Tipit/Bonkey Can any of you remember a firm called Merricks from over Chapel/Buxton way during the 60’s ran LAD Dodge’s
Hiya, yes Dexydog mentioned one time that his dad drove an LAD Dodge for Merricks, and they were from Chinley near Heyworth’s yard.
Were Merrick’s Blue & Red like Ashton & Vernon’s ? I seem to remember them having a 6 wheeler Commer 2-stroke as well. There’s been no sign of Dexydog for a while, and he was comming up with some good stuff !
BonkeyDollocks:
They were Tipit mate, the last being on a C plate. I can even remember one of the reg plates : C666GBU.Here’s one of the last ones they had and I think it was pictured at Harrogate when there was a Tip in hosted there.
Hiya …that maggi looks a compact motor.Allinsons Fodens were Grose the cab looked out of proportion
D/B …Tipit did you drive that model Foden terrible thing,I had a Haulmaster for a week on Glutton Bridge
it took a 10 acre field to turn round. i then had a MAN 8 legger that was spot on double drive with cross locks
you could drag the chassis through mud but it would pull its self out…On that Buxton/Manchester job
knowone did any hanging about. 3 to Pioneer concrete from a dead start was going hard.we did that M56
extension into Stockport with Boulders from a little quarry nr Bradwell no queue so it was in and out but
again 3 loads no hanging about.
John
Hiya John, No I never got the chance to live out my ambition and drive a Foden, did get to drive C and E series ERF’s though so were they similar?
I always fancied the idea of doing quarry runs from Buxton, but did general haulage instead.
As you say they worked the wagons and drivers hard though, the firm my dad was with tried getting 4 Manchester - Buxton runs a day with LAD Dodge’s in the early 60’s 
makes you wonder if they were really “Good Old Days.”
So to me having never done it, everything seemed rosie as a kid going along for the ride.
As you were at Glutton Bridge can you tell me when Ryan & Sommerville’s quarry stopped being used ? sad to see it closed, I always thought those quarries would last forever !
Hi Paul,
Your Dad and his mates deserved a medal doing a hard day in that area with LAD Dodges,cramped cabs and the noisy perkins 6354 in the cab with you. I only drove one as a spare moter which was on the firm I drove for,the K series like the one on your avator was better and more roomy.
Cheers Dave.
We used to do three loads a day from our quarry near Ashbourne to the batching plant at Bredbury, Stockport in the '90’s with 8 wheeler Foden’s and that was a full day from a dead start. in the 1980’s we were doing 2 loads a day to Manchester Airport (over Long Hill) + a couple to either Somercotes or Carsington Reservoir with 180 Gardner’s and that was a full day as well.
If you could get from the quarry to the lights at Hazel Grove in just over the hour you had done well, sometimes it would take half an hour or more to do the three miles from Disley to Hazel Grove if there were roadworks on the A6 or in the rush hour, a total nightmare!
Pete.
TIPIT:
Hiya John, No I never got the chance to live out my ambition and drive a Foden, did get to drive C and E series ERF’s though so were they similar?
I always fancied the idea of doing quarry runs from Buxton, but did general haulage instead.
As you say they worked the wagons and drivers hard though, the firm my dad was with tried getting 4 Manchester - Buxton runs a day with LAD Dodge’s in the early 60’s
So to me having never done it, everything seemed rosie as a kid going along for the ride.As you were at Glutton Bridge can you tell me when Ryan & Sommerville’s quarry stopped being used ? sad to see it closed, I always thought those quarries would last forever !
Hiya tipit…i think youv’e got me on that one.Gluttons yard was on the industrial est at Harpur Hill. when i was there in 79-82 we used a quarry
between Hidlow and harpur ind est would that be ryan&summerville quarry the name seems to ring a bell but i can’ot place it.
Over the years from 68 untill 1983 i’ve done most of the quarry’s as differant firms i’ve worked for have had tipping trailers.
And later from 88 untill 02 collected bagged products ex works into Chester.
John
Hi Tipit.You are right about the four load a day from Buxton into M/chester.They ran out of Ryans + Beswick limes down to the Bradford road site at Ancoats,it all started when Thomas Lamb’s started to employ some younger drivers and promised them a bonus but it did not last very long if you remember.Your dad and mine plus the other older lads were quite happy doing the three loads and getting home to go for a pint.
Hiya John … Thanks for that I was begining to think I may have heard wrong.
3300John … As you turned off the the A515 at Brierlow Bar towards Beswicks Lime, Ryans was the quarry opposite Beswicks, set back on a hill. I can remember going there about '64 when they had just bought a few LAD Comets, and had big dumper bodies put on them to use just around the quarry.
Before long they where replaced with Euclids.
Paul.
TIPIT:
Hiya John … Thanks for that I was begining to think I may have heard wrong.3300John … As you turned off the the A515 at Brierlow Bar towards Beswicks Lime, Ryans was the quarry opposite Beswicks, set back on a hill. I can remember going there about '64 when they had just bought a few LAD Comets, and had big dumper bodies put on them to use just around the quarry.
Before long they where replaced with Euclids.
Paul.
Hiya paul…I think ryans must have been swallowed up into Hill head and then stavely lime moved in.the last time i was in that quarry the huge Hill head
quarry equipment show was on. that takes 2 days to look around…Lomas tankers are on part of the land with their garage and parking.
