Truck restored to former glory

Some of the apprentices involved in the project with the refurbished Terex Trucks R17

The youngsters embarked on the restoration project in 2016 and unveiled the finished result at Terex Trucks HQ to mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

The R17 dump truck, which weighs 13.5 tonnes, was built at the Newhouse factory in 1973 and spent most of its days working at Leith Quarry in Aberdeenshire.

The 17 Terex apprentices refurbished the truck, on loan from West of Scotland Heavy Haulage, to full operating condition including sourcing or manufacturing replacement parts based on the original designs.

Meanwhile, the R17 engine was sent to original manufacturer Cummins in Cumbernauld where two of its apprentices carried out the refurbishment.

Mentored by Terex Trucks’ employee Davey Rainey, apprentices Fraser Blackwood and Edward Massey led the project, with staff from different disciplines on hand to provide technical advice.

Edward said: “Having the opportunity to restore an iconic Terex Trucks model is a definite career highlight and it’s humbling to have been given the opportunity to lead on such a unique and invaluable project.

“Gathering information on the parts, sourcing suppliers, getting quotes and communicating on costs and lead times allowed us to gain valuable experience that would not normally form part of our apprentice role.”

Bridgestone provided a full new set of tyres, Beckers was able to source the original ‘Terex Green’ paint and Inverness firm Sean C Smith Autotrim restored the driver’s seat.