DEANB:
davidcox:
“DEANB”Pic on the front of a Taskers trailer brochure.
I like the trailer pictures. It say up to 35tons, we used to put 45 on ours.
Nice pic David, i dont think you were the only company that over loaded trailers on heavy haulage.
Dont know if this has been on before from 1966.
Click on page twice.
DEANB
Thanks for that picture. I was telling an ex-colleague who is a train nut and was showing pictures of the ‘Grove’ railway, that Ameys took the engine from Wantage station to the airfield at Grove for restoration.
In the picture is my father Fred at the front of the engine, Andy Andrews the plant hire manager, I don’t know who the other trailer attendant is, presumably the driver at the time I think it was Jim ■■? forgotten his surname. looks like Ameys 30ton Coles crane loading it. I seem to remember being on the job but as a helper, as I was a mate on a small Leyland Comet loader at the time.
The Foden low loader is 122 ERO and the Foden that five years later I learnt to drive HGVs on. Apparently, in the days before ‘plating’ Tasker had imposed no limit on the trailer and as an abnormal special types vehicle, we could carry whatever we thought was safe! The heaviest load that I can remember was a Press head from British Leyland Cowley (Pressed Steel) to their plant at Swindon, I drove it on L plates and it weighed 45tons and we were 22 1/2 tones empty so we were grossing at 67 1/2 tons!!
I joined Ameys in the summer of 1965, as a low loader mate while awaiting placement on an apprentice mechanics scheme. However, I enjoyed myself so much on the open road that I decided to stay on the loaders and eventually ended up as a mate on 122 ERO and as soon as I was 21yrs Ameys allowed me to drive her. There was a change of policy apparently (approved by Ron Amey) whereas the lower age for drivers was 25yrs they made an exception for me at 21. I wish I had a FIVER for every time I’ve jacked up the rear of that trailer and dragged the rear wheels out!
I was on 122 ERO for about five years and in all that time there are only three pictures of me and her, because I was allways behind the camera.
