I see that the bodybuilder of that Richmans TK has provided a small hinged flap in the Luton to enable the cab to be removed easily, not many did that and it was often a tight fit getting cabs off for engine replacement etc.
I wonder why the Bedfords that Sainsbury’s ran had the grille partly blanked off, most of them were like that. Possibly they found them overcooled in service, plenty of air would be drawn through from below the bumper anyway?
Pete.
moomooland:
0 Runaway Bedford TK tipper in 1965 operated by Clarkes Builders of Portland Dorset
Drumming a bit of work up?
Very interesting article on Bedfords Dean ! One thing has caught my eye which was the reference to the KE model of TK saying it was 9:15 GVW. I recall that we bought a KE in early 1970 which we fitted with a 17ft wood ali flat and IIRC it operated at 10 tons GVW legally ! So which GVW is correct ? Answers on a post card please 
Cheers Bewick.
dont post on here much but enjoy all the threads re old motors, always had a soft spot for bedfords having spent all my school holidays and saturdays out with me dad in O ,A S, types and finally a tk, I was watching a very old film yesterday with a lot of london street scenes and nearly all the lorries in it were bedfords I forgot how popular they were back then, so keep up all the stories and pics gentlemen and ladies they are great
fredm:
dont post on here much but enjoy all the threads re old motors, always had a soft spot for bedfords having spent all my school holidays and saturdays out with me dad in O ,A S, types and finally a tk, I was watching a very old film yesterday with a lot of london street scenes and nearly all the lorries in it were bedfords I forgot how popular they were back then, so keep up all the stories and pics gentlemen and ladies they are great
I agree with your comments “fredm” there is something about Bedford’s !
What alot of people dont realise is just how popular they were abroad. I would like to know
which British model sold the most trucks abroad ? I have no figures but from what i have seen
i reckon the Bedford TK/TL range would be right at the top.
DEANB:
fredm:
dont post on here much but enjoy all the threads re old motors, always had a soft spot for bedfords having spent all my school holidays and saturdays out with me dad in O ,A S, types and finally a tk, I was watching a very old film yesterday with a lot of london street scenes and nearly all the lorries in it were bedfords I forgot how popular they were back then, so keep up all the stories and pics gentlemen and ladies they are great
I agree with your comments “fredm” there is something about Bedford’s !
What alot of people dont realise is just how popular they were abroad. I would like to know
which British model sold the most trucks abroad ? I have no figures but from what i have seen
i reckon the Bedford TK/TL range would be right at the top.
I do remember reading something in the late eighties that stated that the Bedford TK / TL range sold more vehicles abroad than any other make / model which is also mirrored today by the Mitsubishi Canter which I’m told outsells the rest of the Mercedes / Daimler truck brand put together.
Spud1960:
DEANB:
fredm:
dont post on here much but enjoy all the threads re old motors, always had a soft spot for bedfords having spent all my school holidays and saturdays out with me dad in O ,A S, types and finally a tk, I was watching a very old film yesterday with a lot of london street scenes and nearly all the lorries in it were bedfords I forgot how popular they were back then, so keep up all the stories and pics gentlemen and ladies they are greatI agree with your comments “fredm” there is something about Bedford’s !
What alot of people dont realise is just how popular they were abroad. I would like to know
which British model sold the most trucks abroad ? I have no figures but from what i have seen
i reckon the Bedford TK/TL range would be right at the top.I do remember reading something in the late eighties that stated that the Bedford TK / TL range sold more vehicles abroad than any other make / model which is also mirrored today by the Mitsubishi Canter which I’m told outsells the rest of the Mercedes / Daimler truck brand put together.
I spent nearly 40 years of my life working overseas (Europe (east and west) Africa (mostly north and west), Asia, South America etc.) and saw quite a few older British vehicles still in service. I agree that Bedfords are (still!) very popular around the world but do not think the TK was the most popular. I seem to have seen more normal control models (TJ?) than TKs. I also saw loads of old Series Land Rovers still doing great service.
I spent nearly 40 years of my life working overseas (Europe (east and west) Africa (mostly north and west), Asia, South America etc.) and saw quite a few older British vehicles still in service. I agree that Bedfords are (still!) very popular around the world but do not think the TK was the most popular. I seem to have seen more normal control models (TJ?) than TKs. I also saw loads of old Series Land Rovers still doing great service.
[/quote]
Bedfords and Land Rovers (and other British marques) were sold in great numbers abroad, particularly to the, then, developing countries. Part of the appeal was that they could be repaired easily by a local blacksmith/agricultural engineer using little more than an oxy acetalene welder and a big hammer! Probably a different tale these days when everything seems to be run by electronics.
Retired Old ■■■■:
I spent nearly 40 years of my life working overseas (Europe (east and west) Africa (mostly north and west), Asia, South America etc.) and saw quite a few older British vehicles still in service. I agree that Bedfords are (still!) very popular around the world but do not think the TK was the most popular. I seem to have seen more normal control models (TJ?) than TKs. I also saw loads of old Series Land Rovers still doing great service.
Bedfords and Land Rovers (and other British marques) were sold in great numbers abroad, particularly to the, then, developing countries. Part of the appeal was that they could be repaired easily by a local blacksmith/agricultural engineer using little more than an oxy acetalene welder and a big hammer! Probably a different tale these days when everything seems to be run by electronics.
