Dallan:
Pic of Robert Armstongs ERF in Austria loaded with wine.Mid 70’s.
k this ERF ended its life on the motorway near Paris into a bridge support.
Stanfield:
Another one from Sadlers fleet Scania 112.photo from transportphotos.com/road/photos
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That’s a blast from the past John, the first unit I got at Sadlers was C262 THN which was a Scania with a tag axle, I had for about 4 months, all I can say it was a bit tired!! Regards, Mizzo.
Hi ADR, re the AEC v8s Air Products were the biggest single user of the model. When I started in 1984 they still had one of the old Mandators that was used for shunting but that one had the in line 760 engine .at that time they had gone onto the Volvo 290s (talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire) as they were not to successful either.the name of some of the drivers at my time there from 84 to 2004 were Ken Danson,Ray Lloyd,Alan Thorpe, Mick Coppell, ( shop steward) and his brother John, Barny Armstrong,Pete Bennet, Colin Mairs, Geoff Lever, Matt Long, Bill Taylor,Frank Harris, Alan Reid, Joe Collins, and dozens of others from different depots round the country,I retired in 2004 then did part time work for Apex at Walkden until last year. Best firm in the country to work for bar none , even when Wincanton took over the transport in 1994, it was still a very good job. PS, I do remember Jimmy Wright, I think when he left he opened. A driver training school.
Alec:
Hi ADR, re the AEC v8s Air Products were the biggest single user of the model. When I started in 1984 they still had one of the old Mandators that was used for shunting but that one had the in line 760 engine .at that time they had gone onto the Volvo 290s (talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire) as they were not to successful either.the name of some of the drivers at my time there from 84 to 2004 were Ken Danson,Ray Lloyd,Alan Thorpe, Mick Coppell, ( shop steward) and his brother John, Barny Armstrong,Pete Bennet, Colin Mairs, Geoff Lever, Matt Long, Bill Taylor,Frank Harris, Alan Reid, Joe Collins, and dozens of others from different depots round the country,I retired in 2004 then did part time work for Apex at Walkden until last year. Best firm in the country to work for bar none , even when Wincanton took over the transport in 1994, it was still a very good job. PS, I do remember Jimmy Wright, I think when he left he opened. A driver training school.
Hi Alec. Couple of names I recognise. If its the same Jimmy Wright worked with him at Humko Trafford Park late 1970s and he moved to Air Products Carrington about 1982. I worked with a Joe Collins at MAT T/Park mid 1970s.
Hi kevmorrow, Jimmy Weight, I think also worked for Manchester Haulage at one time but I don’t know if it was before or after Humco. Nice guy was Jim, I know that Joe Collins is still there another good bloke,help anybody out would Joe.
Re, Seville’s Tankers, from Mode Wheel Rd , I had two tractor units working for Alan Saville for three months in the early eighties, manage to get 1 months money, out of him also he pinched 3 new Bandag recaps of me,Well Mr Saville, if your still alive, ime still waiting for my money, and the tyres, all the worst .Alec McCance
Alec:
Re, Seville’s Tankers, from Mode Wheel Rd , I had two tractor units working for Alan Saville for three months in the early eighties, manage to get 1 months money, out of him also he pinched 3 new Bandag recaps of me,Well Mr Saville, if your still alive, ime still waiting for my money, and the tyres, all the worst .Alec McCance
Hi Alan.
I worked for Humko (KRAFT Foods) as tanker driver 1979 to 1983 based Westinghouse Road then transfered to Smith and Robinson
Humko had had a terminal at Mode Wheel Road. Driver Ray Rothwell had a job of hauling 6 loads a day crude Fish or Palm from Mode Wheel to factory. There was a (one man band subby) Pete Bibby used to run a few loads a day in an old fuel tanker along side Ray. The pumps at Mode Wheel were running on steam and could get a quick turnaround. I remember Sevilles were based at Leigh area but had lots of work when Kraft sold out to PURA foods 1983.
regards kev
Kraft Humko.tif (1.43 MB)
Alec:
Hi ADR, re the AEC v8s Air Products were the biggest single user of the model. When I started in 1984 they still had one of the old Mandators that was used for shunting but that one had the in line 760 engine .at that time they had gone onto the Volvo 290s (talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire) as they were not to successful either.the name of some of the drivers at my time there from 84 to 2004 were Ken Danson,Ray Lloyd,Alan Thorpe, Mick Coppell, ( shop steward) and his brother John, Barny Armstrong,Pete Bennet, Colin Mairs, Geoff Lever, Matt Long, Bill Taylor,Frank Harris, Alan Reid, Joe Collins, and dozens of others from different depots round the country,I retired in 2004 then did part time work for Apex at Walkden until last year. Best firm in the country to work for bar none , even when Wincanton took over the transport in 1994, it was still a very good job. PS, I do remember Jimmy Wright, I think when he left he opened. A driver training school.
Alec my dads best mate worked for Air Products, he was fleet engineer. Before Air Product he worked for a company called Stevenson hardy I,m sure based round Eccles, Urmston. His name was Joe Connour ( hope I spelt his name correct )
Hi ADR, I must know you, if you’ve worked for AP, at Didcot I presume, I’ worked a Carrington since 84, & took early retirement in 2004then went back there in 2006 for two years,then finished.then I was asked could I do some part time work for Apex based in Walkden ,dead easy job that was, just moving pumps around the country.but packed it in last year. A P. Top firm to work for don’t you agree. When I started Bracknell was running, one of our jobs was picking up the Crude Argon ( and it was crude to much oxygen in it) when pumping it off at Carrington you had to shut down two or three times ,while the nitrogen cooler got it under control.I’ve been out based at Didcot Quite a few times.( is Big Chris still there). His Surname I can’t remember.I’ve been out based at ■■■■■■■■■■■ , then Motherwell,Sandbach,(Hydrogen) ,Redcar, Llanwern,
Oh happy days, All the best to you and your mates Alec McCance.
