Blood, Sweat and Broken China (the Removals thread)

Lawrence Dunbar:

oiltreader:
Gathered another one or two thanks to fellow flickrites.
Oily

Hi Oily, Thats a great shot of Luckings Albion a 1948 Tynemouth reg, Thanks for posting all these classic photos, Regards Larry.

Hi Larry,
I wonder if it had been new to Alfred Bell. They ran a lot of Albion removal vans as this article from Commercial Motor illustrates

How Alfred Bell dealt with removals in 1932. I don’t think we’ll ever see the like of that again!

INTERESTING FEATURES OF TRUNK-SERVICE OPERATION. I N addition to its normal removing business, which extends throughout the British Isles, Alfred Bell (Newcastle), Ltd., runs a trunk service, both night and day, between Newcastle and London. As the majority of vehicles employed on this long-distance work is limited to 20 m.p.h., the company has opened a depot and drivers’ hostel at Tuxford, so that changes of drivers can be made in order to comply with the Road Traffic Acts. There is accommodation at this depot for some 80 men.

At the London terminus at 24, Friern Park, North Finchley, the company has extensive covered garage accommodation and a hostel, where’ it can sleep and feed approximately 40 drivers. Vdhicles of a number of other concerns are also serviced at this terminus.

The company’s fleet is made up of Albion, Garner and Bedford vehicles, although the latest vehicle to be added to the fleet is a Thornycroft, this having been purchased mainly because of its large carrying capacity. (1,500. cubic fit.). During the past year the trunk-service vehicles covered Over 800,000 miles.

The vehicles are serviced from the head depository at Higham Place, Newcastle, which has accommodation for 3,000 loads, and every vehicle, upon completion of a journey from Newcastle to London and back, passes through the, hands of the mechanics, who check over the reports handed in by the drivers. As each vehicle is in the hands of five drivers after leaving Neweaet e until its return from London and every driver is instructed to report on his log sheet any defeats or trouble that may arise, it is passible for the’ mechanicsto maintain the fleet in first-class condition and practically to ensure an absence of breakdowns.

If it was its a pity it hadn’t been preserved in Alfred Bells red & Green livery, one of the best on the road during the 1950s

Carl

Alfred Bell.jpg