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Hi Jim,well all good stuff.A bit before my time on the A74 but my mate Jim Bell who lived at Douglas as a lad will relish the photos of Niel Black’s fine Hippo and James Harvie’s garage in Abington which was eventually Millars I suppose? Last time I was in Abington was 1970,courtesy of Millars dragging my AEC MK5 8-legger tanker from Lesmahagow with a collapsed wheel hub.The flammable load was transhipped onto another one of ours in a lay-by just north of the Star with a BP safety team and Scottish Television both in attendance. 
I stayed in some digs near the garage and set off empty to Sheffield next evening with the N/S trailing axle chained up with accompanying headlight flashing from overtaking trunkers informing me I’d lost a pair of wheels!
Hi guys,this is some of a collection of old postcards I have and also some photos I was given of the M74 being constructed in 1992.Don’t know if they are o.k. for this thread but they do show the changing conditions from the twenties through to the nineties.
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IMG]http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp357/THEMECHANIC/A74M74002.jpg[/IMG]
The Crawford Hotel one is from 1936.
![http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp357/THEMECHANIC/A74M74002.jpg[/IMG]](http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp357/THEMECHANIC/A74M74002.jpg%5B/IMG%5D){kind=link}
The first one didn’t copy.Try again.
Jim Tommy Thompson’s Hippo was reg.ATE 328 Tommy sold it to a brewery in Edinburgh and the story goes it was left outside which would’nt do it any good but its back on the rally scene with I think Alex Anderson.
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Hi Jim. I dont remember Chris’s incident but I was there at that time (1968-1985).It was common practice at that time to chain an axle up to get a vehicle home.
I’d like to clear up some confusion regarding Ramages. Ramage of Douglas Water was an old established firm from the early 1900s.They finished in the eighties when they were taken over by Frederick Allen. Ramage Bros was started with a couple of tippers in the seventies by Jack and Norman Ramage they had no connection with the firm of Ramage of Douglas Water although they may have been related in some way.Norman left the company after some years and Jack built it into the large operator that it was.After he died it was taken over and then eventually they went down.As a matter of interest not long before going burst they bought UFD from Kircaldy from the receiver.They had went burst shortly before this.They were owned by Brian Kemp the son of James Kemp of Leslie.I moved to Glenrothes to work with him after leaving Millars.He was a nice guy to work for.
Well Jim and Robert,I never realised there were two Ramages,but the one I do remember was the one from Glespin and I used to get them mixed up with Blue Band Motors from Lockerbie for some reason. I’ll ask my old Douglas Watter pal if he’s any photos for you.He told me that when he was a bairn in the 40s him and his pals would sit on a grass bank at the side of the old A74 on summer evenings and watch the trunkers going south,having competitions guessing the haulier before the wagon came into view.Of course he wouldn’t have a camera but what a sight that would have been 
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That’s a great picture of the Ramage Albion by the way,and I’ve just had a thought that it might have been Millars Albion wrecker that dragged me down to Abington in 1970,would that be right?
Hi Chris,It would most likely be the Albion HD57 that towed you in.Where about did your pal stay.
The mechanic:
Hi Chris,It would most likely be the Albion HD57 that towed you in.Where about did your pal stay.
I can’t be precise but it was a house on Lord Douglas Hume’s estate at Douglas Water near to the old A74.His father was head gamekeeper on that estate,but I think the family originated from Speyside.I’ll find out a bit more tomorrow and let you know.
I’ve got a picture of that HD57 somewhere…
Could be one that you put on,I can’t remember.
That photo brings a lump to my throat Chris,doesn’t seem like forty odd years ago.Could that be old Norm moonlighting with the A35 van.
The mechanic:
That photo brings a lump to my throat Chris,doesn’t seem like forty odd years ago.Could that be old Norm moonlighting with the A35 van.
Aye,it’s a good picture Robert,I thought maybe Jim had posted it last year.I’m sure there is some history on here about that Albion,could it have been ex BRS or Scottish CWS?
That could well be Norman moonlighting,snooping round for spares for his Marathon
I’ve had to edit this.The photo was posted on here in Feb this year by Trev “Lemonmouth” and the Albion was ex Inter-City transport.
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Hi Jim,that’s a grand photo of the BRS HD57,he’d have time to count the wheelnuts and could even slip out of the cab and check the ropes
And you are right,Frederick Allen was from Bedworth and another company I’d forgotten all about.
Hi Jim
Davis Bros was in the Riggend Depot first as far as i can remember there was two or Three different Managers in my time the First i think was an ex Driver from Falkirk called Rab Broon, then there was Alexander Scott after he finished up on his own in Haulage his Depot was on the London Rd,then Smith of Maddison took it over cant remember if they bought him out or not,he was not there very long was stickler for running Legal, then there was the one you mentioned Tam Mcinnes, Davises was a really good Job I know we had scrap at first but later when we got the new Mercs 1418s and Scammell Handymans it was a lot better,every 16 miles covered 1 hrs Pay 4hrs Tip 4hrs Load even if it only took 1hr if it took longer you still got it, changing a Trailer was 1hr find your own Load 10 Bob, best Job I ever had.The Clearing House bit wasnt Really it was just we didnt do any distance Work ourselves we just put it out to others we did a lot to Nigg Bay and Peterhead at the time very little South mostly Local.I wonder if there is anybody about who remembers Alexander Scott He ran Commer 2 Strokes and a lot of Old Scammels a kind of dirty Maroon Colour.Stark was a Local Contractor in Baillieston with a few 4 Wheel Tippers before tying up with George Paterson, dont know if any connection to Forth.
Benny
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Benny I notice you said you were with Hemphill I was with McMurdo of Sanquhar 67-74 and used to stop at the Olympia in Preston, Hemphills were regulars there John Taylor,Alfie -----from Motherwell he was a regular at the Bingo and John Shields are just three that spring to mind,Clyde Oil was another name that was in there often same two blokes but the memorie thing has set in I canny mind their names,the rooms were gie cauld in the winter but there was aye plenty o banter and laugh’s. Eddie.
Hi Eddie
Remember the Olympia alright a used to use it aboot the time you mention but a wis wae Davis at the time a did not start wae Hemphills till about 77 a few years after you mention, a remember the Names you said but am a bit like yourself met that many Drivers that its getting harder to sort them aw oot as time goes on.I notice on one o your Postings Bert Cunningham from Sorn, was that same Guy that started off on his own wae a Four Wheel Mercury and worked for Containerway at Ardrossan i worked oot o there myself at the same time,wonder if he is about. Benny.
Bennie thats the same Bert when I first met him he was on Johnstone’s of Fenwick then he was on Robson’s of Carlisle and I think he started then on for his self,as far as I know he is still on the go. I was in the Stampworks at Ayr tipping and there was a chap behind me and he had been on DAVIES Bros at Riggend he told me a few tales aye they must have been some outfit.Eddie.
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