Forth and Caledonian

[ardennes]

Bewick:
When I was mate on Brady’s Octopus in the 60s we stopped,more-or-les,every Sunday and usually Monday nights at Walfords cafe in Llansamlet,Swansea and there was always a couple of Caledonian Carnation lads there as well.One of them was called “Baldy Keenan” a grand little chap,always had a smile on his face.They used to re-load tin plate back to the Carnation factory at Dumfries.

Not been driving long in 63-64 and was delivering wood shavings to weyroc in annan for wb park woodplumpton preston . whilst at the factory i watched a caledonian driver sheeting his load of chipboard, was very impressed with his work.Spent most of working life lorry driving and can still remember the caledonian artic at weyroc.

[the_showman]

My dad Bill Edwards and his brother ron both worked for Caledonian at lots road Chelsea I remember him saying that because his unit had a scotch licence on it it had to go back to Scotland once a month hes albion was XSM 930

[guesty44]

Anyone remember wolley Scott he was on the loading bays Hoole depot when I was there
T/Manager was called Mr Harrison if I recall also remember Manager called Mr Able remember him
very well he came down from Dumfries to have a clear out.I was one of them
Can any one remember them.(It was Harry Blamires old yard)
GUESTY44.

[jakdaw]

Guesty44:
Anyone remember wolley Scott he was on the loading bays Hoole depot when I was there
T/Manager was called Mr Harrison if I recall also remember Manager called Mr Able remember him
very well he came down from Dumfries to have a clear out.I was one of them
Can any one remember them.(It was Harry Blamires old yard)
GUESTY44.

Cant recall them but certainly remember Blamires Flyers!

[andy_smg]

Any info on how Forth and Caledonian became part of the BRS in Scotland in the early seventies, possibly late sixties. My late father was a tramper for the BRS out of Lister street in Glasgow for years. I remember the BRS logo changing to SRS and the colour from red and white, to royal blue and white. My father left for a short period, but returned and worked out of Hawthorn street in Possilpark Glasgow, driving trucks livered in a light blue colour with Caledonian and Forth on them. The trucks as I recall we`re basic BRS tools, AEC Mandator, GUY Big J 6, Leyland Beaver etc. Favourite trip was going with him up to Thurso. A three day trip via Fort William and Inverness on the old roads round the Lochs. Once north of Inverness it was like an adventure for me, until we got to the roads that were a bit narrow and high for my liking, like the Berrydale and Dunbeath. At that time they had the contract to supply all the American military bases, which included Thurso Edzell, and Dunoon. I once remember him driving an AEC mandator with a semi - automatic box like you had on the buses. Straight six with overdrive and no clutch pedal. Ahead of its time I suppose. Any info and photos would be mostly appreciated.

[nianiamh]

Heres 3 pics of motors in the Forth logo,
try the rest of the site theres loads of pics of old stuff you may find a few more
public.fotki.com/bedgar/truck_ph … per/forth/

[andy_smg]

Pictures are much appreciated nianiamh. Excactly the same trucks he used to drive. Can`t tell you how many memories those three photos brought back. When you think of the room you have in todays modern trucks. I could hardly see my old man for the engine hump !!!

[alexsaville]

Andy
I worked for BRS Douglas Group at Port Dundas. When the depot shut I moved to Lister St. The Forth & Caledonian came into the National Freight Corporation along with its subsiduary Bells of Edinburgh who distributed Heinz products. You can contact me at alexsavillescotland@hotmail.co.uk
Alex

[scotnat]

ben walker:
Some Photos of Dobsons on Brian Edgars Site.

[john_west]

Scotnat:

ben walker:
Some Photos of Dobsons on Brian Edgars Site.

Not sure if this is off thread or if Dobsons became part of Forth Caledonian.

In '70, I was hauling timber from Dolgellau in n Wales, but the fellers were Scottish. One was called Geordie and had worked for Dobsons.

He used to say he loved driving his Atkinson down Princes street - you could still park there then!

He said Dobsons had massive grain trailers and the dockers in the grain bucket cranes loved them ‘It’s like loading from one hold into another’

He was taking a break from haulage to fell timber. One of the other guys said he had lost his nerve.

