This is a 1978 Pacific powered by 19 litre ■■■■■■■ K series motor. It comes complete with 14 foot wide low-loader. Currently for sale in Canada, how much do you think they want for it?
CDN$200,000
Now that would be a great head turner on the classic scene! However, I’m lacking the financial resources to a. buy it in the first place and b. keeping that mighty ■■■■■■■ fuelled up… over to you DIG
i have had a little experience with a couple of Pacfic winch trucks but both powered by 71 series Bird Scarers [Detroit 2 strokes] very capable units however K19 ■■■■■■■ I owned one for 12 plus years a very reliable engine which did around couple of mil for me.
Dig
I started my transport career with this company in 1972. At that time there was 3 generations of the family involved in the company, John Young Snr, John Young and John Young Jnr. John Young Jnr was always known as young John Young (although never to his face) - sounds like a North Korean dictator. When I started they were a crane hire company by that time and we used to send cranes all over the UK such was the strength of their reputation.
I started my transport career with this company in 1972. At that time there was 3 generations of the family involved in the company, John Young Snr, John Young and John Young Jnr. John Young Jnr was always known as young John Young (although never to his face) - sounds like a North Korean dictator. When I started they were a crane hire company by that time and we used to send cranes all over the UK such was the strength of their reputation.
NMP. Courtesy of Cairngram
Great pic mate, and welcome
Just the other day I was reading a article about Pickford’s depot in Glasgow, there were quite some firms involved in heavy haulage in the Glaswegian area upon Pickford’s arrival it seems, does Road Engines and Kerr, Gavin Wilkie, Isaac Barrie ring any bells?
I started my transport career with this company in 1972. At that time there was 3 generations of the family involved in the company, John Young Snr, John Young and John Young Jnr. John Young Jnr was always known as young John Young (although never to his face) - sounds like a North Korean dictator. When I started they were a crane hire company by that time and we used to send cranes all over the UK such was the strength of their reputation.
NMP. Courtesy of Cairngram
Great pic mate, and welcome
Just the other day I was reading a article about Pickford’s depot in Glasgow, there were quite some firms involved in heavy haulage in the Glaswegian area upon Pickford’s arrival it seems, does Road Engines and Kerr, Gavin Wilkie, Isaac Barrie ring any bells?
Can’t remember any of those you mentioned, sorry. The only ones I remember from the 60’s (too young to remember before that) were Smith’s of Whiteinch and Critchlow’s of Biddulph as the two drivers who worked with them used to park their wagons in the street where we lived. The Smith’s wagon was always a six wheeler with an ergo cab and Critchlow’s was an artic complete with loaded trailer. Critchlow’s was a variety of AEC, ERF and Scammell units - very few cars in those days on council estates!! I remember the first time the Critchlow’s driver ( a guy called Sandy Calderwood) brought home an ERF LV cabbed unit - I thought it was huge compared to the ergo cabbed models. He used to wash the engines of his units every week by tipping the cabs and throwing a couple of gallons of diesel over them - no health and safety malarkey in those days and diesel was cheap. However, for some strange reason, my interest even then was mostly in buses - could probably still tell you reg no’s of most of the fleets from that time.
Going back to John Young’s (or Bubbly Youngs as everyone seemed to call them - haven’t a clue why) the chairman had a Rolls Royce reg no KGB 2. This was the first time I ever seen a Roller in the flesh. He was a true old gentleman (although this was probably due to his age, I imagine he was a shrewd character before that), his son was a hard nosed boss and the grandson was a dipstick. Their old yard is now the First bus garage in the west of Glasgow.
pv83:
Some pic’s from what I’ve been up to the past few weeks…
No doubt about it your versatile Patrick but tell me are the float suspensions hydraulically controlled as I fear over here we have a few cattle grids that you would ground out on. Not that I expect its a hazard you have to contend with.
