Froggy55:
1
Who will tell more (engine) about this heavy duty Bedford TK 6-wheeler?
Can’t tell you what’s in that particular lorry but you might find this interesting, from the original TK brochure. 330 Bedford was standard in that model, 370 (top row second left) was a popular option for heavier work (Bedford never mentioned it but it’s a Leyland) and I’d have thought that’s the most likely fitment in that vehicle.
Bernard
0
Thanks Bernard. I reckon 6-wheelers had a gross Weight of 24 tons in England; wouldn’t 135 bhp have been underpowered in 1964, year of registration of this TK?
I dont think 24 ton was top weight for 3 axles back that far, 4 axle rigids where 24 ton when i drove them
in 68-72. . I think 6 wheelers where 20/21 ton.
I am happy to be corrected on this,
IIRC,
Two axle…14 ton
Three axle…20 ton
Four axle…24 ton
jshepguis:
Ray the Leyland is in the colours of a firm from Tarleton between Southport and Preston, so a Wigan reg could be possible that is the original company? Here is another photo.
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Hi, Thank you for another great picture of a very smart Leyland lorry, Regards, Ray.
Froggy55:
1
Who will tell more (engine) about this heavy duty Bedford TK 6-wheeler?
Can’t tell you what’s in that particular lorry but you might find this interesting, from the original TK brochure. 330 Bedford was standard in that model, 370 (top row second left) was a popular option for heavier work (Bedford never mentioned it but it’s a Leyland) and I’d have thought that’s the most likely fitment in that vehicle.
Bernard
0
Thanks Bernard. I reckon 6-wheelers had a gross Weight of 24 tons in England; wouldn’t 135 bhp have been underpowered in 1964, year of registration of this TK?
Although the legal maximum weight for a six-wheeler at that time was 20 tons rising to 22 in 1964 and many users would have run at that weight, I would think that particular TK on 8 stud wheels would have been plated by Bedford at no more than 15.5-17 tons. 135hp at that weight would be quite a luxury, lots of 6 wheel conversions managed on less than that. If it is the optional Leyland engine in that one, it’s only about 110 hp, the same engine that Albion fitted in the Reiver for years. Bedford’s largest own built engine then was the 330, until the 466 came out with the KM in 1966. The makers plated weight of Reiver ranged from 15.5 on the basic model to 20 tons on the Super Reiver with Leyland 400 fitted
Bedford also had the 400cu in diesel engine (131bhp @ 2400rpm) which were only fitted to the HD (Heavy Duty) chassis which was new in 1962, otherwise they could have the option of 330 or 370 diesels and the Petrol’s of course. Franky.
British Railways Jensen Tug artic. The Reg. No. HGE 283 suggests it is in the Glasgow area.
The Jensen with GG 2024 fleet number is probably Glasgow, and the SC is Scottish Region.
Ray Smyth.
Hi Oily a great photo taken within the Workington Distington Engineering Company site (DEC) note the correct spelling. They produced many slag ladles like these and was a regular source of traffic for the British Road Services Howgate (Whitehaven) depot code HF. This site is now a Premier Inn the old office block was a mansion called Moresby House and rumour has it that a female member of the family living there during the first world war was of German decent and was accused of signalling with a light from a window looking out over the Solway to a German submarine lying off Parton. The Octopus UAO 61 I think was a Howgate wagon followed unusually by a Robson 8 wheeler who were not regular sub contractors, I think the KV ERF is probably one of Jazzer Johnstone,s from Gilcrux who were regular subcontractors. I worked as a regular subcontractor from 1965 until 1970 and am still in contact with a friend who worked in the traffic office most of his working life and ended up with the task of eventually closing the depot down.
Cheers, Leyland 600
I wouldn’t bet on that Dennis no doubt RW & AH carried smaller moulds and bottom plates on the Traders possibly larger ones on the Reiver plus lots of much larger steel making plant components many of which were very heavy and often had a high centre of gravity or were wide loads. I took a 18 foot diameter half ring structure to Templeborough Rolling Mills at Rotherham with Johnstones taking the other half, unfortunately he took part of the side out of a ■■■■■■■■■■ bus before he got to Cockermouth. These half rings had a thick plate projecting well over the width of the wagon where the two sections were bolted together. I managed to get a police ■■■■■■ as far as Penrith diverted over the Beacon Edge then left to my own devices on the A66.
Copper was not bothered saying just be carefull going through Appleby, when I got to Brough I thought it best to call at the police station and enquire about an ■■■■■■ only to be told by village copper " I have only got a bike, keep going just be carefull" Well I almost got to the top of the long narrow drag out of Brough when I met a Forfar BRS Octopus and got a rollicking from its driver for not having an ■■■■■■. However I managed to reach Rotherham without any more trouble.
Happy Days, Leyland 600.
Aye Gerald most of to-days Drivers will never know what a “Goat track” the old A66 really was ! Sounds like you needed a few changes of underwear before you got to Rotherham !! But as you say our Mate came good in later years and handled everything DEC expected of him i.e. “Nowt too big or too heavy” eh! Cheers Dennis.
oiltreader:
Thanks to albion1938, dave docwra, DEANB and Ray Smyth for the pics .
Oily
1962 at Dissington Engineering.
What a great selection of good old motors. Never got to drive an octopus, but did a few miles in the KV’s and Fodens. Probably couldn’t take a corner nowadays with a loaded eight legger.
oiltreader:
Thanks to albion1938, dave docwra, DEANB and Ray Smyth for the pics .
Oily
1962 at Dissington Engineering.
What a great selection of good old motors. Never got to drive an octopus,
Well I did, it was my first foray in anything bigger than my Albion 4 wheeler, the regular driver was off sick and off I went down the road with a load of asphalt blocks from Matlock. Thought I was King of the Road in that phone box with a pile of pennies ringing round for a REAL backload. Although the bed length of that Albion was the same as the Otto.
oiltreader:
Thanks to albion1938, dave docwra, DEANB and Ray Smyth for the pics .
Oily
1962 at Distington Engineering.
That’s an interesting shot of the ■■■■■■■■■■ Registered BRS Octopus Gerald ? I thought all the Howgate based motors would have had Lancs or Yorks Reg Nos. But obviously BRS was “alive and well” in West ■■■■■■■■■■ at that time. Do you recall if JWG would have been sub-contractors to BRS at that time or would they have started working direct for the Steel Works ? JWG were running Octopus 8 wheelers including the new LAD cabbed ones at about that time. Just interested after seeing that BRS Octopus and the inclusion of the Robson Foden in the line up is also interesting. Cheers Dennis.
Thanks for the link oily, Yes I knew the property was up for sale my late friend’s widow told me in a phone conversation we had when she sent me the photo on page 543 of Grantown High St. George Jardine was formerly a haulier in his own right carrying on his fathers business at Kirkpatrick Durham near Castle Douglas with a milk tanker and an Albion Chieftain flat. I got to know him way back in 1967 when we were both hauling fertilizer out of J. W. Watts store on London Rd in Carlisle and also pre cast concrete from Creetown down to the M6 Motorway under construction through ■■■■■■■■ I found a photo of Peter Grant on a Flickr photostream in his early days during improvements to the A9 around Aviemore etc.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
