MANTRONIC:
“DEANB”Anyone recognise the Volvo,fairly distinctive colour scheme ■■ Hey Dean ,this is Griffiths plant from Llanfoist Abergavenny ,and thanx for the MDW , MAN ,are they a favourite of Pauls ? MT .
Thanks for the name MT. 
I dont think MDW is a particular favourite if i am honest, however he definately likes
Owens and Mansell Davies motors must have a few hundred of those ! 
vwvanman0:
The freightline of Bristol Scania’s trailer is just like a curries of Dumfries, was there a link between the two or have they maybe just bought an old curries trailer?Great photos as ever Dean,
Steve
Dont know if there was a link with Curries to be honest Steve.You are right they are very similar so maybe they did buy a second hand trailer.
Lawrence Dunbar:
The 8 wheel Foden Wrecker is a S 18 Made up till the late 50s IIRC, Regards Larry.
Thanks Larry ,i find those Fodens a nightmare to try and tell apart so many different models its unbelievable.
robthedog:
Dont think we have had a Burt Boulton motor on before. Anyone know where they were from ■■Hi Dean Burt Boulton had a depot in Eling Wharf Totton not sure if this was the only depot or there were more.
The Triumphs that we’re TC meant twin carb and were also available as a 2.5
Thanks for the details Rob.
Franglais:
That shape Triumph (mkII) was available as either a 2000 or 2500 six potter. None were single carbs surprisingly! The TC badge referred to trim levels according to wikipedia. Some of the the 2500 had a fuel injection system. The Lucas “spit system” wasn`t a huge success, some problems included getting a vapour lock after especially after refueling. My ole 2.5 TR6 was lucky to get much over 25mpg.
Thanks for the details “Franglais” I can remember the Triumphs of that vintage had nice wooden dashes and were nicley finished off.
tyneside:
Talking about Triumphs… The last one is taken in New Zealand, Intresting description on the stand at the front of the car,Tyneside
Nice pics Tyneside. I had a cousin who had the Dolomite Sprint in white with a black roof. That was a nice quick car in its day. Think it
had overdrive on 3rd and 5th gears from memory.
DEANB:
windrush:
Dean, many large fleets had their own recovery truck in those days, usually converted from one of their own older trucks. Far cheaper than using a third party and usually a lot quicker. At our quarry we just grabbed a spare tipper, dropped ten tonne on its back for traction and loaded up the straight bar and set off for wherever the truck had expired! I towed them back from Braintree, Ipswich, Kendal, Chester, Winchester, North London and many other places inbetween!Pete.
Yeah i am sure you are right Pete,i can remember Beresford having one.
From your comments it would appear that the Gardner engines were not as good as i thought they were. What sort of mileage did they
normally do before giving up ■■
Some only managed a couple of years before either seizing or chucking a rod through the block Dean, but others were run until they either started drinking a lot of oil or knocking. All trucks were on a six year ‘working life’ with Tilcon as they were disposed off then like all their vehicles, but all were rebuilt at least once in that time. They kept me busy anyway!
Pete.
windrush:
Dean, many large fleets had their own recovery truck in those days, usually converted from one of their own older trucks. Far cheaper than using a third party and usually a lot quicker. At our quarry we just grabbed a spare tipper, dropped ten tonne on its back for traction and loaded up the straight bar and set off for wherever the truck had expired! I towed them back from Braintree, Ipswich, Kendal, Chester, Winchester, North London and many other places inbetween!Pete.
A E Evans ran their own wreckers out of Sheffield and Barking. The MK3 Mandator was ex Lloyd’s Transport and Warehousing,Water Street,Manchester and original reg was ONC 893,pulling a trailer on trunk.Photo shows it at Sheffield,it had the 11.3 engine and a 6-speed box was put in - black smoke was what they nowadays term “an issue”.
The MK5 Mammoth Major wrecker was built in Sheffield from an ex tanker that ran out of BSC Chemicals Orgreave,original reg was 218 BGC,it too had the 5-speed box replaced with a 6-speed and I think it was also re-engined.I remember how fast it was…
The shorter wheelbased MK5 was photographed at Barking, was built there,and normally operated by “Wrecker Ronnie”.It was an experience to be recovered by him from Central London to Barking. 
The Sheffield photos are courtesy of Pod Robinson RIP and Mick Cook.
DEANB:
Allport DAF.9
Walon Iveco.
8
Trevor, Hathaway Scania.
7
Cant make the name out on the Iveco ■■
6
Kenco DAF.
5
SMS Skips MAN.
4
Bowmur Scania.
3
Anyone recognise the Scania ■■?
2
Anyone recognise the Scania from Scotland ■■?
1
PD Logistics Mercedes.
