Negotiating Kimbolton A45 in the 1970's & 80's

by **roadcommander2** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:26 am

Just wondering if any of you have any memories of driving through Kimbolton and negotiating the infamous bends, back when it was the main route through.

I lived there as a lad and have fond memories of the streams of wagons (my neighbours thought different!!) coming through.

All the east coast regulars, Russell Davies,Brain,Carters,Calvers,Cowan Bros,JE & A Goodwin,Goodways,OJH Smith etc
Plus the Black Country boys,T Baker,Bowmur, AH Brown and B Swindell from Warrington.

Not forgetting a few locals from Northants, Patrick & Partrick, MB Transport,Lilley etc.
Truckerash, have you got any photos of any of these??

by **Trubrit** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:27 pm

I think it was worse for car transporters in the early days

by **yella** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:23 pm

there used to be a mark in the wall of the house on the bend where the beak of the transporters used to catch it, in the end they banned transporters, felixstowe was a long way from stoke in those days, :lol:

by **PROWLANDS** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:37 pm

It was horrendous for artic transporters, not only did you have the bend to negotiate vehicles also came the other way, outrageous !!,
Regards
Ex Tolemans driver

by **dieseldog6** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 2:03 am

I've taken many an artic car transporter round there, and never hit the wall once, honest mister it wasn't me.

Jeff Northcott · by **SWraith** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:21 pm

PROWLANDS wrote:It was horrendous for artic transporters, not only did you have the bend to negotiate vehicles also came the other way, outrageous !!,
Regards
Ex Tolemans driver

Its was and still is just as bad for any large vehicle... makes me wonder how Robinsons (local coach firm based in Kimbolton) ever manages. I used to close my eyes when I came round with my Neoplan double deck... :lol:

Edit: mind you they arent the only nasty bends in the area. You have the bends in Gt Staunton, and the nasty set with the 100 deg out bend at Grafham.

by **roadcommander2** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:35 am

Thanks for your replies guys.

Yes, car transporters were banned but we still have them come through from time to time. Not so much of a problem now that most are drawbars!

Do any of you remember the one Wednesday in September when the fair comes to town and all the traffic has to divert along East Street.
That used to cause a few problems back in the day.

Or does anybody remember the Wilson F10 that crashed into the front room of the house,next to the butchers, one foggy morning?

by **bigr250** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 6:18 pm

I'd love to know how many times I've driven through Kimbolton at all hours of the day & night, the worst though was at lunch time with school kids (Was it mostly girls?) flooding the place & doing their best to get themselves run over.

I used to like the run from Liverpool to Felixstow back in the 70's & 80's and Kimbolton was probably the most memorable part of it. I've stopped a good number of times to pick up food surplies from a shop in the middle of the town, memories!!

Ross.

by **Borderer** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:33 pm

there was another place pretty similar, with a steel plate on the one wall if i remember right, was it sandwich in kent?

by **old skool kid** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:51 pm

If you think it was fun in a Transporter.

Try going around there with a 60ft concrete beam, Double drive Volvo + 3 axle Dolly on the rear powered by a donkey engine @ 06.00 in mid winter the oil is so thick it took 5 mins just to move 5in side ways.
Anglia concrete Norwich to "the new A45 bridge works” there and back 2 days work in 1980. :lol:

But if I remember right just before the bridge going west there was a cafe.you needed a brew after getting through Kimbolton Happy Days ! :wink:

by **curnock** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:17 am

old skool kid wrote:If you think it was fun in a Transporter.
Try going around there with a 60ft concrete beam, Double drive Volvo + 3 axle Dolly on the rear powered by a donkey engine @ 06.00 in mid winter the oil is so thick it took 5 mins just to move 5in side ways.
Anglia concrete Norwich to "the new A45 bridge works” there and back 2 days work in 1980.
But if I remember right just before the bridge going west there was a cafe.you needed a brew after getting through Kimbolton Happy Days !

is this the bridge,at orwell ?

by **sellia** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:31 pm

old skool kid wrote:If you think it was fun in a Transporter.
Try going around there with a 60ft concrete beam, Double drive Volvo + 3 axle Dolly on the rear powered by a donkey engine @ 06.00 in mid winter the oil is so thick it took 5 mins just to move 5in side ways.
Anglia concrete Norwich to "the new A45 bridge works” there and back 2 days work in 1980.
But if I remember right just before the bridge going west there was a cafe.you needed a brew after getting through Kimbolton Happy Days !

Were you on for Billy Swales' mob?

by **old skool kid** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:29 pm

No sellia

Worked for Plant Eng (longford) as it was then.