harry_gill:
hiya,
Would Bowkers have got their Vabis’s via B&Ws Trev remember they had a couple of F reg jobs never got a proper drive in one though, i think off the pump and under a trailer was my “treat”.
thanks harry long retired.
Yes Harry, the first ones did come from B&W, and some Bowyer-cabbed Guy Invincibles were traded in against them. I had copies of the B&W invoices in the archives. The first ones that Bowker had were actually E-reg, though there were some on F plates too.
Hi again,Hey Chris …do you think the 2 Guys in the background of this pic were the trade ins for a Vabis.I’m sure I saw one like these in Rush Green scrapyard many years ago.
Not the best quality but perhaps this was the Vabis that came on the fleet as the replacements for the Guys…also the one that Harry had a shunt around the yard with
Last ones for Toddy2.
Cheers Bubbs,
WOW Bubbs - where did you find that ■■?
I had no idea there was a Maggie on the fleet, I remember the Fodens, The ATki, the Dodges, The Beaver (stolen from outside the yard) the 2 Seddons (1 had a RMB reg) and the ERF - But a Maggie ? - I am stunned - Well done Bubbs
hiya,
Just back to Bowker’s Guy’s for a minute they was there and operational during my first spell working there always fancied doing a trip in one but they was on trunk so only driven by shunters and trunkers have done a few trips in the Coach built Atki in the foreground though quite slow but positive i think it was only 150 powered but could be wrong our good friend 240 will probably know the answer to that one.
thanks harry long retired.
The four wheel fodens probably had a 5 cylinder gardner in it…my dads friend had one in 1961 (T.W. Glover ravenstone leicestershire) brand new 5lw I think the engine was called
SOME GREAT PICS AGAIN J B WHEATON I REMBER THEM I THINK GERALD NEWIS DROVE THE AEC YYC HE DROVE FOR BRADFORDS ILMINSTER BEFORE WHEATONS 1961/2 KEEP THEM COMING MARCUS
bubbleman:
Hi again,Hey Chris …do you think the 2 Guys in the background of this pic were the trade ins for a Vabis.I’m sure I saw one like these in Rush Green scrapyard many years ago.
Not the best quality but perhaps this was the Vabis that came on the fleet as the replacements for the Guys…also the one that Harry had a shunt around the yard with
Cheers Bubbs,
Actually Marc, difficult to be certain form the photo, but I think the Guy on the left is the one at Rush Green, and I believe it’s still there. I did speak to Rush Green about it before I left Bowker’s, and they were offering it for sale.
The Vabis in the pic was the first one on the fleet, no.42. Along with a newer one, it was still in the yard of a chap called Alan Thompson in Leeds in 1989. Both were still in Bowker colours, but with the names removed. The last I heard of them was in a phone call from Ray Hingley, who owns LGK 3D. Apparently he’d bought them both and was looking for info about them. He said at the time that he intended to make one good one out of the pair. I sent him off some photocopies of the invoices when they were new, and one or two other bits, but I never did hear anything back.
These pics were taken in Leeds in March 1989. The plates seem to have been a direct swap between the two, though…
As for the Guy, I was given this pic, and I don’t know who took it:
harry_gill:
hiya,
Just back to Bowker’s Guy’s for a minute they was there and operational during my first spell working there always fancied doing a trip in one but they was on trunk so only driven by shunters and trunkers have done a few trips in the Coach built Atki in the foreground though quite slow but positive i think it was only 150 powered but could be wrong our good friend 240 will probably know the answer to that one.
thanks harry long retired.
yes indeed, Harry - the Atki has the wider radiator (same as the Mk.1-cabbed motors) which marks it out as a 150. And here’s a special treat for you…
harry_gill:
hiya,
Just back to Bowker’s Guy’s for a minute they was there and operational during my first spell working there always fancied doing a trip in one but they was on trunk so only driven by shunters and trunkers have done a few trips in the Coach built Atki in the foreground though quite slow but positive i think it was only 150 powered but could be wrong our good friend 240 will probably know the answer to that one.
thanks harry long retired.
yes indeed, Harry - the Atki has the wider radiator (same as the Mk.1-cabbed motors) which marks it out as a 150. And here’s a special treat for you…
hiya,
Well Chris that’s not very nice and i thought you and i were pals, do you realize i’ve got to depart to bed and hope to sleep after seeing that nightmare again, i think Billy and Ken must have hated me to inflict that pile of rubbish on me but unlike those two guys i was able to walk away, and did.
