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.
Hiya Dennis and the rest of the owd drivers we have all spent a few hours on the A74 and A66 and a few more tell me i am not dreaming i was going north one morn and an a volvo F10 past me cant remember the exact year but they had just come into the uk it was the POLICE trying to fool the lorry drivers parked up at Coatsgate a few times MYATTS and BRS happy days .not looking forward to the cold weather back home 30 march been in the sun 12 wks Dennis take care lads
I first started using the A74 from the late 80s and what i always remembered was how tight it was when overtaking another artic, as i’d only just started driving !
I remember the bad winds in 96 where i counted 15 artics on their side, from metal bridge to lesmahagow ! 3 0f them where Leggetts !
Parked up one night in the shell cafe opposite the quarry in my merc 1729, jumped out for a wee in the middle of the night and the snow came up to my knees… Happy days
I thought that the Elvanfoot cafe, North bound about half an hour North of Coatesgate was better,and if you were Northbound there was a parking area opposite which must have also been a services at one time I reckon, and you walked, or mostly ran, over the dc, it was a BP station also.
Well to be fair the cafes on the 74 were all pretty good & not too dear, Each & every driver had their own fave places, But alas they are all long gone sadley to say , Regards Larry.
Eddie I remember an old ex SMT (Eastern Scottish) AEC double decker that was set up as a cafe where the sandstone bridge is on the old road now at Elvanfoot in the early 1960s , I also remember in 1964 Ginger Liddle from Carlisle with his fleet of Austin WFK type and Bedford 5 ton tippers moving rock and rubble etc when they cut out the second carriageway at Telford Bridge. When they were contructing the new section of Motorway along the Greenhillstairs section there were notices warning the construction workers of adders in the undergrowth or sunning themselves on the rocks there.
Cheers. Leyland 600
funny the wee things you remember!! i was still at school about 12 or 13 (65 or 66) and remember my dad coming to the house to take me a “wee hurrel” in a lorry (not a truck) down the 74 to a breakdown (think it was propshaft or halfshaft !!! i was young) he worked for mckelvie frood st motherwell (auld sammy) ive got a wee tear in my eye!!! i went on to serve my time there as a mechanic (strathclyde transport) looking back they wouldnt let you do that at side of road now thank god!!!
Hi Lawrence a few more regulars on the A 74 from further North. Highland Haulage, Sutherlands of Peterhead, John Rhind, Pattersons, Munros, W.D Hendry, of Wick, D. Steven Wick, D&D Transport, Dundee, David West, Dunfermaline, Peter Halley, Crief. Forth Haulage Co, Leith, Saddlers Transport, Leith.
Hugh Harper red ERF 8 wheelers , Russell of Bathgate, John Russell Grangemouth, Morris Young, Hillyland Perth, David Duncan Alyth, David A Lawson (Thrums) Kirriemuir, Richard Lawson car transporters Kirriemuir, Angus Milling Co, Kirriemuir. Sam Ellicock Aberdeen area. Cameron & Gibbon, F.P. Cheyne, Kintore. James Kemp Ltd, Leslie, Gaulds of Stonhaven, just a few that come to mind.
Cheers happy tramping. Leyland 600.
Anybody remember the Greenhill Stairs Cafe at the Moffat Road End run by a Mother and Daughters one of the best on the 74, just as it seems to be forgotten about, never seem to hear anyone mention it.
Cheers Ben.
I weren’t too keen on the Moss either Chris but it was a cracking fire in there in the winter, more often than not I would stop at the Kirtle cafe for dinner.
Elvanfoot and Kirtlebridge were my favourite haunts along with Lockerbietown lorry park for nights out.
If I recall correctly you bought your own mug at Kirtlebridge and got it filled everytime you went in. Or am I getting mixed up with somewhere else along the road?
Elvanfoot and Kirtlebridge were my favourite haunts along with Lockerbietown lorry park for nights out.
If I recall correctly you bought your own mug at Kirtlebridge and got it filled everytime you went in. Or am I getting mixed up with somewhere else along the road?
Aye Gerald I started driving in march 63 with Marchbank I had an Stype Bedford for a month then it was traded in along with the other Stype for 2 new Traders from County motors the Bedfords were tidy motors and they went to Liddles we saw them a few months later and could’nt believe the state they were in after such a short time. Eddie.
Lawrence Dunbar:
truckstop At Lesmaghow is Tesco, since 2010 I think Regards Larry, PS, Another Scotish haulier that used the A74 Smith Of Whiteinch.
And what about yer man from Whitburn Larry,can’t remember the name,and there was also J B McBean from Mid-Calder. D M Smith frae Wishaw and James Hemphill frae Glasgae.