Hi boatchaser, thanks for the post, Was your uncle Joe Conner the fleet engineer, I know the name ,but can’t put a face to it .Did he move to Bracknell Depot The fleet engineer that I remember was Terry Stamford .I was only there 10 years then Wincanton took over in 94, then everything changed in the Garage, a good friend of mine worked in the Garage at my time at AP, whom ime sure your uncle will remember by the name of Mike Ryan . I hope this info is of some use to you. All the best.Alec McCance.
Alec:
Hi boatchaser, thanks for the post, Was your uncle Joe Conner the fleet engineer, I know the name ,but can’t put a face to it .Did he move to Bracknell Depot The fleet engineer that I remember was Terry Stamford .I was only there 10 years then Wincanton took over in 94, then everything changed in the Garage, a good friend of mine worked in the Garage at my time at AP, whom ime sure your uncle will remember by the name of Mike Ryan . I hope this info is of some use to you. All the best.Alec McCance.
Alec Joe was my dads best mate they grew up together in Eccles, as I said sure Joe started his working days with a company called Stevenson Hardy . His apprentice can you believe at one point was Freddie Garrity ( Freddie and the dreamers ) and when he join Air Products it was in Bracknell and moved to Carrington . I think he moved from Manchester to Basildon with Stevenson Hardy then moved to Air Products. Does anyone have any info on Stevenson Hardy from I think Eccles, Urmston area !!!
Terry was my manager at Tankfreight before he moved to Air Products, nice fella as he managed to sort me a couple of pay rises while he was there !
Alec:
Hi boatchaser, thanks for the post, Was your uncle Joe Conner the fleet engineer, I know the name ,but can’t put a face to it .Did he move to Bracknell Depot The fleet engineer that I remember was Terry Stamford .I was only there 10 years then Wincanton took over in 94, then everything changed in the Garage, a good friend of mine worked in the Garage at my time at AP, whom ime sure your uncle will remember by the name of Mike Ryan . I hope this info is of some use to you. All the best.Alec McCance.
Alec:
Hi ADR, I must know you, if you’ve worked for AP, at Didcot I presume, I’ worked a Carrington since 84, & took early retirement in 2004then went back there in 2006 for two years,then finished.then I was asked could I do some part time work for Apex based in Walkden ,dead easy job that was, just moving pumps around the country.but packed it in last year. A P. Top firm to work for don’t you agree. When I started Bracknell was running, one of our jobs was picking up the Crude Argon ( and it was crude to much oxygen in it) when pumping it off at Carrington you had to shut down two or three times ,while the nitrogen cooler got it under control.I’ve been out based at Didcot Quite a few times.( is Big Chris still there). His Surname I can’t remember.I’ve been out based at ■■■■■■■■■■■ , then Motherwell,Sandbach,(Hydrogen) ,Redcar, Llanwern,
Oh happy days, All the best to you and your mates Alec McCance.
Hi Alec, sorry not replied, not been on here for a few weeks, busy busy, what’s the saying? “Life is what happens while you are busy doing something else”. Yes we must have crossed paths at some time, I started at Didcot in 1989 when it 1st opened to replace Bracknell, transferred to Wincanton, then left after a few years of them to work for the Dutch/European etc. Cryoservice took over Air Products small-bulk & I started on for them working out of Didcot in 2003, we had a nice quiet little yard 5 mins down the road from AP Didcot, I was Depot Supervisor for 10 years until AP bought us out completely & we were moved round into AP 2 years ago 
(preferred the P&Q of our little yard, more layed back, far less Bull’). I remember the Carrington blokes coming in to pick up the Argon on your way back North, I remember Mick Coppell very well, had quite a few chats with him, heard he was a good Shop Steward! Big Chris Miller you are thinking of, Gentle Giant is Chris, at 6’2" & 17 stone there aren’t many blokes that Tower over me, but I have to look up to speak to Chris & step to 1 side to see round him 
He has had some serious health issues but is Bobbing & Weaving again now 
! As you say it is a great job, not as good as it once was, far too many Rules & Regs & H&S now, stuff you can’t do now because we are told it is dangerous/un-safe etc, despite the fact that the Old-Ways have kept the job rolling along nicely for ■■? knows how many years 
. Regards Chris
Hi ADR, nice to hear from you, no doubt we must have met at some time,if you see big Chris give him my best wishes,I remember On Apex we were purging a gas holder down in Plymouth and Chris came down with a Lin road tank , Well he reversed this tank in absolutely perfect, I never thought it would have gone in, and he just said is that OK Al. ( Jesus man I couldn’t have done better myself) top man was Chris. You mentioned Mick Copple, well I’ve been trying to get in touch with him ,without success, but I’ve posted Ian Harris (who you may remember) and he says Mick doesn’t go on FB as often as he used to do. I,ll get hold of the old bugger eventually. I will post you when I get any more news.Kind Regards Alec
Picture of Steves latest new Volvo fh got it Friday 1/4/16. It has got the small wheel midlift on it 500 engine, fridge, microwave etc.Photo courtesy of Stephen Tabner.
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