Leicester's Bygone's

[Hitmanesk]

R James transport before it was changed to SBS

[Hitmanesk]

My old mate Steve James

[Hitmanesk]

Good times

[Hitmanesk]

Very early days of R James Transport
At their Stonebridge street garage off east park rd Leicester

[Hitmanesk]

If I remember right, didn’t these mainly run tippers ?
A Mark S Bailey pic

[Hitmanesk]

Building the M69

[robinswh]

This is almost identical to the mausdsley plated AEC mark 3 that my late father drove from 1951 to 1964 when it was scrapped 13 years a long life for a tipper flat out at 35 MPH...….was getting obsolete in the new motorway age. Plate number HAY492 . One of a batch of five...….still searching for a picture.....can you help me Paul ? This was of course the whitwick granite company.

[coomsey]

Building the M69

Shifted some stone from Breedon Hill to that job !

[nick lambden]

I worked in Bardon garage 1967 to 72 .The 4 ERF 8wheelers were a canceld order. Built for flat beds. Hence single drive. They came to us as chassis cabs .We had body's built by Goddard's Leicester.They were the first trucks I had seen with spring lock parking brakes. They had a David Brown gear box and a 2 speed Eaton axle. Supplied by Cossington Commercials.First ERF we had. In those days we registered all new vehicle's.NNR172 F to 175F. The single drive was a problem specially for tyres. We used to run Foden 8 wheeler's.In 2 years the fleet was increased from 10 to around 50 vehicles.8 .6 .4 wheeler's Some replacement's due to the 1968 road traffic act . previously lorry's didn't need M O T. Also Required 3 line braking.


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[robinswh]

I got nnr173f in 1975 when it had been sold off and operated by the late John Williamson of coalville…...drove for a couple of weeks while he was on holiday getting rough by then wipers packed up in rain storm on M1 motorway . Got a very high mileage on it

[nick lambden]

Good picture. Looking different than I remembered. They were good motor's . Bardon till then only ran Foden 8wheelers. we had a lot of problems with the 12 speed gearboxes rebuilt a few of them.

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[windrush]

Good picture. Looking different than I remembered. They were good motor's . Bardon till then only ran Foden 8wheelers. we had a lot of problems with the 12 speed gearboxes rebuilt a few of them.

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Yes, at our Tilcon quarry we always had a spare box built up ready to swap! Mainshaft rear nut and front bolt coming loose, and layshaft bolts shearing off.

Pete.

[nick lambden]

Yes I remember it well They tried all methods to keep it tight. When I moved to ARC whitwick we had 9 speed box . They had problems synchro rig coming off and air packs breaking of.

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[coomsey]

[nick lambden]

That's a great picture. Gregory Tom and I think Bill Patel. Taken for the front page of the Foden news.

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[nick lambden]

4-1_yvbwyz.jpg

Ex Bardon ??

I think this was the only Leyland 680 engined Foden Bardon had. Cannot recall the reg no.

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[nick lambden]

This Foden is ex Bardon ONR71F

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[coomsey]

This Foden is ex Bardon ONR71F

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Thanks for that nick .
Only ever drove Gardner Fodens,my mate had one below, for Whitwick quarry, they had 6 but just one with a Gardner in,he rated her

[nick lambden]

Yes have worked on the Leyland engine ones while in the garage at whitwick . Prone to head gaskets. They were semi tilt cabs .had to take the radiator out. John Mason was the forms.

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[windrush]

Yes have worked on the Leyland engine ones while in the garage at whitwick . Prone to head gaskets. They were semi tilt cabs .had to take the radiator out. John Mason was the forms.

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I used to tilt the cab on the Gardner engined S39's we ran as it made changing the cylinder block so much easier.

Pete.

[coomsey]

Yes have worked on the Leyland engine ones while in the garage at whitwick . Prone to head gaskets. They were semi tilt cabs .had to take the radiator out. John Mason was the forms.

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Comet%2520Ad.jpg (110.14 KiB) Viewed 2466 times

My mate Rod Williams in his posh motor, you've chance to know him Nick

[coomsey]

This is almost identical to the mausdsley plated AEC mark 3 that my late father drove from 1951 to 1964 when it was scrapped 13 years a long life for a tipper flat out at 35 MPH...….was getting obsolete in the new motorway age. Plate number HAY492 . One of a batch of five...….still searching for a picture.....can you help me Paul ? This was of course the whitwick granite company.

Been rooting about Wayne but nothing yet

[nick lambden]

I was at ARC whitwick 1972 for about a year .I can remember a few names not your mate. They had Foden 8 wheeler's K and L reg 30 ton afew commers 2 stroke AEC 6 wheeler's.foden half cabs. Then some scammels from Amey roadstone .

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[robinswh]

what about my dad Hugh Robinson weighbridge clerk did you know him nick?...Wayne Robinson

[nick lambden]

Yes I did know him although as I was in the garage did not know him very well. some drivers the Moore's brothers old man Smith cannot think of his first name .thumper .farmer drove one of the commers. Dennis Baugh. Haywood.The were good times .And of course nasher (Burton) .Wish I had a better memory.

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[nick lambden]

Coomsey. Re the picture of Bardon Fodens at the far end of the line are the 2 coach built S20 DJU668 and669 then 2 tilt cabs oblong head lights then 2 S21s Mickey mouse one was E reg.I Remember helping to wash and arrange them for the picture.

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[coomsey]

Coomsey. Re the picture of Bardon Fodens at the far end of the line are the 2 coach built S20 DJU668 and669 then 2 tilt cabs oblong head lights then 2 S21s Mickey mouse one was E reg.I Remember helping to wash and arrange them for the picture.

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Thanks again Nick, always thought it a cracking photo

[robinswh]

Thanks Nick , I dont recognise any of the names ....my dad stopped driving there in 1966 and went in the weighbridge his last lorry was a four wheel commer two stroke ......he did big days eg whitwick scunthorpe bury st edmonds then back to coalville. In 1967 the garage burnt down and was built elsewhere . I dont know why he stayed there all those years when he could have gone to bardon or cliff and got better equipment. I got in a bit of a dispute with hanson only a couple of years ago after my mam died they sent me a letter saying she had been overpaid by 200 quid and expected me to come up with it........I never did its a long way from coalville to western canada. Thanks for the update wayne

[nick lambden]

I was at Castle rock school until 1967 so he would have come past many times. I remember the lorry's going past. I worked in the new garage a couple of 100 yards from the quarry.The guy who used to clean up in the garage was always talking about the fire.think his name was Jack Smith?.during my time at Bardon I worked with a mechanic who worked in the old garage Ron Meek. He taught me alot about commer 2stroke engines.

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[robinswh]

Ron Meek does ring a bell if its the same guy he was one of the original commer drivers when the large batch of steel bodied 4 wheelers came TNH 265 to TNH 275 I think These came in 1964 . The Ron Meeks I knew was a veteran ww 2 or korea . I was at that fire just passed my test drove my dad up there and he stayed all night I think I picked him up in the morning A few commers were burnt out that night.The 2 stroke was fantastic engine pulled like a train and 18 mpg. Parkin and jones has a couple of 6 wheelers but had to get rid early stability/steering problems the engines were fine.