[/quote]
You are right. My experience is that now the developing nations are no longer imported Europe’s worn out trucks, and keeping them going for years, due to to many “electrickery” gizmos on newer stuff. It was common to see loads of vehicles, loaded onto other older heavies also being imported, heading south from N Africa. Instead I saw many new Chinese built trucks around. Built to a very basic, but easily maintained, spec.
Same for Land Rovers. The Td5 and subsequent LR engines, are a bit too complicated to fix with only basic hand tools on the side of the road. To continue getting some sales LR had to continue fitting the more simple Tdi engines to Defenders for some time after it was no longer available in Europe.
Bewick:
Very interesting article on Bedfords Dean ! One thing has caught my eye which was the reference to the KE model of TK saying it was 9:15 GVW. I recall that we bought a KE in early 1970 which we fitted with a 17ft wood ali flat and IIRC it operated at 10 tons GVW legally ! So which GVW is correct ? Answers on a post card please
0
I would tend to agree with Bewick. KE’s that we operated and several other westcountry livestock hauliers as well, were all plated at 10tons with a 151in wheelbase, nearly all with a lightweight 16ft platform giving an unladed weight of just under 3 tons, so not needing an HGV license. This was because a re-moveable livestock container counted as part of the load, so this was how myself and most other livestock haulier’s sons started out. I seem to remember that early KE,s were 167in wheelbase on 8.25 x 20 tyres and it would have taken a lot of imagination to get one of those under 3ton ulw, although I did come across more than one that the owners claimed did!
Peter
I remember going to our local saw mills with new lorries to obtain the necessary weigh ticket for registration. The mill with it’s weighbridge was about 100 yards from our depot which meant that every last ounce was whittled off the vehicle before weighing,- all the water was drained, half the oil was drained from the sump, the spare wheel (and it’s carrier) were removed together with the passenger seat and any tools that came with the vehicle. The two heavy duty six volt batteries were temporarily replaced with a twelve volt item from the boss’ car!
Many a Bedford S-type or a Thorneycroft Sturdy came under the three ton limit in this way. Not only was road tax cheaper and the lorry could be driven on a car licence but it would be subject to a 30 mph speed limit instead of 20.
Retired Old ■■■■:
I remember going to our local saw mills with new lorries to obtain the necessary weigh ticket for registration. The mill with it’s weighbridge was about 100 yards from our depot which meant that every last ounce was whittled off the vehicle before weighing,- all the water was drained, half the oil was drained from the sump, the spare wheel (and it’s carrier) were removed together with the passenger seat and any tools that came with the vehicle. The two heavy duty six volt batteries were temporarily replaced with a twelve volt item from the boss’ car!
Many a Bedford S-type or a Thorneycroft Sturdy came under the three ton limit in this way. Not only was road tax cheaper and the lorry could be driven on a car licence but it would be subject to a 30 mph speed limit instead of 20.
Your right there ROF about the days of ULW for taxation purposes. I recall tales about a Milnthorpe based haulier the late Larry Ion ( J. L. Ion Ltd) and the tricks he got up to, apparently he once towed one of his motors onto a weighbridge minus engine in order to get a ticket for taxation purposes ! in the mid 60’s he sold his firm to Davy & Co who traded as K. Fell & Co and I in turn bought Davy’s haulage interests so I acquired Larry’s business in a round about way. Larry kept hold of one “A” licence onto which he placed a light weight 16 ton ERF 4 wheeler with the Perkins 6:354 engine and this motor could carry 11 ton 5 cwt legally. Cheers Dennis.
Peter Coaker:
Bewick:
Very interesting article on Bedfords Dean ! One thing has caught my eye which was the reference to the KE model of TK saying it was 9:15 GVW. I recall that we bought a KE in early 1970 which we fitted with a 17ft wood ali flat and IIRC it operated at 10 tons GVW legally ! So which GVW is correct ? Answers on a post card please
0I would tend to agree with Bewick. KE’s that we operated and several other westcountry livestock hauliers as well, were all plated at 10tons with a 151in wheelbase, nearly all with a lightweight 16ft platform giving an unladed weight of just under 3 tons, so not needing an HGV license. This was because a re-moveable livestock container counted as part of the load, so this was how myself and most other livestock haulier’s sons started out. I seem to remember that early KE,s were 167in wheelbase on 8.25 x 20 tyres and it would have taken a lot of imagination to get one of those under 3ton ulw, although I did come across more than one that the owners claimed did!
Peter
Hiya Peter, yes I forgot to mention that the main reason for us buying the KE was for my young Brother to drive at 17 years old and we did manage to weigh it in at about 2 ton 18 cwt from memory. Cheers Bewick.
The “Holy Grail” was a weigh ticket showing, 2T 19C 3Q . 
Retired Old ■■■■:
The “Holy Grail” was a weigh ticket showing, 2T 19C 3Q .
In later years when ULW was still used for taxation you could claim an allowance for coolant @ 10llb per gallon and so much derv @ 9Ilb per gal. IIRC Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Retired Old ■■■■:
The “Holy Grail” was a weigh ticket showing, 2T 19C 3Q .In later years when ULW was still used for taxation you could claim an allowance for coolant @ 10llb per gallon and so much derv @ 9Ilb per gal. IIRC Cheers Dennis.
Yes, claim for a full tank of fuel when there was only a cupful in the tank!