0
The Kenco Daf was operated by Exel wildmere ind. est. Banbury run by a welshman called lyn Samuel
Dai
Hi Windrush, re the Gardners, I know one driver that came in the yard every morning, started his Foden S80, and just left her gently ticking over while he went into the office and had a quick cuppa.
Another came in and immediately revved her up to build up the air pressure, as soon as the buzzer stopped off he went.The first driver never had a spanner on the engine or box, the second had a new block and pistons, and many road springs too, after a couple of years.
I think some ‘mechanical sympathy’ goes a long way with these lorries.
finbarot:
Hi Windrush, re the Gardners, I know one driver that came in the yard every morning, started his Foden S80, and just left her gently ticking over while he went into the office and had a quick cuppa.
Another came in and immediately revved her up to build up the air pressure, as soon as the buzzer stopped off he went.The first driver never had a spanner on the engine or box, the second had a new block and pistons, and many road springs too, after a couple of years.
I think some ‘mechanical sympathy’ goes a long way with these lorries.
It didn’t always work to warm them up , I went in one morning ,started up and left it for a few minutes to warm up and as I put it in gear it dropped a valve . It wouldn’t have been so bad , but my regular lorry was in dock , it dropped a valve the day before .
finbarot:
Hi Windrush, re the Gardners, I know one driver that came in the yard every morning, started his Foden S80, and just left her gently ticking over while he went into the office and had a quick cuppa.
Another came in and immediately revved her up to build up the air pressure, as soon as the buzzer stopped off he went.The first driver never had a spanner on the engine or box, the second had a new block and pistons, and many road springs too, after a couple of years.
I think some ‘mechanical sympathy’ goes a long way with these lorries.
It didn’t seem to make a lot of difference with ours how they were driven really, overheating on either number two or five cylinder was the normal reason for seizure on the 6LXB’s and 6LXC’s and Gardners modified the cooling system on the LXC’s with larger water rails and pump impellers after we took delivery of them to try and cure the problem but it didn’t help much. Infact all the LXC’s ended up being retrofitted with new LXB heads and sprayers supplied by Gardners to try and cure excessive oil consumption from new, Gardners must have spent big money on trying to get them right? 
They were also prone to dropping valves, one LXC I rebuilt had dropped a valve and the piston broke out through the block and crankcase and also split the camshaft chain wheel. When it seized it also twisted the gearbox primary shaft, he made a really good job of it at least!
Pete.
That sounds expensive!!
I was also told that the liners on the LXC were so hard that the rings couldn’t bed in, hence the heavy oil consumption.Ive seen new ones leaking badly from the block/cranckcase joint. Not an easy fix.
finbarot:
That sounds expensive!!
I was also told that the liners on the LXC were so hard that the rings couldn’t bed in, hence the heavy oil consumption.Ive seen new ones leaking badly from the block/cranckcase joint. Not an easy fix.
There was a problem, and I’m not 100% sure (it was almost fourty years ago!) but I think any replacement blocks we fitted were LXB ones. The LXC pistons were different, still only three rings but they had a hole in the skirt to presumably attempt to get more lubricant on the cylinder. Overall the engine wasn’t a great success, and was only developed to get the power up from 180 to 201 bhp to satisfy the new rulings. We did have just one 230 turbo Gardner in a Foden and that wasn’t a bad engine, although it would have had a rebuild at some time in its life with Tilcon and then one of the drivers bought it and started of on a career as an OD.
Pete.
Hi Dean. Sorry I hadn’t replied before, thanks for posting the John Derrick and Otterton Mill article,
read it this morning whilst tipping a load but had a few snags and didn’t get chance to post.
I’ve not read about it before but I’m sure I’ve seen a similar photo of the Scammell, I can’t be certain but it may of been on the Devon Hauliers thread, I’ll take a look when I get chance see if it’s the same one.
Your right, I only live 10 minutes away from Otterton but I don’t know much about the mill or Mr Derrick but I do recognise his name from reading a different piece on the Scammell and I knew a man that drove one of them for him and had spoken of John Derrick.
No doubt you will remember T&T Transport from Exeter, well one of the partners Tony Hansford worked and drove one of the Handymans several years before going into business with Mr Tom Broom.
My father used to do a lot of the maintenance for T&T so I knew Tony and drivers, done a bit of driving for him when one of them had some time off for a hernia opp but when the driver came back to work I didn’t think he’d need me anymore but Tony put me working with Pete and showed me the ropes on the grain and raw material feed work they did for Bocm Paul’s. Tony done me a lot of good getting me involved with them and I owe him big time as when he retired his boys didn’t want to carry on with the business so he got me well in the door with Bocm and I’ve been working for them for nearly 20 years now, Pete stayed on with me till he retired and still comes in now a day or so a week.
