anyone recognize this? Got this after a 1735 merc, bit of a difference with room!!
Hi Brookie, as mentioned to you before, i remember radcliffes when they were based in South Norwood, South London. They had a yard in Albert Road, just off Portland road, the main drag. Albert road was a narrow one way street with a sharp right hand turn to get back out again. Their artics had to swing hard right then reverse up to get into the yard.
The old Radcliffes were a totally different colour scheme, Maroons and Crimson!!! 
They ran almost exclusivley Mercs, and were big in the TV, Film and Theatre worlds. Did a lot of work for the “Ballet Rambert”, think he used to drag their shows all around Europe and possibly into Russia!! I remember some of his drivers who used to drink in the Duke of Clarence, same as me, saying that they were often away for long tours then.
The old man, Goff or Geoff, offered me an apprenticeship as a fitter when I was leaving school but I never took it up. As you probably know his hobby was collecting Traction Steam engines!!!..bloody great smoking things, he had a few I think and used to drag them to shows on his low loader IIRC!!
Sometime in the 80`s he sold his yard, got loads alledgedly and then, I presume set up the company who you then worked for!!
I think Luckings had something to do with the buy out but not quite sure!!
I remeber seeing your trucks abroad and always wondered if they were the same company as was in Albert Road!!
Cheers, bullitt.
Yep bullit, spot on. Goff sold out to NFC (pickfords) and set up Radcliffe Eurotrans. I think he kept a few of the best motors to do international work with tilts in the mid eighties. Gordon Lucking was based in Washington, north of Worthing on the old A24, he did a similar sell out but still did international general too, in fact one of the trailers I had was one of Gordons old ones.
Radcliffes as a theatrical/show remover went eveywhere, when Chernoble went bang it was three Radcliffes truck in Kiev when it happened, including Goff in one of them. I remember him telling me that they were met by British Embassy officials and a Guiger counter in Kiev to check for radiation levels, but not for him or the drivers, but for the welfare of the performers of the ballet company whos costumes were in their trailers! Sod the drivers!
I started for Goff in 1991 as a internationally green 26 year old doing European stuff, mainly Italian, but anywhere from Portugal to Scandinavia. After 6 years rates were so bad that I was the only one left, and evetually he packed it in, just couldn’t make it pay any more. I’d still be there now if things were different. He was a great boss, had his pound of flesh but looked after me like his son! I had some good times doing the job, I suppose thats why I’m on here now, I’ll always be a lorry driver at heart, just driving trains at the moment! (but don’t tell the missus, 3 weeks at a time away from home won’t be welcome again!!)
Here you go bullit, my merc
Hi Brookie. Was it you who was featured in one of the trucking magazines a few years ago??. I think i still have it somewhere, i,ll have to dig it out…
Rgds Mark.
Yes Mark, it was me. I’ve pm’d another member who’s going to dig it out. I ended up in a few mags of the time, my 15 minutes of fame! It was aug 1993 Truck and Driver, and I think july 1995 Trucking International. I’ve got a piece from Truck mag somewhere, I’ll dig it out. Happy days!
Cheers,
Mark.
Here you go bullit, a couple of the guv’ners old’uns. He had quite a collection, used for filmwork weddings etc. Not sure what the old one is though in the top pic.
But the bottom one is a scammel routeman I think. I’ve driven this a few times pulling a huge fairorgan. This was a tractor unit, modified to a wagon and drag with a genny in the back for power to the organ. 6 speed crash box and no power steering, and useless brakes!! I wonder if you ever saw these?
Regards,
Mark.
here you go mark, a bit dog-eared and not the best quality, knew it was somewhere!
regards,
Mark.
I didnt realise Radciffe ran tilts and boxvans. 
Hello wheel nut! Yep, the best tilt ever eh? No ropes, no ladders, no tir chord! 50kg and you’re fully freighted!! As for the boxvan, permanently loaded, made a bloody racket though, you wouldn’t want to park next to it, more noise than one of Cadwalladers fridges!!
Cheers!
Mark.
brookie:
But the bottom one is a scammel routeman I think. I’ve driven this a few times pulling a huge fairorgan. This was a tractor unit, modified to a wagon and drag with a genny in the back for power to the organ. 6 speed crash box and no power steering, and useless brakes!! I wonder if you ever saw these?
.
Unless they used the Routemen name earlier than I remember, that isn’t a Routeman, it’s a Highwayman and in it’s original form as a tractor unit I drove one on general haulage for Ilkeston Haulage back in the '60s.
150 Gardner, 6 speed crash box with gate change which meant going through the maze back to 1st at the traffic lights. 38mph top speed but 80 in super 7th. 
This model had a hand throttle which was very necessary because due to the convoluted linkage the throttle was very difficult to keep hard down. Trouble was the hand throttle was a wire which often used to snap and the usual remedy was a piece of stick jammed between the pedal and a bolt sticking out of the panel forward of the steering column. 
