Mad Mart:
Good pic. Ant.Can’t quite make out the reg.no.VRT237X? I bought an ex R.D. 142 in 1986 from Scantruck in purfleet.Came with a tag axle and full air kit though.I think it was VRT 236X,will try and dig out a picture of it.Managed to turn my hair grey in the three years i had it.
Heavyhaul (chelmsford)Ltd had VRT 232X, tag-lift 388 142, Ran it on lowloader work up to 70-odd ton. Good old motor, went like stink, but you had to stomp on those useless brakes to stop it!!! Sadly, it was written off after a Volvo 760 salloon car came round the bend on the wrong side of the road and went straight under it! I’m not sure if it came straight from R D, it was bought in 86/early 87, and i remember it having american style marker lights right across the roof, and the air kit had been removed.
Spardo:
A couple of observations there.
71 mph cruising speed for a wagon, quite fast I would have thought but can you imagine anyone claiming that today?
The words Globe Trotter on the front of a Leyland/AEC. Surely that must have predated Volvo’s use of the term.
That marathon ended up at Westrope Brothers and it did used fly according to the driver , it was sadly broken up and robbed for parts around 87 88
i often wondered why it had a square tank and the sunvisor and all the other marathons had round tanks on them
The left ■■■■■■ marathon pic above in kr79’s post titled “marathon is here” looks to have ■■■■ Rivers of “Destination Doha” fame at the wheel. He was a test driver for Leyland/Scammel. Anyone else think it’s him?
Sorry newspaper clipping is torn but read as follows:
A giant boiler, weighing 45 tons and 19ft, 11in. tall was transported from Thornycrofts, Southampton, yesterday to the Admiralty Fuel Experimental Station at Haslar.
Transported by Hill and Sons (Botley and Denmead) Ltd. The boiler began its journey at 7.15am and was taken via Thornhill, Botley, Parkgate, Titchfield, Stubbington, Lee-on-Solent and Stokes Bay to Haslar-a distance of 25 miles, arriving there a 5.30pm.
Chief difficulties were the height of the boiler, towering over a double-decker bus and width, necessitating single line traffic along much of the route.
Southern Electricity Board officials and GPO men propped-up overhead lines to enable the boiler to get underneath.
AXES NEEDED
Hill and Sons’ workmen took along axes to chop down low, overhanging boughs on the tree lined country lanes.
Superintending the operation was Mr. J. A. Hill, managing director of Hill and Sons and from Thornycrofts, the assistant works manager, Mr. A. D. Mackenzie.
The police played thier part in keeping the roads clear, Southampton Borough and the County forces joined in the operation.
Other authourities co-operating included the highway authourities of Southampton borough, the County Council, Fareham Urban District and Gosport Borough. Rediffusion Ltd Southampton and Radio Rentals Ltd. Gosport helped by removing their overhead lines.
Mr Gordon Prebble of Curdridge, a Hills and Son driver was at the wheel for the whole journey
brookie:
The left ■■■■■■ marathon pic above in kr79’s post titled “marathon is here” looks to have ■■■■ Rivers of “Destination Doha” fame at the wheel. He was a test driver for Leyland/Scammel. Anyone else think it’s him?
brookie
Think you could be right there mate,that truck is in a Leyland promo film ive got on dvd that Mr Rivers drives down to Italy iirc? loaded with Whisky.
His co driver is George Layton(actor) . . bit of a corny film tbh. Think its on the same dvd as Southall, the twighlight years.
Hi there,me again…dont it look like ■■■■ Rivers,lets hope his teeth didnt break on that trip(you have to have seen destination doha to understand that)
Wonderful pics Pat,marvellous stuff mate,first pic is for you
.
, they were there yesterday.
