Henry Watson and Sons was an engineering firm from Newcastle that made castings and pumps. More interesting to us around 1920 Watson produced a bonneted lorry of 3.5-4.5 Tons with a four cylinder engine and gearbox, the rolling chassis is seen below. If I recall I’m sure it was Larry Dunbar who put a photo up of a line of these vehicles in Newcastle and asked if anyone had any info on them. I couldn’t find the original photo Larry put up despite searching way back into these pages maybe Larry can find it again. At the time I had put the vehicles down to a Watson in the South of the country who was mainly a dealership, now finding the info above this was wrong and the vehicles did actually come from Newcastle and apparently they also built the Berna Bus, maybe Bus fans have knowledge of this. The case on the wagon in the Grampian Museum seems to have held castings going by the notices. Cheers Franky.
Lawrence Dunbar:
0backsplice:
Ah The Tyne … Larry I spent quite a lot of time on the river while on the Nth East coast paid of my last ship finishing my seagoing life in S Sheilds …anyway after braking in to road transport my first real long distance job with Allison,s Dundee my first Drop on a Monday was Linoleum at Alfred Bell and Co ( green vans ■■ ) on or close to the Quay who did distribution I remember it well ■■?.. Newcastle a agreat place with lots of great memories …Wy Ay Man ■■They had a depot in Higham Place,Then they moved to Seaton Burn after taking G.Watt Transport over, Then they moved to Killingworth Then they were taken over by IIRC TWF Ltd, Regards Larry.
Up in Newcastle this weekend.Hope to get some photos Larry.Will be going to Beamish.I’m sure many readers have sent you some.Like the garage ( Tom CowieI think) What a sight.Like the tyres wrapped up in paper.Good job this sort of history is being saved.Some of this type of stuff should be saved for the public to see,not like a private collection as you never know what will happen when the collector dies don’t you think.
Tony
rastone:
Lawrence Dunbar:
0backsplice:
Ah The Tyne … Larry I spent quite a lot of time on the river while on the Nth East coast paid of my last ship finishing my seagoing life in S Sheilds …anyway after braking in to road transport my first real long distance job with Allison,s Dundee my first Drop on a Monday was Linoleum at Alfred Bell and Co ( green vans ■■ ) on or close to the Quay who did distribution I remember it well ■■?.. Newcastle a agreat place with lots of great memories …Wy Ay Man ■■They had a depot in Higham Place,Then they moved to Seaton Burn after taking G.Watt Transport over, Then they moved to Killingworth Then they were taken over by IIRC TWF Ltd, Regards Larry.
Up in Newcastle this weekend.Hope to get some photos Larry.Will be going to Beamish.I’m sure many readers have sent you some.Like the garage ( Tom CowieI think) What a sight.Like the tyres wrapped up in paper.Good job this sort of history is being saved.Some of this type of stuff should be saved for the public to see,not like a private collection as you never know what will happen when the collector dies don’t you think.
Tony
Hi Tony when your up here why not on come to the Drivers Gathering in the Labour Club in the Sat 2.00 pm onwards Im sure you would enjoy it Regards Larry.
This impressive bit of kit is working off the river at the moment,erecting the latest batch of wind turbines. Regards Kev.
I spotted this cracking picture of the River Tyne in the 60s, It was in the Chronicle, The old Atki belonged to Baxters on the Quayside, This one would have been SBR655 Driven by the Late Sammy Kelly, Or it was 645NVK, Driven by the late Parkey Denholm, His was a longer wheelbase because it was oringnally ordered by McPhees for doing overhanging loads of steel, But they cancelled the order so Baxter bought it, I have some more of the famous River Tyne to follow, Regards Larry.
Ah Lawrence …I know this is a specific lorry site but you can post as much of these as you like !!!..happy times for me in and out of the Tyne an era gone for ever ■■
I’ll second that, I like looking at ships. Many of us of a certain age think that modern “trucks” are completely lacking in character, compared with “lorries” from earlier times. The same applies to ships in my opinion, one modern container ship looks very much like another, whereas the ships from earlier times had character.
Thoo shal’t hev a little fishy on a little dishy !! 
Bewick:
Thoo shal’t hev a little fishy on a little dishy !!
Hi Dennis Too late the boat is all ready in, 
, Enjoying a large Ardmore 46 volt before I retire, As I have a sharp start in the morning 6.00am, Hope you and yours are keeping well, Regards Larry.
gingerfold:
I’ll second that, I like looking at ships. Many of us of a certain age think that modern “trucks” are completely lacking in character, compared with “lorries” from earlier times. The same applies to ships in my opinion, one modern container ship looks very much like another, whereas the ships from earlier times had character.
iancoombe.tripod.com/sitebuilder … isbane.jpg
While Tor Line’s/DFDS Britannia and Scandinavia were probably the two best looking car ferries ever built ?.
Carryfast:
gingerfold:
I’ll second that, I like looking at ships. Many of us of a certain age think that modern “trucks” are completely lacking in character, compared with “lorries” from earlier times. The same applies to ships in my opinion, one modern container ship looks very much like another, whereas the ships from earlier times had character.iancoombe.tripod.com/sitebuilder … isbane.jpg
While Tor Line’s/DFDS Britannia and Scandinavia were probably the two best looking car ferries ever built ?.
Aesthetics aside, in my opinion the best ferry for the job was " Color Viking". In the four years I worked as a traction haulier at North Shields it never failed to get into the river in bad weather. If our trailers were on the DFDS boat, we often had to go to Immingham to collect them after a bad storm, as their boats couldn’t get in the Tyne. Regards Kev.
kevmac47:
Aesthetics aside, in my opinion the best ferry for the job was " Color Viking". In the four years I worked as a traction haulier at North Shields it never failed to get into the river in bad weather. If our trailers were on the DFDS boat, we often had to go to Immingham to collect them after a bad storm, as their boats couldn’t get in the Tyne. Regards Kev.
The Britannia and Scandinavia ran on the Harwich to Gothenburg route and I can remember returning from Gothenburg through a beast of a North Sea storm and one of the worst seas I’ve ever seen including Atlantic crossings.With its long,solid,sharp bow doing a good impression of an Atlantic liner carving through the swell and waves and no worries about any bow doors caving in or being torn off.Definitely a case of if it looks right it is right.
Going past a farm nr Derby today I saw a green box body with white letters and I think it said Tyne tees storage ect ?
Punchy Dan:
Going past a farm nr Derby today I saw a green box body with white letters and I think it said Tyne tees storage ect ?
Hi Dan, This name dosnt ring any bells Im afraid, But having said this Im getting a bit absent minded in my old age , Im just having a large Single Malt & relaxing after a very hard day in the office , I meant in the garden of course, But either way Ive earned the Single Double measure Malt, Hope you are doing well in the haulage game, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Punchy Dan:
Going past a farm nr Derby today I saw a green box body with white letters and I think it said Tyne tees storage ect ?Hi Dan, This name dosnt ring any bells Im afraid, But having said this Im getting a bit absent minded in my old age , Im just having a large Single Malt & relaxing after a very hard day in the office
Halfway down a rather nice bottle of Ardmore myself, Larry. Although “She-who-must-be-obeyed” down at the surgery reckons I should be cutting down at my age!