Thread: Rescuer, rescuee and other strange happenings on the road.

Another rescue story, I have done a few over the years.
In the 90's I'm nicely tucked up in bed when the phone rings, thinking the shop alarms have gone off I sleepily answer the phone.
It the local CDEP controller, his deputy (Clinton) & family have broken down on the hills road, Clinton has walked into Gregory to phone for help & the CDEP bloke has little fuel in his car. Would I mind going to get them?
So, at about midnight I get in the Tojo single cab Ute & head off. Back then the roads were all dirt & not often graded, 3 rough hours later I pick up Clinton, an hour after that I pick up his Missus, 6 kids including a baby & all the shopping they did in Mt Isa. A quick look at their car showed a rear bearing had disintegrated.
With all these people only Mrs Clinton, baby & youngest child could sit in the cab, all the rest went in the back tray.
Now I'm tired, the road is rough & I'm pushing it because I just want to get home.
Back then the Grids were all built up like a sharp hump in the road.
I hit one of these way to fast, much screaming & yelling from the tray, reverse & collect shopping which had landed on the road.
Next grid I slowed down, all good, next grid, Umm, bit quick again but everything & one is still in the back.
Finally got back to Doomadgee after sun up.
Clinton said thanks very much but next time could I borrow the CDEP bus!
He did look a bit cold, wind burnt & bruised, but, hey, I got them home.
Jonesfam

Returning from the easter Melrose shindig one year with Disco Muppet in his mighty D2. It was probably 1 or 2am. We were approx 40km west of Goolgowie on the mid western highway, NSW.

We come up behind a horse float filled with miniature ponies. Pulled over with hazards on- the tow rig was a X-trail or similar. The bonnet was up, the radiator cap was whistling like a kettle, and the vehicle was still idling with a heap of white smoke from the exhaust. Driver was a typical horse person, content with 1HP and enough arrogance to think that that was enough, with little to no clue mechanically.

After a bit of diagnosis, muppet and I guessed that the head gasket had gone, probably dumping the coolant into the cylinder, and the cooling system was now running on steam, minutes from being fully seized.
Driver was adamant that it 'needed some water' and that they (him, wife and small kid) could make it to Tamworth NSW for a horse show, over 700km away. We convinced them to limp to Goolgowie and re-evaluate their choice, given that engine was on it's last legs as it was.

After declining a flat tow, we trailed them for a very slow 40km or so, and eventually made the town of Goolgowie. By this stage the engine was red hot, and you could discernibly hear the movement of each conrod with the distinctive 'clack' of the cooked big-end bearings. Driver was going to let it cool down and keep going...
We rolled into chateau-de-muppet around sunrise, having left Melrose SA the previous day approx 1400hrs.

A mate of mine used to go from Beenleigh to has favourite fishing spot at Jacobs Well,very often,something like 3 times a week,he was retired and a mad Fisherman.
Being a tight arse he was always running around in an old XC falcon low on fuel,but he knew exactly how much he needed to get from home to the boat ramp and back.

Anyway,phone rings one day,around 4.00am,out of fuel,he says,fuel guage must be playing up.
Off i go with the Jerry,etc,get him going.

Long story short,the float had sunk in the carby,it still sort of ran OK,but that is what caught him out.
It was guzzling the fuel.


Just a note,be carefull helping people,a mate of mine stopped to help a couple broken down on the Gold Coast HWY many years ago,and never saw his box of tools or his sunnies again

Originally Posted by scarry

....................
Just a note,be carefull helping people,a mate of mine stopped to help a couple broken down on the Gold Coast HWY many years ago,and never saw his box of tools or his sunnies again

Did his sunnies have prescription lenses?

Hi,
I stop well away from said vehicle and approach with a hand held radio till the situation is sussed.
Last one was a restored 1950s American something and a vintage caravan stopped on the highway in blazing sun with the bonnet up and someone lying underneath.
Dirty fuel had blocked his you-beaut stainless filter which he couldn't undo with out a vice or another large spanner.
Loaned him a large shifter for the job and had a cool drink in the shade with his Mrs while he disassembled and cleaned the filter.
One happy chap!
Cheers

