Hi Roy, there was a framed coloured photo of that Albion Chieftain box bulker hanging on the traffic office wall alongside the original of WHH 397 it too was in Pattinsons Ideal Farm Foods livery, I think the box was made and blower fitted by Tamplins down on Hayling Island.
Cheers Leyland 600.
Hi Dennis, sorry to read of your good mate Eric’s passing leaving lots of memories no doubt. Hartness was the correct spelling, Ernie operated into the teens of buses from Sandgate bus station and garage nearly all Daimlers with Daimler engines, preselctor gearboxes and fluid flywheels. Here are some photos from my collection and own pics, I apologise if infringing copyright and will remove if asked.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
Bewick:
Leyland600:
Dennis & John, when you look up to the A6 from the bottom of the valley it makes you stop and think what could have happened to any of us back in the late 50s early 60s with vacuum brakes and well freighted. Does any one remember when Ernie Hartness from Skelton Road End bus on an an excursion to Morecambe ran away and went through the wall and down resulting in two or three fatalities. The driver was from either Caldbeck or Hesket New Market I believe, the bus was a Daimler CVD 6 (Daimler engine) with preselector gearbox and fluid flywheel. I sometimes wonder if the drive created by the revolving flywheel was some how reduced thus putting all the braking effort onto the braking system ending up with fade and the dramatic results.
Cheers, Leyland 600Was it Harkness or Hartness Gerald ? I recall as “little lad” been taken on outings from the “village” courtesy of the WI ( ( which mother was a great member) to Silloth and Morecambe on a number of occasions, and we travelled on three of Ernie’s coaches, I hope it wasn’t on that Daimler but we never went that way over Shap ! Also I remember Arthur Hewitson being referred to around Penrith as “The Bus conductor” and IIRC Ernie did have a Decker so would this have been the bus Arthur was a conductor on by any chance ? Cheers Dennis.
Dennis you refer to a Arthur Hewitson , had the pleasure of meeting him once . I can only presume that this is the gent who ended up as MD of Barnett&Graham , you being a local boy could perhaps tell me how he went from bus conductor to MD of a haulage company .?
shugg:
Bewick:
Leyland600:
Dennis & John, when you look up to the A6 from the bottom of the valley it makes you stop and think what could have happened to any of us back in the late 50s early 60s with vacuum brakes and well freighted. Does any one remember when Ernie Hartness from Skelton Road End bus on an an excursion to Morecambe ran away and went through the wall and down resulting in two or three fatalities. The driver was from either Caldbeck or Hesket New Market I believe, the bus was a Daimler CVD 6 (Daimler engine) with preselector gearbox and fluid flywheel. I sometimes wonder if the drive created by the revolving flywheel was some how reduced thus putting all the braking effort onto the braking system ending up with fade and the dramatic results.
Cheers, Leyland 600Was it Harkness or Hartness Gerald ? I recall as “little lad” been taken on outings from the “village” courtesy of the WI ( ( which mother was a great member) to Silloth and Morecambe on a number of occasions, and we travelled on three of Ernie’s coaches, I hope it wasn’t on that Daimler but we never went that way over Shap ! Also I remember Arthur Hewitson being referred to around Penrith as “The Bus conductor” and IIRC Ernie did have a Decker so would this have been the bus Arthur was a conductor on by any chance ? Cheers Dennis.
Dennis you refer to a Arthur Hewitson , had the pleasure of meeting him once . I can only presume that this is the gent who ended up as MD of Barnett&Graham , you being a local boy could perhaps tell me how he went from bus conductor to MD of a haulage company .?
I can only repeat what I was told over the years by the likes of Curly Cargill and George Holliday, both good Pals of mine. But if IIRC Arthur married a woman who was something to do with Barnett and Graham but no doubt someone on the site from Penrith will correct me if needs be ! However, I have to say that I had a nasty experience concerning a MAN long term demo unit we ran at Bewick Transport which had come direct from MAN but was nominally in the care of Borderman Trucks at Penrith which Arthur was MD of, needless to say he got the “thick end of my tongue” and I told him in no uncertain terms what I thought of him and his operation ! The MAN area manager was absolutely despondent as he thought he was in with a chance at Bewick Transport, ( which he never was) and certainly would never have been if we had had to deal with Borderman Trucks ! Cheers Dennis.
Leyland600:
Hi Dennis, sorry to read of your good mate Eric’s passing leaving lots of memories no doubt. Hartness was the correct spelling, Ernie operated into the teens of buses from Sandgate bus station and garage nearly all Daimlers with Daimler engines, preselctor gearboxes and fluid flywheels. Here are some photos from my collection and own pics, I apologise if infringing copyright and will remove if asked.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
Some great shots there Gerald, thanks, as I never realised Ernie’s operation was that big as he only seemed to have a 'lal garage at Skelton road ends. So what happened, how did he come to finish eventually ? Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
shugg:
Bewick:
Leyland600:
Dennis & John, when you look up to the A6 from the bottom of the valley it makes you stop and think what could have happened to any of us back in the late 50s early 60s with vacuum brakes and well freighted. Does any one remember when Ernie Hartness from Skelton Road End bus on an an excursion to Morecambe ran away and went through the wall and down resulting in two or three fatalities. The driver was from either Caldbeck or Hesket New Market I believe, the bus was a Daimler CVD 6 (Daimler engine) with preselector gearbox and fluid flywheel. I sometimes wonder if the drive created by the revolving flywheel was some how reduced thus putting all the braking effort onto the braking system ending up with fade and the dramatic results.
