Ameys--anyone there?

[toshboy]

Joe Paris:
0 Hi ex Ameys Low Loader drivers, hope this photo shows up on forum and I have one to follow which shows the navvy on the trailer. The man on the right is the Preistman driver Gerald Bowsher from White Horse Contractors on the left is the Ameys driver, hopefully you will know him.

Hi Joe , thanks for posting the pics, cannot say I know the LL driver but I do feel that I ought to -seen that face before somewhere , have to wait for David to come on as that artic raises questions from me as well , have you any more pics Joe ? – toshboy

[joe_paris]

Hi Gents, the photos came from Mick Lay, whose mum and step dad had the Dun Cow Pub in Northmoor, Mick worked for WHC and for Dix’s in the pit, at 18 he left the area and moved down to Folkston and worked on The Channel Tunnel, he is having a look for more photos. He took these photos, he was banksmen to Gerald. Joe Paris

[toshboy]

Found this oldie recently ,apologies if its been posted before ,looks possible 1957 era Queen st Oxford ?
TOSHBOY

[toshboy]

Another from the Archives found recently ----David one for you I think
toshboy

[davidcox]

Hi Ivor
Yep the picture was taken by me, it’s 122 ERO as you can see. Bob Blowing stood by the drivers door. My Father Fred to the far right. Dave Attewell crane riger /slinger far left, Fred? centre 15 ton Coles crane driver. Stan Carter second from right admin.
The job was to move the old Thames steamer several hundred yards to a location that it could be used as a cafe’ .
The location was at Beal Park, lower Basildon, no Pangbourn. This was before the park was developed, the boat was called The Prince of Basildon.

[toshboy]

davidcox:
Hi Ivor
Yep the picture was taken by me, it’s 122 ERO as you can see. Bob Blowing stood by the drivers door. My Father Fred to the far right. Dave Attewell crane riger /slinger far left, Fred? centre 15 ton Coles crane driver. Stan Carter second from right admin.
The job was to move the old Thames steamer several hundred yards to a location that it could be used as a cafe’ .
The location was at Beal Park, lower Basildon, no Pangbourn. This was before the park was developed, the boat was called The Prince of Basildon.

Hi David, Thanks for that explanation , not heard from you for a while ,all ok ? BTW have you any comments on the pics that Joe has put up on the previous page . Ivor

[davidcox]

Hi Ivor
Been a bit busy lately, Father in law 95yrs fell backwards down the stairs before Christmas, cracked his skull, neck,sternum,hip and lower back bit his tongue and if that wasn’t enough when they gave him the MIR they found a ‘mass’ on his colon.
And if that wasn’t enough the trauma worsened his Alzheimer’s. Plus the Mother in law 92yrs also has Alzheimer’s .

He’s still alive but getting no better so we have the option of 1/ putting him in a nursing home for £6000 per month plus carers for her at £2000 per month
2/ having live in care at home for £4000 per month.

Not very good getting old is it! So with daily visits and organising things a bottom of a time at the mo.

[toshboy]

davidcox:
Hi Ivor
Been a bit busy lately, Father in law 95yrs fell backwards down the stairs before Christmas, cracked his skull, neck,sternum,hip and lower back bit his tongue and if that wasn’t enough when they gave him the MIR they found a ‘mass’ on his colon.
And if that wasn’t enough the trauma worsened his Alzheimer’s. Plus the Mother in law 92yrs also has Alzheimer’s .

He’s still alive but getting no better so we have the option of 1/ putting him in a nursing home for £6000 per month plus carers for her at £2000 per month
2/ having live in care at home for £4000 per month.

Not very good getting old is it! So with daily visits and organising things a bottom of a time at the mo.