I was driving an older, but still life left in it, Kenworth SAR. It was a quick gadget, good for 150+ kph. I was doing a weekly Cairns-Brisbane return in a leisurely fashion, leaving on Sunday evening and getting home on Friday.
For some reason, now forgotten, I uncharacteristically took my logbook out of the truck one Friday. Upon realisation I decided there was little risk of being caught, as long as I wasn't silly.
The trip had been uneventful to Miriam Vale, where in the early hours of the morning, I came across a Cruiser wagon towing a large, enclosed trailer. It was maintaining a decent, 95~100 kph on level ground, really struggling uphill. Back then, the section to Gin Gin was winding and on the southern end, very hilly too. I made the decision to bag him up before the hills but he had other ideas and sped up, whenever a safe passing area occurred.
I knew the road well, knowing there was a good overtaking stretch about ten kilometres ahead, I dropped back 4~500 metres, biding my time.
As I approached the chosen spot, I unleashed every horse the 8V92 Detroit had. Before old mate realised what was occurring, I sucked his doors off at 140kph. After clearing the mobile speed hump I settled down to a steady 100k.
South of Gin Gin a couple of northbound trucks alerted me to the local copper standing on the centre traffic island, in Childers. He was checking logbook, but also had a hairdryer. Uh oh, I was thinking I'd have to stop at Apple Tree Creek and wait him out, a bit inconvenient.
As I was slowing for Apple Tree, old mate and his wobbly box came into view, behind me.
Plan B, I made the sharp turn right and dawdled toward Childers, deliberately letting the truck labour. The Toyo had caught me up and was obviously itching to pass. At the overtaking lane, just before Childers, I allowed the desperate Toyota to inch past me, belching enough black smoke to do a Mack proud. Once in front of me, I tucked in behind him and gave him some encouragement.
By the time I got to the south side of town, the cop was busy with the only other vehicle on the road.
As I passed, I was tempted to give a friendly, pip pip, thank you, on the horn, but thought I'd better not push my luck.

Not exactly a rescue -

I mentioned above working in Roma. Our workshop used to get regular visits from Repco, and the mechanic got to know the rep quite well.

One day he turned up on foot and looking somewhat the worse for wear, instead of his usual Holden panel van. It seems that he was coming back from the west, and was stuck behind a truck, eating its dust. The truck driver obviously could not see him through the dust. After a few miles the truck pulled over and he planted his foot - and found out why the truck had pulled over; there was a lump of rock, described as "the size of a suitcase" in the middle of the road.

The Holden cam to an abrupt stop, with the front crossmember, engine and gearbox up against the back axle. (No seat belts, hence the "worse for wear".

Seems to be a common sort of Issue with the EK Holdens. A few years later, must have been about 1967 I was in charge there, and my boss came up from Brisbane with the client. They borrowed my company car to look at an area east of Injune where more work was proposed.

Several hours after they were expected to return, they were dropped off back in Roma, by a cocky. It seems the road was not too good - I am assured the speed they were travelling was not excessive. But they hit a small bump, and the engine fell out. It was a ten mile walk, or so I am assured, to the nearest house. No mobile phones in those days (maybe none today in that area).

Originally Posted by V8Ian

I was driving an older, but still life left in it, Kenworth SAR. It was a quick gadget, good for 150+ kph. I was doing a weekly Cairns-Brisbane return in a leisurely fashion, leaving on Sunday evening and getting home on Friday.
For some reason, now forgotten, I uncharacteristically took my logbook out of the truck one Friday. Upon realisation I decided there was little risk of being caught, as long as I wasn't silly.
The trip had been uneventful to Miriam Vale, where in the early hours of the morning, I came across a Cruiser wagon towing a large, enclosed trailer. It was maintaining a decent, 95~100 kph on level ground, really struggling uphill. Back then, the section to Gin Gin was winding and on the southern end, very hilly too. I made the decision to bag him up before the hills but he had other ideas and sped up, whenever a safe passing area occurred.
I knew the road well, knowing there was a good overtaking stretch about ten kilometres ahead, I dropped back 4~500 metres, biding my time.
As I approached the chosen spot, I unleashed every horse the 8V92 Detroit had. Before old mate realised what was occurring, I sucked his doors off at 140kph. After clearing the mobile speed hump I settled down to a steady 100k.
South of Gin Gin a couple of northbound trucks alerted me to the local copper standing on the centre traffic island, in Childers. He was checking logbook, but also had a hairdryer. Uh oh, I was thinking I'd have to stop at Apple Tree Creek and wait him out, a bit inconvenient.
As I was slowing for Apple Tree, old mate and his wobbly box came into view, behind me.
Plan B, I made the sharp turn right and dawdled toward Childers, deliberately letting the truck labour. The Toyo had caught me up and was obviously itching to pass. At the overtaking lane, just before Childers, I allowed the desperate Toyota to inch past me, belching enough black smoke to do a Mack proud. Once in front of me, I tucked in behind him and gave him some encouragement.
By the time I got to the south side of town, the cop was busy with the only other vehicle on the road.
As I passed, I was tempted to give a friendly, pip pip, thank you, on the horn, but thought I'd better not push my luck.

In another life we used to go up that way regularly for work,Dalrymple bay,Hay point,Rocky,Gladstone,from Brisbane.
I am sure there was a spot near Miriam Vale,where the cops always waited,at all sorts of hours?
SWMBO got caught there one trip when she was with me…..