“page 666 the sign of the Devil so a truck to suit, Buzzer.”
DJO was an Oxford City reg there were no end of Oxford reg plate Volvo trucks of that era no matter where they were based, never quite understood why, there wasn’t a Volvo truck dealer in Oxfordshire the main one for the area at the time was Dawson Freight of Leighton Buzzard.
Oily
oiltreader:
“page 666 the sign of the Devil so a truck to suit, Buzzer.”
DJO was an Oxford City reg there were no end of Oxford reg plate Volvo trucks of that era no matter where they were based, never quite understood why, there wasn’t a Volvo truck dealer in Oxfordshire the main one for the area at the time was Dawson Freight of Leighton Buzzard.
Oily
Dawson’s had a dealership in Souldern oxon and I suspect that’s where they registered them.
From memory there was JO WL & UD
robthedog:
oiltreader:
“page 666 the sign of the Devil so a truck to suit, Buzzer.”
DJO was an Oxford City reg there were no end of Oxford reg plate Volvo trucks of that era no matter where they were based, never quite understood why, there wasn’t a Volvo truck dealer in Oxfordshire the main one for the area at the time was Dawson Freight of Leighton Buzzard.
OilyDawson’s had a dealership in Souldern oxon and I suspect that’s where they registered them.
From memory there was JO WL & UD
Hi robthedog, Souldern a quaint Oxfordshie village of a few souls and a Volvo dealership brings nimbyism to mind. I had a best buddy in Oxford Alan Long(RIP), a dyed in the wool Volvo man, him and his brother had a workshop and yard at Yarnton, never heard a mention of Souldern. My doubt isn’t a 100% so digging deeper.
Cheers
Oily
Now then for REAL lorry drivers a sight and sound to behold, two stick gear changing, the truck mentioned is a FNM D11000. An Brasilian Licence Build of Alfa-Romeo.
youtube.com/watch?v=bEaee1eJU4c
Oily
Another video on the 2 stick FNM, for tare or load weighing, probably a different pilot 
youtube.com/watch?v=FU8DK4rbD7o
Oily
oiltreader:
robthedog:
oiltreader:
“page 666 the sign of the Devil so a truck to suit, Buzzer.”
DJO was an Oxford City reg there were no end of Oxford reg plate Volvo trucks of that era no matter where they were based, never quite understood why, there wasn’t a Volvo truck dealer in Oxfordshire the main one for the area at the time was Dawson Freight of Leighton Buzzard.
OilyDawson’s had a dealership in Souldern oxon and I suspect that’s where they registered them.
From memory there was JO WL & UDHi robthedog, Souldern a quaint Oxfordshie village of a few souls and a Volvo dealership brings nimbyism to mind. I had a best buddy in Oxford Alan Long(RIP), a dyed in the wool Volvo man, him and his brother had a workshop and yard at Yarnton, never heard a mention of Souldern. My doubt isn’t a 100% so digging deeper.
Cheers
Oily
I can confirm it was defiantly there oily as I used to work for them, on the B4100 Volvo dealership and also a Dawson rentals yard
robthedog:
oiltreader:
robthedog:
oiltreader:
“page 666 the sign of the Devil so a truck to suit, Buzzer.”
DJO was an Oxford City reg there were no end of Oxford reg plate Volvo trucks of that era no matter where they were based, never quite understood why, there wasn’t a Volvo truck dealer in Oxfordshire the main one for the area at the time was Dawson Freight of Leighton Buzzard.
OilyDawson’s had a dealership in Souldern oxon and I suspect that’s where they registered them.
From memory there was JO WL & UDHi robthedog, Souldern a quaint Oxfordshie village of a few souls and a Volvo dealership brings nimbyism to mind. I had a best buddy in Oxford Alan Long(RIP), a dyed in the wool Volvo man, him and his brother had a workshop and yard at Yarnton, never heard a mention of Souldern. My doubt isn’t a 100% so digging deeper.
Cheers
OilyI can confirm it was defiantly there oily as I used to work for them, on the B3400 Volvo dealership and also a Dawson rentals yard
All doubt has evaporated robthedog 
and ta for he response.
Cheers
Oily
oiltreader:
Now then for REAL lorry drivers a sight and sound to behold, two stick gear changing, the truck mentioned is a FNM D11000. An Brasilian Licence Build of Alfa-Romeo.
youtube.com/watch?v=bEaee1eJU4c
Oily
Another video on the 2 stick FNM, for tare or load weighing, probably a different pilot
youtube.com/watch?v=FU8DK4rbD7o
Oily
Proper motor - proper driver.
