This was my dads old F88 that he used to run to italy, when he was on the road.
Firms he drove for were all around the east of London, firms like
Samual Williams, and the John Hudson Taker Div. - RJB Neale - Smith of Eccle’s - W Davy (a div of Welche’s) - Roy Palmer’s and Giltspurs.
And if you look carefully, thats a Little AndyM in the passenger seat waving out the window…
Andy, I drove for RJB Neale from 1969 to 1974 (I think), I ran out of the Basildon Tractor Plant though, only occasionally into Dagenham and Barking, probably the best job I had on reflection but its more likely all HGV work was better then. My old man (Ginger) drove for Spurlings and later BRS Moretons from the tractor plant, used to do the Harwich run.
Phil
I need to get a life as I have been thinking about all the old companies and trucks I use to see when i was a lad! I wondered if there were any other drivers here with memories of the golden days when everyone had ricketts and dreamt of F86 Volvos and Scania Vabis
Who remembers Bulwark of Chippenham. Hogg of Kilsyth, Arrow Bulk Hull and Ancliff Manchester, Macpherson Tankers
Key Transport, Grimsby Express and Link Transport running round Hull Docks
Humber Carting Agency and Wake
There will be a flood of names to this I expect. Im only 45 so there will be names I dont remember
Bulwark used to be a great job, they then became Copenhagen transport (Carlesberg) and an even better job based in Northampton, I used to work for Swifts then and a lot of my mates waited years to get on with Copenhagen, which in the late 90’s was changed to United transport and half the pay.
I used to drool over F 86’s but my first love was an F 88 and as it happens that what I took my first HGV lesson in
Now you are bringing back old memories.
My Mate drove an ERF with a 180 Gardener … ha ha, I can remember having to use an AEC Mandator with a 6 speed crash box, a steering wheel 3ft across and no power steering, all our trailers at that time were flats, we got our first two tautliners 1976, they were both 16ft, 3 inches high and the first one was run under a 14ft 6 inch bridge within a week
I loved 88’s, still do, I’d drive one now if I could! Sadly, I only ever had an 86 regular of my own, and they were too small for me. Is that Speirs of Mendlesham still kicking about? They had a load of AEC’s Anotherone I remember was Smiths of Maddiston, and that outfit from Aberdeen I think, Charles Alexanders.
“Who remembers Bulwark of Chippenham. Hogg of Kilsyth, Arrow Bulk Hull and Ancliff Manchester, Macpherson Tankers”
I certainly remember 4 of them, McPhersons I aint so sure about. What about Renwicks, with the beaver on the side?
This was my dads old F88 that he used to run to italy, when he was on the road.
Firms he drove for were all around the east of London, firms like
Samual Williams, and the John Hudson Taker Div. - RJB Neale - Smith of Eccle’s - W Davy (a div of Welche’s) - Roy Palmer’s and Giltspurs.
And if you look carefully, thats a Little AndyM in the passenger seat waving out the window…
That brings back a few memorys too AndyM. I remember Sammy Williams at Dagenham, Good pic of F88. I was looking on chris hodge site and found some Transcon pics too.
About 6 years ago I used to work for a firm based in Slough on International work. They used to run F88’s to the Middle East back in the 70’s. The boss was an ex-driver on these runs and had all the photos up in his office …(well portacabin !). He was one of the best blokes I’ve ever worked for…most days
I’d take my hat off to those drivers, must have been quite a journey !
The oldest thing I had driven was a 7.5ton Bedford TK when I was 18 before taking my HGV licence at 21!
Andy, a very old friend of mine found a photo taken of that 88 i had my first lesson in and it was taken that very day with the ‘L Plates’ on, I have tried to upload it to this site but as usual I can’t get the thing to work
(… and as if by magic!!!.. Here’s Pats old F88 with Learner plates!!! - AndyM)
I’ve been taking some pictures recently here in Brasil of older trucks.
There are still a lot of old long-nose orange Scania 110 and 111’s on the road, most of them have done over 3 million kilometres, which overloaded on Brazilian roads is really something.
I snapped a super old Scania 141 last week, a split-screen Mercedes and some really ancient Fiats, like the 8-axle jobs that used to trundle around Italy with two steering axles.
But these days the local lads have FH12’s and long-nose Volvo and Scanias, very flash.
I haven’t worked out how to upload them, just noticed the link before this post.
I deeply appreciate all the trouble you went to to explain a simple thing like putting pictures onto Trucknet, but hey! I found it easier to drive a Mack Thermodyne with 24 gears and 2 sticks changed with 2 hands while steering with the crook of the elbow over rutted outback tracks while trying to keep 3 trailers full of cows on an even keel!!!
No offence mate, I think I’ll stick to the simple things of life but my admiration is unbounded
While we are on the subject my first ‘sleeper’ was a TK Bedford ( yes I know it was a parcel shelf but I was only parcel sized in those days) and then an F86 with a board fitted on the hump at the back of the seats (see comment in brackets above) but the trouble with that was the cab sloped inwards towards the roof making the curtains a bit intrusive
Then the F88. A masterful truck with 16 speed and I think a 290 engine. But the best of all was my F89, similar but left hooked (all of them were) and more powerful. My favourite of all time. I eloped with the future wife in one to Italy and the bunk was plenty big enough Got a picture of her and her but Im afraid the technology of Metalhead and Andy defeats me. Just had a thought. If I e-mail it to Andy can you bounce it back to the site. Will try. If you think that’s too cheeky Andy, just ignore me
Not a problem David… This is the F89 david refered to in the above paragraph
Firms too many to mention but does anyone remember Sammy Anderson? Red Scanias from Glasgow I think. A TV crew doing an expose of ‘cowboy’ operators followed him from base to Birmingham, round the area doing drops and pickups and then heading north again. They, (the TV crew) with several drivers couldn’t keep up, and what started as a knocking job ended up with obvious unbounded admiration for the driver’s stamina.
it wasnt just in regards to this topic that i posted that i had done one previous and one for avatars that got lost down the forums in time and have seen many peeople asking how to etc so just posted that there where it may be of use to all users
and lol as you some things are easier than others
And im glad that someone else has mentioned bedford tk’s as that was the first “truck” i ever went n and yes the “Sleeper” area of it was a great asset when 6 yrs old lol
I deeply appreciate all the trouble you went to to explain a simple thing like putting pictures onto Trucknet, but hey! I found it easier to drive a Mack Thermodyne with 24 gears and 2 sticks changed with 2 hands while steering with the crook of the elbow over rutted outback tracks while trying to keep 3 trailers full of cows on an even keel!!!
“Right everyone, there’s a roundabout coming up. Everyone get over to the right hand side of the trailer and wait for my command… wait for it… wait…wait… right, NOW, everyone over to the other side”
)