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
hiya,
Yes Marc the Vabis of Bowkers was very likely the one i drove for a distance of about 25 yards on "the land"the regular driver would have been a guy named Cliff Leader who later moved on to manage MAT transport’s Hull depot he was’nt pleased that i had the audacity to get in his cab although i was waiting to fuel up and wanting to get to the Havelock and join the rest of the lads for a pint or three i did tell him to go away in my own inimitable manner.
thanks harry long retired.
Hiya Harry,
The Havelock, thats a blast from the past,used to go in there when I was a boy racer. Better by road, better per ******* Im sure you can fill in the missing firm.
harry_gill:
hiya,
Yes Marc the Vabis of Bowkers was very likely the one i drove for a distance of about 25 yards on "the land"the regular driver would have been a guy named Cliff Leader who later moved on to manage MAT transport’s Hull depot he was’nt pleased that i had the audacity to get in his cab although i was waiting to fuel up and wanting to get to the Havelock and join the rest of the lads for a pint or three i did tell him to go away in my own inimitable manner.
thanks harry long retired.
Hiya Harry,
The Havelock, thats a blast from the past,used to go in there when I was a boy racer. Better by road, better per ******* Im sure you can fill in the missing firm.
harry_gill:
hiya,
Yes Marc the Vabis of Bowkers was very likely the one i drove for a distance of about 25 yards on "the land"the regular driver would have been a guy named Cliff Leader who later moved on to manage MAT transport’s Hull depot he was’nt pleased that i had the audacity to get in his cab although i was waiting to fuel up and wanting to get to the Havelock and join the rest of the lads for a pint or three i did tell him to go away in my own inimitable manner.
thanks harry long retired.
Hiya Harry,
The Havelock, thats a blast from the past,used to go in there when I was a boy racer. Better by road, better per ******* Im sure you can fill in the missing firm.
hiya,
Jakdaw Would the missing firm name be Bowkers last time i was in the Havelock was in 1972 was you “boy racing” then??, moved up to the North East at that time and have’nt been that way for years although the last time i Googled Hollin Bridge St the pub looked like it was still active.
thanks harry long retired…
harry_gill:
hiya,
Yes Marc the Vabis of Bowkers was very likely the one i drove for a distance of about 25 yards on "the land"the regular driver would have been a guy named Cliff Leader who later moved on to manage MAT transport’s Hull depot he was’nt pleased that i had the audacity to get in his cab although i was waiting to fuel up and wanting to get to the Havelock and join the rest of the lads for a pint or three i did tell him to go away in my own inimitable manner.
thanks harry long retired.
Hiya Harry,
The Havelock, thats a blast from the past,used to go in there when I was a boy racer. Better by road, better per ******* Im sure you can fill in the missing firm.
hiya,
Jakdaw Would the missing firm name be Bowkers last time i was in the Havelock was in 1972 was you “boy racing” then??, moved up to the North East at that time and have’nt been that way for years although the last time i Googled Hollin Bridge St the pub looked like it was still active.
thanks harry long retired…
Hiya Harry and Wheelnut,
Was just about to edit my post, it should have read, Send it by road, Send it per Bridges
I thought the Havelock you referred to was in Preston. My apologies senior moment.
I
Here’s an oldie for you. It should bring a smile to John 3300’s dial.
