Scrapbook Memories (Part 1)

lb76 · 4 February 2012 21:32

spot on, it should have read

robroy · 4 February 2012 21:34

sammyopisite:
Spardo I had one for around 4 years but it did have a good heater so it was fine once it got warmed up but as you say you got cooked on sunny days and I can’t ever recall seeing a sleeper cab on one either.
Cheers Johnnie

I remember seeing one regularly in the 80s with a sleeper conversion, Barrats of Delph I think it was, a green one with a tanker trailer, and the ugliest thing you have ever seen

ramone · 4 February 2012 21:42

Lawrence Dunbar:
But Harry look on the bright side, you are still here enjoying the things you like in life, just like me, we both endured heaterless wagons, plus [zb] brakes , & sometimes underpowered & overloaded, but like I said we are still here, & I think from my point of view we had the best years in the haulage game, compared to to-days [zb], ? , Plus we still enjoy our Malts , Long may it last, Regards Larry.
[/quote]
I think you are quite right Lawrence even though i never experienced the older days,everything now is health and safety,filling check sheets working to timed deliveries and how fast you can be there and back .You dont drive motors now you steer them with autoboxes (terrible things) trackers and telematics you`re being watched all the time.Obviously the progress in driver comfort is a good thing but the other parts of the industry isnt

thelongdrag · 5 February 2012 11:53

Lawrence Dunbar:
But Harry look on the bright side, you are still here enjoying the things you like in life, just like me, we both endured heaterless wagons, plus [zb] brakes , & sometimes underpowered & overloaded, but like I said we are still here, & I think from my point of view we had the best years in the haulage game, compared to to-days [zb], ? , Plus we still enjoy our Malts , Long may it last, Regards Larry.
[/quote]
Spot on Larry count me in at that.Regards Mike.

tetragaz · 5 February 2012 11:54

flamin eck bubbleman

nearly reached 300 pages, well done mate

cheers
gaz

harry_gill · 5 February 2012 12:32

thelongdrag:

Lawrence Dunbar:
But Harry look on the bright side, you are still here enjoying the things you like in life, just like me, we both endured heaterless wagons, plus [zb] brakes , & sometimes underpowered & overloaded, but like I said we are still here, & I think from my point of view we had the best years in the haulage game, compared to to-days [zb], ? , Plus we still enjoy our Malts , Long may it last, Regards Larry.
[/quote]
Spot on Larry count me in at that.Regards Mike.
[/quote]
hiya,
Larry they say that young fellah’s aren’t taking to HGV driving anymore and to be honest and in this day and age neither would I, but go back to the late 50s when I first kicked off and I wouldn’t change a thing, there’s not much in the way of job security nowadays so taking out a mortgage on your home is risky, jobs just aren’t there to "step"into as in the old days, for eg’ got made redundant at BRS Blackburn one Friday, out the yard two minutes walk and a small haulier only doing local gave me a start for a “week or two” and could I start tomorrow Saturday, try doing that today,I just hope things get easier in the business so that the job becomes more secure for those who are still involved and those who are considering driving as a career.
thanks harry long retired.

240_gardner · 5 February 2012 17:17

jimstott:
her are some more taken at the beginning of the Trans Pennine Rally

Thanks for those pics - bring a little lump to the throat, since I owned that Viewline for 19 years! Although the 33’ flat looks like a dummy load, it was actually fitted with permanent concrete test weights under the sheet and the timber frame. At one time, that was augmented by some pallets of scrap cement, left over from a wet damage claim, bringing the load up to about 18 tons. Made the 150 Gardner grunt very nicely

It also sat well on the back of my other machine:

240_gardner · 5 February 2012 17:21

robroy:

sammyopisite:
Spardo I had one for around 4 years but it did have a good heater so it was fine once it got warmed up but as you say you got cooked on sunny days and I can’t ever recall seeing a sleeper cab on one either.
Cheers Johnnie

I remember seeing one regularly in the 80s with a sleeper conversion, Barrats of Delph I think it was, a green one with a tanker trailer, and the ugliest thing you have ever seen

240_gardner · 5 February 2012 17:26

Limey:
That’s correct Lord Gardner of Elworth

It was also a participant in the first and best “drop your trailer and take your place on the grid” UK Truck Grand Prix at Donnington and still earns a living on the fairground circuit.

But I don’t have a photo of it, unlike you with you with your secret stash of Krupp Atkis Perhaps you keep them to frighten the children…

And as for the racing… try going to your customers to argue for a rate increase because times are hard, and yet you can risk your revenue-earning machinery like that over the weekend!!

240_gardner · 5 February 2012 17:28

harry_gill:

sammyopisite:

Spardo:

sammyopisite:

Spardo:
Seeing that Viewline reminds me that I don’t remember seeing one with a sleeper cab. I loved the cab for the short time I drove one, apart from the cooking when the sun shined and freezing when it didn’t , but just thought that it was so roomy and suitable as a sleeper.

