I’ve only been over Shap Fell once,back in the summer of 98. It was a bit like driving Route 66 or taking the trans Siberian for me. I’d read so many story of blokes struggling over in the winter in old under powered over weight motors.
If I closed my eyes a little bit while letting the revs die on my mums Nissan Bluebird estate and then double de-clutching down a cog I could imagine I was driving one of T Bradys LAD ‘Power Plus’ Octopus’ and dangler. It just wasn’t quite the same in a car in summer
Anyhow here’s a pic of the famous ‘High Brow Bridge’ at the bottom of the main climb. With my mums Bluebird ‘Power Plus’ parked up while the bakes cool down a bit.
Dave the Renegade:
The Stone tribute on top of the A6 Shap summit.
And here’s how it got there! This is the stone being collected from the Shap Granite quarry, for delivery to the stonemason at Troutbeck Bridge. The fork truck was for unloading it at the stomemason’s yard.
NZ JAMIE:
I’ve only been over Shap Fell once,back in the summer of 98. It was a bit like driving Route 66 or taking the trans Siberian for me. I’d read so many story of blokes struggling over in the winter in old under powered over weight motors.
If I closed my eyes a little bit while letting the revs die on my mums Nissan Bluebird estate and then double de-clutching down a cog I could imagine I was driving one of T Bradys LAD ‘Power Plus’ Octopus’ and dangler. It just wasn’t quite the same in a car in summer
Anyhow here’s a pic of the famous ‘High Brow Bridge’ at the bottom of the main climb. With my mums Bluebird ‘Power Plus’ parked up while the bakes cool down a bit.
Youv’e got a vivid imagination Jamie I’ll give you that! I’ve been over Shap a good few times in the very Motor you described and I remember well the day we had circa 28ton of steel deck plates for the Clyde and believe me the climb up the Fell cleaned the cob-webs out of the Octopus!! Then we had a double blow-out on the n/s rear in the middle of Shap village(Dunlop RB6’s).Happy days cheers Dennis.
G’day Dennis,
Great story mate,I wish I could have been around to see Brady’s Octopus’. Like you say they would have worked bloody hard with that weight on going up that pull. They really looked good in thier colours,it’s a shame that the restored one has been repainted in another livery. I know the fella who has restored this ‘Power Plus’ LAD Hippo,he also is a big fan of Bradys’ LAD’s. The Ergo next to it is his as well and he’s also resoring an LAD Octopus,which with luck I’m going to have a squiz at tomorrow.
Got any pics of their Leylands Dennis?
Cheers Jamie
NZ JAMIE:
G’day Dennis,
Great story mate,I wish I could have been around to see Brady’s Octopus’. Like you say they would have worked bloody hard with that weight on going up that pull. They really looked good in thier colours,it’s a shame that the restored one has been repainted in another livery. I know the fella who has restored this ‘Power Plus’ LAD Hippo,he also is a big fan of Bradys’ LAD’s. The Ergo next to it is his as well and he’s also resoring an LAD Octopus,which with luck I’m going to have a squiz at tomorrow.
Got any pics of their Leylands Dennis?
Cheers Jamie
Hiya Jamie am just back from a neighbours barbie were I had a few tinnies Mate!!! Sorry I havn’t any shots of the Brady Octopus and trailer I wasn’t into taking photos then but wish I had been as I could have had some cracking ones!! Although the guy that replicated the octopus and trailer called in to see me and the driver Eric Postlethwaite a few years ago and we had our photos taken with it.I spent many an hour sat in the passenger side of the Octopus and at age 19 a good few hours behind the wheel usually in the dark when we were burning the candle at both ends!!!The Octopus could pull like a train but the brakes were crap! only braked on 3 axles and the trailer on its rear axle only!Anyway nice to hear from you take care Dennis.
Suttons used to have some old Leyland Comet units which sometimes were coupled up to tandem axle trailers loaded up to 16 ton for Glasgow, which would really struggle going up Shap, so one of the old bow fronted Atkinson 8 wheelers with the 6LW and a mighty 112 bhp which were all fitted with a shunt bar which was at the exact level of the rear crossmember on a York tandem would tuckup behind the Comet and give it a helping hand over Shap, all the York tandems used to have a dent in this crossmember, later of course Suttons standardised on Dysons which did’nt have this rear crossmember but these were pulled by Atkinson units with 6 LXB 150 bhp which did’nt need help…Tony.
5thwheel:
Being a night trunker for Smith of Maddiston,Manchester Depot,when the temperature dropped down to a serious level,some drivers[me included] had to set a small fire under the fuel tank to dewax the diesel in order that we could get home,no insulated fuel tanks in those days!,but we generally made it home,some of the Scotsmen didnt though,used to keep Millars @ Beattock busy!Take it easy,
Rgds to all,
David
Pretty sure Millars were from Abington,can remember getting towed in by them when i was kid with the old man in a Tk that expired on Beattock summit on a Sunday night.
Millars couldnt replace the engine for at least a week because they they were so busy so it was towed to a garage in Biggar which could do the job quicker.Another van was dispatched from Swindon,arrived in Biggar on the the Tues afternoon and the load was transferred and delivered to Forres.We picked up the lorry on the Friday on the way back down and i can remember my dad wouldnt go over 35mph because it had to be “run in”
Sorry for rambling but it was the first time i went to Scotland, i was about 10 - Happy days !
Suedehead:
5thwheel:
Being a night trunker for Smith of Maddiston,Manchester Depot,when the temperature dropped down to a serious level,some drivers[me included] had to set a small fire under the fuel tank to dewax the diesel in order that we could get home,no insulated fuel tanks in those days!,but we generally made it home,some of the Scotsmen didnt though,used to keep Millars @ Beattock busy!Take it easy,
Rgds to all,
David
Pretty sure Millars were from Abington,can remember getting towed in by them when i was kid with the old man in a Tk that expired on Beattock summit on a Sunday night.
Millars couldnt replace the engine for at least a week because they they were so busy so it was towed to a garage in Biggar which could do the job quicker.Another van was dispatched from Swindon,arrived in Biggar on the the Tues afternoon and the load was transferred and delivered to Forres.We picked up the lorry on the Friday on the way back down and i can remember my dad wouldnt go over 35mph because it had to be “run in”
Sorry for rambling but it was the first time i went to Scotland, i was about 10 - Happy days !
Course they were,on the right hand side going North,old age again!!
Well spotted suedehead!!,
Rgds,
David 
I REMEMBER GETTING STUCK ON SHAP 1961 FOR 24 HOURS WHEN I CAME TO MOVE OFF AT THE SELSIDE CAFE AT THE TOP THE HYDROVACK BRAKE UNIT HAD FROZEN UP & CRACKED HUDSONS OF MILLINTHORP CAME WITH THEIR WRECKER & TOWED ME ON A RIGID BAR THE DRIVER WAS A MASSIVE HAIRY CHESTED BLOKE & HE TOLD ME HE WAS IN A HURRY CO HE HAD 2 MORE TO SEE TO WHAT A WHITE KNUCKLED BLOODY TRIP THAT WAS NO POWERED STEERING HE WAS DOING 50 IN PLACES & WAVING TO OTHER DRIVERS & LAUGHING HIS HEAD OFF I WAS GLAD WHEN HE GOT US TO THEIR GARAGE AT SANDSIDE I SPENT THE NIIGHT AT THE ROSE COTTAGE DIGS AT KENDAL HAPPY DAYS EH CHEERS LARRY I WORKED FOR BAXTERS ROAD SERVICES NEWCASTLE IN THOSE DAYS