Hi
Oh dear David ,how life can change so quickly and changes your life completely also, you have my sincere condolences , yes getting old is a lottery except there is no winners.
Regards ivor

[toshboy]

This is one of Davidcox photos but often wonder what the story was. toshboy

[toshboy]

This was Ameys first 8 legger tipper, unusual at that time maybe early 50s? that it had 3 way tipping gear. and used to haul sand to Boscombe Down and on to Frome returning with limestone chippings I remember. the body was 12 cubic yards ------------ toshboy

[davidcox]

toshboy:
This is one of Davidcox photos but often wonder what the story was. toshboy

Hi Ivor
The story of the picture.
In the 60s Amey’s had the contract with AERE Harwell to take radioactive ‘stuff’ from Harwell to Dounreay Scotland.

This ‘stuff’ was contained in a 18 ton lead ‘flask’ which was bolted to the trailer through specially prepared anchor points. The driver had to take overnight rests in military establishments, park completely out of the way and cone and rope it off.
He was told that if he crashed it would kill everything downwind for 5 miles!

On his way back he was coming down a steep hill towards Helmsdale. The road had an almost vertical drop on the offside. Witnesses said he was coming very slowly down the hill when without warning, 3ft of the road gave way, the wagon went over the edge and rolled over and over down the cliff. This was the’new’ Foden which unlike the other Fodens on the section had a fibreglass cab, this saved his life because it shattered instead of crushing him to death.
Apparently lots of people attend in chemical suits but luckily the top didn’t come off.
The driver, Jonny Walker suffered a badly broken leg/ankle and was treated in Wick hospital.

So the picture was taken by me when Bob and I were tasked with going to Helmsdale to bring the wagon back.
The flask had been removed prior to us getting there.
It took us 4 days to get there and 3 days to get back (presumably because it’s downhill) there were no motorways in those days.
We had to take out the wheels of the crashed trailer and hand winch the unit onto it then we had to ‘borrow’ the Atkinson in the background to hitch up to the trailer and reverse it onto our trailer (we couldn’t use 122 ERO as we had a 2 inch pin instead of the normal 1 1/2ins pin?).
We stayed overnight in Wick and visited Jonny in hospital on a Sunday when all the pubs were closed. Always regretted not going the 10 miles further on and seeing John o Groats.

So the picture is taken in a haulage yard just below the Helmsdale bridge, when we had nearly finished loading.

[toshboy]

davidcox:

toshboy:
This is one of Davidcox photos but often wonder what the story was. toshboy

Hi Ivor
The story of the picture.
In the 60s Amey’s had the contract with AERE Harwell to take radioactive ‘stuff’ from Harwell to Dounreay Scotland.

This ‘stuff’ was contained in a 18 ton lead ‘flask’ which was bolted to the trailer through specially prepared anchor points. The driver had to take overnight rests in military establishments, park completely out of the way and cone and rope it off.
He was told that if he crashed it would kill everything downwind for 5 miles!

On his way back he was coming down a steep hill towards Helmsdale. The road had an almost vertical drop on the offside. Witnesses said he was coming very slowly down the hill when without warning, 3ft of the road gave way, the wagon went over the edge and rolled over and over down the cliff. This was the’new’ Foden which unlike the other Fodens on the section had a fibreglass cab, this saved his life because it shattered instead of crushing him to death.
Apparently lots of people attend in chemical suits but luckily the top didn’t come off.
The driver, Jonny Walker suffered a badly broken leg/ankle and was treated in Wick hospital.

So the picture was taken by me when Bob and I were tasked with going to Helmsdale to bring the wagon back.
The flask had been removed prior to us getting there.
It took us 4 days to get there and 3 days to get back (presumably because it’s downhill) there were no motorways in those days.
We had to take out the wheels of the crashed trailer and hand winch the unit onto it then we had to ‘borrow’ the Atkinson in the background to hitch up to the trailer and reverse it onto our trailer (we couldn’t use 122 ERO as we had a 2 inch pin instead of the normal 1 1/2ins pin?).
We stayed overnight in Wick and visited Jonny in hospital on a Sunday when all the pubs were closed. Always regretted not going the 10 miles further on and seeing John o Groats.

So the picture is taken in a haulage yard just below the Helmsdale bridge, when we had nearly finished loading.

