howlingmad:
here is m dads one
I think those KM’s had a 226 inch wheel base as opposed to the D1000’s 209 inch WB.I always thought the KM was liable to front axle overloads because of the lack of overhang of the platform,which many of them appeared to have.Great photos all the same,those were the days 
Bewick.
After ■■■■■■■■ Gill had failed to drive-away the TK , he was last seen being frogmarched from the cab of
this ex Army Bedford by a couple of angry soldiers.
■■■■■■■ Steam Gathering.
Cheers, cattle wagon man.
Anyone got any pics of the TK or KMs plus stories.What in your opinion made these models so popular with transport companies during the 60s/70s.
Hi John,
I drove a couple of TK’S at different times,also a KM for quite a while. I think they were so common because they were a budget priced lorry,also very easy to drive and good to get in tight places with a small cab. Not so good for the driver in my opinion,because there wasn’t enough of headroom.I drove a 330 and a 381 in the TK range,both at 14 to gross,before plating came in. Drove a 466 cu ins KM at 16 ton gross.
Cheers Dave.
A bit worse for the wear this KM.
I remember driving the occasional TK on agency work in the late 80’s. I remember having to lift my left elbow when changing gear in order to avoid painfully hitting something - could it have been an oddly placed handbrake valve?? This was one of my least favourite trucks to drive, up there (should that be “down there”?) with the awful Cargo and appalling Leyland Roadtrain.
At least one TK has made it to Finland; I drive past one rotting in the bushes almost every day. It’s the only one I’ve seen in over 15 years here.
Zetorpilot:
I remember driving the occasional TK on agency work in the late 80’s. I remember having to lift my left elbow when changing gear in order to avoid painfully hitting something - could it have been an oddly placed handbrake valve?? This was one of my least favourite trucks to drive, up there (should that be “down there”?) with the awful Cargo and appalling Leyland Roadtrain.At least one TK has made it to Finland; I drive past one rotting in the bushes almost every day. It’s the only one I’ve seen in over 15 years here.
Hi Zetorpilot,
The handbrake on the KM was on the right of the drivers seat,next to the door. I have caught my pocket in one of those more than once and gone arse over head out through the door 
.
Cheers Dave.
Brilliant pictures Dave.I did that a few time with the h/brake,The truck themselves seemed quite popular with the tipper men during the 60s dont you think?and when they brought out the KM it was a bit more robust on the tipper work,but I seem to remember they had quite a bit off trouble with the electrics on the early KMs for some reason.
JOHN
Hi John,
There were a lot of Bedford TK’s working out of these quarries in the 60’s,probably more than any other make or model.There were’nt as mant KM’s,off the top of my head I can think of six. Quite a few hauliers in this area had both on general haulage as flatbeds. Roberts of Knighton had a lot of TK’s delivering minerals and small loads all over the country in the 70’s,most of the drivers slept on the shelf behind the seats above the engine.
Cheers Dave.
Hi Dave,
I remember Williams bros. at Peterchurch had a couple of KM 6 wheeler flats, think they were 3rd axle conversion jobs
Trev_H:
Hi Dave,
I remember Williams bros. at Peterchurch had a couple of KM 6 wheeler flats, think they were 3rd axle conversion jobs
Hi Trev,
I remember them at Peterchurch,then at Stoney Street Madley.Can’t remember what they had altogether,they were mostly out when I passed through Peterchurch. Tony Lewis runs his tippers from the yard nowadays.
Cheers Dave.
hi dave, my first TK was an artic with the Leyland 400 engine,5 speed box and Eaton 2 speed axle,GDD794D in 1966,we ran it with a 4 in line trailer at 24 GTW.,it was a terrific little motor, much better than the LAD dodge i had before, easier to drive,more comfy and it had a decent heater.and if you were stuck, you could sleep across the seats,im over 6ft so i wouldnt fit on the rear shelf!,the only thing i didnt like was the handbrake,like you i came a cropper out the door a few times! luckily it wasnt to far to fall!
zetorpilot,was the TK you drove an artic,cause the trailer brake handle on the one i had was fitted on the bulkhead behind your left elbow,in exactly the right place to give you a nasty knock!..chris
Clearest memory I have of the TK was one time in heavy rain lifting the side flap to dip the oil, next thing the flap came down with the edge of the mudguard taking a chunk out of the bridge of my nose, 
I learnt to secure the bracket properly from then on.
A couple more pics which I recently posted on the Welsh Border thread.
I had the tipping gear lever on the shelf,just behind my left shoulder on the TK and the KM,so that ruled out any kipping on the shelf.
Just a couple more which have been restored and on the rally circuits .
John.
The same tipper that you have posted John.
Same truck different show Dave cheers mate.
JOHN.
All right these are not KMs and not TMs but thought you may be interested in seeing them as there was not to many on the road ,we got a brand new 32 ton Bedford one of the first on the road with Detroit 6v71 engine Basically with the same km cab
but a long wheel base tractor unit with the engine sticking out the back a fair way,certainly a great improvement in power over the old KMs i would think.The firm i worked for bought 3 of these new TMs with the old styll KM cabs,they certainly were fast and got many looks, as they were the first on the roads,think they made around 100 of these before bringing out the new cab TM. The last pic is what i came upon while looking through this forum,think it was from OZ or Australia
Yeah mate,
That last pic is one of mine,I took it last year here in Lower Hutt New Zealand. I do ask though that in future please can you acknowledge that I have taken photos used.
Thanks Jamie
NZ JAMIE:
Yeah mate,
That last pic is one of mine,I took it last year here in Lower Hutt New Zealand. I do ask though that in future please can you acknowledge that I have taken photos used.
Thanks Jamie
Couldnt do that this time Jamie ,sorry as could not find your post again,and only had the pic from the last time couldnt remember who posted it .
