Hi my father in law used to work for Kings and Tarmac when they took over, my husband found this site while looking for photos of their lorries.
There used to be loads of photos of the lorries he drove over the years but his wife passed away recently and my father in law has dementia so doesnt know where things are. We have searched but cannot find any.
We read about you writing a book and are really hoping you got around to completing it as we feel it may help him. He is so confused we hope it may help.
Thanks, sorry to read about your father in law’s health. I have not yet published a book as I may just set up a web site instead. I do have 100+ photographs of Kings vehicles dating from steam days to the 1970’s and I would be happy to send them to you if it would help. Conversely, if you have any photographs of Kings vehicles then I would very much like to see them.
Thankyou for your kindness, we would be so greatful if you could send your photos to our email address billnewlands@hotmail.co.uk
we will put them in an album for him and hopefully he will recognise some of them.
If we come across any photos in future we promise to let you have them, we really cant thank you enough for your kindness.
Hi Bonkey
We worked for Cambell & McGill in Winchester who were swollowed up by Tarmac later moved to Chandlers Ford in the old Limmer & Trinnidad yard later to become Go Plat which i think it still is today.
But in Winchester they made an aric dumper of early B M Volvo style, if you come across any of this on your Tarmac travels would you be so kind as to let us know.
Somewhere mother has photos of the Bedford KHA (TK) artic we had with the machinery for Andovers’ new Sewage works on it. This was a 1969 lorry & the pic about 1970 as soon as she finds it I will let you have it we also have a list of there main projects of that time if you are interested .
The reg of the lorry was UCG 661 H last seen on a road job as a site lorry with its Taskers little giant low loader
Cheers Rich
HI FOLKS ,This is one of the most interesting sites i have seen for long time ,being from North Wales i only remember the quarry by the cafe on the A 74 ,Used to stop on the way up on the cafe car park ,and on the quarry park on the way back on the opposite side ,then run like hell across the dual carriageway to get to the cafe. Happy times. Barry Waddy.
Few more from me:
Bedford tipper with a Kings barber green.
Hi Bonkey. Sorry that I have not been in touch for some time. Great photo of the Fodens crossing the Tay Bridge. These are both from the Forfar depot. I have not had much response for tarmac khaki tippers apart from one or two of an Atki 24ton tipper taken at the bodybuilders prior to delivery.
Hi, just found this forum while trawling for pictures of Kings & cos (Tarmac)lorries. I read a thread saying someone might be doing a book on kings has this ever been published? I did my mechanics apprenticeship in the Lasswade road (Edinburgh) workshop in the early 80s. The fleet at that time was about 65 trucks with most parked at gilmerton yard and about 20 parked off Lasswade road at mount vernon.We also serviced the quarry plant from our workshop. Gilmerton workshop took care of vans,rollers,barbergreenes etc. along with the cement mixers (they couldnt fit under the door at Lasswade road)It was great to see the pictures of JGA 64T(foden haulmaster artic) and PGB 311V (Bedford TM 6 wheeler) both of which I worked on a lot. The bedford was originally Earlston based while we inherited responsibility for the Foden after the workshop in Inverkeithing closed.The fleet was varied with four wheelers such as sed/atki 200,clydesdales and Tms.Six wheelers were reivers,Tms,bisons,constructors,with F7 volvos eventually appearing.There was also 2 ERF B series and a sole foden fleetmaster with V8 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ were TMs, buffalo ,and foden. Many of the bedford TMs had the V6 detroit 2 stroke engine, a great sounding motor but difficult to keep oil inside! Anybody with any info about a book please let me know
I have been sent this photo of a Volvo F7 insulated tipper, Reg: B295YGG, based at Edinburgh transport depot.
This is one of the earliest photos that I have of an insulated tipper. probably taken around 1955. At that time Kings built tipper bodies in their own workshops, but when alloy bodies came in the practice stopped and bodies were purchased from companies such as Edbro, Eftee, and CMT.
