Geoff Fletcher
Here is a photo of an early Mole in use on Wars Of The Roses at Stratford. (Not one of my photos – so credit where due.)
Graeme Wall
A while back someone was looking for details about the Mole crane, I have finally discovered the Guild handbook. Attached is a scan of the relevant page.
Alec Bray
I have done the comparison. I had tried to do my drawing by scaling up from the various pictures that I had – all of which are on the Tech Ops website I believe – and the overlay of my attempt (in blue) over the Guild drawing (in red) shows how far out I was in the chassis, (Ah, but how accurate is the Guild drawing??).
I am certainly glad that I abandoned the attempt at a model. So a big thank you to Graeme. It is interesting to see that I made the swinger’s platform longer than it actually is, that may reflect some wishful thinking on my part (and my experience of it was 60 years ago now).
I have found one of the illustrations on which I based my drawing.
The swinger’s platform certainly looks longer than the Guild’s illustration….
Steve Edwards
….the Guild drawing’s dimensions are different to the swinger’s platform on the Mole Crane in the photo – you can see the front edge of platform starts approx in line with rear wheel hub centres and the platform extends considerably towards the rear – as you can see from the large overhang:-
Looks like your own original dimensions are likely to be nearer correct for the later TV three person crane. I am unaware of the dimensions in respect of the earlier Film based or four person operated TV cranes.
Paul Thackray
The TOTP phot appears to have a shorter platform?
I think the Mole had more than one option (including not having one at all)
Alec Bray
The Mole crane began life as the Houston Fearless 30B, a tracked movie crane: here a ONE version of it:
The arm was swung by operators on either side of the arm, walking alongside the crane. Gradually the spec was upgrades, and it became the Motion Picture Research Council (MPRC) crane of choice. Mole Richardson made it under licence in the UK and did their own modifications to it. Interestingly, BBC Tech Ops management always called it the MPRC crane – we called it the Mole.
When I joined the BBC in Jan 1963, I quickly got to know that there were more stories about the Mole crane than any other single piece of equipment. From knocking out a musician on “6 5 Special” to romping through scenery, putting senior cameramen’s heads in danger to chomping through power cables … the stories, the stories….
Alasdair Lawrance
I remember the ‘pumped-up’ Mole at the Theatre, very impressive to a new sprog with a Phillips PC 80(?), the Mk 5 with the motorised conical turret.
There was a 4-man Mole for a time in Cardiff when I was there, and I remember steering it from the back while the motor controller was on the LH side.
Trying to co-ordinate four operators, (without talkback, that was considered ‘cheating’) was well-nigh impossible and the beast being really too big for a converted Chapel, didn’t last long, so the Motorised Vinten remained.
Peter Fox
Two points to make. The Mole crane, unlike the Nike was comfortably operated by one person standing behind the bucket without risking of crushing their toes and it was originally possible to pull out the inner bucket to increase the effect of the lead weights. I never saw that in action as it would hinder the first point. Was it later frozen in the inner position, or removed (?) when the large solid lump of lead was installed to discourage casual overnight lead theft. That would have made it impossible to pull out as it was done empty and then loaded after.
Remember the first iteration, gone when I joined in 1962 so this is hearsay, did not have a platform at all and was steered by a tiller man “walking” behind, with the motor man on a simple seat alongside. The swinging effort done from the front as much as from the back-end which would often be out of reach, hence the array of longitudinal handles on the arm.
Anyway back to the first point; when the platform was added, it was designed to be energetically swung either up, down or sideways from right behind on the cantilevered platform and reading off camera cards on the back of the bucket too. The long version drawing is more believable and the photo looks right.
Dick Blencowe
On Gen Game after the winner came out from conveyer with prizes the Mole tracked at full speed (as normal) and the power cable shorted with a bang and small fire. Quickly put out with CO2 extinguisher. It proved impossible to get it fixed quickly so all crew not being used decided to push it for the track,very successful but by now the contestant had forgotten what he had seen on the conveyer so Bruce took him round the back for a look. He then remembered all the prizes including some that hadn’t been on the conveyer.
Alasdair Lawrance
The photo is of a Mole made by the late Reg King of Vintens, a predecessor of Vic Henocq, back in the day.
I won the blind auction for it in the GTC’s early days, Reg had donated it to the Guild, I thought it might go to an outsider, and was desperately trying to keep it for it’s significance to British TV.
Turned out I was bidding against Dave Ballantyne, who I had shared a house with in BBC Wales days….
I can take it out of it’s case, obviously made by Reg, it’s a bit fiddly as you can see, it’s one piece of glass, not sliding doors. It looks an accurate scale to me, anyway. It might be useful for measurements, or maybe not.
Please excuse the reflection of me+iPhone, that’s a good excuse to take it out and do some decent shots, I suppose. !
