Thanks for the comments lads, yes they all had the test ramps. Early TK’s did have transmission handbrakes as well but their’s worked on the propshaft at the gearbox end. A drum brake at first, a disc later, and then a spring brake replaced it alltogether.
As I said, we did have some problems! 
I remember taking a S50 cabbed powder tanker (PRA 344K) to Derby and the outside inspection (cab, wheelnuts, smoke etc) had gone well and the next stage was over the pit. Now to do the steering lock to lock check they normally raised the second axle to take the weight off but for some reason that day the lad didn’t. As I turned from left hand to right hand lock I ‘felt’ something go and at the same time there came a scream from the pit! Much garbled swearing came over the tannoy then silence. Out of the pit emerged a figure drenched from head to feet in red power steering fluid, a pipe on the second axle ram had burst! Ooops! “Is that a failure?” I asked, yes, it @@@@ was. Poor chap was cleaned up and sent home, a fitter came out to replace the hose and then I think they reinspected it and it passed.
We had a Leyland Boxer four wheeler at Ballidon, it was inherited along with two Mastiffs and three drivers plus a fitter from Grimshaws Haulage of Hartington when they folded as there was a shortage of four wheelers. They were all well worn but the Boxer was prepared for test and I took it to Derby. All appeared to go OK and I took the sheet to the station manager to be signed which was the normal procedure. “You have a failure” he said. 
I asked what on as nobody had said anything; “controls” he said. So I tackled the lad who had done the outside inspection; “There’s a shovel in the passenger side, it could slide aross and interfere with the pedals” he said. So I chucked the shovel on top of the load, he ticked it as a ‘pass’ and the station manager gave him a rollicking for wasting time and paperwork! 
Another time, Foden S80 tanker (VRB 607N) which was an early test so I loaded it with 15 tonne of filler and took it home with me. On the way home I went via Cromford Hill (a long 1 in 
to bed the brakes in as I hadn’t had time to do that beforehand and then I readjusted them in the lorry park at Matlock Bath station. The next morning, over the pit at Derby, and I heard “you had better come down here driver” which was never good to hear. In the pit and the tester pointed out the nut missing from the nearside first axle trackrod end!! 
■■■■, it was on there when I inspected it but the kingpin had been replaced since then so the nut must have been removed and not refitted? However if that was the case it would surely have jumped out, strange. Anyway I nipped round to BRS for a nut, no joy so they came out from the quarry with one. What had happened was our apprentice, (a young lad with the surname the same as a North Notts town and who now owns a large Buxton based recovery concern 
) had already loosened the nut to do the kingpin when a fitter came and told him to undo the actual steering knuckle instead as it was far easier so he never actually split the joint but didn’t retighten the nut either! It showed how good the taper held the joint in place though, didn’t really need a nut on it at all did it!
Things went ‘pear shaped’ though when Derby were over subscribed so we were sent to Watnall test centre near Nottingham. More on that later…
Pete.