters, Mechanic, flaring hydraulic tu be. This ope ra tion, perform ed thousands of tim es, previously had been done with a hand-flaring tool. Barney, the sho p geni us, assembled th e ma Cleveland Coppin, Machinist, facing hydraulic cylinder tubing chine fro m odds and ends and the flaring is now do ne 10 tim es as for tandem front-mount lift cylinder. All average of 20 of the se qu ick ly with a m inimum of effort . cylinde rs are produced each year. Dick Somerton assembling hydraulic parts. Th is unit. whe n First step in fab ricating unde rbo dy blade, Dave Baillie, M e installed, controls all hydraulic [unctions, [ront plough, underbod y chun ic Welder, drilling blade ho les with magnet ic base drill. plough, dump body, tailgate sander or sand body . 2 r--------~~~:~~:S~~·: ·-··· · · ·---~ THE ROAD RUNNER Volume 14 Winter 1977 No , I Someone pointed out re cently that the Road Runner is ill its l-tth yea r. It was Published**Quarterly by th e late in 1963 that Volume I, British Columbia Ministry of Highways Number I, sail' th e light of and Public Works day, Since tha t time 51 is Victoria, British Columbia S ill'S have been pu blished. nearly 300,000 individual Ray Baines, Executive Editor copies. There ha ve been a Arthur 1. Schindel, Editor lot of changes ill th e M in istry and in the Provin ce dur ing th ese yea rs. Fo r one Associate* Field*Editors thing lI'e have many more miles of highways to look W. S. Boughey . .___.__. __._ Victori a af ter and there are m ore Herb Gutteridge .__ ...__.. __.__...Regional Electrical Crew than twice as many m otor Eric Eastick _ .Centreline Marking, Clo verdal e vehicles using the m . Techn iqu es and equipme nt have Doug Jone s __._ __ __.. .. ... Burnaby improved and so have working conditions. But our role George Harper .. __ . __ .. .. __ .. .__ Burn side is the same as it was then, th e same as it has alwa ys Hector McLeod __ .. .. Nanaimo been-to pro vide good facilities and services to the public. D. L. Oliver _.. .. .. .._.._.. .. _. Cour tenay W e believe certain changes to the administrat ive structure .and senior managem ent of th e Ministry will help us do Paul Connor.. __ .. __ .... __ .. __ North Vancou ver thi s eve n bet ter. W e kn oll' the staff will continue its Ellis Meads __.. .. .._ __ __ ...Dock District record of dedicated public sen-ice-for ano ther 5 1 issues. Lloyd Burgess __ ..__ ... __ . New Westmin ster S. R. Young .. .. __ .. __ .. __ McBrid e ALEX. V. FR ASER Whayne Chappell __ __ __ Kamloops l .~~~: r . ' Ken E. Smith .. __ .__ Williams Lake __ M. D. Murray Ramsay . ........ __ .. __ . Salmon Arm M. J. Newlands .. __ .... Revelstok e Les Johnson . __ ........ __ ..__ .. __ __ __ ._ .. ...Vernon R. 1. Martin __ .. .... .. __ .. _..... __ ..Kelo wna J. W. Zaporozan .. .. .__ __ .. Penti cton Brian Niehaus __ .__ ..__ _. Merritt Dave Roberts __ .._ _ __ __ Lillooet Dorothy Wilkins .. __ Grand Fork s Jo y Mailey _ __ ._ __ Rossland S. J. Dixey __ ..__..Nel son Jack Prokopetz .__ . _..New Denver Fred Ryckm an ... _.. Cresto n N. K. Molander .. .. _ ..Cranbrook Sam Caravetta .. Fernie Mike Maglio ..__ .._ __ Golden W. R. Rowe .. ..__ _..__ . .. Smithers Stan Gladysz ..__ .. __ .. __ Pou ce Coupe Lor rai ne Kric ze .... .. __ .. __ _ For t St. John Harman Delyea __ __ . Terrace Shirle y Hrechka __ .. .... _..Prince George Clyde Smaaslet .. .. Prince George Al Hepp .. Ques nel Natalie Reinke . _ .. Vanderhoof Don Hutton .. __ .. __ . .. .... .Burns Lake W. R. Ball .._.. .... .. Prince Rupert COVER PH OTO On e of a series of early photographs of motor travel in eastern British Columbia abo ut 50 yea rs ago. this sho t of M ount Cathedral in Yoho Park was taken about 1927 by one of th e Asphalt tanks were lift ed by borro wed T rojan log loader onto passengers (we assume ) in this tru sty Studeb aker (we believe). concrete pillars built by O. Stein wandt and M . Senerchia, Cum Licence plate read s Alberta. 1926 (we think). Note freight train brook D istrict road crew. and welding by F. Benthien shop crew . partly hidde n by the trees on th e hillside in th e background. 3 10-7 CLUB The Ministry's first I KE PLECASH, HO W ARD Mc - metric engineer, A RT Mech anic at Princeton LEO D, R e gi on al ROWBOTHAM, is re in the Penticton Dis Driver T ra iner, Bur tiring on May I, 1977. trict, recently retired naby, recently retired Art joined the Depart after 25 yea rs of ser after 22 yea rs of ser ment of Highways vice. Ike has bee n vice with H ighways. Bridge Design Branch active in community Howard began Gov in 1956. He trans affairs, chairman of ernment service in ferred to the Paving Branch in 1969 the Princeton Ratepayers Association for 1954 as operator of the Headquarters where he remained until 1975 and then 11 years, chairman of the village com tracto r-trailer unit operating out of Clo he was appointed metric engineer under mission. and subsequently he was the verdale. His travels, as far east as the Director of Design and Surveys, E. E. mayor. Ike and his wife, Beryl, will Fernie, as far north as Allin, gave him a Readshaw . Art received his early school continue to live in Princeton. They detailed knowledge of the British Colum ing on lames Island. graduating from have one son and two grandchildren. bia highway system. He was well known UBC in Mechanical Engineering in 1951. His hobbies are carpentry, fishing, and for his ready wit and smile , and his He worked in Ontario until he moved prospecting. Ike is a member of the willingness to travel regardless of time. back to the Coast in 1956 and started pioneer "Allison" family, who were weather, or road conditions. He suf with the Department. Art's hobbies are among the first European settlers in fered an unfortunate accident in 1964 on fishing from his runabout and shooting at Princeton. the Hope-Princeton Highway when his the rille range. He is currently enjoying truck was run off the road by a passing pre-retirement leave . truck. Howard was the first Driver DICK LOWE, Ma Trainer in Region 1 and in this position chine Operator at he organized one of the initial training Princeton in the Pen programs in the Ministry. Howard is a 10E A VEND ER. tieton District.