I think the old Turners colour scheme was much nicer than the newer orange one.
Just found this for sale on eBay I wonder if itâs one of Spardos old lorries?
gazsa401:
Just found this for sale on eBay I wonder if itâs one of Spardos old lorries?
You may well be right there gazsa401 as I have lost count of the companies Spardo has worked for so sure to have driven a wide variety of trucks during his career, maybe he can enlighten us on this topic, mind you there were plenty who walked out on a Friday and into a new job Saturday morning, thats how it was back in the day & rolling stones and moss spring to mind, Buzzer.
Looking good on the M25 today Dan Punchard
Buzzer:
gazsa401:
Just found this for sale on eBay I wonder if itâs one of Spardos old lorries?You may well be right there gazsa401 as I have lost count of the companies Spardo has worked for so sure to have driven a wide variety of trucks during his career, maybe he can enlighten us on this topic, mind you there were plenty who walked out on a Friday and into a new job Saturday morning, thats how it was back in the day & rolling stones and moss spring to mind, Buzzer.
Yeah, no moss on this rolling stone, Buzzer, apart from round the chin and on top. 
But I have never seen that motor and there were certainly no ERFs at Toray and I was there from the day they took over Courtauldâs (late 80s early 90s) until I left in September 1999. Not sure what year that motor was, but the style of logo is definitely genuine so a real mystery.
There was a real mix of lorries at Courtauldâs when I arrived in '84, Commers, Bedfords, Leylands and even a Sed-Ak, but definitely no ERFs. Then I purchased Fodens, Mercs and Volvos. But, youâve guessed it, no ERFs.
Might be interesting to find out more history from the seller? 
Edit: I canât find it Gazsa, do you have a link?
lurpak:
Looking good on the M25 today Dan Punchard
You too Ade where did you get that horn ? 
This is exactly what I was longing for when working in the local cooperative with a Volvo FL 10 6x4 (+ trailer when necessary). Of course, it never came, and I had to sheet the palettes of paper sacks or big-bags; and kept praying it wouldnât rain.
Spardo:
Buzzer:
gazsa401:
Just found this for sale on eBay I wonder if itâs one of Spardos old lorries?You may well be right there gazsa401 as I have lost count of the companies Spardo has worked for so sure to have driven a wide variety of trucks during his career, maybe he can enlighten us on this topic, mind you there were plenty who walked out on a Friday and into a new job Saturday morning, thats how it was back in the day & rolling stones and moss spring to mind, Buzzer.
Yeah, no moss on this rolling stone, Buzzer, apart from round the chin and on top.
There was a real mix of lorries at Courtauldâs when I arrived in '84, Commers, Bedfords, Leylands and even a Sed-Ak, but definitely no ERFs. Then I purchased Fodens, Mercs and Volvos. But, youâve guessed it, no ERFs.
Might be interesting to find out more history from the seller?
Edit: I canât find it Gazsa, do you have a link?
Hey up Spardo itâs for sale on eBay
Iâm always looking for another project to do
Itâs listed on ERF commercial vehicles
I hope this helps
Cheers Gary
Well, I had a look on ebay uk commercial vehicles, also did a search for ERF and Toray ERF but nothing came up. It would be interesting to know its history.
The way I know that that is a genuine Toray logo is because, shortly before the takeover from Courtaulds, Courtaulds came up with a new worldwide logo for the group. I had to go down to London (to the Courtauldâs Institute, where else?) to be let into all the various rules that we had to follow and were sent back to our various companies to work out how to implement them.
Being really keen 
, I jumped in straight away and in fact was the first fleet to do it. A massive undertaking as all our vehicles were curtainsiders, including all the wagon and drag demounts, but we got it completed in record time.
Hardly had time to preen myself when the news broke of the takeover and, of course, all the brand new livery was out of date. 
. I know the sale was known about before but it was a closely kept secret so they could hardly tell me to hang back. It wasnât a world wide group takeover, just our small company, the original Samuel Courtauld company from Essex, started when Sam was driven out of France by anti-Protestant personal attacks.
So I had to do the whole thing over again but was given no rules to follow, only to use the word Toray with a couple of single quotation marks. With nothing more to go on I set about it, new paint and signwriting on the wagons, yet more curtains for the bodies. Once again, all done swiftly and we were ready to go.
