PAUL GEE's PHOTO COLLECTION (Part 1)

ERF-NGC-European:
Tony (RIP) did a lot of Morocco work until a ripe old age. Ran with him on many occasions. Good lad.

I seem to remember there was an article in one of the truck mags that was about him Ro.

tyneside:
Hi Dean
Often see Metcalfe Farms up this neck of the woods collecting new excavators from the Komatsu factory at Birtley.

Tyneside

They seem to be very busy “tyneside” and have some tidy kit.

vwvanman0:
Enjoyed the Yankee truck photos Dean, remember as a kid being allowed to go to bed then get up a few hours later to watch “convoy”

Regarding the speed limits, they seem to vary but a lot are 55, but everyone seems to go faster around 70 and the trucks do the same, it was Illinois - Tennessee i went to.

With the distances they need to cover 55 does seem too slow “vwvanman0” I can remember being taken to see Convoy at the cinema in 1978 when it came out.

windrush:
Good to see a pic of a Renault 18, I ran one for several years just to get me to work and back to save using the VW camper and it had central locking, electric windows, power steering and very comfortable cloth covered seats. Much better than any British cars I had owned previously. Of course rust eventually killed it: they were undersealed with a rubber compound and if that split then water got inside and couldn’t get out again.

Pete.

That underseal finished off alot of cars Pete,we had one that had the very same problem as you.

ERF-NGC-European:
“windrush” Good to see a pic of a Renault 18, I ran one for several years just to get me to work and back to save using the VW camper and it had central locking, electric windows, power steering and very comfortable cloth covered seats. Much better than any British cars I had owned previously. Of course rust eventually killed it: they were undersealed with a rubber compound and if that split then water got inside and couldn’t get out again.

Pete.

I ran a 2nd-hand Renault 18 TL diesel estate in 1991. It was a great car until you wanted parts for it. My local Renault dealership told me it was Renault’s policy not to stock parts on the shelves, of any car that wasn’t in current production. Pure built-in obsolescence: pure greed. So I got shot of it sharpish and never bought a French car again.

Someone was telling me the same story about a Citroen Ro. Manufacturers seem to bring out new models every five minutes these days.

Mark R:
Morning Dean…I worked for Cartransport not Richard Lawson, and i worked mainly in the yard as i hadn’t passed my HGV back then.
After that I was in the workshop at P&L Commercial Repairs who did the maintenance on the Sheertrucks and MCD fleets at Sheerness.

I knew it was a car transporter company Mark R !

Heres a GUY from 1979.

jshepguis:
Hello Dean still an excellent thread thanks once again to you Paul and Marks efforts in keeping it going , i know it is much appreciated by everyone who logs in to catch up and reminisce of the good old days!
On the American pictures President Nixon imposed the very unpopular national 55mph in around 1975 in response to the ongoing fuel crisis at the time probably why the CB radio phenomenon took off in the states.
I can remember reading many a book about american trucks around that time geared for running at 80mph on the interstates.
Metcalfe Farms have grown to be a considerable size now but are still based at the original farm in the Yorkshire Dales. The series of Supertruckers which originally featured Kings from Bristol did a later series featuring Metcalfes.

Thanks for the comments chap.

Kempston:
“DEANB” "Kempston"Just checked the Bournemouth webcam Dean, cracking looking morning down there by the looks of it, people already paddle boarding!
if it wasn’t for bloody covid we’d be down there this weekend for sure.

Being a man that likes his beeches Kempston have you ever been to Digbury on Sea and seen the unusal “Borough Island tractor” which
is used to transport people and there luggage from the beech to a hotel on Borough Island. You can walk across when the tide is out.
The island is known as Burgh Island these days so i assume the name was changed at some point.

Heres the original transporter with tracks.The one operating today is either the original one altered with wheels or a new one.

I haven’t Dean, funnily enough we’ve just got back from a day on the beach at East Runton, next door to Cromer, lovely and safe so perfect at the moment, supposed to be going to Lyme Regis in around 6 weeks time for a few days but have to be honest I’m getting a little concerned now with this latest variant.

Nice at Lyme Regis chap, you should try the road down from Weymouth to West Bay for some new view’s if you have not been that way before and worth stopping
at West Bay for a look.

acd1202:
“240 Gardner” “acd1202”
The name on the door of the Dutton Transport Leyland is D.T. & N. Keighley Ltd. They were all the same, when Joe Keighley started in business he traded as Dutton Transport, due to being based in the small village of Dutton between Clitheroe and Longridge. Later when his sons Derek and Neville took over and expanded they formed the limited company but continued to trade as Dutton Transport, so the two names.
I was at school with Derrick’s sons (his son Neville was in my year) and I presume that everything went pear-shaped when Derrick died (suddenly, as I recall). I think he was also Chairman of Blackburn Rovers in those pre-Walker days.
Actually, that very motor is still alive today:

Well now 240G, you are absolutely correct about Derek’s early and very sudden death and that he was chairman of Rovers. However the company continued to trade for several years before it’s demise, although still related to Derek’s death. Now I only have Neville’s side of what happened so I’m not going to post it on here. However when I have half an hour I’ll send you a pm.

pete smith:
“DEANB”

Being a man that likes his beeches Kempston have you ever been to Digbury on Sea and seen the unusal “Borough Island tractor” which
is used to transport people and there luggage from the beech to a hotel on Borough Island. You can walk across when the tide is out.
The island is known as Burgh Island these days so i assume the name was changed at some point.

Heres the original transporter with tracks.The one operating today is either the original one altered with wheels or a new one.

Click on pages twice to read article from 1946.

Morning Dean,
I’m very familiar with that area of Devon as I’ve been going there for over 45 years now.
The original tractor was based on Fordson running gear and the engine was on the passenger deck which you can just see abd it drove through a series of chains I seem to remember.
The newer one has combine harvester running gear and is still powered by diesel but has a hydraulic drive. I do have some pics of me as kid on this and also on the beach that my late Parents took but I’m afraid you will never see these!

There is a pub on Burgh Island called the Pilchard Inn and the Hotel was built in Art Decco style by Archie Nettlefold, the N in GKN.
Cheer’s Pete
Edit, The sea was a bit rough in that video and a shot of the modern sea tractor.

youtu.be/kRAyaxw2CIs

Bloody hell Pete is there nothing you dont know about ! That’s a cracking video clip, tad dangerous using it in those conditions !
Looks like the passengers had a few free showers coming across.

pete smith:
Wrekin turf growers are based up by Hodnet, they used to be seen cutting turf fields just before Rosehill on the A41.
TCS are not familiar to me, Cheer’s Pete

Cheers Pete.

Punchy Dan:
Dean we had a family holiday at bigbury in 1990 there was 4 women staying next to us from Leeds the driver filled the engine with water when they were leaving for home my Dad drained it for them and put fresh oil in ,just a useless fact cheers Dan’l .

How he hell did they manage that ! Should not be allowed on the road…

cav551:
Video featuring the Burgh Island tractor in 1964

youtube.com/watch?v=rS69xxbABSI

Thats a great clip “cav551” thanks for posing.

tastrucker:
“pete smith” Wrekin turf growers are based up by Hodnet, they used to be seen cutting turf fields just before Rosehill on the A41.
TCS are not familiar to me, Cheer’s Pete

Hello Dean and pete ,yes TCS are based at Halfway house between Shrewsbury and Welshpool ,they mainly plant hire ,and what i have seen ,they work with Tom Tomlins also from Halfway house ,thank you Trevor

Thanks Trevor.