ERFECX:
Anglo Irish Transport on Preston dock was a big user of lancashire flats.They used to have some early containers that were roped on to the wagon the same way.When artics became more popular we used to put two flats on a 40 ft trailer and load two seperate loads,mainly lighter loads like pipes out of stanton and staveley at Ikeston.There was two flats that were used before twistlocks arrived,a 20ft and a 24ft the latter carried by 6 and 8 wheelers and later by 33ft trailers.It was nothing to do 2 loads a day handball out of fisons at widnes or spillers at Birkenhead sheet and rope and back to preston dock where AIT had crane to lift the flat off and put it on a dock trailer ready to be loaded onto the boat on the quay side.
Do you remember a chap called norman at A.I.T. he was a shunter/ crane driver and most other jobs at their compound. this was 1965 to 69. I was a shunter for U.F.T. and knew them all at A.I.T. Norman organised the christmas night out and shunters and depot staff from most companies went on a coach to the Miami Bowl in Morecambe.It was the night the women from K Shoes in kendal had their xmas do,you can imagine what went on especially when the dj announced “when are the boys from preston docks going to join the girls from k shoes” talk about a superb night out.
one thing that drove them mad at A.I.T was us pinching their MT trailers if we where short when the boats where in, shooting past there compound with them waving fists at us,or creeping round the back past Greenore ,Happy ,good days ,loved it ,went driving at N.IT. in 69/70. Cheers
As a twenty-one year old I got sent to Liverpool docks with an 8-ton load of apples for Ireland. After the usual lengthy wait on the dock road while the union sorted one of their grievances I got tipped, then sent into Great Howard Street for an empty “Irish Flat” for the next load of apples. After I’d roped the rotten, twisted platform body on, I discovered that it had been a 24-footer in it’s previous life and my lorry had about 18 feet of body length. It was getting dusk by this time, so the only recourse was to find a cycle shop (not many of those left) and buy two rear bicycle lamps which I nailed to the back end of the flat. The batteries lasted until I got home and I was rewarded for my ingenuity with a Bedford S-type with a longer body.
Some of the earlier lancashire flats at Ulster Ferry on Preston docks had very wide shackling points,the shackles used by the dockers where not wide enough so U.F.T. had their own set,the problem was there was only one set. When unloading the boats and the shackles where required the quay side foreman would contact us to bring them to the berth.The trouble was finding them, they could be on any berth,slung down after last being used and the dockers where not best pleased at any delay. These lifting lugs where perculiar to U.F.T. and for us the shunters they where a pain in the neck especially if more than one berth wanted them,remember U.F.T. refused to buy a second set.
ardennes:
Some of the earlier lancashire flats at Ulster Ferry on Preston docks had very wide shackling points,the shackles used by the dockers where not wide enough so U.F.T. had their own set,the problem was there was only one set. When unloading the boats and the shackles where required the quay side foreman would contact us to bring them to the berth.The trouble was finding them, they could be on any berth,slung down after last being used and the dockers where not best pleased at any delay. These lifting lugs where perculiar to U.F.T. and for us the shunters they where a pain in the neck especially if more than one berth wanted them,remember U.F.T. refused to buy a second set.
Hiya there is a stream I put on about Greenore from many years ago
Memory,Lancashire flat.Have a look at that it may bring it all back they were
the days,Free Eggs, Bacon,Sauce,Beans,You name it.No hooks just rails
and rings.
ardennes:
Some of the earlier lancashire flats at Ulster Ferry on Preston docks had very wide shackling points,the shackles used by the dockers where not wide enough so U.F.T. had their own set,the problem was there was only one set. When unloading the boats and the shackles where required the quay side foreman would contact us to bring them to the berth.The trouble was finding them, they could be on any berth,slung down after last being used and the dockers where not best pleased at any delay. These lifting lugs where perculiar to U.F.T. and for us the shunters they where a pain in the neck especially if more than one berth wanted them,remember U.F.T. refused to buy a second set.
Hiya there is a stream I put on about Greenore from many years ago
Memory,Lancashire flat.Have a look at that it may bring it all back they were
the days,Free Eggs, Bacon,Sauce,Beans,You name it.No hooks just rails
and rings.
ardennes:
Some of the earlier lancashire flats at Ulster Ferry on Preston docks had very wide shackling points,the shackles used by the dockers where not wide enough so U.F.T. had their own set,the problem was there was only one set. When unloading the boats and the shackles where required the quay side foreman would contact us to bring them to the berth.The trouble was finding them, they could be on any berth,slung down after last being used and the dockers where not best pleased at any delay. These lifting lugs where perculiar to U.F.T. and for us the shunters they where a pain in the neck especially if more than one berth wanted them,remember U.F.T. refused to buy a second set.