Dig
Dennis Javelin:
A pic from 1966 with a loco being taken from Govan goods yard in Glasgow. This is loco 123 being taken away for preservation and display in the Glasgow Museum of Transport. It looks like the cranes also came from Pickfords.
NMP, taken from the Canmore site courtesy of Heritage Scotland
What a fantastic photo this is that you posted Dennis. Looks like the crane operaor is doing some maintenance on the jib !
Just the other day I was reading a article about Pickford’s depot in Glasgow, there were quite some firms involved in heavy haulage in the Glaswegian area upon Pickford’s arrival it seems, does Road Engines and Kerr, Gavin Wilkie, Isaac Barrie ring any bells?
I don’t remember any of them either, although Kerr rings a small bell , but I do remember Pickfords. Wasn’t their yard on London road as we left the city for the south, long before any motorways of course? I am talking 60s when I was a frequent visitor to the city with Ilkeston Haulage.
And regarding the crane driver and his maintenance. That picture brings back a painful memory. On Econofreight I was unloading at a British Railways quarry near Okehampton in Devon. The crane driver set up at the back of the trailer and lowered his jib almost to the horizontal to reach some steel plates at the front. I hooked the first plate to an eye at the front edge and stood on the back of the unit as he lifted away. Of course, at full stretch, and with the plate not free till it was vertical, he had not enough free under the pulley to float it. His block hit the pulley but, not noticing, he carried on winching up and of course slackened the cable supporting the jib. The jib, now free, started swinging from side to side and he panicked and released the brake, causing the jib to fall down rapidly swinging outwards the spare chains hanging from the hook.
I saw them coming and leapt sideways off the chassis, giving a final push off the headboard with one hand. Not quick enough, the chains came crashing down on it nearly chopping my finger off. I was rushed off to the local cottage hospital and then to Exeter General where they saved the finger. Why the crane driver didn’t set up alongside the trailer from where he could have reached the whole load in safety I will never know. No idea why I was daft enough to stand where I did either. A valuable lesson that day which I have taken to heart ever since, always evaluate what might go wrong before you do anything or stand anywhere. Elfin gets a a very jokey treatment from us all these days, but there is a reason for it.
Just the other day I was reading a article about Pickford’s depot in Glasgow, there were quite some firms involved in heavy haulage in the Glaswegian area upon Pickford’s arrival it seems, does Road Engines and Kerr, Gavin Wilkie, Isaac Barrie ring any bells?
I don’t remember any of them either, although Kerr rings a small bell , but I do remember Pickfords. Wasn’t their yard on London road as we left the city for the south, long before any motorways of course? I am talking 60s when I was a frequent visitor to the city with Ilkeston Haulage.
And regarding the crane driver and his maintenance. That picture brings back a painful memory. On Econofreight I was unloading at a British Railways quarry near Okehampton in Devon. The crane driver set up at the back of the trailer and lowered his jib almost to the horizontal to reach some steel plates at the front. I hooked the first plate to an eye at the front edge and stood on the back of the unit as he lifted away. Of course, at full stretch, and with the plate not free till it was vertical, he had not enough free under the pulley to float it. His block hit the pulley but, not noticing, he carried on winching up and of course slackened the cable supporting the jib. The jib, now free, started swinging from side to side and he panicked and released the brake, causing the jib to fall down rapidly swinging outwards the spare chains hanging from the hook.
I saw them coming and leapt sideways off the chassis, giving a final push off the headboard with one hand. Not quick enough, the chains came crashing down on it nearly chopping my finger off. I was rushed off to the local cottage hospital and then to Exeter General where they saved the finger. Why the crane driver didn’t set up alongside the trailer from where he could have reached the whole load in safety I will never know. No idea why I was daft enough to stand where I did either. A valuable lesson that day which I have taken to heart ever since, always evaluate what might go wrong before you do anything or stand anywhere. Elfin gets a a very jokey treatment from us all these days, but there is a reason for it.
