In Aberdeen the name of Charles Alexander is synonymous with road haulage.
For it is from the granite city that he started with a half share in a lorry in 1926.
He built up a transport organisation extending to all parts of England and Scotland.
The main traffic was fish from the North to the South.
lczjs:
David West Transport Dunfermline Fife. Another old Transport Company Gone!1
Spuds, I guess, some 500 sacks, but how much in each sack? In France, it would have been 50 kgs, which would make this truck’s load some 25 tonnes. After having loaded by hand the whole lot, it should just be fun to start the engine with the crank!
Froggy55:
lczjs:
David West Transport Dunfermline Fife. Another old Transport Company Gone!1
Spuds, I guess, some 500 sacks, but how much in each sack? In France, it would have been 50 kgs, which would make this truck’s load some 25 tonnes. After having loaded by hand the whole lot, it should just be fun to start the engine with the crank!
Yes Spuds a neat load. I count 300 sacks going by the way they’re loaded at 1cwt each which was normal then a 15 ton Load.
OK. I hadn’t noticed the 5 first layers weren’t displayed the same way as the top ones. Such a load wasn’t subject to roping?
Froggy55:
OK. I hadn’t noticed the 5 first layers weren’t displayed the same way as the top ones. Such a load wasn’t subject to roping?
Never move Froggy in them urden sacks, I only used to put one rope over the back end of spuds when they where in paper sacks, mind you that Bedford TK could not go fast enough to shed a load!
Well, I suppose the CX 7 wouldn’t do more than a short 35 Mph. That reminds me a film (probably c. 1965) where a guy hides in a load of spuds; listening to the sound of its engine, the truck was definitely a 2-stroke Commer. I think the spuds were loaded bulk, and fell on the road at some stage…
Froggy55:
Well, I suppose the CX 7 wouldn’t do more than a short 35 Mph. That reminds me a film (probably c. 1965) where a guy hides in a load of spuds; listening to the sound of its engine, the truck was definitely a 2-stroke Commer. I think the spuds were loaded bulk, and fell on the road at some stage…
Loading spuds was hard work we always roped & sheeted them if they were going long distance.
However in the winter it was harder work as first straw was spread on the floor Load the spuds then Straw down the sides
and layers on top to protect them from frost then roped and sheeted not a job for the faint hearted lol.
The time driving and loading trucks was a job for men.
Hiya,
I did quite a bit of spud hauling in my days as a wag and drag man, the amount of straw
required to frostproof all those potato’s was a nightmare with "you’ll have to take your
straw with you, you can’t leave it here, there was usually a trailer full of the stuff on an
outfit that size fortunately my pal was a horsey chap and let me get rid of the stuff at
his stable which I had to pass on the way back to the yard.
thanks harry, long retired.
NEJ:
One other com. that I can,t remenber ran from Burscough nr. Ormskirk to Crieff on trunk up one night and back the next they ran Plain Red Seddon Atki 400 day cabs.
This was Peter Halley. Their registered office was No 10 Mill Lane, Burscough, yet everyone who I’ve every heard quote them said “Peter Halley of Crieff”
marky:
NEJ:
One other com. that I can,t remenber ran from Burscough nr. Ormskirk to Crieff on trunk up one night and back the next they ran Plain Red Seddon Atki 400 day cabs.This was Peter Halley. Their registered office was No 10 Mill Lane, Burscough, yet everyone who I’ve every heard quote them said “Peter Halley of Crieff”
I have always known Peter Halley to be from Crieff incorporated in 1961.
They had Fleet Sale if you view the Fotki link.
However it seems they’re still operating according to Companies House.
Does anyone have anymore information ?
Check this FOTKI link for Pics.
public.fotki.com/Scottishtruckph … ytranspor/
Extract from Companies House.
Name & Registered Office:
PETER HALLEY (TRANSPORT) LIMITED
BRIDGEND GARAGE
CRIEFF
PERTHSHIRE
PH7 4DJ
Company No. SC036075
Scottish Road Services another old haulage company:
Photo of 3 Albions looking very smart a1967,1968,1969 registrations.
Crikey! I thought the Duramin cabs were codge-ups, but that is dreadful. Hate to spend the night 2 up in that - would definitely have to spend the night out money on sleepy beer. Sliding doors would be good in the south of Italy though - and we usually had best part of a week down there on Fridged Freight. Jim.
jmc jnr:
Crikey! I thought the Duramin cabs were codge-ups, but that is dreadful. Hate to spend the night 2 up in that - would definitely have to spend the night out money on sleepy beer. Sliding doors would be good in the south of Italy though - and we usually had best part of a week down there on Fridged Freight. Jim.