You wouldnât believe it, a bigwig arrived from Japan and said it was all wrong. The word Toray, the quotation marks and the colour were all set out in a book (in bloody Japanese of course ) with precise relative style and dimensions and only a specific Toray blue.
So we did it all again, 3 changes in 6 months, so yes, I do recognise that bloody sign on the ERF door.
Punchy Dan:
lurpak:
Looking good on the M25 today Dan PunchardYou too Ade where did you get that horn ?
As issued Dan ,the only good thing about her lol.
Spardo:
Well, I had a look on ebay uk commercial vehicles, also did a search for ERF and Toray ERF but nothing came up. It would be interesting to know its history.The way I know that that is a genuine Toray logo is because, shortly before the takeover from Courtaulds, Courtaulds came up with a new worldwide logo for the group. I had to go down to London (to the Courtauldâs Institute, where else?) to be let into all the various rules that we had to follow and were sent back to our various companies to work out how to implement them.
Being really keen
Hardly had time to preen myself when the news broke of the takeover and, of course, all the brand new livery was out of date.
So I had to do the whole thing over again but was given no rules to follow, only to use the word Toray with a couple of single quotation marks. With nothing more to go on I set about it, new paint and signwriting on the wagons, yet more curtains for the bodies. Once again, all done swiftly and we were ready to go.
You wouldnât believe it, a bigwig arrived from Japan and said it was all wrong. The word Toray, the quotation marks and the colour were all set out in a book (in bloody Japanese of course
So we did it all again, 3 changes in 6 months, so yes, I do recognise that bloody sign on the ERF door.
Hi Spardo, 1974 reg and only a grand, small change for you and old times sake
ebay.co.uk/itm/erf-lv-flatb ⌠Sw1VFgP0CP
Oily
Thanks to Ray Smyth, Lawrence Dunbar, Buzzer, DEANB, gazsa401 and Punchy Dan for the pics. 
Oily
Wilts. motors credit to eastleighbusman for the photos.
oiltreader:
Chainsaw skills in France, all credit to Dave Fawcett for the pics.
Oily
Some skills indeed Oily!
oiltreader:
Spardo:
Well, I had a look on ebay uk commercial vehicles, also did a search for ERF and Toray ERF but nothing came up. It would be interesting to know its history.The way I know that that is a genuine Toray logo is because, shortly before the takeover from Courtaulds, Courtaulds came up with a new worldwide logo for the group. I had to go down to London (to the Courtauldâs Institute, where else?) to be let into all the various rules that we had to follow and were sent back to our various companies to work out how to implement them.
Being really keen
Hardly had time to preen myself when the news broke of the takeover and, of course, all the brand new livery was out of date.
So I had to do the whole thing over again but was given no rules to follow, only to use the word Toray with a couple of single quotation marks. With nothing more to go on I set about it, new paint and signwriting on the wagons, yet more curtains for the bodies. Once again, all done swiftly and we were ready to go.
You wouldnât believe it, a bigwig arrived from Japan and said it was all wrong. The word Toray, the quotation marks and the colour were all set out in a book (in bloody Japanese of course
So we did it all again, 3 changes in 6 months, so yes, I do recognise that bloody sign on the ERF door.
Hi Spardo, 1974 reg and only a grand, small change for you and old times sake
ebay.co.uk/itm/erf-lv-flatb ⌠Sw1VFgP0CP
Oily
Thanks Oily, I have sent a message to the seller but, as I havenât used ebay for many years, had to go through a rigmarole before it would go through. As I made it clear that I wasnât looking to buy and wasnât allowed to give my email address, it is most likely that we will hear no more of it. To my knowledge Toray only had factories in Nottingham, Mansfield and Hyde, not a million miles away from this bloke in Wrexham. Weâll see what happens, if the worst comes to the worst I may be bothered by ebay but I have a spam box ready and waiting for that. 
