Hi Oily, I did not see you or anyone else on Dingwall High Street shown on the Scottish BBC News today, are you hiding under the battened down hatches until the storm subsides ■■ Ex J.W. Tait’s of Kirkwall DAF tractor unit (Vinces old motor) was standing on Kirkwall pier behind MV Varagen waiting for a voyage to Westray its home isle where it has a new owner I think.
Cheers Leyland 600
Here,s a wee story for Oily …Looking back through the thread seeing that poor fella stuck on the corner made me think back on one of my escapades and how easy with a lapse in judgement a bloke can land himself in the mixture !!! it was about 1969 …I was working for Allisons of Dundee we had ‘nt long changed to Freight lines from Transport I was driving a 66 model1418 frog nosed Merc CTS 933C which I thought was the bees knees Anyway I had just tipped in North Yorks and was told to head into the new depot in Darlington which turned out to be Spinks. I think they must have been waiting for me because the yard foreman was over before I got out of the cab I thought it was because I was from the main depot but not the case …just drop your trailer over there I was not happy about that as it was a new 33’ Tasker however did just that and was then instructed to pick up a new 40’ spread axle that was loaded with bricks for Colintraive over on the West coast of Scotland I don,t think any of the Spinksy boys wanted that load we only had 1 forty footer in Dundee and that was a 4 in line wheels right on the arse end so I was really quite happy to hook up and take off was instructed from Dundee to deliver myself and not try and swap it in Causwayside Street Glasgow depot when I stopped to fuel up I headed off and planned to stay in digs in Dunoon which I did but on the way into Dunoon I spotted a sign which said B836 Colintraive 27 miles and thought great I ,ll,get an early start and be over there in and handball off before lunch then up to Corpach for paper or into Gartcosh for a load of steel with this 40 foot spread
Next morning up and breakfast way before daylight back the way I came to the road end …left turn and onward …after a wee while there came a sign 10 ton limit ahead oh no !!! in the dark I came on this wee bridge and thought this must be it and that as i had a long trailer on there would,nt be 10 ton on at one time it was a tight bend too but that was ok …whew made it thank you know who !!!..well her e it comes another couple of miles later there was a wee sign advising single track 1 in 4 with passing places well we drivers put a lot of faith in the ability of the lorries we drive and I thought mine was exceptional …no run up in the dark got up about another mile and she just would,nt go any further and there was a big risk of burning the clutch out I managed to get back a wee bit and clear a passing space …walked back for ages looking for the elusive phone box but it was still to early for anyone to be about eventually got through to Dundee got a broadside and a half they organised the customer and they in turn sent out a big squad and a couple of tippers my load was trans shipped to about 4 tippers in total … they decided to take the lot and signed for the load everybody had a good laugh ( highland hospitality ) nobody seemed bothered about it one way or the other except me very embarrassing …it was the joke of the month for a bit but then something else took its place as things do
I did go on to load steel at Gartcosh and later the next week I lost my 40 ft spread and kinda got back to normal for ages after the transport manager always added bide awa fae steep hills… just another memory from the hardy days
Leyland600:
Hi Oily, I did not see you or anyone else on Dingwall High Street shown on the Scottish BBC News today, are you hiding under the battened down hatches until the storm subsides ■■ Ex J.W. Tait’s of Kirkwall DAF tractor unit (Vinces old motor) was standing on Kirkwall pier behind MV Varagen waiting for a voyage to Westray its home isle where it has a new owner I think.
Cheers Leyland 600
Hi Leyland600. I was in Dingwall(weekly shop) 'tween 8 and 9am yesterday, only place open was Tesco (own generator/s I guess) but no chilled or frozen (all cleared from cabinets). Power cut yesterday was from approx. 3.00am until 2.30pm, another one today from 7.30am until 11.30am. A few years ago and before computerised tills the shops would have been open and the old type cash registers would have been merrily ringing away by the light of a candle or torch.