Cheers, Leyland 600Was it Harkness or Hartness Gerald ? I recall as “little lad” been taken on outings from the “village” courtesy of the WI ( ( which mother was a great member) to Silloth and Morecambe on a number of occasions, and we travelled on three of Ernie’s coaches, I hope it wasn’t on that Daimler but we never went that way over Shap ! Also I remember Arthur Hewitson being referred to around Penrith as “The Bus conductor” and IIRC Ernie did have a Decker so would this have been the bus Arthur was a conductor on by any chance ? Cheers Dennis.
Dennis you refer to a Arthur Hewitson , had the pleasure of meeting him once . I can only presume that this is the gent who ended up as MD of Barnett&Graham , you being a local boy could perhaps tell me how he went from bus conductor to MD of a haulage company .?
I can only repeat what I was told over the years by the likes of Curly Cargill and George Holliday, both good Pals of mine. But if IIRC Arthur married a woman who was something to do with Barnett and Graham but no doubt someone on the site from Penrith will correct me if needs be ! However, I have to say that I had a nasty experience concerning a MAN long term demo unit we ran at Bewick Transport which had come direct from MAN but was nominally in the care of Borderman Trucks at Penrith which Arthur was MD of, needless to say he got the “thick end of my tongue” and I told him in no uncertain terms what I thought of him and his operation ! The MAN area manager was absolutely despondent as he thought he was in with a chance at Bewick Transport, ( which he never was) and certainly would never have been if we had had to deal with Borderman Trucks ! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick all the time I worked for a firm I never enquired about the Gaffer’s background or social life, all I care about was them having enough money to pay my wages and that they were OK to work for (most were), it’s only the Stobarts I know a lot about then again everyone knows alot about them due to the publicity they have generated. Sorry I can’t help you with this one, maybe someone else from Penrith can.
Transferred post from the S.Wales thread ! Hi Gerald, you have jogged my brain cell regarding Smith Bros. and it concerns my old Marra HTT and was IIRC early in 1969 and happened at London Colney. I parked up m/t one night at J&WW’s depot and HTT was also there but in the Digs opposite and my old Pal was “dead on his feet” with flue and he still had a couple of Smiths drops on that should have been delivered that day eh! 
Anyhow I was m/t and IIRC I was to load off Covent Garden next morning for Dockers, Barrow. So one thing led to another and I says no probs Harry I’ll go and tranship the Smiths drops onto my D1000 and deliver them in the morning, there was no way the state HTT was in would he have been fit ! The first drop as I recall was in Cheshunt and the second was at little bag maker in the East End that Smiths owned ( We used to deliver Bleached Kraft there from the Mill in Beetham). So I transhipped Smiths gear that night and delivered it next day then went on to load for Barrow ex C/garden, I posted the notes back to HTT from Barrow next morning ! to Cockermouth, and they probably got back before he did 
, he wasn’t so good I can tell you !! Happy Days but good Marras help yan another eh! and at no charge ! It was a sad day when I learned HTT had passed away suddenly ! Cheers Dennis.
Hello Dennis,
Apologies I don’t put much on the thread, but your octopus memories reminded me of craic I was told in the shipyard in the late 80’s about these motors, do the tales below ring any bells for you? They were told to me by an old school man who was Brady’s electrician at some point, but also drove and trailer mated for them when required;
…The octos had a six speed box with an extra crawler gear as well, going up the old Lindale Hill with 40 ton of steel on ( with trailer) they would still do it in first gear, didn’t need crawler, but the exhaust would get that hot the gases would ignite, you couldn’t see it during the day but in the evening half light you could see a clear blue flame, going up the hill it took the paint off cars coming down, Brady’s had a couple on claims for compensation …"
" The engineering side of the ship yard made cement making machinery, steel rings weighing 17 tons each. Special wide loads, lit up like a christmas tree. Brady’s hired a heavy duty trailer so one on the octo and one on the trailer as well. When it pulled into the yard, big un didn’t like that there was spare deck space amid the rings so they were loaded up with cellophane as well (!)"
" they would do nearly 80, “JT flew past a midland red bus doing 70 on the new M1, blew its doors off, they complained to the transport authorities as it dented their express coach image!”
