This C & G Taurus Made Me Weep

November 2020 saw Just-Recycling taking on the marketing of a 2003 Taurus static 500 ton shear baler.

Bread and butter stuff you would imagine, but no, this was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for me.

Now this was not any old used machine, this one was a bit special, well special to me as it was the first brand new scrap metal shear baler I ever sold.

It was a sale from my apprenticeship days down at Engineering Services Bridgend Ltd and this was the first and, in fact, the one and only new C & G Taurus machine I sold.

Even before this machine had been delivered and installed in the UK I was heading off for a 10+ year “fraternisation” with the UK agent for the Sierra Europe Recycling marketing agency and the Idromec machines.

Oh what stories could be told of an overweight Dutchman who drove like a maniac (probably still does), a man of high morals and short warranties, hahaa.

Anyhow, back to the Taurus – 500 tons, 6m box, static and diesel drive, with operator’s cabin, platform and stairs.

Original owner was a Mr Mick Galloway of T Holmes, Keighley fame who had cherished the machine like one of his own children during his tenure.

She was greased every day, checked all round and operated by a man with 100% concentration on his task whilst sitting in the cabin, with no radio control or distractions.

The machine was worked for a good few years and then he bought another new Taurus, and the first machine was sold to Chris Watson & Sons, a stone’s throw away from Keighley at neighbouring Salterforth.

It was Chris who called and said he wanted the machine to go on the best recycling machinery website in the world and he was prepared to put up with me in the process to get it sold.

I’ve known Chris for years so I took the verbal abuse (a man who can’t laugh at himself genuinely won’t last on the recycling stage) and listed the machine.

I do like a good yarn and Chris retold the story of an approach he’d had from another marketing “mogul”.

This story is best kept for another edition as I’ll have to check with the legal bods before I regurgitate it – best not to put your foot in it and all that.

Back to the Taurus – it was listed for less than two weeks and sold – she’s now emigrated over to Cheshire and is as happy as a COVID compliance officer in an empty shopping centre.

I’m not going to tell you the machine was perfect; she’d had a few replacement parts fitted but in general it was probably the nicest and most genuine used press and shear I have had the pleasure of finding a new home for.

Best of all it’s gone from a man who understood the value of a grease cartridge to a man who complains at the price of grease but buys in bulk – so as I’m known for saying, “Job’s a good ‘un!”

Yes, the used Taurus C&G brought a nostalgic tear to my eye. 2003 – was it really that long ago?

Enjoy a few images from the dismantling of the Taurus 500 ton press and shear as it was prepared for transporting to its new home.