Went on a course with work the other week in Bonny Scotland at the M74 Weighbridge, and it was a lovely day and the sun was bright and being so close to the M74 motorway I watched the world go by when eating my dinner.
And this got me thinking, my dad spent many an hour on the old A74 as we lived at Lesmahagow and he drove for a number of Glasgow and Lanarkshire firms (before moving south many many moons ago) and when we go for a pint, he is never shy of telling me stories about the hauliers he worked for and the roads he drove.
So as we have had an A1 forum (With a book to come out I belive soon on the subject) why not the A74, the old TRUNK road to Scotland, those on this site must have covered the road many times and have stories to tell about cafes, breakdowns, weather, trunkers etc.
**I will start with a quick one.**An early start from home near Blackpool about 15 yrs ago on route to the Scotish exhibition centre for the IRTE Scotish Truck show, my dad say’s lets stop at Beattock Cafe on the A74 and I will get you breakfast, bring back memories and so on.
Arrived at the area of the cafe, looked over the dual carraigeway only to see the demolition gang in full flight knocking the building down. (Never did get that breakfast, Im sure he knew ?)
I remember being on the A74 heading north one December when it was a 40mph road. I got pulled by a Sotish copper and after the usual “can I see your records” I thought he was going to nick me for speeding but he said “What are you getting for Christmas?” I replied that I had no idea and by this time I was quite puzzled but he replied. " You want to tell your wife to buy you some ZB slippers and then you may not be so heavy on your right foot" He then let me go.
Cliff
mmm ,from 1979-85 i was a plant operator/roadman ,then,driver/plant operator at harthill roads depot at lockerbie
My life seemed to revolve around the A74,from ditching,i cut the grass 79-82 (ford 5000).our section was from top of the Cowdens(south o lockerbie) to the railway bridge (strathclyde)…well actually Green hillstairs junction.
Many many wks spent on the road.
lol…as the youngest at the depot i was on the catseye squad …running back and forward with a shovel o tarmac…
LOL got to laugh at the lazy worker remarks over the years…cleaning/.ditching along side the A74 by hand in squads during winter ,having to shovel the muck up at shoulder hight kept me fit …
can mind a lot of bad accidents and found a couple o bodies and a fair number o wheels hehe…pocket money…
and in the winter very long hrs days on end keeping the road open.
jimmy.
hodgeturbo:
road planning northbound on the southbound carriageway johnstone bridge services when upgrading the beattock stretch to motorway 1998/99
Would that be you aback 'oft tipper leaning on your RB1 Paul,I can see your size 13 Gert Rigger byuts underneath eh!Cheers Dennis.PS them planings are great for filling in potholes on a trailer park,they set as hard as iron,I used to have a 100ton or so dropped into our yard occaisionally,usually during the night when Bruce Cook was planing down our way,£1 per ton delivered,great stuff eh!Cheers Dennis.
aye thanks to the Eu tendering proccess
the gits to pay many contractors!,lead to a few going down.iirc.,plus a lot of landscaping never was done,ended up the the local government paid to have it done.
jimmy.
aye a lot o good folk lost there jobs over this EU italian ****job.
if it wasnt concreted down or had wheels it went back to mainland europe owned or not (allegedly)… :roll
Driving nights for SoM from Manchester to Maddiston and return,what a dangerous road that A74 was,the coaches/buses that used the road used to fly past me,and there wasnt many that could overtake a Smiths motor!!
Ran Huddersfield to Grangemouth 3 times a week for about 8 years. 1970/80 Was up there the night of Lockerbie, been snowed up on Beattock, many happy nights at Crawford/ Kirkpatrick met a lot of good lads and sank a few drams, even paid for one or two (No bad fer a Yorkshireman, Eh?)
As a lad growing up in Kendal in 60/61 I was pals with a driver called Arthur Wilson and he drove for Wearing Bros.of Flookburgh who were fulltime subbies for Robsons,well he was courting the daughter of the,then,owners of The Coatsgate cafe,her name was Jean and she was often down in Kendal on a weekend,if he wasn’t up there staying in Scotland on a weekend! From memory she was a nice Scottish Lass !! She maybe served you one of your Breakfasts Larry eh! Cheers Dennis.
It was a busy trunk Road in the 50s onwards that I recall, There was lots of HGVs both night & day, EG, Rapid Road Services, Alexander Scott, Sam Anderson, Peter McAllum, Smith of Maddison, Hull & Glasgow,Stewart Cameron, James K Allan,J&R Wright, Hunters of Airdrie, Mcelvie, P&S Contracts, Ramage, John Smillie, James Hemphill, ,Glasgow Hiring,Jonh Mcniell from Maryhill, Plus lots more, Not many of the old school hauliers left sadley, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
It was a busy trunk Road in the 50s onwards that I recall, There was lots of HGVs both night & day, EG, Rapid Road Services, Alexander Scott, Sam Anderson, Peter McAllum, Smith of Maddison, Hull & Glasgow,Stewart Cameron, James K Allan,J&R Wright, Hunters of Airdrie, Mcelvie, P&S Contracts, Ramage, John Smillie, James Hemphill, ,Glasgow Hiring,Jonh Mcniell from Maryhill, Plus lots more, Not many of the old school hauliers left sadley, Regards Larry.
And the main percentage of that “Hall of Fame” list ran through Kendal on the old A6 Larry,24/7,except those that went ower the A66 eh! Cheers Dennis.
As a lad growing up in Kendal in 60/61 I was pals with a driver called Arthur Wilson and he drove for Wearing Bros.of Flookburgh who were fulltime subbies for Robsons,well he was courting the daughter of the,then,owners of The Coatsgate cafe,her name was Jean and she was often down in Kendal on a weekend,if he wasn’t up there staying in Scotland on a weekend! From memory she was a nice Scottish Lass !! She maybe served you one of your Breakfasts Larry eh! Cheers Dennis.
Went up to Glasgow early on Saturday morning to collect a Perkins tx from the boys that broke Erf,s.
On the way back down the blue boys pulled me over and took me to the wieghbridge at Carlisle,
Turns out I was over on me axle weights on me transit van, which lead to a 600 quid fine. Engine wasnt very cheap after all.
A few more Scotch Hauliers come to mind, Intercitey, Gavin Wilkie, Convoys, Plus the English lads , Baxters Road Services , Crows Transport Gateshead, Jonnie Brownlies form Benwell, Mc Phees, J.W.Capstaff, , Jakey Adams who also had an office in Glasgow run by a wino called Smarty, All long gone now, But these were very happy times to say the least, Regards Larry.
From a very old southern person who on the the odd occasion had to load onions ex Valencia for Glasgow Market for Northern Fruit Brokers what was the name of the cafe with the swing doors where once I walked into the door complex went round a couple of times then realized I had to be in Glasgow by 4 oclock so went back to the park and pressed on
and a fair number o wheels hehe…pocket money…
