Here is a later SoM model too, again ■■■■■■■ powered but the early Big J6 6x2 and 6x4 tractors could have an AV505, AV471 and the V6 ■■■■■■■ or Gardner 150.
Smith’s Big J6
Early model Big J6
I’m curious to learn as to what kind of Heavy Haulage SOM carried out ? They weren’t exactly known for this area of transport ! Cheers Bewick.
Frankydobo:
Here is a later SoM model too, again ■■■■■■■ powered
Which raises the question why the seeming choice of 250 ■■■■■■■ v the higher torque output of an 8 LXB in it ?.
Bewick:
I’m curious to learn as to what kind of Heavy Haulage SOM carried out ? They weren’t exactly known for this area of transport ! Cheers Bewick.
I’am not absolutely certain Bewick but I think they carried a fair amount of the heavy plant out of the Caterpillar plant from their plant in Uddingston nr Glasgow .
shugg:
Bewick:
I’m curious to learn as to what kind of Heavy Haulage SOM carried out ? They weren’t exactly known for this area of transport ! Cheers Bewick.I’am not absolutely certain Bewick but I think they carried a fair amount of the heavy plant out of the Caterpillar plant from their plant in Uddingston nr Glasgow .
Thanks for that “Shuggs” so that would account for the dockside shot with a CAT on the low loader. Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
I’m curious to learn as to what kind of Heavy Haulage SOM carried out ? They weren’t exactly known for this area of transport ! Cheers Bewick.
Here’s a proper heavy haulage company Dennis…
moomooland:
Bewick:
I’m curious to learn as to what kind of Heavy Haulage SOM carried out ? They weren’t exactly known for this area of transport ! Cheers Bewick.Here’s a proper heavy haulage company Dennis…
0
If I remember tomorrow “MML” I will relate a story about one of Pickfords Finest and Brady’s Octopus and trailer which both were involved in a job from Liverpool docks to Vickers yard in Barrow. Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
shugg:
Bewick:
I’m curious to learn as to what kind of Heavy Haulage SOM carried out ? They weren’t exactly known for this area of transport ! Cheers Bewick.I’am not absolutely certain Bewick but I think they carried a fair amount of the heavy plant out of the Caterpillar plant from their plant in Uddingston nr Glasgow .
Thanks for that “Shuggs” so that would account for the dockside shot with a CAT on the low loader. Cheers Bewick.
It’s rare for a SoM motor not to have its Home Depot designation and fleet number on each door,but I would guess the depot was Glasgow,I.e ND■■? as suggested by “Shugg”.
David
A Guy Big J4 skip lorry makes its way North up the A1.
Picture taken form the Scotch Corner Hotel looking South in the days before the junction was realigned,
Click on image to view full size
Bewick:
moomooland:
Bewick:
I’m curious to learn as to what kind of Heavy Haulage SOM carried out ? They weren’t exactly known for this area of transport ! Cheers Bewick.Here’s a proper heavy haulage company Dennis…
0
If I remember tomorrow “MML” I will relate a story about one of Pickfords Finest and Brady’s Octopus and trailer which both were involved in a job from Liverpool docks to Vickers yard in Barrow. Cheers Dennis.
On second thoughts it is too embarrassing for the Pickfords driver of the Highwayman and 4 in-line low loader who couldn’t reverse faster than Eric could reverse the Octopus and trailer, Eric had to keep pulling forward 'cause this Pickfords driver kept getting “dog knotted”, what a Wallie ! Cheers bewick.
5thwheel:
It’s rare for a SoM motor not to have its Home Depot designation and fleet number on each door,but I would guess the depot was Glasgow,I.e ND■■? as suggested by “Shugg”.
David
That 6 wheeler was based in Maddiston, along side a Scania, (either 6x2 or 6x4, I can’t remember) the Scania was driven by a relative, a nephew I think, of one of the Smiths…
Fergie47:
5thwheel:
It’s rare for a SoM motor not to have its Home Depot designation and fleet number on each door,but I would guess the depot was Glasgow,I.e ND■■? as suggested by “Shugg”.
DavidThat 6 wheeler was based in Maddiston, along side a Scania, (either 6x2 or 6x4, I can’t remember) the Scania was driven by a relative, a nephew I think, of one of the Smiths…
My personal opinion of the “Big J”? admittedly on very short acquaintance with the dog, it was diabolical!! Uncomfortable, noisy,( worse than an Atki) difficult to get in and out and gutless, but I will say it had a poxy Gardner in it. Not a patch on an Atkinson or a Mandator, or even a Leyland Beaver!! 
my tin hat is firmly fixed. 
Regards Kev.
kevmac47:
My personal opinion of the “Big J”? admittedly on very short acquaintance with the dog, it was diabolical!! Uncomfortable, noisy,( worse than an Atki) difficult to get in and out and gutless, but I will say it had a poxy Gardner in it. Not a patch on an Atkinson or a Mandator, or even a Leyland Beaver!!
Agree with you there Kev.
The bloke that designed it should have been made to drive the first one they built from Wolverhampton to Wick and back!