I found this at work today in a box of old stuff going in the bin,glad I saved it. It says that the weight of the crane is 42 ton. The poor old MM6 sure would have worked hard. Anyone remember seeing it on the road?
hiya,
The eight legged Albion was one motor i did fancy having a go in, just to compare them with the old Leyland Octopus which i did drive as a young-un , did’nt they look the business bet they was a canny drag pulling motor would like to see one in that format.
thanks harry long retired.
Here’s an oldie for you. It should bring a smile to John 3300’s dial.
I found this at work today in a box of old stuff going in the bin,glad I saved it. It says that the weight of the crane is 42 ton. The poor old MM6 sure would have worked hard. Anyone remember seeing it on the road?
JAMIE,don’t re member the motor but the company i worked with for 39 years bought Starr roadways out around 1990.vic.
bubbleman:
Here we go then,
Hiya…this Dennis dos’nt look new to me its got a little knock or two and dos’nt look that clean
BUT its the newist motor in the road in fact it coulds be 4 years newer than most of the cars.
it looks like a hilman minx and a vauxhall 101 near the trader they may be a little newer i think
the 3 wheeler is a 59 model i had one XYF 6 the number was and it cost me £10 with the plate
thrown in
John
You have to excuse me jumping backwards in this brilliant thread, it is like revision at school
I wonder if the cars in front of the Thames trader are;
Ford Consul
100E Popular/Prefect
Hillman Husky
Mark VI Reliant Regal
Morris 1000 Traveller
Onward and upwards Bubbs
THAMES TRADER■■?
What Thames Trader?
I think the1000 Traveller is a Austin a30/a35 van looking at the shape of the rear wing!vic.
Back to this one,I think the last car opposit the trader is a Stanard Ensign,I used to have one in the60s.
Here’s an oldie for you. It should bring a smile to John 3300’s dial.
I found this at work today in a box of old stuff going in the bin,glad I saved it. It says that the weight of the crane is 42 ton. The poor old MM6 sure would have worked hard. Anyone remember seeing it on the road?
Hiya. JAMIE…thanks for checking the bin thats a good old girl. i was talking to a chap who worked with the mm6’s
on the motorway construction…he told me they would put 30 ton of clay on one of those old girls.
he also told me they was useing 70 gallon of gasoil a day on the muck shifting, working a 12 hour day…
they must have been working them hard.I was out in my mm6 the other day (first time) 42 mph max so
at the moment I’am fitting a pair of higher speed diffs so the paint job is running behind.
Cheers mate keep posting the AEC’s
John
Jakdaw:
hiya,
Jakdaw Would the missing firm name be Bowkers last time i was in the Havelock was in 1972 was you “boy racing” then??, moved up to the North East at that time and have’nt been that way for years although the last time i Googled Hollin Bridge St the pub looked like it was still active.
thanks harry long retired…
Hiya Harry and Wheelnut,
Was just about to edit my post, it should have read, Send it by road, Send it per Bridges
I thought the Havelock you referred to was in Preston. My apologies senior moment.
I
[/quote]
Coincidentally, Bowker’s office block at the Bamber Bridge HQ is called Havelock House - but that’s because the River Havelock runs down the side of the dpot.
Glad to see that a few fellas remembered Starr Roadways. Good to hear that you are getiing out in your MM John mate,yeah she should get along a bit better with higher ratio diffs.
It’s my birthday today and I had a day off to help a mate shift his '68 Mammoth Major Ergo. We loaded it up on his '67 Marshal,bloody heavy the poor old Marshal was working hard.
I’m taking them to a truck show tomorrow and have to cross over a range of hills that are 550 meters high,it’s going to be a slow trip up and down I reckon.
I have much respect for you older blokes who used to drive these old banga’s full time,you’ve got to know what your doing and not rush things.
After spending ages trying to reverse this thing watch your fingers on the unguarded blower belts.
In 43 years I only drove tankers so that single chain looks a bit iffy to me, but what do I know. .
One to make Harry,s day his favourite motor in trouble
The operator is Crossway,s the same as its position on the road.
.