Spardo:
Well, I had a look on ebay uk commercial vehicles, also did a search for ERF and Toray ERF but nothing came up. It would be interesting to know its history.The way I know that that is a genuine Toray logo is because, shortly before the takeover from Courtaulds, Courtaulds came up with a new worldwide logo for the group. I had to go down to London (to the Courtauldâs Institute, where else?) to be let into all the various rules that we had to follow and were sent back to our various companies to work out how to implement them.
Being really keen
Hardly had time to preen myself when the news broke of the takeover and, of course, all the brand new livery was out of date.
So I had to do the whole thing over again but was given no rules to follow, only to use the word Toray with a couple of single quotation marks. With nothing more to go on I set about it, new paint and signwriting on the wagons, yet more curtains for the bodies. Once again, all done swiftly and we were ready to go.
You wouldnât believe it, a bigwig arrived from Japan and said it was all wrong. The word Toray, the quotation marks and the colour were all set out in a book (in bloody Japanese of course
So we did it all again, 3 changes in 6 months, so yes, I do recognise that bloody sign on the ERF door.
A great tale, David! Interesting also to read the origins of Courtaulds, of which I had no idea. They used to have a large presence in my home town of Preston, including the Red Scar factory (long since gone), right at the side of the M6 between junctions 31 at Samlesbury and 32 at Broughton.
The Toray name has rung a distant bell: was it known as âToray Textilesâ? I think this was one of the regular deliveries for Bowkerâs BASF contract - we used to do a Notts/Leicester run every day, up to about a dozen drops off a 4-wheeler, often going back to the same places on successive days with a single drum. It was mostly colours and dyes for the textiles industry, although there were other products and industries mixed in.
Hereâs an example of the BASF contract fleet run by Bowker in the 1980s and 1990s - a most uninspiring livery, including what the late Bill Bowker used to refer to as âScharnhorst Greyâ.
DEANB:
Buzzer:
Nice old Atkinson, BuzzerThey were a nice colour scheme Buzzer,bought this one in a collection.
I believe this one was new to J B Rawcliffe, the heavy haulier, and had a heavy duty spec. It looks as though it has a Kirkstall hub reduction axle, rather than the dreaded Seddon equivalent. It still exists, and Iâm told that there are plans to restore it.
240 Gardner:
The Toray name has rung a distant bell: was it known as âToray Textilesâ? I think this was one of the regular deliveries for Bowkerâs BASF contract - we used to do a Notts/Leicester run every day, up to about a dozen drops off a 4-wheeler, often going back to the same places on successive days with a single drum. It was mostly colours and dyes for the textiles industry, although there were other products and industries mixed in.
Yes Toray Textiles Europe Ltd. TTEL The griege (pronounced grey) fabric was made in very large rolls at the mill in Hyde and was brought down in 2 or 3 loads a day to Bulwell (Nottingham). That was the dyehouse, the former Spray and Burgass which was absorbed into Courtaulds which, in turn became Toray Textiles. Then a very large factory was built at Mansfield and Bulwell is now closed with houses on the site. I have been out of the loop for many years now but I believe it is possible that the Hyde mill is closed now and everything done at Mansfield.
When I arrived in '84 they had 2 artics, a Roadtrain and a Sed Ack running twice over Woodhead and back with griege south and the heavy duty steel stillages back. For a while we ran a night trunk but car parking on the narrow residential street at Bulwell made it impossible and I had an arrangement (paid) with Trowell services for him to swap his trailers there which also gave him the right of using the over bridge for the return. Later I brought about the merging of the raw intake trunks and the delivery fleet by converting the whole lot to drawbars with demount bodies. Thus all vehicles did both jobs. Much more efficient.
Also, with the Toray takeover, we were freed from the obligation to use Courtaulds at Spondon, Derby, (British Celanese) for all the vehicle servicing and I began to use K&M Hauliers at Hucknall, another former employer of mine. Much closer and, because we were treated as proper customers they collected and delivered the vehicles, much better than searching for a company car to transport drivers to and from Spondon.
That aside, for many of us, the change to Toray was not a happy one. The Japanese brought their own particular brand of fixed ideas with them, but hypocritically did not always abide by the rules they foisted on us. But I did have to âpersuadeâ one warehouseman, who decided to take his lunch break in the sun displaying a white T shirt with barbed wire (as in a prison camp) printed on it dripping with blood, as perhaps a step too far. 
