I grew up on a large farm & we had regular deliveries with the haulier using Commer TS3s, I used to see them enter our drive & I’d run down to meet them where the driver used to let me drive it up to the yard. I remember the starter button & the position of first gear very well. It was hard work for a young boy to engage 1st gear.
As I grew up we used a cattle haulier who ran 3 commers alongside some AECs. All the commers were 2 stroke & one was a Maxiload. I remember it decoking itself in the dark & sparks coming out of the exhaust.
My Uncle (RIP) was a TS3 specialist.Used to go with him at weekends when he’d be doing ‘foreigners’ for firms such as R.J Roberts in Holyhead.He gave me a flip picture thingy which showed you how they worked-sadly lost now.I’ve still got a badge showing the engine though.Three cylinder,six piston arrangement.Work that out you Detroit and ■■■■■■■ fans I never drove a Maxiload,but did a few trips with a Commer Avenger,the coach chassis with this engine.The self decoke scared me the first time!!My Uncle reckoned that the only oil you should ever use in that engine was Shell Rotella T.
charlie one:
Yes David,you are right about the comfort of the Commer and the noise! However after a year on the old one I was promoted to a brand new TS3.Wider so you could lay down for a small kip.However the larger the cab the more you stacked in it. Wet ropes on the floor drying out.Can of oil.Dogs and chains.Any nippers know what I am talking about? Ach I am in the past again.Time to shut up.
know what you mean about stuff in the cab, used to have ropes and dogs+chains,boots,all bloody sorts, if i picked up a driver on the book,he had to sit with his knees in his mouth!!
remember the shelf in the back, on the TK, i had to fix a board behind the seats,"cause if i had to throw the anchor out, everything ended up down the back of your neck! and i can still smell the drying rope+overalls! …chris
I remember seeing a car transporter outfit,maybe Tollman,or something like that,on nights going up the M6,you could see the exhaust pipework and manifold glowing in the dark,and the noise,enough to awake the dead!
Excellent lorry.I drove a Commer Maxiload for C W Griffiths in 1969/70.It was a good reliable vehicle,pulled well and held the road well for a four wheeler. The TS3 two stroke had a nice sound.
Cheers Dave.
Those ts3’s must have been brilliant as a 4/6 wheeler, I used a tractor unit for shunting and I regularly pulled 22t ships engine blocks out of the works for the road motors, keep the revs up and it would pull like a train. I once made the mistake of letting the revs drop with a big load on it and it almost stalled, next its jumped backwards so I stopped, thinking I’d got reverse by mistake, then the cab slowly filled up with smoke !
Yes they did run backwards ! with the air cleaners under the double passenger seat it didn’t take long for the exhaust fumes to fill the cab.
One big problem as an artic 2-3 prods of the brake and the tiny single cyl air compressor couldn’t keep up the pressure up, later ones (we had a 71 j’reg) switched to a bigger rear mounted belt driven compressor, these were hopelessly unreliable shredding drive belts.
The first one we had was a 66 d reg with the front mounted exhaust which strangely exited on the nearside, not at all pedestrian friendly !
but it clocked well over 400,000mls with out a rebuild, though you could bust the radiator if you slammed the brake lever off in a temper .
Trev_H:
Those ts3’s must have been brilliant as a 4/6 wheeler, I used a tractor unit for shunting and I regularly pulled 22t ships engine blocks out of the works for the road motors, keep the revs up and it would pull like a train. I once made the mistake of letting the revs drop with a big load on it and it almost stalled, next its jumped backwards so I stopped, thinking I’d got reverse by mistake, then the cab slowly filled up with smoke !
Yes they did run backwards ! with the air cleaners under the double passenger seat it didn’t take long for the exhaust fumes to fill the cab.
One big problem as an artic 2-3 prods of the brake and the tiny single cyl air compressor couldn’t keep up the pressure up, later ones (we had a 71 j’reg) switched to a bigger rear mounted belt driven compressor, these were hopelessly unreliable shredding drive belts.
The first one we had was a 66 d reg with the front mounted exhaust which strangely exited on the nearside, not at all pedestrian friendly !
but it clocked well over 400,000mls with out a rebuild, though you could bust the radiator if you slammed the brake lever off in a temper .
hi Trev,back in the dark ages when i was a van boy on a parrot nosed Dodge van,the perkins 6354 started up backwards quite regular,got used to the noise and smoke after the first couple of times, dave ,the driver, used to shove it in top gear ,stand on the brake and let out the clutch! then we used to carry on as usual till the next time and so-on! …chris
I never drove a Maxiload,but did a few trips with a Commer Avenger,the coach chassis with this engine.The self decoke scared me the first time!!My Uncle reckoned that the only oil you should ever use in that engine was Shell Rotella T.
and i can still smell the drying rope+overalls! 
