I first drove one of these in 1984 aged 19. No power steering (although only a 7.5 tonner) and an absolute drag up any sort of hill, I still have fond memories.
did about 18 month in one ( 7.5 tonner day cab ) in the early eightys doing 3 nights out a week bloody freezing
but like you say good memories
I’ve driven one too. It was 12 years ago and I was also 19 at the time. My dad’s mate had one which he used to take to shows. Asked me to drive it down to Kirkbride Airfield for him and I didn’t need asking twice.
Found a pic of it on t’internet from another show.
First lorry i drove was tk MUT 976W. Good motor but ■■■■ to drive. Had to put newspaper round pedals in the winter to keep feet warm!!
Bedford RL split screen was me 1st lorry 
This petrol engined Bedford TK is still used daily by A Reese of Credenhill near Hereford delivering coal and bottled gas.They had it from new in 1970.I think it has been converted to gas.
I used to think I had a sleeper cab using the back parcel shelf as a bed, at 6foot 1 it was a bit of a challenge but 30 yrs ago I was half the weight/width I am now 
, in the summer I stuck my feet out of window which was ok unless it rained, on some occasions my mate came with me, he slept across the seats and my dog was on the floor, happy days
My 1st class 2 motor was a 1260TK removal wagon TJA560X if i remember correctley
With the luton converted to a sleeping area it had 2 single beds a sink and a cooker
No power steering under powered but i didnt care i loved every minute in it
Iv driven the mj loads of times a bit of a ■■■■ to reverse a big generator or a trailer on a a frame
My first driving job was with a TK when I was eighteen, on eight stud wheels @10 tons gross . As long as it weighed under 3ton 19 Cwt for the MOT you could drive it on an ordinary car licence. I remember prepping it for the test by taking off the hay rack over the cab and the bale loader, fitting smaller batteries, removing the spare wheel and just a gallon or so of diesel it would scrape through.
Loved the old girl, and reliable as hell.
Twoninety88:
My first driving job was with a TK when I was eighteen, on eight stud wheels @10 tons gross . As long as it weighed under 3ton 19 Cwt for the MOT you could drive it on an ordinary car licence. I remember prepping it for the test by taking off the hay rack over the cab and the bale loader, fitting smaller batteries, removing the spare wheel and just a gallon or so of diesel it would scrape through.
Loved the old girl, and reliable as hell.
2 tons 19 and three quarters hundredweights was about the maximum unladen weight for
under 21 years of age for driving ( in the old days ).
Cheers, cattle wagon man.
Was my first ‘proper’ truck in the 70’s. Used to run overnight to Heathrow to pick up veg for Birmingham market.
I drove the sister TK to this one for C W Griffiths BVJ805B in 1969 hauling roadstone lime and slag at 14 ton gross,with a 330 engine and a four speed gearbox carrying 9ton 16cwt payload.
If only it had a two speed axle like the one photo.
Mmmmmmmm, i can still smell it to this day.
and handballing all them bags of spuds made for a good feeling of a job well done. slept well too.
Passed my test in one in 1978, single axle trailer about 24’ long, unit had a 5 speed box , no power steering !
Owned by National carriers in Leeds passed first time after 4 days tuition, it was primitive but easy to drive, happy days
Jim
cattle wagon man:
2 tons 19 and three quarters hundredweights was about the maximum unladen weight for
under 21 years of age for driving ( in the old days ).Cheers, cattle wagon man.
Blimey, you are right, memory not as good as it was 
One of many Tks ran by the family firm from the early 60s til the late 70s.
This one is a H reg and i think the pic was taken when it was a few months old.
first big truck i ever drove…fog 4 f …ooa113g good workhorses and great on removals.
My first foray into the world of trucking was in a Bedford TK BJE 253V for Silvertown Batteries. Bought a mattress (which I folded in half) and fitted it to the parcel shelf and the missus fashioned up some curtains (on wire) and I had a self made sleeper cab. First distance trip in it was 4 drops Scotch…47 miles an hour flat out up the M6!
Remember waking up in Paisley Lorry Park freezing me proverbials off with ice on the inside of the screen - happy days.
tootman318:
First lorry i drove was tk MUT 976W. Good motor but [zb] to drive. Had to put newspaper round pedals in the winter to keep feet warm!!
Ha ha! You could see the road through the holes in the floor where the pedals were in the one I used to drive. I think they probably had rubber seals, but these were long gone.