Yes, London Road next door to what is now the Ainscough depot. Talking of mishaps I remember one Friday afternoon when the HH boys were taking a large (64 wheel I think) steering trailer out the yard. The had to cross the dual carriageway and were more than half way across when one (or possibly more ) of the hydraulic lines burst on the trailer so the steering failed. This was about 4.30pm so you can imagine the amount of traffic that used this road at that time - utter chaos for about two hours until they got it repaired.
That’s the first ‘Nightingale’ sleeper cab supplied by Atkinson, and mounted on a ‘Leader’ chassis for Lowe’s of Paddock Wood. That photo was taken on the premises of Atkinson Vehicles (London), also known as Nightingale Garage, in Nightingale Lane, Balham. I knew the lorry in later life when it was operated by an O/D, Bill Donnelly, in Cippenham. Sadly I’ve lost the photos I took of it whilst in his ownership.
That’s the first ‘Nightingale’ sleeper cab supplied by Atkinson, and mounted on a ‘Leader’ chassis for Lowe’s of Paddock Wood. That photo was taken on the premises of Atkinson Vehicles (London), also known as Nightingale Garage, in Nightingale Lane, Balham. I knew the lorry in later life when it was operated by an O/D, Bill Donnelly, in Cippenham. Sadly I’ve lost the photos I took of it whilst in his ownership.
Here it is in Rome:
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Hiya Chris, hope you are keeping clear of “the lurgy” Question---- when were the new Mk11’s lunched as I don’t recall seeing many “J” Reg’s about so this Leader must have been one of the first out of Whinnery Lane ? Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Hiya Chris, hope you are keeping clear of “the lurgy” Question---- when were the new Mk11’s lunched as I don’t recall seeing many “J” Reg’s about so this Leader must have been one of the first out of Whinnery Lane ? Cheers Dennis.
Hello Dennis, living the life of a hermit hope you’re keeping safe too!
The Mk II cab was first shown at Kelvin Hall in late 1967, and went into production the autumn of 1968. However, the new range with the new chassis frames (Borderer, Leader, Venturer, Searcher, Defender) was announced at the Earls Court Show in October 1970 - a Mk II tractor is not necessarily a Borderer!
J Registrations were issued between 1 August 1970 and 31 July 1971, so I imagine that this Leader would have been built early in 1971. The model didn’t last long, once it became apparent that 38 tons plus was most definitely NOT going to happen anytime soon! The Leader was designed specifically as a 38T machine, unlike the earlier Rear Steer, which was designed to achieve 32T on 5 axles, in those far-off days that you will recall.
Bewick:
Hiya Chris, hope you are keeping clear of “the lurgy” Question---- when were the new Mk11’s lunched as I don’t recall seeing many “J” Reg’s about so this Leader must have been one of the first out of Whinnery Lane ? Cheers Dennis.
Hello Dennis, living the life of a hermit hope you’re keeping safe too!
The Mk II cab was first shown at Kelvin Hall in late 1967, and went into production the autumn of 1968. However, the new range with the new chassis frames (Borderer, Leader, Venturer, Searcher, Defender) was announced at the Earls Court Show in October 1970 - a Mk II tractor is not necessarily a Borderer!
J Registrations were issued between 1 August 1970 and 31 July 1971, so I imagine that this Leader would have been built early in 1971. The model didn’t last long, once it became apparent that 38 tons plus was most definitely NOT going to happen anytime soon! The Leader was designed specifically as a 38T machine, unlike the earlier Rear Steer, which was designed to achieve 32T on 5 axles, in those far-off days that you will recall.
I think Atkin’s of Derby fell foul of that false anticipation too. I seem to recall that they had quite a fleet of 3 axle Mk 11s.
Not sure but the small fleet that Econofreight (2 axle sleepers) had when I had one at Markfield would be around '77/'78.
For those who don’t know and think that isn’t big enough to be a sleeper, the bunk was hinged and the seats had to be pushed forward or folded to allow the bunk to be dropped to it’s full width. Not ideal but the mattress was comfy enough and certainly better than draped across the engine.
