mrken:
We had one when i left school with the same PUV reg ex poulters at Sampsons it used to be parked at the back of the depot and was used for spares for the LPS1418s we had. I seem to remember the BBC made a play for today in the late 70s where a bloke who was a driv3er got lilled and his son kept going to the depot and sleeping in the cab and it was that vehicle at the back of the yard they used we used to call it the long nosed merc.
I think I remember that play-the lads father had been killed on a middle east run as I remem ber it.
Cant remember what it was about just remember the filming and yes that was the depot in Tolgate Road next to ziff meats nice smell
after 3 years with that smell life didnt seem to bad.We also had the workshops along the road where the asda is now.
My old man drove a cab-over LS1418 for Tone Vale Transport and Taunton Meat Haulage from early 1966. The best they had had up to then were Leylands with 0.680s so when they got the Mercs they thought they were gutless. TVT went back to Normands the importers and asked what was wrong. Normands said 'drive 'em on the rev counter and give ‘em stick’. So they did and found they were real goers - just had to be driven differently to anything else on the UK market at that time. And, as I recall, they did half a million miles before needing any major work, which was a revelation in those days.
Then, of course, along came the F88…
Remember a sister company to my lot (Frederick Rays Leighton Buzzard) called John Darbyshire Transport of Appleton Thorn Warrington,running a few “Bullnose” Mercs in th e late 70s to early 80s.
I found this brilliant picture on a website. I think it says a lot, I was looking for the gatehouse today on Google Earth but sadly looks like it has been demolished and a new warehouse built. It was a regular delivery for us though as we took tyres in for Honda
Hello folks, bit new to this, wass brought up on british lorry,s good bad and ugly. Never drove foreign stuff never liked em never fancied em. Best ever wagon for me was Atkinson Borderer with 8LXB Gardner. Pull like the devil, and good brakes but poor steering lock, and freezing in winter and stifling hot in summer. near lived in the thing for years, wish I had it back though.
maddan:
Hello folks, bit new to this, wass brought up on british lorry,s good bad and ugly. Never drove foreign stuff never liked em never fancied em. Best ever wagon for me was Atkinson Borderer with 8LXB Gardner. Pull like the devil, and good brakes but poor steering lock, and freezing in winter and stifling hot in summer. near lived in the thing for years, wish I had it back though.
If you did not drive one, how can you make a qualified opinion about them then ?.. & Where are Atkinson now?
Wheel Nut:
I found this brilliant picture on a website. I think it says a lot, I was looking for the gatehouse today on Google Earth but sadly looks like it has been demolished and a new warehouse built. It was a regular delivery for us though as we took tyres in for Honda
Howard Tenens yard was in Parsonage road, Statton St Margaret.
Down the road from JWQ s.(Linton +Hursts)