Bernard
oiltreader:
rigsby:
oiltreader:
rigsby:
The white Volvo in the last picture will be Mackenzie from Scourie , I’ve seen that motor often up in Kinlochbervie when we’ve been up there , with either a low loader or a bulker . He has a little quarry by the road north out of Scourie . His mum lived overlooking the harbour at Lochinver , nattering to her in the pub a few years ago , her and her friend were a comedy double act . I think it will be his brother has the caravan site at scourie , miserable sod .Hi rigsby, they also run fish tankers collected at the quayside pumped straight from the boat and carted to processing plants.
OilyI miss going up there Oily , we went to the same spot for many years , but with health issues and selling the wobble box we only go for a couple of weeks now in a rented cottage . Of course with the lockdown we missed this year . We made good friends there and I miss the comings and goings round the area .
The natives have been quite agitated this year rigsby, fears of Covid infection from the south after campsites were open for business again, also a lot of “wild camping” with campers leaving their waste to the elements.
The NC500 attracts a lot of visitors, some responsible and respectful of the area and its inhabitants, alas a minority don’t give a [zb] well they do and don’t bother to bury it. The Highland Council in their wisdom closed(forever) a lot of Public Conveniences so it does not add up, more visitors less facilities.
Oily
Hi Oily and Rigsby,
Achmelvich beach june 2017
Cheers Malc.
Buzzer:
Been waiting for this occasion and now cannot resist as Oily’s thread is now on page 666 the sign of the Devil so a truck to suit, Buzzer.
Was a time when some licensing authorities withheld 666 numbers in case they caused offence in the same way they didn’t issue letters that spelt rude words.
Bernard
Ray Smyth:
gingerfold:
windrush:
robthedog:
Now I’m not a fan of FG’s horrible to drive and worse to work on but this does look goodI loved them, both driving and working on them (have worked on far worse, and FG’s were as simple as a truck could be really) and would love to have had one to take to rallies etc. I’m on the FG Facebook group and a surprising number are still around in the UK and many more in Oz and NZ.
Pete.
I can honestly say that the only time I was genuinely frightened driving a truck was in the FG we had at Mothers Pride bakery (later Hovis) at New Springs Wigan. This one had been converted to a straight bar recovery truck. It was okay for towing similar sized bread vans but not for towing a fully loaded Ford D Series 14-tonner that I had rescued from the M61 in the early hours of one morning when I was night shift manager. The road from the A6 down to Wigan, Dicconson Lane, is all down hill and quite steep in places and I had realised that the braking capability of the FG would be marginal at best; I soon found out it was nowhere near marginal even though I had selected second gear at the start of the descent. The Ford had no braking capability after a couple of hundred yards, the engine was dead and the air was soon used up, so no help there. I had a run away and the engine in the FG was screaming its nuts off in second gear, so much so that I somehow managed to get it into third gear to prevent it blowing up. I hadn’t a hope of making the sharp left turn into Cale Lane where the bakery was, so I had to go on, down through Aspull and into Wigan, hoping that the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill were on green. As it was about 2.00 am there wasn’t any traffic about. The lights were on red and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it except go through. Then round the one way system and back up the hill to the bakery, which I reached accompanied by a stench of burning brake linings and clutch. The night driver in the Ford, Brian Cowburn, was never the healthiest looking of men, but that night he looked decidedly ill. I was told that I didn’t look much better than him. A truly terrifying experience.
Graham, I have just read your quote, and knowing your towing route rather well, I reckon you would have had " Brown Underpants " by the time you got both vehicles
back to Mothers Pride at Cale Lane. Having reached Wigan town centre and gone around the one way system, it must have been a 2nd gear job to climb back uphill
via Scholes and Whelley and some relief once you managed to turn right into Cale Lane. Hats off to you Graham, Cheers, Ray.
Ray, I can’t remember what gear the FG needed to climb the hill, but we went up the hill a lot slower than we’d come down it. 
I know that folk knock the old FG models but I can’t think of a better vehicle available at that time for ‘stop/start’ deliveries in High Streets etc? You could open the doors without fear of clouting anyone or anything, they were easy to access with a large cab step so no climbing involved, plus that lovely constant mesh gearbox with a light change. They were not overdone with brakes, (they were not built for stopping around 17 tonnes though Graham) 
, also the smaller models had no servo either, and the steering could have been lighter (like many other vehicles at that time) but they were easy to work on for maintenance staff and many body panels that could get damaged (wings etc) were bolted on so easily changed. Engine and clutch changes were easy. The split case rear axles on the smaller ones were reliable enough unless oil leaked from the halfshafts, the axle had to be removed and split then as the seals were inboard but in eight years I only ever changed one set. I think they were the right vehicle for the job at that time, obviously most of the bakeries thought so as well, and a surprising number are still around.
Pete.
windrush:
I know that folk knock the old FG models but I can’t think of a better vehicle available at that time for ‘stop/start’ deliveries in High Streets etc? You could open the doors without fear of clouting anyone or anything, they were easy to access with a large cab step so no climbing involved, plus that lovely constant mesh gearbox with a light change. They were not overdone with brakes, (they were not built for stopping around 17 tonnes though Graham)Pete.