So forgive me for going off the track a bit of Otterton mill but I can relate to the photo of the Scammell in other ways. RIP Tony and thanks Dean.
Franglais:
That shape Triumph (mkII) was available as either a 2000 or 2500 six potter. None were single carbs surprisingly! The TC badge referred to trim levels according to wikipedia. Some of the the 2500 had a fuel injection system. The Lucas “spit system” wasn`t a huge success, some problems included getting a vapour lock after especially after refueling. My ole 2.5 TR6 was lucky to get much over 25mpg.
Wiki would be wrong.
TC was originally a Rover designation to differentiate the single carb and twin carb versions of the 2000 P6.
It was used on the Triumph only after the factory 2.5 engine twin carb option was introduced well after Mk1 and Mk2 PI’s.IE 2500 TC which was then added to by the 2500 S.It was the S which denoted the higher trim level over TC and PI’s were always designated as 2.5 PI not 2500.
The factory TC used SU carbs unlike the 2000 which used Strombergs.While US versions of the 2.5 all had twin Strombergs using a different inlet manifold the PI was never approved for the US.
The PI was really a wasted effort when using triple Webers did a similar job and was cheaper and with less aggro to maintain.
To be fair better than the waste of space single throttle body electronic vaccuum sensing Bosch D system used on contemporary BMW 6 cylinder motors and no less fuel efficient.( 3.0 Si returned well under 20 mpg average similar to a 4.2 XJ6).Again triple webers being the way to go with the heap.
Having said that the rare Mk1 2.5 PI was a cracking car.Very difficult to find and sought after by us boy racers in the day, with later Mk2’s, as in my case, being easier to find and cheaper to buy.
Given the choice I’d have preferred an older even better handling and faster 3.8 or 420 Jag S type which were as cheap as chips to buy after the XJ6 was introduced.But a year’s insurance premiums for under 20’s drivers was more than the car cost to buy and more complicated and expensive to maintain.
With hindsight a V8 Rover conversion was the way to go with the big Triumphs both DIY or factory.
Chris Webb:
windrush:
Dean, many large fleets had their own recovery truck in those days, usually converted from one of their own older trucks. Far cheaper than using a third party and usually a lot quicker. At our quarry we just grabbed a spare tipper, dropped ten tonne on its back for traction and loaded up the straight bar and set off for wherever the truck had expired! I towed them back from Braintree, Ipswich, Kendal, Chester, Winchester, North London and many other places inbetween!Pete.
A E Evans ran their own wreckers out of Sheffield and Barking. The MK3 Mandator was ex Lloyd’s Transport and Warehousing,Water Street,Manchester and original reg was ONC 893,pulling a trailer on trunk.Photo shows it at Sheffield,it had the 11.3 engine and a 6-speed box was put in - black smoke was what they nowadays term “an issue”.
The MK5 Mammoth Major wrecker was built in Sheffield from an ex tanker that ran out of BSC Chemicals Orgreave,original reg was 218 BGC,it too had the 5-speed box replaced with a 6-speed and I think it was also re-engined.I remember how fast it was…The shorter wheelbased MK5 was photographed at Barking, was built there,and normally operated by “Wrecker Ronnie”.It was an experience to be recovered by him from Central London to Barking.
The Sheffield photos are courtesy of Pod Robinson RIP and Mick Cook.
Thanks for the comments and great pics Chris.
scania81:
“DEANB”Kenco DAF.
The Kenco Daf was operated by Exel wildmere ind. est. Banbury run by a welshman called lyn Samuel
Dai
Thanks for the comments Dai,good stuff.
windrush:
finbarot:
That sounds expensive!!
I was also told that the liners on the LXC were so hard that the rings couldn’t bed in, hence the heavy oil consumption.Ive seen new ones leaking badly from the block/cranckcase joint. Not an easy fix.There was a problem, and I’m not 100% sure (it was almost fourty years ago!) but I think any replacement blocks we fitted were LXB ones. The LXC pistons were different, still only three rings but they had a hole in the skirt to presumably attempt to get more lubricant on the cylinder. Overall the engine wasn’t a great success, and was only developed to get the power up from 180 to 201 bhp to satisfy the new rulings. We did have just one 230 turbo Gardner in a Foden and that wasn’t a bad engine, although it would have had a rebuild at some time in its life with Tilcon and then one of the drivers bought it and started of on a career as an OD.
Pete.
Thanks for your comments Pete and “finbarot” regarding engines. I have to say Pete i look at Gardner engines now in a new light.
rigsby:
“finbarot” Hi Windrush, re the Gardners, I know one driver that came in the yard every morning, started his Foden S80, and just left her gently ticking over while he went into the office and had a quick cuppa.
Another came in and immediately revved her up to build up the air pressure, as soon as the buzzer stopped off he went.The first driver never had a spanner on the engine or box, the second had a new block and pistons, and many road springs too, after a couple of years.