Very high wind yesterday, lots of stuff down, today wind, sleet and now snow.
Couple of pics from yesterday at Dingwall lorry Park, a few wagons parked up, only managed one snap could hardly stand up the second one from the comfort of the cab and the dashcam.
Oily
backsplice:
Here,s a wee story for Oily …Looking back through the thread seeing that poor fella stuck on the corner made me think back on one of my escapades and how easy with a lapse in judgement a bloke can land himself in the mixture !!! it was about 1969 …I was working for Allisons of Dundee we had ‘nt long changed to Freight lines from Transport I was driving a 66 model1418 frog nosed Merc CTS 933C which I thought was the bees knees Anyway I had just tipped in North Yorks and was told to head into the new depot in Darlington which turned out to be Spinks. I think they must have been waiting for me because the yard foreman was over before I got out of the cab I thought it was because I was from the main depot but not the case …just drop your trailer over there I was not happy about that as it was a new 33’ Tasker however did just that and was then instructed to pick up a new 40’ spread axle that was loaded with bricks for Colintraive over on the West coast of Scotland I don,t think any of the Spinksy boys wanted that load we only had 1 forty footer in Dundee and that was a 4 in line wheels right on the arse end so I was really quite happy to hook up and take off was instructed from Dundee to deliver myself and not try and swap it in Causwayside Street Glasgow depot when I stopped to fuel up I headed off and planned to stay in digs in Dunoon which I did but on the way into Dunoon I spotted a sign which said B836 Colintraive 27 miles and thought great I ,ll,get an early start and be over there in and handball off before lunch then up to Corpach for paper or into Gartcosh for a load of steel with this 40 foot spread
Next morning up and breakfast way before daylight back the way I came to the road end …left turn and onward …after a wee while there came a sign 10 ton limit ahead oh no !!! in the dark I came on this wee bridge and thought this must be it and that as i had a long trailer on there would,nt be 10 ton on at one time it was a tight bend too but that was ok …whew made it thank you know who !!!..well her e it comes another couple of miles later there was a wee sign advising single track 1 in 4 with passing places well we drivers put a lot of faith in the ability of the lorries we drive and I thought mine was exceptional …no run up in the dark got up about another mile and she just would,nt go any further and there was a big risk of burning the clutch out I managed to get back a wee bit and clear a passing space …walked back for ages looking for the elusive phone box but it was still to early for anyone to be about eventually got through to Dundee got a broadside and a half they organised the customer and they in turn sent out a big squad and a couple of tippers my load was trans shipped to about 4 tippers in total … they decided to take the lot and signed for the load everybody had a good laugh ( highland hospitality ) nobody seemed bothered about it one way or the other except me very embarrassing …it was the joke of the month for a bit but then something else took its place as things do
I did go on to load steel at Gartcosh and later the next week I lost my 40 ft spread and kinda got back to normal for ages after the transport manager always added bide awa fae steep hills… just another memory from the hardy days
A grand story there backsplice 
you mention Colintraive, well back in the '60s, I had a trailer mate from there, Don McNaughton, his relatives today have haulage wagons.
You and the bridge took me back to having made a drop in Salford,('60s again) a phone instruction was to pick up a car, can’t remember the place on the outskirts of Warrington, anyway the route given to us by the guy at Salford took us to a weight limit bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal, think it might have been 5 ton, my wagon and drag transporter tare probably around 11 ton. There was a tollhouse and out comes the women, hands up "whoa… you can’t go over there with that thing, how heavy is it 
", “not much more than the limit missus” and “there’s no way I can turn it round here” after a bit of false reassurance and money paid we gingerly proceeded.
Now I obviously had no knowledge of the area and still don’t, so some soul out there might know the bridge and enlighten me with a name for it.
Oily
Edit I’ve been googling and found it, Latchford High Level Road Bridge at Warburton.
That wee episade has crossed my mind a few times since leaving lorries, never thought to dig deeper until backsplice re-triggered the memory
A grand story there backsplice you mention Colintraive, well back in the '60s, I had a trailer mate from there, Don McNaughton, his relatives today have haulage wagons.