A number of Bedford KM artic units (330 Cu in engine and Eaton 2 speed axle) were operated coupled to Neville insulated Omnitrailers. operating at 24tons GVW. The extension at the rear of the trailer was to facilitate feeding Barber Greene and Blaw Knox spreaders, as the overhang from the rear axle was too short.The trailers had to be supported when uncoupled as there was insufficient space to incorporate integral landing legs!
Aye I can remember their Quarry opposite the Coatsgate Cafe on Beattock on the A 74, Allways seemed busy in the 50/60s Era, Still there as far as I know but defunct like a lot more stone quarries all over the UK, Regards Larry
This Scania 110, registration NCS 44G, was based at Kilbirnie depot. It was plated at 55 tons GVW. Although it was mainly used to move the company’s quarry and plant hire equipment as required, it was also hired for many abnormal indivisible load
duties.
Frankydobo:
Just noticed the first pic reg is SSF 859H and the one I sent SSF 859K! must have been the second of the two Bedfords and not the front one. Franky.
The original photograph was published as a Bedford advertisement on the front cover of a “Commercial Motor” magazine. It must have been modified as SSF 859K never existed, whereas SSK 859H did. Also the indicators have been moved from being at lower windscreen level to just above bumper level. All in an effort to make the vehicle look as if it was to 1972 specification!
Was emailed this one earlier today by a good friend of mine.
Does anyone remember this company that operated quarries North of the Border ?
They were absorbed into the Tarmac group sometime in the early seventies and I’m after any info regarding locations of quarries etc,drivers recollections plus the BIG one ! 
Any old photographs to buy or borrow ! 
MY DAD WAS AN OWNER DRIVER WHO WORKED AS A SUBBIE WITH KINGS .HE RAN OUT OF CRAIGNAUGHT QUARRY NEAR NEILSTON UNTIL IT CLOSED IN THE EARLY 70S. KINGS KEPT THEIR OWN MOTORS AT MIDDLETON QUARRY NEAR LUGTON THIS WAS ALSO THE TRAFFIC OFFICE THE QUARRY WAS ALSO DISUSED. THERE WAS OTHER QUARRIES THAT KINGS RAN BUT IM NOT SURE IF IT WAS BEFORE THEIR TAKEOVER BY TARMAC THESE INCLUDE LOANHEAD NEAR BEITH NOW RUN BY W.H MALCOLM BUT NOT IN AS BIG A SCALE. KINGS HAD A SAND QUARRY NEAR MAYBOLE THE NAME OF WHICH IAM UNSURE. AFTER CRAIGNAUGHT CLOSED DAD RAN OUT OF HIGHCRAIG QUARRY IN JOHNSTONE ALSO A KINGS QUARRY THAT IS THE ONE I REMEMBER THE BEST. HIGHCRAIG ALSO HAD A TILCON CONCRETE PLANT I REMEMBER HIGHCRAIG BEING REALLY BUSY AS IT WAS A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF TAR AND ASPHALT FOR THE WEST OF SCOTLAND SURFACING OF THE A74 WAS A REGULAR RUN. TARMAC STILL RUNS HIGHCRAIG BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW ONLY AS A TAR PLANT.I KNOW KINGS HAD MORE QUARRIES ONE NEAR BEATOCK BUT I DONT KNOW ITS NAME OTHERS I DONT KNOW. I REMEMBER THE KINGS TIPPERS WELL THE BULK OF THEM BEING LEYLAND REIVERS AND CLYDESDALES ALSO FODEN SIX WHEELERS. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU.
Thanks mate for this info,appreciate it.
I do have a couple of pics of Kings vehicles and seen a couple more (a Foden S36 eight legger (F reg) and a S reg S39 sixer) but was wondering if anyone had any others in their collections.
Here’s the two that I have.
The Kings quarry at Beatock was Coatsgate later owned by Tarmac who mothballed it sometime in the 90s.
Eddie.
LIKE THE PICTURES OF THE KINGS KMs MATE . SAW A PICTURE OF A GUY BIG J IN ONE OF THE CLASSIC TRUCK MAGS RECENTLY IF I CAN FIND IT I WILL POST IT.