Just wondering if any of you have any memories of driving through Kimbolton and negotiating the infamous bends, back when it was the main route through.
I lived there as a lad and have fond memories of the streams of wagons (my neighbours thought different!!) coming through.
All the east coast regulars, Russell Davies,Brain,Carters,Calvers,Cowan Bros,JE & A Goodwin,Goodways,OJH Smith etc
Plus the Black Country boys,T Baker,Bowmur, AH Brown and B Swindell from Warrington.
Not forgetting a few locals from Northants, Patrick & Partrick, MB Transport,Lilley etc.
Truckerash, have you got any photos of any of these??
there used to be a mark in the wall of the house on the bend where the beak of the transporters used to catch it, in the end they banned transporters, felixstowe was a long way from stoke in those days,
It was horrendous for artic transporters, not only did you have the bend to negotiate vehicles also came the other way, outrageous !!,
Regards
Ex Tolemans driver
PROWLANDS:
It was horrendous for artic transporters, not only did you have the bend to negotiate vehicles also came the other way, outrageous !!,
Regards
Ex Tolemans driver
Its was and still is just as bad for any large vehicle… makes me wonder how Robinsons (local coach firm based in Kimbolton) ever manages. I used to close my eyes when I came round with my Neoplan double deck…
Edit: mind you they arent the only nasty bends in the area. You have the bends in Gt Staunton, and the nasty set with the 100 deg out bend at Grafham.
Yes, car transporters were banned but we still have them come through from time to time. Not so much of a problem now that most are drawbars!
Do any of you remember the one Wednesday in September when the fair comes to town and all the traffic has to divert along East Street.
That used to cause a few problems back in the day.
Or does anybody remember the Wilson F10 that crashed into the front room of the house,next to the butchers, one foggy morning?
I’d love to know how many times I’ve driven through Kimbolton at all hours of the day & night, the worst though was at lunch time with school kids (Was it mostly girls?) flooding the place & doing their best to get themselves run over.
I used to like the run from Liverpool to Felixstow back in the 70’s & 80’s and Kimbolton was probably the most memorable part of it. I’ve stopped a good number of times to pick up food surplies from a shop in the middle of the town, memories!!
If you think it was fun in a Transporter.
Try going around there with a 60ft concrete beam, Double drive Volvo + 3 axle Dolly on the rear powered by a donkey engine @ 06.00 in mid winter the oil is so thick it took 5 mins just to move 5in side ways.
Anglia concrete Norwich to "the new A45 bridge works” there and back 2 days work in 1980.
But if I remember right just before the bridge going west there was a cafe.you needed a brew after getting through Kimbolton Happy Days !
old skool kid:
If you think it was fun in a Transporter.
Try going around there with a 60ft concrete beam, Double drive Volvo + 3 axle Dolly on the rear powered by a donkey engine @ 06.00 in mid winter the oil is so thick it took 5 mins just to move 5in side ways.
Anglia concrete Norwich to "the new A45 bridge works” there and back 2 days work in 1980.
But if I remember right just before the bridge going west there was a cafe.you needed a brew after getting through Kimbolton Happy Days !
old skool kid:
If you think it was fun in a Transporter.
Try going around there with a 60ft concrete beam, Double drive Volvo + 3 axle Dolly on the rear powered by a donkey engine @ 06.00 in mid winter the oil is so thick it took 5 mins just to move 5in side ways.
Anglia concrete Norwich to "the new A45 bridge works” there and back 2 days work in 1980.
But if I remember right just before the bridge going west there was a cafe.you needed a brew after getting through Kimbolton Happy Days !
Good pics RC2, amazing the thread should be resurrected now as I was just sitting opposite where your pic of the Scania was taken from on Tuesday, watching an 8 legger tipper and two Merc cars struggling to pass on the bend, and wondering how the CHUFF it worked when it was the main route
I can also highly recommend the bread pudding from the coffee shop on the right as you go towards St Neots; home made, delicious and the size of half a house brick for just a quid
Good work Wheelnut those pics certainly set the scene.
JJ72, it used to be all go back in the day.
When you consider that the A45 was the main route from Felixstowe/Harwich to the Midlands, it is testament to the skill of the drivers that there really were very few incidents and traffic flowed suprisingly well.
Obviously vehicles met regularly on the corners but it was just accepted that a bit of reversing and shunting would be necessary. Mind you, car drivers could reverse then!
I went through there about 6 weeks back after weighing off at some gaff up the A428 I then went to an industrial estate through Kimbolton town, I remember the no transporter signs years ago but had never been through before its a smashing little town & I had a steering rear axle which makes me a cheat & not a real lorry driver
I went through there about 6 weeks back after weighing off at some gaff up the A428 I then went to an industrial estate through Kimbolton town, I remember the no transporter signs years ago but had never been through before its a smashing little town & I had a steering rear axle which makes me a cheat & not a real lorry driver
Its was and still is just as bad for any large vehicle… makes me wonder how Robinsons (local coach firm based in Kimbolton) ever manages. I used to close my eyes when I came round with my Neoplan double deck…
So thats the secret of getting thru Kimbo !!!
& not a real lorry driver