Geordie told us about it one night as we sat drinking tea in the caravans where we stayed.

He’d been going through (I think) Biggar, and a woman was standing at the side of the road, ready to cross.

‘I took my foot off the accelerator and covered the brake. She stepped into the road right in front of me and I killed her.’

‘When I was explaining to the copper what happened, he said, oh, so it was your fault, she thought you were letting her across the road!’

Naturally, he was never actually blamed for the accident, but it had had a traumatic effect on him. He was close to breaking down telling us about it.

He was actually a good driver. We worked through the winter and as you can imagine, the forestry roads got pretty bad. One evening we finished loading my Mastiff and I left, I got up the steep hill on the way out, but there was a sharp drop down to the road on the slate chippings forestry road. As I crested the hill, I felt the lorry start to slip into the steep gutter at the side. I put the brakes on and decided to leave it until morning, leaning half into the gutter

The lads came up to look and Geordie said ‘I’ll get it down to the road for you if you like’.
He did too. I couldn’t have done it, I would have gone into the bank at the side.

You know the old Henry Ford saying, ‘if you think you can, or if you think you can’t, you’re right!’

I don’t know if Geordie ever went back to transport.

John

[jmc_jnr]

My uncle, Alex West drove for Caledonian and just about every haulage firm in south west Scotland.He came from Kilmarnock and died about 3 years ago in his seventies. anybody remember him? Jim.

[smart_alex]

steptoe:
Heres a few of Caledonian/Forth group pictures. Hope you like em

The bottom picture shows a Forth unit with a CLV box van struggling up the Menstrie brae towards Tullibody possibly been to Menstrie bond or heading to Blackgrange bond with huggies ■■? Glenochil DCL Yeast factory seen to the right of the vehicle with the Ochil Hills in the backdrop.

[harry_gill]

hiya,
siddle c cook consett became part of the tayforth group before becoming road services tyne tees finally finishing up up as brs north east thanks harry long retired

[wheel_nut]

The link above doesnt work for me, pity because I am interested to see the Blue and White SRS fleet. I started my tanker driving career on a daily run to Carnation in Dumfries where I saw several milk hauliers as well as Scottish Road Services and Robsons of Carlisle.

[andy_smg]

Wheel Nut:
The link above doesnt work for me, pity because I am interested to see the Blue and White SRS fleet. I started my tanker driving career on a daily run to Carnation in Dumfries where I saw several milk hauliers as well as Scottish Road Services and Robsons of Carlisle.

Memories, memories Wheelnut. The old man used to pull the red and white Carnation tankers with either a GUY big J6, AEC Mandator, Leyland Beaver etc in the blue and white of Scottish Road Services out of Hawthorn St Glasgow. Usual destinations were Dumfries and Aberdeen.

[wheel_nut]

Andy smg:

Wheel Nut:
The link above doesnt work for me, pity because I am interested to see the Blue and White SRS fleet. I started my tanker driving career on a daily run to Carnation in Dumfries where I saw several milk hauliers as well as Scottish Road Services and Robsons of Carlisle.

Memories, memories Wheelnut. The old man used to pull the red and white Carnation tankers with either a GUY big J6, AEC Mandator, Leyland Beaver etc in the blue and white of Scottish Road Services out of Hawthorn St Glasgow. Usual destinations were Dumfries and Aberdeen.

I can see the place now, I had to drive through the high warehouse where they unloaded the glass and head towards the river. I tipped facing the river and got to know all the lads well as they came outside for a smoke. Happy days

[dizzyhounds]

My father was a panel beater at the Dumfries depot, which is now a Homebase store on the Dumfries bypass

Cheers Grant

[andy_smg]

dizzyhounds:
My father was a panel beater at the Dumfries depot, which is now a Homebase store on the Dumfries bypass

Cheers Grant

I bet the old Glasgow drivers kept him in overtime when visiting then eh… Just a wee joke, tin hat on.

[v7victor]

I worked for R S F darlington depot tramping,then trunking to berwick or dumfries in the late sixties begining of the seventies

[wheel_nut]

Fotki link still not working for me has bedgar moved his hosting site?