Hiya there is a stream I put on about Greenore from many years ago
Memory,Lancashire flat.Have a look at that it may bring it all back they were
the days,Free Eggs, Bacon,Sauce,Beans,You name it.No hooks just rails
and rings.
ardennes:
Some of the earlier lancashire flats at Ulster Ferry on Preston docks had very wide shackling points,the shackles used by the dockers where not wide enough so U.F.T. had their own set,the problem was there was only one set. When unloading the boats and the shackles where required the quay side foreman would contact us to bring them to the berth.The trouble was finding them, they could be on any berth,slung down after last being used and the dockers where not best pleased at any delay. These lifting lugs where perculiar to U.F.T. and for us the shunters they where a pain in the neck especially if more than one berth wanted them,remember U.F.T. refused to buy a second set.
Hiya there is a stream I put on about Greenore from many years ago
Memory,Lancashire flat.Have a look at that it may bring it all back they were
the days,Free Eggs, Bacon,Sauce,Beans,You name it.No hooks just rails
and rings.
If memory serves me right,in the late 60s I machined some parts for the late Neville Kieghley of Dutton Transport, Whalley which he used and later patented as container and flat twistlocks,so saving roping time.
Hiya …i think the best way to explane the Lancashire flats is a Flat body that you could lift onto another flat body or off
straight onto a ship IE a early type container with no twistlocks just a flat and headboard. They had lifting beams that
slid out from under the chock rails. Big Al will tell you more about them, i think they was a big item in the Preston to Ireland
shipping scene.
John
Davnic:
Being a relative youngster,i entered the industry in 1988,could someone tell me what a Lancashire Flat is please and why and when were they used?
A house in Bolton full of muslims
It was the forerunner of containerisation, basically a separate flat body, 18 or 20’ with four lifting lugs on the side. They could be loaded and then lifted off the trailer onto a ship or rail wagon
Davnic:
Being a relative youngster,i entered the industry in 1988,could someone tell me what a Lancashire Flat is please and why and when were they used?
They were basically “lift off” platforms that were carried on any flat motor or trailer,dependant on the weight that was placed on them.They were then sheeted and roped like a normal flat and were lifted off by crane at the dock for shipment,mainly to and from Ireland,North and South.There are a good number of shots on the site of the Lancashire flats,particularly on the Northwest Trucks site.There’ll be lads on here that will have first hand knowledge of these pieces of equipment.Cheers Bewick.
Davnic:
Being a relative youngster,i entered the industry in 1988,could someone tell me what a Lancashire Flat is please and why and when were they used?
Hiya … red card there wheelnut thats a flat container on the scania its got twist locks.
but the photo with the beaver is spot on, its a pitty theres no sun visor on the Leyland it finished them off.
John
3300John:
Hiya … red card there wheelnut thats a flat container on the scania its got twist locks.
but the photo with the beaver is spot on, its a pitty theres no sun visor on the Leyland it finished them off.
John
Thats why I wrote below the picture and text. Modern Flat with Corner Castings
Anglo Irish Transport on Preston dock was a big user of lancashire flats.They used to have some early containers that were roped on to the wagon the same way.When artics became more popular we used to put two flats on a 40 ft trailer and load two seperate loads,mainly lighter loads like pipes out of stanton and staveley at Ikeston.There was two flats that were used before twistlocks arrived,a 20ft and a 24ft the latter carried by 6 and 8 wheelers and later by 33ft trailers.It was nothing to do 2 loads a day handball out of fisons at widnes or spillers at Birkenhead sheet and rope and back to preston dock where AIT had crane to lift the flat off and put it on a dock trailer ready to be loaded onto the boat on the quay side.
In the mid 60s my first driving job was with a firm called Barber’s Transport of Bradwell nr. Gt.Yarmouth and I did many loads of egg-trays to Ulster Ferry in Preston Docks. We would trans-ship on to Lancashire Flats and the blokes on the quay would secure them with nets before lifting on to the ship. It was a good days work back then, Yarmouth to Preston and tip ( handball of course ) in a petrol engined " S " type Bedford. Happy days. Regards to all,Haddy.
Davnic:
Being a relative youngster,i entered the industry in 1988,could someone tell me what a Lancashire Flat is please and why and when were they used?
A house in Bolton full of muslims
oi shut ya face you …
oh ok fair enuff…
I think yer spot on w/nut,having a chuckle here,and i lived in bolton for 56yrs.
regards dave.
shut ya face you …
