Without giving away too much about just how much of an old ■■■■ I am, I do remember driving Crusaders, Dodge Barrerios tractor units and even a Bedford TK on heavy haulage work!!
Any of my esteemed fellow contributors prepared to share their recollections of a time when an “out of dimension” load from London to Dounreay took nearly 3 weeks or any other reminiscences??!!
Id love to see pics, hear stories of a time that is dear to my heart (and confirmed to me that I do run on diesel!!)
Nothing outsize, but:
Machine (28ton)
Crane
Tube
[
[/
All made life a bit more interesting than the norm. The machine was my first job with the new Daf and was loaded on a snowy February morning which took me four hours to get up the slope out of the yard and then another four while a front end loader dug a track through 6 foot drifts before I could load it at Swadlincote. The picture was waiting to tip at London Docks with my 12 year old lad at the wheel as 2nd man. 
We reloaded a big wide tank from up the A13 somewhere for Halewood, most of it unescorted except for a section north from Toddington where we waited 2 hours for the coppers to finish their lunch and then wanted me to go at top speed so they could make it home for tea time. 
Not with those little tyres, 50mph max - I wasn’t about to crawl under that lot to change a wheel. 
The crane section was from Morris Cranes at Loughborough, aregular customer and is pictured with the other half on my mate’s wagon waiting to tip at Middlesborough I think.
The tube was being reloaded at Stoke somewhere after being previously delivered by me for shot blasting and painting. Can’t remember where it went 
](http://imageshack.us)
Spardo, were you based at the Econofreight yard near Coalville then?
edtheshark:
Spardo, were you based at the Econofreight yard near Coalville then?
Yes, Markfield, in 1979/80.
So you were one of Tom Llewellyn’s boys then!!
I worked for the opposition (well sort of!!) I was at Pickfords Heavy Haulage 1978 to 1981 when I got sent to university. My recollections include the depot manager at Birmingham, Richard Hornsby going off to Pountains Heavy Haluge (anyone got pictures of their kit■■?) and moving a number of railway carriages from Metro Cammell Birmingham to Southampton and Tilbury to go to Hong Kong.
edtheshark:
So you were one of Tom Llewellyn’s boys then!!.
Certainly was. I had many an interesting conversation with him during the strike of '79. when I was shop steward at Markfield. Incidentally I got the steward’s job when the previous one, a north easterner presumably transfered from Thornaby, ran off with the wife of another driver - David Giles. I had a bit of a shock the other day when I heard that name connected with an assassination in Kabul of a DHL rep. I think that bloke was too young to be the same though.
To get back to Tom, his failure to persuade us at Markfield to return before the end of the strike obviously didn’t cause him to bear a grudge. He made no objection when the depot manager, Joe?, decided to give me that new Daf on my return to work in February 1980.
I
worked for the opposition (well sort of!!) I was at Pickfords Heavy Haulage 1978 to 1981 when I got sent to university. My recollections include the depot manager at Birmingham, Richard Hornsby going off to Pountains Heavy Haluge (anyone got pictures of their kit■■?) and moving a number of railway carriages from Metro Cammell Birmingham to Southampton and Tilbury to go to Hong Kong
I was never on that real heavy stuff, mainly long, high and wide, but always found the variety interesting and the thinking part of getting big stuff from A to B stimulating. 
West of Scotland old fleet
Boyze:
Now that looks like an animal of a wagon, what with the big hub reduction axles and short wheelbase - nice one!
edtheshark:
Without giving away too much about just how much of an old ■■■■ I am, I do remember driving Crusaders, Dodge Barrerios tractor units and even a Bedford TK on heavy haulage work!!Any of my esteemed fellow contributors prepared to share their recollections of a time when an “out of dimension” load from London to Dounreay took nearly 3 weeks or any other reminiscences??!!
Id love to see pics, hear stories of a time that is dear to my heart (and confirmed to me that I do run on diesel!!)
here is a pic of my dads truck from 1980. it was a 50t unit. he liked driving the truck but it was too refined. he preferd the old atki’s with the ■■■■■■■ 220. they were alive! a drivers truck… [/img]
Spardo:
edtheshark:
So you were one of Tom Llewellyn’s boys then!!.
Certainly was. I had many an interesting conversation with him during the strike of '79.