The other little quarry i was saying about was somthing to do with Tarmac but is now closed.
John
HI Paul-- if I remember you used to enter Ryans through the 1st gate on the right (which was just a couple of 100 yrds past the entrance to Beswicks,) go along to the weighbridge and then come back out again turn right and go through the 2nd gate to get loaded and then back again to the weighbridge.
Hiya.donkey bs…A while ago i was telling you about Derbysire Stone having Morris Commercials with suicide doors.
at the weekend i found this little gem at Weston park transport show its the same spec that Derbyshire Stone had.
this lorry was new to a Cornish company. sorry it was’nt a Derbyshire Stone lorry
John
TIPIT:
One for Bonkey … I think the article it was from said these were based in the Lancaster area.
Stanfield:
Hi Tipit
Re the Tarmac pic.If it says it was taken around the lancaster area it could have been 1 of 2 Quarrys.1 Leapers Wood 2 Dunald Mill both were in the Carnforth Area.
at that time leapers wood would have been a wimpey quarry so it could have been dunald mill or sandside
How this firm has moved on, did they use to run mainly Bedford TK rigids out of Beswick’s Lime in the early 60’s ?
Does anyone have any photos of their early stuff.
TIPIT:
How this firm has moved on, did they use to run mainly Bedford TK rigids out of Beswick’s Lime in the early 60’s ?
Does anyone have any photos of their early stuff.
Hi Paul,
Nice line up of smart moters,keep em coming.
Cheers Dave.
Here is a rare one for you B.D. and from your neck of the woods as well.
Callaghan’s of Dove Holes I never thought any would be found of theirs as they weren’t on the scene very long, (their colours were Black & Orange.)
The Park Royal cabbed AEC’s must have been some of the last to be registered in 1972, (they came after a cancelled order from Wimpey’s.)
Come on ovlov this should bring you back online, could this have been your old wagon that finished up with Egerton’s.
TIPIT:
Here is a rare one for you B.D. and from your neck of the woods as well.
Callaghan’s of Dove Holes I never thought any would be found of theirs as they weren’t on the scene very long, (their colours were Black & Orange.)
The Park Royal cabbed AEC’s must have been some of the last to be registered in 1972, (they came after a cancelled order from Wimpey’s.)
Come on ovlov this should bring you back online, could this have been your old wagon that finished up with Egerton’s.
That’s a great shot there Paul and thanks for uploading it. I remember seeing it for sale at a show a few years back but didn’t quite have the cash to pay for it. (It was an A4 photo press release from AEC and the guy wanted something like a fiver for it)
Speaking of Callaghans, a mate of mine used to drive for them and he has a couple of pics taken in Tunstead quarry in 1971. Again, they’re press releases but show a Park Royal Callaghan on the weighbridge and another shot of the same wagon climbing the hill out of the quarry. I’ll have to borrow them to scan and I’m sure I’ll meet up with him in a few weeks at Gaydon.
Back to the pic, I wonder where it was taken ? My dad’s told me many tales of the Callaghan crew. Apparently, they made the Hell Drivers mob look like they’re on a sunday drive ! 
They used to come down the A6 into Chapel hardly touching the brakes and flew up the other side and that was in the middle of the day !
Didn’t last long that outfit - The taxman served a winding up order and all the wagons were snatched back overnight.
Quite a good thing as me ole man also told me their drivers used to do a ‘throat slitting’ gesture to other tipper drivers of the day. Me dad drove at Sammy Longsons at the time on a six wheeler RN 29 out of Eldon Hill when the motorways round M/cr were being put through and he says the Callaghan boys were maniacs just in the quarry. Trying to cut you up between the weighbridge and tar plant just to gain a space in the queue !
Hi BD You are spot on there pal thats how I remember them when I worked at Thomas Lambs in the 60s,Tipits dad should be able to tell him about them he also worked at Lambs at the same time as me and my old fellow.They could certainly move a bit at the time.4 a day into the M/Chester area no problem from Buxton.
TIPIT:
Here is a rare one for you B.D. and from your neck of the woods as well.
Callaghan’s of Dove Holes I never thought any would be found of theirs as they weren’t on the scene very long, (their colours were Black & Orange.)
The Park Royal cabbed AEC’s must have been some of the last to be registered in 1972, (they came after a cancelled order from Wimpey’s.)
Come on ovlov this should bring you back online, could this have been your old wagon that finished up with Egerton’s.
Hello Tipit
I think both of those Park Royal cabbed AEC’s ended up at Egertons. The one behind the ego cabbed motor is possibly the one I had number not to clear though mine was KTB. They were all built with what was then the defunct Park Royal cab as a special order for Wimpey that was cancelled. Four of them came to Egertons with the insulated bodies when Callaghans folded but were soon equipped with steel bodies with headboards on as the insulated ones didn’t take to kindly to ■■■■■■■■ etc 
. They had the 760 AEC engine and 6 speed box and went like the wind. With the steel bodies on they tared out at 11ton!!! I once tipped the scales at 27 ton though with top soil on . Through buying these Egertons picked up 2 more brand new ones off AEC that were L reg. They were bullet proof you couldn’t brake them, an awesome motor!
Oh and the Masons motor on the other thread, was it outside Bradford gasworks?