Is there anymore pics or does anyone have a copy of the brochure for this special?
Hi all when i first joined Bowkers that is the first truck i drove i canot say it was that one because i would not remember the number.but there were a few of them and good lads all on them it was difficult to get used to no cab behind you however there was a escape hatch in the roof and you would be able to climb on to the box if needed. used to roll a bit ,yes they were good fitters well in fact everything about WH BOWKERS was good i through enjoyed my time there…
I have a suspicion that Chris MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ENTHUSIAST AND WAS A TRAFFIC MANAGER ON THE UK WORK ■■? PDB.
peggydeckboy:
Hi all when i first joined Bowkers that is the first truck i drove i canot say it was that one because i would not remember the number.but there were a few of them and good lads all on them it was difficult to get used to no cab behind you however there was a escape hatch in the roof and you would be able to climb on to the box if needed. used to roll a bit ,yes they were good fitters well in fact everything about WH BOWKERS was good i through enjoyed my time there…
I have a suspicion that Chris MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ENTHUSIAST AND WAS A TRAFFIC MANAGER ON THE UK WORK ■■? PDB.
Yes, I was the Depot Manager at Preston from 1989 to 2001, and ran the U.K. haulage & contract operations. And I vaguely recall that you drove 115 for a time, though I might be wrong with that
Worked on the spanners @ Volvo dealership Preston, then WH Bowker workshop 20+ yrs back, can honestly say these EuroSnotters were different to work on (Still got the scars) The lowered engine made some jobs like an alternator change a nightmare, same with fan pully set up, the trailers carried a box with a spare one in, just in case of failure as they were not standard.
On the other hand drove them loads of times and loaded like the earlier FL10 6x2 D/bars were a dream, being on full air they were like they were on rails. These were put together by VOLVO along with the forward thinking Fleet Engineer @ Bowkers Geoff Whittle RIP
HI, FOLKS, Is the Scania CDM 725 J an ex Williams Bros , Wales cheers Barry
barrywaddy:
HI, FOLKS, Is the Scania CDM 725 J an ex Williams Bros , Wales cheers Barry
Hi Barry
your not the first to ask that. No my father bought it new Christmas 70/71 from B and W motors when they were Scania agents in Wolverhampton.He ran out of Irish Sea Ferries Garston dock for 5 1/2 years then 10 years Middle east and Europe. The original engine was taken out after 1 million MILES and fitted into another and a v8 for more power was put in. After another 1/2 million I cut it up 
The cab was altered after doing Middle East so would have been around 1977 in its Europe days.
Regards Keith
Meeting up with my brother later today and will show him this thread, he worked for bowker on the drawbars right up till they got rid of them, think he drove 121
Hi 240 gardener ,numbers are a blur to me , after them top sleepers the other Volvo’s arrived proper 2 bunk cabs and very good too.was it you who took the old Bowkers truck to exhibitions and shows on a low- loader?
I left in MARCH 2002 .not my doing, too soon really but medical.
peggydeckboy:
Hi 240 gardener ,numbers are a blur to me , after them top sleepers the other Volvo’s arrived proper 2 bunk cabs and very good too.was it you who took the old Bowkers truck to exhibitions and shows on a low- loader?
I left in MARCH 2002 .not my doing, too soon really but medical.
Yes, there was a little group of us who took several motors out and looked after them, some of them owned by us and some by the company, but Bowker were always absolutely brilliant at housing them and generally accommodating us with our hobby. Here are some:
GBV 759E & ABP 481 by Chris Gardner, on Flickr
GBV 759E Atkinson ‘Silver Knight Mk.1’ by Chris Gardner, on Flickr
ABV 317M Atkinson Borderer T3446C by Gardner 8LXB, on Flickr
5-08-2011_051, ABV 317M, Atkinson Borderer Stepframe with 1934 Leyland Beaver,ABP 481 by Ronnie Cameron, on Flickr
BVB 457H Atkinson ‘Silver Knight’ T3046X by Gardner 8LXB, on Flickr
BVB 457H Atkinson Viewline T3046X by Gardner 8LXB, on Flickr
JRN 38H Atkinson ‘Silver Knight Rear Steer’ TRS3266XB by Chris Gardner, on Flickr
JRN 38H Atkinson ‘SIlver Knight Rear Steer’ TRS3266XB by Chris Gardner, on Flickr
TC 9816 Thornycroft BX by Chris Gardner, on Flickr
Hey, A question, I see that was taken a ferry witha preserved lorry here on this page.
Do you get a special price for that or do you have to pay as a normal HGV ■■?
Eric,
The last time that I saw that old Leyland, No. 32, which is photographed on the low loader, was in Bowkers warehouse at Leyland which was destroyed by fire soon afterwards.
Does anyone know if it survived, or if any other of the vintage vehicles where destroyed?
tiptop495:
Hey, A question, I see that was taken a ferry witha preserved lorry here on this page.
Do you get a special price for that or do you have to pay as a normal HGV ■■?Eric,
It wasn’t a ferry service that we would normally use, so it would have been the full price. However, the trip was organised and conducted by the late Geoff Whittle, Bowker’s Technical Director, so I suspect that there may have been some assistance from Volvo, as they were instrumental in getting him to go to Sweden with the old motors
matamoros:
The last time that I saw that old Leyland, No. 32, which is photographed on the low loader, was in Bowkers warehouse at Leyland which was destroyed by fire soon afterwards.Does anyone know if it survived, or if any other of the vintage vehicles where destroyed?
