Isle of Man groundworks contractor Stephen Christian & Sons is putting a Case tracked loader to work on a demanding streetworks project in the capital, Douglas.

The £25m project, code-named MyProm, is a revamp of town’s promenade and involves first reconstruction of the highway since 1935. It also sees the installation of new utilities, including electric, water, gas, telecoms and street lighting.

At the heart of this activity is a Case TR270 compact loader with T450 rock wheel attachment.

“This is a landmark project for the Douglas community,” explains Richard Christian, director of the local contracting business. “We’re trusted with a project that means a lot to the people who live here. It will drive additional tourism to this area and improve the livelihoods of those who work in our island’s capital. We’ve worked with Manx Utilities for many years and a big part of this longstanding relationship is the quality of our work and the reliability of our equipment.”

Stephen Christian & Sons has been a Case customer for over 30 years with a current fleet of 10 Case machines. Dealer Dennis Barnfield Ltd recommended the TR270 and T450 attachment combination.

Graham Barnfield, managing director of the dealership is confident that his machines are the best “The Case compact track loader is unrivalled when it comes to utilities work,” he reckons. “It may be compact, but it packs a punch when it comes to power and torque and it delivers consistent performance in the most demanding conditions. We supplied a high-flow hydraulics package with this machine to deliver as much power as possible to the rock wheel. This package supplies 55% more flow than the standard hydraulics package and comes with a 14-pin electric plug socket to operate the attachment. This genuine Case rock wheel attachment gives the operator complete control while digging trenches with ease.”

Richard Christian says that trenching is tough work, with operators working long hours to meet tight deadlines. “The Case Compact Track Loader performs consistently and reliably in these challenging conditions,” he says. “The cab is quiet, spacious and comfortable, with full air conditioning and radio, so operators can work the long hours needed to get the job done without fatigue.”

He continues: “There is nothing else on the market quite like the Case T450 rock wheel attachment. It’s a great tool for our utility contracts and cuts through the road with ease. On the Douglas promenade job, we’re cutting through 200mm of reinforced concrete and 50mm of asphalt with no problems. The tool creates a consistent trench every time, cutting to the exact width of the wheel, which is perfect for the micro-trenching needed for telecom jobs. When you’re creating kilometres of trenching, the time savings add up. Put simply, the rock wheel saves us time and money while ensuring that we deliver a consistently high standard of work.”