W L Roebuck Heavy Haulage Heswall

Priestners yard Hull

lespullan:
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Oh yes I remember this baby
First 100ton ERF manufactured - you could hear coming from miles away with its vertical stack - it had reliability issues and was always back in Sandbach for modifications and eventually I think it went back!?
The cab is interesting - built as a sleeper cab - unusual for this period? Also a ■■■■■■■ engine.
Supplied by P & K Liverpool
The truck was purchased for Roebucks McAlpine contract as well as haulaling Cammel Zlaird the ship builders in Birkenhead
Roebuck had a four in line Dyson trailer manufactured to go with this tractor it had huge tyres as I remember.

Any more info?

Ken b

Kenb:

lespullan:
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Oh yes I remember this baby
First 100ton ERF manufactured - you could hear coming from miles away with its vertical stack - it had reliability issues and was always back in Sandbach for modifications and eventually I think it went back!?
The cab is interesting - built as a sleeper cab - unusual for this period? Also a ■■■■■■■ engine.
Supplied by P & K Liverpool
The truck was purchased for Roebucks McAlpine contract as well as haulaling Cammel Zlaird the ship builders in Birkenhead
Roebuck had a four in line Dyson trailer manufactured to go with this tractor it had huge tyres as I remember.

Any more info?

Ken b

It looks like a crew-cab, Ken; there were quite a few of those early LV-cab conversions on heavy haulage in those days. Or did they kit it out as a sleeper? Quite plausible, as heavy-haul and long-haul do overlap sometimes! Merry Xmas Ken! Robert

Showed my dad this thread, he said Roebucks became agents for magirus deutz , he remembered having a demonstrator from them.

Kenb:
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pig pen:
Showed my dad this thread, he said Roebucks became agents for magirus deutz , he remembered having a demonstrator from them.

Kenb:
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Hi
That doesn’t surprise me - I lost all touch really after my father retired due to injury after 30plus years with them.
I know they sold out to Morgan Plant from Hooton. The site has been a pub for a long time now.
How did he get on with his Magi - air cooled engines were very different in the truck market.
Cheers
Ken

lespullan:
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A bit more info:
The cab was built by Jennings of Sandbach and the crew cabs (as they were described) were all built by a Graham Proudlove (that’s a Malpas/Whitchurch family name)

Ken b

Hi Kenb I worked for Darry Roebuck back in the very late 60s early 70s I used to drive one of there 4 wheelers out of Cadbury’s most of the time but also drove a artic now & again. I was the one who knocked the wall down at the entrance which had only just been rebuilt after I had taken some crane jib sections up to Runcorn for Deeside crane hire were they were building the M56. This was when most of the lorries were Bedford TKs with a couple of Leyland’s & Scammell’s thrown in.

One of there Bedfords.

detlam:
Hi Kenb I worked for Darry Roebuck back in the very late 60s early 70s I used to drive one of there 4 wheelers out of Cadbury’s most of the time but also drove a artic now & again. I was the one who knocked the wall down at the entrance which had only just been rebuilt after I had taken some crane jib sections up to Runcorn for Deeside crane hire were they were building the M56.

Hi
Do remember Bill Broster?

Yes I remember Bill Broster he was a relation of Ada Childs who was our next door neighbour she also owned the cottages in Frankby before my father bought the cottages & land of her back in the late 50s early 60s.

detlam:
Yes I remember Bill Broster he was a relation of Ada Childs who was our next door neighbour she also owned the cottages in Frankby before my father bought the cottages & land of her back in the late 50s early 60s.

Hi
Bill Broster is my father - he worked for a Roebuck for a long time particularly on the Cadbury contract. He retired after an accident delivering Cadbury goods in Manchester Warehousing on Trafford Park - he fell backwards off the trailer whilst releasing the spring bar.
Ada Childs is a new one on me, I cannot ever remember her name being mentioned.

Cheers
Ken

Hi Kenb Ada Childs was Broster before she married she married Eric who was the brother of the licensee of the New Inn at Greasby were the Red Cat is now. Ada died sometime in the 60s I can’t remember when but I came home on leave from the Army & my mother told me she had died. Don’t know if Ada had another name but she was always known as Ada. I haven’t been back to Frankby or Greasby for years I know the farmers arms has changed its name to something posh don’t know what though. Is Bill Broster still alive if so give him my regards Ted Taylor . I never worked with Bill as he always worked alone.

DEANB:
One of there Bedford’s.

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I was talking about the TK which was the one before that Pic , that pic is a KM Bedford . Looking for any colour pics of Roebuck’s wagon especially Bedford TK’s for a couple of corgi low-loaders toys I’ve got .

Hi to both Detlam and Kenb,
My names Dave Thomas and my Farther was George Thomas, dad was the Forman at Roebucks for most of his life and oversaw the transition from the Photo shown here (site)of the early days of the old workshop to what it became in it’s modern form complete with a site frontage petrol station selling Cleveland petrol. Access to the new workshop came from an entry that was created with the new yard for the fleet of mainly lorry’s.
I have fond memory’s of those times and can remember moving into a new house with my parents across the road from the Roebuck’s, dad only had to walk across the main road to get to work and in the coming years l to would doo that walk leaning to be a mechanic by first having to learn how to make tea for most of the men as they came and went about there day ( trying to carry half a dozen enamel tea jugs was not easy).

The day did come when l stepped out of the workshop and into the second man’s seat be it for loading heavy sacks of flour down at Spillers the Millers on Birkenhead docks and with that also came the leaning of how to sheet and rope. It wasn’t long before progressing into the Heavy Haulage side, a side l enjoyed and the leaning that was involved in that role as a youngster now earning a wage. My next big step was to become a driver and to be lucky to get my Class 1 licence automatically (Grandfather Rights)at the time as the government was about to set out the new class structure to the size and weight that you could drive.
I will sign of for now and hope to get some feed back as l can still remember many of the names, even good old Bill Broster. Regards Dave