Hi David , thanks for that mate ,you and Bob were obviously a great team – Ivor

[toshboy]

One for you JOE

[davidcox]

toshboy:
0One for you JOE

The Wetherill loading shovel was a nice little load for my little Leyland.

Been to their factory in Welwyn Garden City many times.

[davidcox]

Daa Daa
been in the loft Ivor

[davidcox]

Even More!

[windrush]

Wasn’t The Swan berthed the Thames and used by the Child-Beale Trust running between Pangbourne and Goring, I wonder if it is still there?

Pete.

[davidcox]

windrush:
Wasn’t The Swan berthed the Thames and used by the Child-Beale Trust running between Pangbourne and Goring, I wonder if it is still there?

Pete.

Yes we dragged it out of the mud and took it to where they could use it as a cafe

[toshboy]

davidcox:
Daa Daa
been in the loft Ivor

Hi David ,
Well, at last found the strength to get up to that loft of yours ! , the effort was very worthwhile and worth the wait,
its brought back many memories to me – thank you .

I remember the casting shed at Cowley concrete Radley ,we had a temp office in there at one time and often popped in to see the operators at work .

That pic of the Scammel ? never seen that vehicle before on Ameys what is the history of it , as ive said before I was 'missing ’ from the Oxford area for a while and that’s probably my missing info period.
Looking at the Porthmadoc pics I notice the tilted 5th wheel mountings on the units ? or is it the detachable front trailer ends ? there more questions but leave them for another time. toshboy

[davidcox]

toshboy:

davidcox:
Daa Daa
been in the loft Ivor

Hi David ,
Well, at last found the strength to get up to that loft of yours ! , the effort was very worthwhile and worth the wait,
its brought back many memories to me – thank you .

I remember the casting shed at Cowley concrete Radley ,we had a temp office in there at one time and often popped in to see the operators at work .

That pic of the Scammel ? never seen that vehicle before on Ameys what is the history of it , as ive said before I was 'missing ’ from the Oxford area for a while and that’s probably my missing info period.
Looking at the Porthmadoc pics I notice the tilted 5th wheel mountings on the units ? or is it the detachable front trailer ends ? there more questions but leave them for another time. toshboy

Toshboy
The bit that you refer to on the 5th wheel is a ‘bolster’ in the picture it’s in the empty travelling mode. Swung round and chained to the tow hook on the unit.
The steering back bit was a ‘dolly’ some called them bogies. They were two axles with a turntable on top. The turntable had a locking pin, and was fitted with a hydraulic ram driven by an engine and pump.

How we loaded the beams was we would unhitch the dolly at one end of the beam, drive the unit to the other end of the beam.
The beam was craned onto the dolly end first, you had to load it very precisely along the marked centre line or it would run out of line. We then chained down hard.
The other end of the beam would then be put on the bolster (after spinning it 90% from travelling position) then chained down the beam would in effect, then become the ‘chassis’ of the trailer.
The brake pipes 100ft of it and electrics would be connected and we were ready for the road.

To steer the rear, which was my job, I would remove the turntable pin, start the engine and if we were going left I would steer right. The steering was achieved by operating the ram, but because the turntable was chained to the beam, the turntable wouldn’t turn the dolly would.

If we were on the move with as usual a police ■■■■■■ I would get out of the cab up onto the beam, walk along the beam, drop down onto my platform at the rear, start the engine steer then straighten up, pin in and back to the cab without STOPPING. Don’t think HS would condone that nowadays.

If you look at the picture where I say steering into position you can see the front bolster and chains and also the rear dolly being steered.

The picture in the casting shed shows the front bolster being loaded.

As regards the scammel it was an old beastie, it had a Gardner120 5 pot engine and was as draughty as hell, the cab (wood and aluminium) did fall to bits and the cab shown in the picture is a new cab (a newer model made of fibreglass ) that was fitted by Scammel at Watford.
Len Hewlett was driving it one day with a dozer onboard and he hadn’t chained it on, just relied on weight to keep it steady. That’s fine until you have to stop a bit quick, he was coming out of Newbury and had to brake sharpish and the thing fell off. Got done for insecure load.