I think some ‘mechanical sympathy’ goes a long way with these lorries.It didn’t always work to warm them up , I went in one morning ,started up and left it for a few minutes to warm up and as I put it in gear it dropped a valve . It wouldn’t have been so bad , but my regular lorry was in dock , it dropped a valve the day before .
Thats unbelievable Dave you could not make that up ! 
boardo96:
Hi Dean. Sorry I hadn’t replied before, thanks for posting the John Derrick and Otterton Mill article,
read it this morning whilst tipping a load but had a few snags and didn’t get chance to post.
I’ve not read about it before but I’m sure I’ve seen a similar photo of the Scammell, I can’t be certain but it may of been on the Devon Hauliers thread, I’ll take a look when I get chance see if it’s the same one.
Your right, I only live 10 minutes away from Otterton but I don’t know much about the mill or Mr Derrick but I do recognise his name from reading a different piece on the Scammell and I knew a man that drove one of them for him and had spoken of John Derrick.
No doubt you will remember T&T Transport from Exeter, well one of the partners Tony Hansford worked and drove one of the Handymans several years before going into business with Mr Tom Broom.
My father used to do a lot of the maintenance for T&T so I knew Tony and drivers, done a bit of driving for him when one of them had some time off for a hernia opp but when the driver came back to work I didn’t think he’d need me anymore but Tony put me working with Pete and showed me the ropes on the grain and raw material feed work they did for Bocm Paul’s. Tony done me a lot of good getting me involved with them and I owe him big time as when he retired his boys didn’t want to carry on with the business so he got me well in the door with Bocm and I’ve been working for them for nearly 20 years now, Pete stayed on with me till he retired and still comes in now a day or so a week.
So forgive me for going off the track a bit of Otterton mill but I can relate to the photo of the Scammell in other ways. RIP Tony and thanks Dean.
Thanks for the comments and pic Nigel,good suff chap sounds like Tony was a top fella.
I remember seeing his motor’s about.
Like you i cant really remember going to John Derrick’s mill but i probably did go their as a kid.
Some Welsh motors.
Owens Volvo.
Mansell Davies Volvo.
A.L.Jones MAN.
Llanharan Concrete Scania.
John Pearce DAF.
Hicks DAF.
Gerry Jones MAN.
P.M.Rees Volvo.
R.J.Jones Volvo.
Phil Davies Volvo.
Matson DAF.
Philmac Seddon Atkinson.
John Antell’s Dreadnought Atkinson from Child Okeford seen here leaving Poole docks.
Is that a Lathams GUY on the RHS ■■
J & J Dyson Refractories Atkinson. Anyone know anything about this company ?
ICI tanker. Think its a AEC Mammoth Minor ?
Pilwoods Seddon Atkinson. Are they part of BOCM Pauls and does anyone know where Pilwoods are based ?
National Carriers Volvo F7.
Mainland Car Deliveries Leyland Cruiser.
Leggett Seddon Atkinson 401.
Benfields ERF bulker. Think we have had one on before possibly. Does anyone know where they are from ■■
“Benfields ERF bulker. Think we have had one on before possibly. Does anyone know where they are from ■■”
Yes Dean they had a garage/yard at Deddington Oxfordshire with bulkers mainly carrying coal and were right by the traffic lights on the then main Oxford Coventry road, they were previously at Hook Norton.
Oily
Dyson refractories had a few places making firebricks etc, the closest one to us is just below Owler Bar (Totley I suppose?) on the Derbyshire/South Yorkshire border and is still there.
Pete.
DEANB:
Thanks for your comments Pete and “finbarot” regarding engines. I have to say Pete i look at Gardner engines now in a new light.
Save a penny on fuel costs spend a pound on dodgy engines.
Maybe Bewick just doesn’t want to upset his lucrative far eastern customer base.Or maybe they didn’t want to upset him by telling him they only wanted them for anchors not to power their junks. 
Maybe H was right all along and those output figures are as believable as the reliability and durability myth.Their Dyno was probably just connected to an old water wheel with no water. 
windrush:
Dyson refractories had a few places making firebricks etc, the closest one to us is just below Owler Bar (Totley I suppose?) on the Derbyshire/South Yorkshire border and is still there.Pete.
Yes Pete,just below Owler Bar ont way into Totley and Sheffield.They were formerly called Pickford Holland before Dysons bought them out,their main place was at Loxley Sheffield and they also bought out another refractory brick firm up North East I think,whose name I think was Harrison,from Frosterley Co. Durham…not sure. 
One of Dyson’s drivers was called Mick,a real nice bloke,he had an Atki with 180 Gardner and I had one or two lifts with him - I reckon it were t’slowest Atki ever. 
