Rant respected. No disrespect was intended to any S.o.M. drivers either those still with us or those who are,nt.
I have had a conversation with an ex S.o.M. driver who has driven one and this has been backed up by other drivers on this thread that have driven one.
Now we have a person who has worked on them,and can add more to the thread, so they are becoming less of a myth and more of a legend. But does that mean that we can,t hope , one day , to see a photo of one.
To my mind there is nothing disrespectful about building a picture up of a piece of transport past.
Rant respected. No disrespect was intended to any S.o.M. drivers either those still with us or those who are,nt.
I have had a conversation with an ex S.o.M. driver who has driven one and this has been backed up by other drivers on this thread that have driven one.
Now we have a person who has worked on them,and can add more to the thread, so they are becoming less of a myth and more of a legend. But does that mean that we can,t hope , one day , to see a photo of one.
To my mind there is nothing disrespectful about building a picture up of a piece of transport past.
Cheers Bassman
These recent posts should be on the dedicated 240 Gardner Big J thread, from I think March this year,SoM werent the only company to have 240 powered Big J’s,they had 39 out of the reported 40 that were installed in Big J’s,there is at least one other that was with an oil Company,but there could be plenty of other companies that had them,not mythical,just legendary!!
We ,Ran a Seddon with the cab very like the Guy big j ,A day cab with a 240 Gardener ,2 pots sticking out the back, an L reg ,could have poss ,been mistaken for a GUY ? Yours BARRY
b.waddy:
We ,Ran a Seddon with the cab very like the Guy big j ,A day cab with a 240 Gardener ,2 pots sticking out the back, an L reg ,could have poss ,been mistaken for a GUY ? Yours BARRY
Seddons and Guy’s used the same Motor Panels cab Bazzer,but the fron’t of the two cabs were slightly different.There wasn’t many 8LXB engined Seddon tractors built and for some unexplained reason the 8LXB in the Seddon chassis was de-rated to 200 BHP which IMO kind of defeated the object of the excercise! I re-call my pal Malc Woodhouse snr.running an 8LXB Seddon tractor which IIRC was also an “L” reg one.I don’t believe more than a handful were manufactured and they were all around that reg No. period,I think theres a shot of an SOM Seddon 8LXB on the thread somewhere. Cheers Dennis.
MR Bewick ,I think that was the one it was in there colours ,and we bought it from Billy Radcliff ,Ashton in Makerfield ,it had a D/Brown 6 speed ,would not do 70 mph though ,58 /60 tops ,Yours Barry
b.waddy:
MR Bewick ,I think that was the one it was in there colours ,and we bought it from Billy Radcliff ,Ashton in Makerfield ,it had a D/Brown 6 speed ,would not do 70 mph though ,58 /60 tops ,Yours Barry
Have a look on the Guy Big J thread Bazzer,I’ve put a shot of the back end of a new Seddon on from an ealier post.For some reason they stuck the 6 speed DB box into it which maybe accounts for the derated 8LXB ? The Fuller box was out then so why didn’t they use that ? That crappy 8 speed DB was out as well so I wonder if Seddons tried that box as well ? We got a new Seddon in Sept '74 with the 220 ■■■■■■■ and 10 spd Fuller and it was a flying machine !! Cheers Dennis.
reagle ill do it:
They were legendary 8 speed fuller boxes in the som ones done a true 70mph and pulled like a train
Reagle,
As stated previously,the day I started,the SoM Manchester Manager,Harold Gilmore drove me over to Newton Le Willows SoM Depot to collect a brand new Big J 240,came down on night trunk from Maddiston paint shop,well what a power house that was,coming off a 180 Atkinson at Humber McVeigh’s !!!
Bassman:
Hi, 5th Wheel,
Did you miss the old Atki after that experience? I wonder.
Cheers, Bassman
hiya,
I came off an old Atki to drive a brand spanking new Scania 80
after one trip I asked for the old Atki back, didn’t get it so I jacked.
thanks harry, long retired.
5th wheel I remember mr Gilmore well also the gaurs dog at cheetham hill I think it was an Alsatian crossed with a bad tempers lion with toothache I had to put an empty tr up the back while winding down the legs looked round to see the dog dragging its kennel on its chain trying to get close enough to eat me !
It looks as if butter wouldn,t melt in it,s mouth. It,s a pussycat!
Cheers Bassman
All I can say “Bassman” is I was taking the photo !!! and I was his g’uvnor!!! He has been known to have hold of a driver by the arse and shake him like a rag doll,unfortunatley the whole workforce was terrified of him!! In the 8/9 years we had him in the depot we never had a minutes trouble,but when I finished at WRM (along with the Dog) they got turned over a number of times,garage tools ect even the Managers Merc car was nicked,never to be found.Highly amusing I called it !! Cheers Dennis.
Dennis, have you seen the dvd on Bedford trucks its titled you saw them everwhere? in it theres a short film ,about 10 mins on smiths of maddison in the 1960s ,just a bit of info for you ,great ,cheer,s p.s. do you still race trotting horse,s?
scud:
Dennis, have you seen the dvd on Bedford trucks its titled you saw them everwhere? in it theres a short film ,about 10 mins on smiths of maddison in the 1960s ,just a bit of info for you ,great ,cheer,s p.s. do you still race trotting horse,s?
No “scud” I haven’t seen that dvd,and I gave up Harness racing in the mid '90’s ! Cheers Dennis.
reagle ill do it:
5th wheel I remember mr Gilmore well also the gaurs dog at cheetham hill I think it was an Alsatian crossed with a bad tempers lion with toothache I had to put an empty tr up the back while winding down the legs looked round to see the dog dragging its kennel on its chain trying to get close enough to eat me !
Reagle,
Being mostly on nights,I didnt have anything to do with the flippin dog,remember its kennel,and thats about all.
Which Depot were you from?
Bassman,I have always had a soft spot for the Borderer’s,even with less power,180 Percy,in its day,a nice motor,although you still had to use that timber scotch or wedge to jam under the throttle pedal,otherwise your right leg used to get cramp,especially going up Beattock on the A74,but that brand new Big J with a 240 Percy,riding bobtail,that flew back to Cheetham Hill,in fact I almost caught up with Harold in his car!..better days they were for sure!!