Had he done so i imagine when he returned he would have immediately set to work back at his drawing board.
moomooland:
Here’s one for you Dennis.2
1
0
Great ( probably circa 1977) shot of the Bewick motors waiting to load pulp at Tilbury, SCA 44 berth, the Big J at the front was PAW 480M a 1974 unit I bought for £4250 in 1975, the Seddon behind was an ex Henry Cooke Ltd. ( Where the woodpulp would have been destined for) 1968 32/4 GJM 248 G that would have been loading a trunk trailer for that nights changeover and from what I can see it is coupled to T11 which was a 39ft York SL34 tandem, how do I know this ? well it only had a 1 foot high headboard as opposed to the standard 2 ft h/b ! The Superb Atki at the rear I can’t comment on as we ran about 10 or a dozen Borderers at that time ! Cheers Bewick.
moomooland:
kevmac47:
My personal opinion of the “Big J”? admittedly on very short acquaintance with the dog, it was diabolical!! Uncomfortable, noisy,( worse than an Atki) difficult to get in and out and gutless, but I will say it had a poxy Gardner in it. Not a patch on an Atkinson or a Mandator, or even a Leyland Beaver!!Agree with you there Kev.
The bloke that designed it should have been made to drive the first one they built from Wolverhampton to Wick and back!
Had he done so i imagine when he returned he would have immediately set to work back at his drawing board.0
At the time in the course of transport history the Guy Big J filled a role that was both acceptable, economical and successful ! I only ran half a dozen at Bewick Transport but they were all, without exception, very reliable albeit all had Gardner 180LXB engines. But take the massive fleets of the like of SOM almost exclusively Big J in the late 60’s and early 70’s and very profitable they were as well. I would disagree with the “bad mouthing” that is now taking place aimed at the very successful Big J during it’s years as an economically priced reliable “work horse”. Others obviously hold an opposing opinion based on their no doubt first hand experiences of owning and operating the Big J ! Cheers Bewick.
moomooland:
kevmac47:
My personal opinion of the “Big J”? admittedly on very short acquaintance with the dog, it was diabolical!! Uncomfortable, noisy,( worse than an Atki) difficult to get in and out and gutless, but I will say it had a poxy Gardner in it. Not a patch on an Atkinson or a Mandator, or even a Leyland Beaver!!Agree with you there Kev.
The bloke that designed it should have been made to drive the first one they built from Wolverhampton to Wick and back!
Had he done so i imagine when he returned he would have immediately set to work back at his drawing board.0
Joe Pallet of Nailstone, I did a bit for him in the 70s. 30ish motors mostly Akkies flats n tippers. Can’t remember him having many Guys though. I was on a S80 ,one of three. Suffered when the pits closed the fleet went down to an handful, Volvos. Only drove a Guy for one shift , more than enough.
Bewick:
moomooland:
kevmac47:
My personal opinion of the “Big J”? admittedly on very short acquaintance with the dog, it was diabolical!! Uncomfortable, noisy,( worse than an Atki) difficult to get in and out and gutless, but I will say it had a poxy Gardner in it. Not a patch on an Atkinson or a Mandator, or even a Leyland Beaver!!Agree with you there Kev.
The bloke that designed it should have been made to drive the first one they built from Wolverhampton to Wick and back!
Had he done so i imagine when he returned he would have immediately set to work back at his drawing board.0
At the time in the course of transport history the Guy Big J filled a role that was both acceptable, economical and successful ! I only ran half a dozen at Bewick Transport but they were all, without exception, very reliable albeit all had Gardner 180LXB engines. But take the massive fleets of the like of SOM almost exclusively Big J in the late 60’s and early 70’s and very profitable they were as well. I would disagree with the “bad mouthing” that is now taking place aimed at the very successful Big J during it’s years as an economically priced reliable “work horse”. Others obviously hold an opposing opinion based on their no doubt first hand experiences of owning and operating the Big J ! Cheers Bewick.
Well said Dennis,your comments are predominantly based on being an operator as opposed to a driver,from my driver perspective,the Guy Big J was a good reliable motor,that would get you and your load from A to B,the only time one let me down was when it popped a windscreen out on the Crooklands car park whilst attended a change over with “Tom Thumb”,a Maddiston driver who was running late due to fuel problem with his Seddon,so I drove north from Garstang to meet him to save time,and as Sod’s law would have it,he had 20 ton of latex which had to go straight down to Market Drayton,that was a l o n g night!
David
GF’s thought for the day…‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’ 
5thwheel:
Bewick:
moomooland:
kevmac47:
My personal opinion of the “Big J”? admittedly on very short acquaintance with the dog, it was diabolical!! Uncomfortable, noisy,( worse than an Atki) difficult to get in and out and gutless, but I will say it had a poxy Gardner in it. Not a patch on an Atkinson or a Mandator, or even a Leyland Beaver!!Agree with you there Kev.
The bloke that designed it should have been made to drive the first one they built from Wolverhampton to Wick and back!
Had he done so i imagine when he returned he would have immediately set to work back at his drawing board.0
Well said Dennis,your comments are predominantly based on being an operator as opposed to a driver,from my driver perspective,the Guy Big J was a good reliable motor,that would get you and your load from A to B,the only time one let me down was when it popped a windscreen out on the Crooklands car park whilst attended a change over with “Tom Thumb”,a Maddiston driver who was running late due to fuel problem with his Seddon,so I drove north from Garstang to meet him to save time,and as Sod’s law would have it,he had 20 ton of latex which had to go straight down to Market Drayton,that was a l o n g night!
David
Well I’ll be……….! That was the only fault that I found with the Big J, apart from having no skin on my left hand! My screen popped out between Beaconsfield and Slough one afternoon. The windscreen fitter was with me in about 20 minutes with a screen from an ERF A-series. They were the same part number and I was on my way in less than an hour of the occurrence.