You and the bridge took me back to having made a drop in Salford,('60s again) a phone instruction was to pick up a car, can’t remember the place on the outskirts of Warrington, anyway the route given to us by the guy at Salford took us to a weight limit bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal, think it might have been 5 ton, my wagon and drag transporter tare probably around 11 ton. There was a tollhouse and out comes the women, hands up "whoa… you can’t go over there with that thing, how heavy is it ", “not much more than the limit missus” and “there’s no way I can turn it round here” after a bit of false reassurance and money paid we gingerly proceeded.
Now I obviously had no knowledge of the area and still don’t, so some soul out there might know the bridge and enlighten me with a name for it.
Oily
[/quote]
Probably this one,the Warburton bridge between Partington and Cadishead. It’s still a toll bridge,but 3 tonne limit today.
I spent 4 years about 12 years ago doing Scotland all week every week and used to overnight in Dingwall on a regular basis. The first time I was there,I had a pint in the Commercial Inn on the main street. I was the only one in the pub and the elderly lady asked me if I was a lorry driver staying overnight,and had I had tea? She said if I didn’t mind waiting,she would cook me a meal! I popped in regularly after that. Shouldn’t be surprised, I was always made very welcome in the Highlands. Is the Commercial still open?
Regards. John.
old 67:
A grand story there backsplice
You and the bridge took me back to having made a drop in Salford,('60s again) a phone instruction was to pick up a car, can’t remember the place on the outskirts of Warrington, anyway the route given to us by the guy at Salford took us to a weight limit bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal, think it might have been 5 ton, my wagon and drag transporter tare probably around 11 ton. There was a tollhouse and out comes the women, hands up "whoa… you can’t go over there with that thing, how heavy is it
Now I obviously had no knowledge of the area and still don’t, so some soul out there might know the bridge and enlighten me with a name for it.
Oily
Probably this one,the Warburton bridge between Partington and Cadishead. It’s still a toll bridge,but 3 tonne limit today.
0
I spent 4 years about 12 years ago doing Scotland all week every week and used to overnight in Dingwall on a regular basis. The first time I was there,I had a pint in the Commercial Inn on the main street. I was the only one in the pub and the elderly lady asked me if I was a lorry driver staying overnight,and had I had tea? She said if I didn’t mind waiting,she would cook me a meal! I popped in regularly after that. Shouldn’t be surprised, I was always made very welcome in the Highlands. Is the Commercial still open?
Regards. John.
[/quote]
Hi old 67,Snap we’ve got the bridge, posting at the same time. Yes the Commercial is still going, one of only two now left in the High St.
Cheers
Oily
Hi Oily here is a model of a QX fire engine with Miles bodywork and the petrol engine I made this one earlier this year it is based on one which was at Kilmarnock then was moved down to Annan with South West Fire Brigade.
I can’t remember if our local Gloucestershire QXs came with Carmichael or Merryweather bodywork but maybe someone will know?
That’s FAR too modern! It’s virtually brand new! I think they had probably turned to diesel power by then, butty.
Leicestershire fire service had a commer like the one in the model at coalville fire station (ashby road) in the late 1950s when I was a kid…not sure if it had a petrol engine or not.
Oh dear.!!
mappo:
Oh dear.!!
The road down into Disley Mill was summat like that !! Cheers Bewick.
Retired Old ■■■■:
That’s FAR too modern! It’s virtually brand new! I think they had probably turned to diesel power by then, butty.
Aye that one has the starting handle as well so would likely be petrol. A lot of the brigades held on to petrol which would give them a quicker turn of speed on a callout. Eddie.
it wasn’t quite that bad dennis , if you took a wide swing you missed the wall by at least three inches . dave
Thanks to erfguy, lurpak and mappo for the pics and as ever, a cracking model Eddie.
Another one with a crank and in good nick.
Oily