" they would gross over 50 ton, looked like eight flat tyres going down the road. One time slowing for the strawberry lights, the front near side tyre blew. The rim blew right across symonds yard, I had to go and pick it up from Grasmere road (100ft away)…"
What do you think Dennis, any grains of truth or exaggerations for my young ears?
HI. LEYLAND 600, WE had a ERF, 4 wheeler 16 t, iirc the reg was RAO 139 M ,IT was a dark green with side boards ,it had a 6 l w Gardner 6 speed d/b box and eaton 2 speed axle ,a flyer 13 to the gallon and a fold down bed ,did us proud , We also had LEYLAND bEAVER UNIT 600 ENGINE 6 SPEED MANUAL SPLITTER BOX, IT WAS red cant rem the reg but was F ,came from ASPITRA ,IT WAS IMACULATE ,BUT a load of crap ,wouldnt pull you out of bed and Head Gaskets , can you through some light on them please ,Cheers Barry
I really should say “no comment” 180, but that is the biggest load of bollox I’ve heard regarding Brady’s, we had some heavy loads on the Octopus and trailer but it was all steady, it had to be otherwise you would end up in lumber ! The Octopus only had a 6 speed O/d box although I believe one of the 680 Beaver units had a reduction box. On the odd occasion the Octopus could be “wound up” and they were fairly high geared, the old M5 was one of the roads where you could send it on “a bit”. But as for the outrageous claims someone has regaled you with well all I would say is you should ask them “who their pusher is” as it sounds like good “gear” to me 
Cheers Dennis.
A shot of our Trombone standing at Smith Bros in the early 70’s waiting for the crane to lift off the 60ft load of structural steel from IBIS Structural Steels Kendal. Smiths were building a new factory,unless it was somewhere to load and sheet up Gerald Cheers Dennis
Hi barrywaddy, apologies for not getting back to you sooner with an answer but my crystal ball was clouded. Anyway RAO 139 M records show an unladen weight of 6t, 5cwt 22lbs first registered 01/06/74 new to Duncan Hill, Crosby Villa, Maryport. Chassis No 27524
Gardner Engine No 191637. With a David Brown 5 speed box and a two speed axle I reckon it would do 52-53 mph. I operated a 66GX 6 wheeler for 4 years albeit on an F registration and it could certainly pull better than 180s which I acquired later. Having sideboards also indicates an ex Duncan Hill motor which was my initial thoughts on this wagon. Where was it based and who did this wagon run for. ? The ERF I bought and restored in 2005 when I retired was a 64GU model (the heavy chassis trailer model) Chassis No 27267 first registered 02/04/74 new to Jack Henley Transport, Goudhurst, Kent. RKJ 160M.
Cheers Leyland 600.
Leyland600:
Hi barrywaddy, apologies for not getting back to you sooner with an answer but my crystal ball was clouded. Anyway RAO 139 M must have been a 6 wheeler official records show an unladen weight of 6t, 5cwt 22lbs first registered 01/06/74 new to Duncan Hill, Crosby Villa, Maryport. Chassis No 27524
Gardner Engine No 191637. If it was a 6LW engine it would have been designated as a 66G model which is highly unlikely knowing Duncan’s preference for a high spec motor, but if a 6LX (Gardner 150) which is the most likely engine to be fitted then it would be designated as a 66GX. With a David Brown 5 speed box and a two speed axle I reckon it would do 52-53 mph. I operated one for 4 years to this specification albeit on an F registration and it could certainly pull better than 180s which I acquired later. Having sideboards also indicates an ex Duncan Hill motor which was my initial thoughts on this wagon. Where was it based and who did this wagon run for. ? The ERF I bought and restored in 2005 when I retired was a 64GU model Chassis No 27267 first registered 02/04/74 new to Jack Henley Transport, Goudhurst, Kent. RKJ 160M.
Cheers Leyland 600.
Hi Gerald,
Did you appear in one of the classic magazines with the motor in above picture?
Hi Pete yes photos of my wagon taking part in various rallys have appeared in Heritage Commercial and Classic & Vintage Vehicle magazines. I sold the wagon back in 2011, it now resides near Banchory in the same livery except for the cab top being painted white in true Scottish style.
Cheers, Leyland 600
Leyland600:
Hi Pete yes photos of my wagon taking part in various rallys have appeared in Heritage Commercial and Classic & Vintage Vehicle magazines. I sold the wagon back in 2011, it now resides near Banchory in the same livery except for the cab top being painted white in true Scottish style.
Cheers, Leyland 600
Cheer’s for that, as soon as I saw the photo I could remember the article,
Leyland600:
Hi Pete yes photos of my wagon taking part in various rallys have appeared in Heritage Commercial and Classic & Vintage Vehicle magazines. I sold the wagon back in 2011, it now resides near Banchory in the same livery except for the cab top being painted white in true Scottish style.
Cheers, Leyland 600
What sort of payload could you have achieved on the ERF Gerald ? Cheers Dennis.
found this on another site.
bumper:
found this on another site.
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One of a possible 40