To get back to Tom, his failure to persuade us at Markfield to return before the end of the strike obviously didn’t cause him to bear a grudge. He made no objection when the depot manager, Joe?, decided to give me that new Daf on my return to work in February 1980.I
worked for the opposition (well sort of!!) I was at Pickfords Heavy Haulage 1978 to 1981 when I got sent to university. My recollections include the depot manager at Birmingham, Richard Hornsby going off to Pountains Heavy Haluge (anyone got pictures of their kit■■?) and moving a number of railway carriages from Metro Cammell Birmingham to Southampton and Tilbury to go to Hong Kong
I was never on that real heavy stuff, mainly long, high and wide, but always found the variety interesting and the thinking part of getting big stuff from A to B stimulating.
I have only ever met Tom Llewellyn once, he was a legend in the industry and very highly respected, is he still about.
georgeking:
I have only ever met Tom Llewellyn once, he was a legend in the industry and very highly respected, is he still about.
I think he is, but Rikki may have more of an update about that.
Despite his quirks, hatred of mirror ‘rags’, paying for Easystart, and manufacturers’ names on his lorries, I liked, and got on well with him.
Sorry to bring this back up, but out of interest, where was the Econofreight yard in Markfield?
Thanks
Cmon u old guys The first truck I drove was a single carbed 6 cylinder petrol driven bedford anyone beat that 
Roger Haywood
Geezah:
Sorry to bring this back up, but out of interest, where was the Econofreight yard in Markfield?Thanks
Up the A50 from Leicester, under the M1 at J22 towards Burton and Econofreight’s yard was behind the pub on the left at the first roundabout. We turned left at the roundabout and immediately left behind the pub. The yard was L-shape and the exit was back onto the main road before the roundabout. With 70 footers we could get out of the yard without hitting the fence either side but could only get right round the roundabout towards the motorway by using the rear steering, so continued on to the next one which allowed a switchback without it.
With 60 footers we could avoid all that providing we used the right bit of road.
Spardo:
Geezah:
Sorry to bring this back up, but out of interest, where was the Econofreight yard in Markfield?Thanks
Up the A50 from Leicester, under the M1 at J22 towards Burton and Econofreight’s yard was behind the pub on the left at the first roundabout. We turned left at the roundabout and immediately left behind the pub. The yard was L-shape and the exit was back onto the main road before the roundabout. With 70 footers we could get out of the yard without hitting the fence either side but could only get right round the roundabout towards the motorway by using the rear steering, so continued on to the next one which allowed a switchback without it.
With 60 footers we could avoid all that providing we used the right bit of road.
David,
Ah, I know where you mean. I have always been a fan of Econofreight, and never knew there was one there. Thanks for letting me know.
Am I right in thinking that Econofreight was taken over by A.L.E?
Thanks
Andy
hiya ,
didn’t mind wide , heavy , long , but hated high it used to play havoc with my neck always on the lookout for wires and stuff crossing the road. thanks harry long retired.
Geezah:
[Am I right in thinking that Econofreight was taken over by A.L.E?Thanks
Andy
I don’t know mate, but probably, because I saw it mentioned on another thread that they had taken ownership of those giant multi-wheeled trailers.
hiya,
many years ago transporing long stuff using an eight wheeler with the trailer set back was the normal way of things i used this method of doing the job many times in the sixties, other firms worked this way as well,i wonder if this mode would be accepted today must admit i haven’t seen it in practice for years and i suppose there has been trailers produced specially for the job, the last BRS depot i worked for had trailers up to 75 feet and overlays and bogies for even longer stuff,just a thought (must need something to occupy my mind)
thanks harry long retired.
Hi
Harry when I was a lad I remember seeing a chap load a long beem in Birmingham. He had a short tandam axle trailer with no head board. He uncoupled his unit and drove forward. the overhead crain lifted a 8ft lenght of gerder with a fith wheel pin fastened to it off his trailer and put it on his table.The crain driver then lowered the load one end on the trailer ,the other on the gerder on the unit.the driver then chained it up then wound the landing legs up and away he went.I can not see VOSA letting you get away with that today.
I few years ago we went to a sale up around Middlesbrough? I think the firm was called Parnabys?? heavy haulage. there was some interesting trucks for sale including a Scania with a very short nose I think they had modified the cooling in some way, as well as fitting Fuller boxes.
Regards Keith.