Spardo I had one for around 4 years but it did have a good heater so it was fine once it got warmed up but as you say you got cooked on sunny days and I can’t ever recall seeing a sleeper cab on one either.
Cheers Johnnie

I suppose the heater was ok Johnnie, well compared to Atkis I’d driven before that, but it was the large expanse of glass that left little or no insulation properties and, as you say, it was like a greenhouse in the sunshine.

Just thought it would have made a great sleeper cab though.

That little Morris Minopr steering wheel took a bit of getting use to though but I did enjoy the power after that armstrong steering on my other Atkis.

David I came off of a Scammell Highwayman so it was a feeling " like winning the pools " and I did over steer at first with it
cheers Johnnie

hiya,
Always fancied having a go in a Viewline but you lads have changed my mind the bit about freezing in the winter have driven “knacker chillers” in my time, didn’t care for the baking in the sunny weather bit either.
thanks harry long retired.

Harry, mine was freezing because it had a 150 Gardner! Johnnie’s had a 250 ■■■■■■■■ so had twice the heat… and twice the fuel consumption

‘Tankerman’ will tell you about riding out in mine, though!

240_gardner · 5 February 2012 17:29

Spardo:
That little Morris Minopr steering wheel took a bit of getting use to though but I did enjoy the power after that armstrong steering on my other Atkis.

bubbleman · 5 February 2012 18:02

Hello lads,I wish I had more photos of Viewlines and Krupp cabbed Atkis to put up but I haven’t…see page 1of the scrapbook for some Krupp cabbed Atki pics

Todays stuff.

Cheers Bubbs,

saviem · 5 February 2012 18:40

Hello all, Marcus, 300 pages, and everyone a winner, this really is a cracking thread. Chris, (240gardner) your Viewline was beautiful, and I think a lot better restoration than mine. That enormous windscreen used to give me the collywobbles each time I hit a bumpy bit! I did send you a pm about the Belgian Krupp, I presume that my computer illiteracy prevented it arriving! Often wonder where WAN183G ended up after the Roberts sale, anyone know? Phill Morriss Foden, Phillip always did have an eye for a nice looking lorry, he had one of the very first 2600 DAF drawbars, and could handle it, although I think that Trevor begrudged the extra fuel it used over a 180 Atkinson! I can remember when he was a lad, (Im getting old). how he would line the fleet up along the drive at the farm at Morda, ready for the off next day. It was a b… when I was delivering a new Atkinson to Trevor, as to avoid “upsetting” Russell Cadwallader, (close neighbour, who really thought all Gardner Atkinsons should be his), I would go like hell, then pull the stop, kill the lights, and coast, (at quite some velocity), down Trevors drive. The only snag being that Trevor Morris`s livery was almost totally gloss black, but thankfully with a white cab roof!! Oh happy days, Cheerio for now.

sammyopisite · 5 February 2012 20:24

240 Gardner:

harry_gill:

sammyopisite:

Spardo:

sammyopisite:

Spardo:
Seeing that Viewline reminds me that I don’t remember seeing one with a sleeper cab. I loved the cab for the short time I drove one, apart from the cooking when the sun shined and freezing when it didn’t , but just thought that it was so roomy and suitable as a sleeper.

Spardo I had one for around 4 years but it did have a good heater so it was fine once it got warmed up but as you say you got cooked on sunny days and I can’t ever recall seeing a sleeper cab on one either.
Cheers Johnnie

I suppose the heater was ok Johnnie, well compared to Atkis I’d driven before that, but it was the large expanse of glass that left little or no insulation properties and, as you say, it was like a greenhouse in the sunshine.

Just thought it would have made a great sleeper cab though.

That little Morris Minopr steering wheel took a bit of getting use to though but I did enjoy the power after that armstrong steering on my other Atkis.

David I came off of a Scammell Highwayman so it was a feeling " like winning the pools " and I did over steer at first with it
cheers Johnnie

hiya,
Always fancied having a go in a Viewline but you lads have changed my mind the bit about freezing in the winter have driven “knacker chillers” in my time, didn’t care for the baking in the sunny weather bit either.
thanks harry long retired.

Harry, mine was freezing because it had a 150 Gardner! Johnnie’s had a 250 ■■■■■■■■ so had twice the heat… and twice the fuel consumption

‘Tankerman’ will tell you about riding out in mine, though!

Hi Chris it was also pulling twice the weight but it was not bad on fuel as loaded you had to keep it around 35 mph or under otherwise you had tyre trouble on the trailer which equated to about 1500 rpm and it was geared to 46 mph flat out so running at 40 mph was pretty economical as well. the other one at Sheffield was geared to 42 mph and was quite a bit thirstier and did not pull as well and then we had a venturer with a 240 smoker and that had a 10 speed fuller range change in but was geared to 38 mph and it was not as comfortable as the view line and gave you a sore knee.
cheers Johnnie