by Nick Drew | Wed 25 Jun 2014
Poclain with Powerslide spotted
During my recent visit to the Rail Live event in Warwickshire, in amongst all the new and wonderful high tech rail plant and machinery, I came across a real gem of a machine in the form of a Poclain classic.
This Case Poclain 888B model would have been built sometime between 1993 and 1995, which was the production run for the model. It has an operating weight ranging from 16.2 tonnes up to 19.3 tonnes depending on specification. It was powered by a Case 6T590 six cylinder engine offering a power output of 86kw (116hp).
This “triple 8” as they were affectionately known on sites, is unusual as it features the hydraulically operated Case Poclain sliding boom configuration, which unlike its JCB “Powerslide” counterpart, was actually powered, as opposed to unlocking hydraulic clamps and sliding it manually. This like many things was cutting edge technology from Poclain back in the day, but for some reason we never saw that many of these options in the UK.
In remarkable condition for its age, this machine is still fully operational and is used on the land that staged the Rail Live event to perform all manner of tasks. The owner told me it fires up on the button every time he goes to use it, no matter what the weather. And although the paintwork might have faded, it’s still got plenty of grunt engine and hydraulics wise for when the going gets tough!
This machine was built during what was to be the final death throe period for the Case Poclain brand and by 1999 the Poclain name was sadly consigned to history. Its great however, to see old machines like this still going strong, especially ones like this example that are still earning their keep.
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