ChrisArbon:
Bury St.Edmunds had a sugar tanker fleet running out of the old engine shed at the top of Station Hill. When they got a new depot at Moreton Hall Ind Est; they closed off the ends of the engine shed and it became a roller skating rink.
The Bristol tipper fleet at Bury St Edmunds
TIDDERSON:
ChrisArbon:
Bury St.Edmunds had a sugar tanker fleet running out of the old engine shed at the top of Station Hill. When they got a new depot at Moreton Hall Ind Est; they closed off the ends of the engine shed and it became a roller skating rink.The Bristol tipper fleet at Bury St Edmunds
I never thought that Seddons built many 8 wheelers,but it looks like BRS Contracts cornered the production with this shot!! I wonder what engine these 8 wheeler tippers used,maybe the AEC ■■ Cheers Bewick.
The appearance of Maidstone depot is virtually unchanged. The trolley bus turning circle at Grove road is still there, but the overhead has gone of course. In fact that picture could almost have been taken today.
Bewick:
TIDDERSON:
ChrisArbon:
Bury St.Edmunds had a sugar tanker fleet running out of the old engine shed at the top of Station Hill. When they got a new depot at Moreton Hall Ind Est; they closed off the ends of the engine shed and it became a roller skating rink.The Bristol tipper fleet at Bury St Edmunds
I never thought that Seddons built many 8 wheelers,but it looks like BRS Contracts cornered the production with this shot!! I wonder what engine these 8 wheeler tippers used,maybe the AEC ■■ Cheers Bewick.
These were the Bristols purchased in Oct 1955. The Seddons came later.
Any one remember old Jack on the pumps at Darlington,also John Brookbanks(forman fitter)fitter John Gladdon?
The entrance of the old Spring Street depot Bristol.
The exit. Turn right and there is the low railway bridge.
Cheers Phil.
Numbum:
The entrance of the old Spring Street depot Bristol.
The exit. Turn right and there is the low railway bridge.
Cheers Phil.
Nice to compare to the old days
TIDDERSON:
Numbum:
The entrance of the old Spring Street depot Bristol.
The exit. Turn right and there is the low railway bridge.
Cheers Phil.Nice to compare to the old days
hiya,
I’d be standing canny if I’d a quid for everytime I’ve visited
this place had a pal who worked in there who had originally
worked for North West BRS at Greenhey’s depot he used to
put me the odd load on for Cornwall, very handy I had my
two sisters living down there so see the family, free digs and
got paid for it,well I was a tramper so wherever the depot I
was visiting wanted to send me I had to go.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hi tidderson, the pic of Grimsby fish motor you put on, on the6th august, is my pic that i put on anouther thred,21st ofjuly, i took that lorry on 1 week after the 1st driver had it, he didnt like the job , and i got offerd it, which i took. there was 2 off us on that job, me and the Cardiff trunk,the pool trunk started sometime after, we stoped at a cafe at mrkt Rasen on the a46 tween lincoln and gy. That was were the photo was took, i have one off the chap that drove the AEC mercury, but cant find it, re copy right? ime not botherd life is to short to be niggling over a photo, hope it gave pleasure, regards, trunker08------ i was with BRS about 4 yr, should never of left the job.
harry_gill:
TIDDERSON:
Numbum:
The entrance of the old Spring Street depot Bristol.
The exit. Turn right and there is the low railway bridge.
Cheers Phil.Nice to compare to the old days
hiya,
I’d be standing canny if I’d a quid for everytime I’ve visited
this place had a pal who worked in there who had originally
worked for North West BRS at Greenhey’s depot he used to
put me the odd load on for Cornwall, very handy I had my
two sisters living down there so see the family, free digs and
got paid for it,well I was a tramper so wherever the depot I
was visiting wanted to send me I had to go.
thanks harry, long retired.
Now that is the “spoken word” of a REAL tramper from yesteryear!! Not these modern curtain pullers who are “Planned” to run between a few RDC’s and are then referred to as “trampers”,my arse!! Cheers Bewick.
hiya,
I’d be standing canny if I’d a quid for everytime I’ve visited
this place had a pal who worked in there who had originally
worked for North West BRS at Greenhey’s depot he used to
put me the odd load on for Cornwall, very handy I had my
two sisters living down there so see the family, free digs and
got paid for it,well I was a tramper so wherever the depot I
was visiting wanted to send me I had to go.
thanks harry, long retired.
