For those of you who like them big, you can’t go far wrong than to visit the Hillhead Show, that has just finished at Hillhead Quarry in Buxton. The exhibition is a showcase of every piece of Aggregate, Recycling and Construction machinery going. The one problem being how do you get all the machinery ranges of all the big construction companies to a massive quarry in the hilliest part of Derbyshire?? The same as any other cargo that has to be delivered…….by truck of course!

Of all these different machines there are 2 that are bigger than most, the biggest excavators that arrive in kit form and the dumper trucks. To get a huge CAT 777 dumper through the hilly narrow roads of Buxton is a challenge for most, but for my previous employers it’s just another day at the office! H.C. Wilson were draughted in to take the 777 to the show by Ascroft Transport. Driver Mick “Thumper” Farrow was given the job and with the help of 3 or 4 Police escorts and Wilsons own escort van the low bridges, junctions and general public were kept out the way and with a minimum of fuss “European Colosuss” made its way into Hillhead. The wheels of the dumper are removed to reduced the height on the trailer and also to reduce the width. height being the major issue but reducing the width helps on the narrow roads and with the traffic junctions.

The excellent on the spot photos are courtesy of expert plant, part time truck photographer, Northern H.C. Wilson project camera man and kiddies book writer Paul Argent. Paul Argent of RPA Photography fame is often recruited by Wilsons to photograph jobs around the North but Hillhead is Pauls own idea of heavy…..big trucks and big machines!

The big 580hp V8 Scania made light work of the 60 ton (I think!) load. There is a notorious hill as you drive into Hillhead Quarry that has in the past caught out various trucks delivering to the show, but not this time. With Thumper at the wheel and the V8 showing its muscle I would have happily sat at The Railway Pub in Buxton and watched them negotiate the traffic lights, in fact I could have sat there all day and watched all the trucks loaded with big boys toys go on by! Thanks for the photos Mr Argent and well done to the Wilson boys on another job expertly well done!!