To [ddrbsn], the memory cells are dwindling a bit, I only know of one Leyland semi auto, it was new one cant remember the driver’s name but it went far better than the Mandators, while the AECs were still getting into 3rd gear, the Leyland was away and in top pulling like a train, the gear box was like the ones used in the buses, “didn’t matter if you didn’t have a left leg” you didn’t need one. Don’t remember any 6 wheeler V8 1000 Fords, but we had the first V8 1000 arctics, the first engines were ■■■■■■■■■ I remember seizing one up on nights going down to London, of course Cyril blamed me, everything was anyone’s fault but his, I know there was plenty of oil in when I set off, but it burned it all off just below Alconbury, the fact that I was doing some low level flying when it went would be anything to do with it would it, but they could move a bit.
The other company you mentioned was Whitley,"cant remember the full name but they were from the top side of Huddersfield, I think it was J G Fielder who bought them, they came with four 8 wheeler AEC Mammoth Majors, 2 were the old coach built cabs and 2 newer fibre glass cabs, which were eventually cut down to make 2 arctics, but they weren’t too good, but I cant remember more than one Leyland auto, but we did have a V8 Manda tor on trial from Lex Tillotson on nights, and boy what a machine that was, it was for me the first real powerful vehicles ever at the time, When I had it there was nothing on the road to touch it, even with over 25ton on the back, it was a real flying machine, then eventually Chapman got a new one, it was at the Great North Show at Harrogate, there was a new trailer which had a varnished and polished floor, While it may have looked good in the show, it was like a skating rink on the back, couldn’t keep anything still on it, Peter Scollick got it from new when it came back from the show, “and being a diver with lead boots he made that thing fly”, there was a driver living in Lancashire who he gave a lift home one day, and he frightened the living daylights out of him, he’d never been in a lorry driven so fast, even with over 20 ton on. 
Regards:-Jack
I was very young at the time but wasnt there a driving school at the bottom of Thornton RD with a V8 Mandator?
Jack Graham:
The other company you mentioned was Whitley,"cant remember the full name but they were from the top side of Huddersfield, I think it was J G Fielder who bought them, they came with four 8 wheeler AEC Mammoth Majors, 2 were the old coach built cabs and 2 newer fibre glass cabs, which were eventually cut down to make 2 arctics, but they weren’t too good, but I cant remember more than one Leyland auto, but we did have a V8 Manda tor on trial from Lex Tillotson on nights, and boy what a machine that was, it was for me the first real powerful vehicles ever at the time, When I had it there was nothing on the road to touch it, even with over 25ton on the back, it was a real flying machine, then eventually Chapman got a new one, it was at the Great North Show at Harrogate, there was a new trailer which had a varnished and polished floor, While it may have looked good in the show, it was like a skating rink on the back, couldn’t keep anything still on it, Peter Scollick got it from new when it came back from the show, “and being a diver with lead boots he made that thing fly”, there was a driver living in Lancashire who he gave a lift home one day, and he frightened the living daylights out of him, he’d never been in a lorry driven so fast, even with over 20 ton on.
Hi Jack
The 6 wheeler, we nicknamed the grey ghost, was painted grey and belonged to Ford and was used as a test bed for the engines. We had the benefit of running it, they got a mobile test bed running day and night in actual operating conditions. Because it had sideboards it often carried scrap copper up to 600 group at leeds. Remember loading the D1000 unit for night trunk out of ACT at Tilbury once. The 2 x 20ft containers were supposed to weigh 9t each, motor struggled back to Blackfriars where I handed it on to night trunk driver, Pat Schillings ( I think ) dragged it up to Leeds cont base, where he put it on weighbridge, turned out each container weighed 18t each, it nearly broke the bridge as it was only rated at 40t
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The other company you mentioned was Whitley,"cant remember the full name but they were from the top side of Huddersfield
Yes Whitley seems about right but the works I used to load Elephanthide paper out of was on the left as you left Pool towards Otley. When I first loaded out of there T/M told me the semi Leyland was one of their ex`s that Chapman took over when he took over their transport. Dave