[/quote]
Hi Harry did the BRS give you the option of coming home for a weekend after you had been away for 3 weeks as we had at Pickfords but I never took the option up as I usually managed to get home at least once a fortnight and I once was away from the depot for 13 or 14 weeks officially but I took the bride out every Saturday night. 
cheers Johnnie 
sammyopisite:
hiya,
I’d be standing canny if I’d a quid for everytime I’ve visited
this place had a pal who worked in there who had originally
worked for North West BRS at Greenhey’s depot he used to
put me the odd load on for Cornwall, very handy I had my
two sisters living down there so see the family, free digs and
got paid for it,well I was a tramper so wherever the depot I
was visiting wanted to send me I had to go.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hi Harry did the BRS give you the option of coming home for a weekend after you had been away for 3 weeks as we had at Pickfords but I never took the option up as I usually managed to get home at least once a fortnight and I once was away from the depot for 13 or 14 weeks officially but I took the bride out every Saturday night.
cheers Johnnie
[/quote]
hiya,
Johnny, I’m not sure on that ruling do know that if you got
weekended away from base for a couple of consecutive times
you could ask the depot where you was staying for a rail pass
I used the option only once, getting home for a wedding more
often than not my backloads mysteriously passed our house so
a dodgy was the order of the day,otherwise I was happy to stay
put yep and have had some good weekends in “foreign climes”.
thanks harry, long retired.
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This was the BRS, Depot at Carelton Carlisle, Regards Larry.
hiya,
Busy depot this one Larry bunkered there on many occasions,
always a queue at the pumps, drawn money but never loaded.
thanks harry, long retired.
alexsaville:
Just found this tonight. As an ex BRS driver I have to say it was one of the two best jobs I ever had!
The Glasgow depots are as follows:-
BA, Lister St. The main Glasgow Branch. Now John Lewis’s depot.
BB, Douglas Group, Townsend St. Closed way back (I worked there) The yard is still there as it was all those years ago.
BG, Argyll Group, Warroch St, Anderston, long gone.
BRS Parcels. Originally Portman St Kinning Park, moved to Dixons Blazes estate (my brother drove there). Closed a long time ago.
Hawthorn St. This was the Caledonian depot, used by their haulage and warehousing arms. Later became the BRS depot but only by default. The red fleet never operated out of there. BRS Truck Rental operated there, as did the Contracts. No BRS haulage vehicles were ever based there.
Similary, Granton (Edinburgh) was Bells old depot, same set-up as Hawthorn St.
BF, Edinburgh was based at Seafield next to a hospital who’s name escapes me, on the A1 into ‘Auld Reekie’.
Dundee was in East Dock St, only the parcels shed remains and is used as part of a small trading estate, cant remember the code for D/Dee.
Aberdeen, I think was BR. Based at Virginia St down by the docks. Just down the street was Mary’s Cafe popular with lorry drivers.
Kirkcaldy was, I think, in the Mitchelston Estate.
Alva was on the eastern side of the village,on the main st to the right, heading to Tillicoultry.
I can find where most of the depots were in Forfar, Inverness, Oban, Ayr and Ardrossan, Grangemouth, dont ask for directions, though!
Elgin, I cant remember where the depot was.
Hope all this helps.
Alex
im an ex brs bridgend tramper we use to visit aberdeen many times marys cafe brings back fond memories also the pub called the east nuek great times best firm ever
Hi BROWN700 , I was at Oxford depot and remember the driving school at your depot and some of your lads on trunkink , i think may of been hoover contract ? , leyland roadtrains were always turned out well !
Yes please. I used to spend some time at Brentford depot spotting lorries in the early 60’s. The fleet then was mainly Bristols Octopus Otters and Seddons. Regards Peter
1A 429, driver Frank Laurie. He had taken a load of reinforcing bars up to Spadeadam, ■■■■■■■■■■ and loaded back out of Thornaby , this, a similar consignment, destined for John Laing Construction, M1 Motorway Constuction, at Crick, Near Rugby. Just previously, some bars had started to slide out of one of the bundles, on the A46 near Six Hills, so he reversed back into the abutment of an old railway bridge, to push them back ! Have been thinking - Maybe this photo out of place here. BRS depots…■■
Haven’t seen any reference to BRS Forest of Dean Depot.
It was formed when BRS bought the old established firm of George Read Transport with premises at Merrin End Garage, Mitcheldean. The smaller company of James Smith (English Bicknor) Ltd was aquired at the same time. George Read (Jnr) or “Young George” was kept on as Branch Manager and John Jones, director of Smith’s was instated as Senior Traffic Clerk. The depot was given the Depot Identification GP being part of the South Wales Group, peculiarly, rather than tie it in with Gloucester.
Traffic remained, in general, similar to what it had been prior to aquisition- steel from South Wales to various parts of the UK and bulk tipping traffic from South Wales Eastwards. The main differences were that drivers could backload out of BRS branches as well as their usual clearing houses and they didn’t have to worry about finding fuel supplies when “up the road”.
Drivers also had to get used to the idea of not rushing everywhere and not working stupid hours. They were amazed to discover that they could earn just as much “taking it easy” with BRS and that claiming five nights out every week were a normal part of life at the new firm!