That doesn’t look like a slidy door to me; it looks like a simple matter of no door at all: blissful on the rare idyllic summer days Britain offers, but disastrous for the other nine months of the year! Actually, I drove light commercials with sliding doors and they were always a nightmare because the second you braked the buggers slammed shut. Aye, them were 'days! 
Robert
jmc jnr:
Crikey! I thought the Duramin cabs were codge-ups, but that is dreadful. Hate to spend the night 2 up in that - would definitely have to spend the night out money on sleepy beer. Sliding doors would be good in the south of Italy though - and we usually had best part of a week down there on Fridged Freight. Jim.
jmc jnr I would be very interested as to how AECs performed on long trips like you mention , how you handled break-downs etc .
shugg:
jmc jnr:
Crikey! I thought the Duramin cabs were codge-ups, but that is dreadful. Hate to spend the night 2 up in that - would definitely have to spend the night out money on sleepy beer. Sliding doors would be good in the south of Italy though - and we usually had best part of a week down there on Fridged Freight. Jim.jmc jnr I would be very interested as to how AECs performed on long trips like you mention , how you handled break-downs etc .
Hiya,
The longest trip I ever did with an AEC was Dover to Donegal via
Stranraar, but did drive them for many many miles on general
haulage and the only problem I ever encountered with the AEC
engine and running gear (and I was only young and tended to
give them a bit of “wellie”) was the odd injectior pipe of which
I always carried a (reach anywhere) pipe to get me home.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hello Shugg. Like Harry says we always had a couple of the longest injector pipes and an adjustable or 5/8th spanner. If the spares had gone then you twisted the pipe to direct it away from the hot bits and onto the bonnet so you didn’t get stunk out too much. Our biggest worry were the home - made fridge units. The risk of gas leakage meant constant checks were important.The temperature guage for both boxes was on the driver’s side and could be checked in the mirror . We were usually carrying hanging beef down so it had to be chilled all the way through and our boxes flexed meaning the beef quarters near the back doors might niff a bit at Menton / Ventimiglia so we often stuffed newspaper into the door cracks. The seals had to remain intact so most of our drivers were adapt at that kind of thing. We always carried fruit home, so the only concern was air flow, but we travelled fast and transitting France meant bending the rules and the second man having a spell at the wheel.
I cannot remember a break-down that stopped us - and I do remember the Mk3 AEC’s being used on Continental up to 1965. After that the ridgid Mk5 and tilt cab took over. in 1968 / 69 the Scania Vabis LB 76’s came on the fleet and Mont Blanc became open to us so the trip down was shortened by a couple of hundred mile, but the climb when the road up was two way was a devils shortcut - OK in an 8 wheeler and drag - slow but easy cos you could tuck in against the face of the cliff, but you had to watch the overhangs in an Artic.
The early Aec’s were exceptionally reliable - problems occurred with the tilt cabs - over heating and gear-boxes but we had two of the best mechanics you could ask for so it was unusual for our confidence to be less than 100 per cent. I did one trip with ■■■■ Doddington in a Mkv 2700 VF with a dodgy clutch that was interesting - especially the climb from Wittlich to Spangdalem ( I had gone the wrong way in the dark). Sorry - I’m rattling on. Jim.
harry_gill:
shugg:
jmc jnr:
Crikey! I thought the Duramin cabs were codge-ups, but that is dreadful. Hate to spend the night 2 up in that - would definitely have to spend the night out money on sleepy beer. Sliding doors would be good in the south of Italy though - and we usually had best part of a week down there on Fridged Freight. Jim.jmc jnr I would be very interested as to how AECs performed on long trips like you mention , how you handled break-downs etc .
Hiya,
The longest trip I ever did with an AEC was Dover to Donegal via
Stranraar, but did drive them for many many miles on general
haulage and the only problem I ever encountered with the AEC
engine and running gear (and I was only young and tended to
give them a bit of “wellie”) was the odd injectior pipe of which
I always carried a (reach anywhere) pipe to get me home.
thanks harry, long retired.
Similar to the Leyland with, usually, no 6 pipe cracking.
Not that hot on a 'pooter so hope you got my PM about Spangdalem Steve ( mushroom Man) Jim.