Thanks spardo, I wasn’t 100% on it. I’m sure this was about a '56 model? I’m sure the guv told me it was an ex - Tate and Lyle tractor. Yep, gearbox sounds the same, real hard work! I have the greatest respect for you guys that worked these day in day out. My arms were aching after a few miles driving this to a local show!! But I played a few tunes with the crash box though! 
Cheers,
Mark.
I’ll grant you that the steering was a bit hefty Mark, but the forward position of the front axle allowing a ‘throttle blip’ to lift the weight off it coupled to the near vertical angle of the steering wheel itself to give plenty of downward purchase helped a bit.
As regards the gearbox it was a matter of getting used to it. After that I found it very easy to use, get the revs right and it dropped in very easily. Mind you the round the houses nature of returning to1st was a bit tiresome.
As a sleeper cab it left a little to be desired though.
I thought I recognised the trucks, then I realised I recognised the building, couldn`t say exactly where from…But I am just round the corner from Cowbeech, very small world it is too.
Sounds like you have some very fond memories… 
Hello att, yep, he used to be at Carters Corner Farm, from Amberstone on the right before the right turn to Herstmonceux. He moved from where the pics were taken to another farm in Rushlake Green. The fleet went down to a couple of trucks then. You driving yourself?
Cheers,
Mark.
brookie:
Hello att, yep, he used to be at Carters Corner Farm, from Amberstone on the right before the right turn to Herstmonceux. He moved from where the pics were taken to another farm in Rushlake Green. The fleet went down to a couple of trucks then. You driving yourself?Cheers,
Mark.
I thought it looked familiar, my wife works for the people who live there now!
Small world.
I hope to be driving soon, only passed my ‘C’ last Monday and as we all know work at the moment is thin on the ground.
If I cannot find work I may as well do my C+E training and test while it is quiet.
I do have my own little business that pays the bills, but I want to drive for a living…Only thing I have ever enjoyed getting paid for.
So you would probably remember the Dann Merc that used to live in the lay by just near to the Amberstone NHS facility?
I bumped into you in Italy once or twice if you had that Merc from new, I had G456 XOO & we also had G458, mine was red with all the wings, mirrors, wipers etc in white & G458 was yellow with a green stripe (customer livery) one of the people who looks at this site but don’t post coz he’s scared (Graham ) bought it as his start in the haulage game.
You should put your pics on the Merc SK post.
att:
brookie:
Hello att, yep, he used to be at Carters Corner Farm, from Amberstone on the right before the right turn to Herstmonceux. He moved from where the pics were taken to another farm in Rushlake Green. The fleet went down to a couple of trucks then. You driving yourself?Cheers,
Mark.
I thought it looked familiar, my wife works for the people who live there now!
Small world.
I hope to be driving soon, only passed my ‘C’ last Monday and as we all know work at the moment is thin on the ground.
If I cannot find work I may as well do my C+E training and test while it is quiet.
I do have my own little business that pays the bills, but I want to drive for a living…Only thing I have ever enjoyed getting paid for.So you would probably remember the Dann Merc that used to live in the lay by just near to the Amberstone NHS facility?
Yes! I remember the merc parked under the trees, did he do bulkers or something? I take it he’s finished, that was about 15 years ago!
good luck with the driving, you could always do a bit of agency work for the experience.
regards,
Mark.
newmercman:
I bumped into you in Italy once or twice if you had that Merc from new, I had G456 XOO & we also had G458, mine was red with all the wings, mirrors, wipers etc in white & G458 was yellow with a green stripe (customer livery) one of the people who looks at this site but don’t post coz he’s scared (GrahamYou should put your pics on the Merc SK post.
Hello newmercman, I had the motor in mid - 1991, a few others had driven it too before I got it. ■■■■ good motor that v8, pulled like anything, just the cab let it down. Who did you drive yours for?
Regards,
Mark.
brookie:
att:
brookie:
Hello att, yep, he used to be at Carters Corner Farm, from Amberstone on the right before the right turn to Herstmonceux. He moved from where the pics were taken to another farm in Rushlake Green. The fleet went down to a couple of trucks then. You driving yourself?Cheers,
Mark.
I thought it looked familiar, my wife works for the people who live there now!
Small world.
I hope to be driving soon, only passed my ‘C’ last Monday and as we all know work at the moment is thin on the ground.
If I cannot find work I may as well do my C+E training and test while it is quiet.
I do have my own little business that pays the bills, but I want to drive for a living…Only thing I have ever enjoyed getting paid for.So you would probably remember the Dann Merc that used to live in the lay by just near to the Amberstone NHS facility?
Yes! I remember the merc parked under the trees, did he do bulkers or something? I take it he’s finished, that was about 15 years ago!
good luck with the driving, you could always do a bit of agency work for the experience.
regards,
Mark.
Thanks for the luck…I just got some, landed a full time drivig job with a local company today, start tomorrow… 
The Merc disappeared about 5 years ago, retired I think.
My brother in Law lives opposite to that lay-by.