,
Hi Oily think the 666 we had was ex Peter Roff who ran really tidy kit doing Germany, moved on to Scania’s later after the Volvo’s. Below a mixture of trucks Buzzer.
windrush:
I know that folk knock the old FG models but I can’t think of a better vehicle available at that time for ‘stop/start’ deliveries in High Streets etc? You could open the doors without fear of clouting anyone or anything, they were easy to access with a large cab step so no climbing involved, plus that lovely constant mesh gearbox with a light change. They were not overdone with brakes, (they were not built for stopping around 17 tonnes though Graham)Pete.
The Commer walk-thru was of the same period I believe. I thought they were practical as factory built vans with large sliding doors, a configuration that BL did not offer with the FG. I guess for that you would need an EA.
All this talk of the FG is certainly stirring some memories. I drove one in the late 70s during my tyre fitting days, good little workhorses. NTS had loads of them.
I had an am cb directly wired to an old 12v battery in the cab 
and even with an external speaker mounted behind my head, I couldn’t hear a frecin thing above the engine noise.
Happy days
Buzzer:
Hi Oily think the 666 we had was ex Peter Roff who ran really tidy kit doing Germany, moved on to Scania’s later after the Volvo’s. Below a mixture of trucks Buzzer.
The 6th picture down is that a 2800 DAF by any chance ?
Sure I have read a piece on Mr Simey before and he was from Scotland so Oily can fill us in on the detail no doubt, as for the second shot not so sure but is from Glasgow, Buzzer,
albion1938:
oiltreader:
Now then for REAL lorry drivers a sight and sound to behold, two stick gear changing, the truck mentioned is a FNM D11000. An Brasilian Licence Build of Alfa-Romeo.
youtube.com/watch?v=bEaee1eJU4c
Oily
Another video on the 2 stick FNM, for tare or load weighing, probably a different pilot
youtube.com/watch?v=FU8DK4rbD7o
OilyProper motor - proper driver.
Bernard
Indeed, it brings back memories although in my Mack the gear levers were side by side so instead of that cute trick with the elbow there were some double changes that could be done with one spread hand.
But I love the little upward flourish of his hand each time he moves a lever forward.
Buzzer:
Sure I have read a piece on Mr Simey before and he was from Scotland so Oily can fill us in on the detail no doubt, as for the second shot not so sure but is from Glasgow, Buzzer,
The Scammell, Is a 1948 Reg But Its from Hastings, Regards Larry.
robthedog:
gingerfold:
windrush:
robthedog:
Now I’m not a fan of FG’s horrible to drive and worse to work on but this does look goodI loved them, both driving and working on them (have worked on far worse, and FG’s were as simple as a truck could be really) and would love to have had one to take to rallies etc. I’m on the FG Facebook group and a surprising number are still around in the UK and many more in Oz and NZ.
Pete.
I can honestly say that the only time I was genuinely frightened driving a truck was in the FG we had at Mothers Pride bakery (later Hovis) at New Springs Wigan. This one had been converted to a straight bar recovery truck. It was okay for towing similar sized bread vans but not for towing a fully loaded Ford D Series 14-tonner that I had rescued from the M61 in the early hours of one morning when I was night shift manager. The road from the A6 down to Wigan, Dicconson Lane, is all down hill and quite steep in places and I had realised that the braking capability of the FG would be marginal at best; I soon found out it was nowhere near marginal even though I had selected second gear at the start of the descent. The Ford had no braking capability after a couple of hundred yards, the engine was dead and the air was soon used up, so no help there. I had a run away and the engine in the FG was screaming its nuts off in second gear, so much so that I somehow managed to get it into third gear to prevent it blowing up. I hadn’t a hope of making the sharp left turn into Cale Lane where the bakery was, so I had to go on, down through Aspull and into Wigan, hoping that the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill were on green. As it was about 2.00 am there wasn’t any traffic about. The lights were on red and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it except go through. Then round the one way system and back up the hill to the bakery, which I reached accompanied by a stench of burning brake linings and clutch. The night driver in the Ford, Brian Cowburn, was never the healthiest looking of men, but that night he looked decidedly ill. I was told that I didn’t look much better than him. A truly terrifying experience.
A fitting end
Hi Rob
Just replied to you on subject ACL MAT. When you worked at Mothers Pride Wigan was that the old Harveys Bakery. I worked at WJ Brookes Old Trafford (Mothers Pride) as a vanlad to salesman from 1961 to 1970. One of my journeys was Worsley Walkden Little Hulton Leigh Atherton and sometimes I would reload at Harveys Wigan. We had petrol long nosed Morris’s and stub nosed Austins, Flat fronted diesel Morris’s. Later we had FGs and Ford Custom Cabs, and few Commer Karriers. Regards KEV