Sadly, the Beaver was destroyed in that fire, along with an extremely rare gas-turbine Leyland Beaver tractor, being stored for the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. The Atkinson and the Thornycroft are normally on display at the BCVM, and so were safe.
Bowker did buy another Beaver to replace it, although the new one was a normal control model.
240 Gardner:
matamoros:
The last time that I saw that old Leyland, No. 32, which is photographed on the low loader, was in Bowkers warehouse at Leyland which was destroyed by fire soon afterwards.Does anyone know if it survived, or if any other of the vintage vehicles where destroyed?
Sadly, the Beaver was destroyed in that fire, along with an extremely rare gas-turbine Leyland Beaver tractor, being stored for the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. The Atkinson and the Thornycroft are normally on display at the BCVM, and so were safe.
Bowker did buy another Beaver to replace it, although the new one was a normal control model.
Thanks for the info, very sad about the trucks.
I used to load out of there for Bowkers occasionally, I subbed for them from around 2001 but mainly out of Hull, my son still subs for them, I retired in 2008.
240 Gardner:
matamoros:
The last time that I saw that old Leyland, No. 32, which is photographed on the low loader, was in Bowkers warehouse at Leyland which was destroyed by fire soon afterwards.
Does anyone know if it survived, or if any other of the vintage vehicles where destroyed?Sadly, the Beaver was destroyed in that fire, along with an extremely rare gas-turbine Leyland Beaver tractor, being stored for the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. The Atkinson and the Thornycroft are normally on display at the BCVM, and so were safe.
Bowker did buy another Beaver to replace it, although the new one was a normal control model.
.
The Beaver which replaced 32.
The Gas Turbine Beaver which was lost in the fire.
TROOPER 8011:
240 Gardner:
matamoros:
The last time that I saw that old Leyland, No. 32, which is photographed on the low loader, was in Bowkers warehouse at Leyland which was destroyed by fire soon afterwards.
Does anyone know if it survived, or if any other of the vintage vehicles where destroyed?Sadly, the Beaver was destroyed in that fire, along with an extremely rare gas-turbine Leyland Beaver tractor, being stored for the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. The Atkinson and the Thornycroft are normally on display at the BCVM, and so were safe.
Bowker did buy another Beaver to replace it, although the new one was a normal control model..
1
The Beaver which replaced 32.0
The Gas Turbine Beaver which was lost in the fire.
Thanks for the photos - this isn’t the GT tractor that was lost, though. The gold 6x4 tractor was restored by Tony Knowles, and it was a blue-and-white 4x2 unit that was destroyed: thinking about it, it may actually have been a Comet rather than a Beaver, but Ergo-cabbed nonetheless
240 Gardner:
TROOPER 8011:
240 Gardner:
matamoros:
The last time that I saw that old Leyland, No. 32, which is photographed on the low loader, was in Bowkers warehouse at Leyland which was destroyed by fire soon afterwards.
Does anyone know if it survived, or if any other of the vintage vehicles where destroyed?Sadly, the Beaver was destroyed in that fire, along with an extremely rare gas-turbine Leyland Beaver tractor, being stored for the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. The Atkinson and the Thornycroft are normally on display at the BCVM, and so were safe.
Bowker did buy another Beaver to replace it, although the new one was a normal control model..
The Beaver which replaced 32.
The Gas Turbine Beaver which was lost in the fire.
Thanks for the photos - this isn’t the GT tractor that was lost, though. The gold 6x4 tractor was restored by Tony Knowles, and it was a blue-and-white 4x2 unit that was destroyed: thinking about it, it may actually have been a Comet rather than a Beaver, but Ergo-cabbed nonetheless
This was the lorry that got burnt (not my pic) was there a Marathon cabbed version as well, seem to re-call it being at Coventry Motor Museum?
240 Gardner:
[quote="
Sadly, the Beaver was destroyed in that fire, along with an extremely rare gas-turbine Leyland Beaver tractor, being stored for the British Thanks for the photos - this isn’t the GT tractor that was lost, though. The gold 6x4 tractor was restored by Tony Knowles, and it was a blue-and-white 4x2 unit that was destroyed: thinking about it, it may actually have been a Comet rather than a Beaver, but Ergo-cabbed nonetheless
.
Thanks Chris. Sorry - I was under the impression it was the gold one which was destroyed in the fire and the Blue one - the Comet - was safely housed in the museum.
Photo of the Gas Turbine Comet taken at the Museum several years ago.
240 Gardner:
tiptop495:
Hey, A question, I see that was taken a ferry witha preserved lorry here on this page.
Do you get a special price for that or do you have to pay as a normal HGV ■■?Eric,
It wasn’t a ferry service that we would normally use, so it would have been the full price. However, the trip was organised and conducted by the late Geoff Whittle, Bowker’s Technical Director, so I suspect that there may have been some assistance from Volvo, as they were instrumental in getting him to go to Sweden with the old motors
Hey Gardner, thank for the info.
Eric,
