alexsaville:
DaveYou didn’t mention yesterday when you phoned your eyesight was going?
I’ll help you out, Mon Ami!
The Bedford ran out of Alloa, don’t know what it did there but I know a man I can ask, I’m sure your right that it’s Maddiston.
Since all the engine rebuilds were done there, maybe that’s why it was there.
The rigid’s mostly (I can’t say for sure they all did.) had the first letter of the depot code and a Z, what the Z signified I don’t know, again, I’ll ask.
London Road depot, Glasgow, distributed the Spillers contract, they also had vans based at Boots, Airdrie and did Aberdeen, Inverness and all points north of there.‘There’s only one thing that’ll pass a Smiths Motor and that’s another one’.
Must be true 'cause after I wrote that, at least two other transport authors plagiarised my words!Alex…the fleet numbering system was as far as I remember, the depot and gross weight ,
For example, SD457 would be S for Southampton depot, D for 32ton ,. and 457 the actual motor.Can’t member many of them now, but - M -Maddiston, B-Birmingham, N- Stockton,. G-Glasgow ( as you know Alex)…L -Luton…can’t remember Newton-le-Willows or Manchester as both N and M were taken by other depots…some of the lads will member more I’m sure…
Fergie47:
alexsaville:
DaveYou didn’t mention yesterday when you phoned your eyesight was going?
I’ll help you out, Mon Ami!
The Bedford ran out of Alloa, don’t know what it did there but I know a man I can ask, I’m sure your right that it’s Maddiston.
Since all the engine rebuilds were done there, maybe that’s why it was there.
The rigid’s mostly (I can’t say for sure they all did.) had the first letter of the depot code and a Z, what the Z signified I don’t know, again, I’ll ask.
London Road depot, Glasgow, distributed the Spillers contract, they also had vans based at Boots, Airdrie and did Aberdeen, Inverness and all points north of there.‘There’s only one thing that’ll pass a Smiths Motor and that’s another one’.
Must be true 'cause after I wrote that, at least two other transport authors plagiarised my words!Alex…the fleet numbering system was as far as I remember, the depot and gross weight ,
For example, SD457 would be S for Southampton depot, D for 32ton ,. and 457 the actual motor.Can’t member many of them now, but - M -Maddiston, B-Birmingham, N- Stockton,. G-Glasgow ( as you know Alex)…L -Luton…can’t remember Newton-le-Willows or Manchester as both N and M were taken by other depots…some of the lads will member more I’m sure…
Fergie/Alex,
Manchester fleet were designated “OD”,I always considered the way that was decided was the next unadopted letter,M was taken by Maddiston,so the next unadopted letter was O,interesting comment Fergie re D,I thought D was for depot,if you recall Smiths had at least 1 double drive Big J,ostensibly on Heavy Haulage,that was MD ■■?,so not convinced D was for the rated tonnage,but I am happy to be corrected by those who know better!
Wasn’t Glasgow ND■■? ? and Stockton I’m sure was TD■■?
David
5thwheel:
Fergie47:
alexsaville:
DaveYou didn’t mention yesterday when you phoned your eyesight was going?
I’ll help you out, Mon Ami!
The Bedford ran out of Alloa, don’t know what it did there but I know a man I can ask, I’m sure your right that it’s Maddiston.
Since all the engine rebuilds were done there, maybe that’s why it was there.
The rigid’s mostly (I can’t say for sure they all did.) had the first letter of the depot code and a Z, what the Z signified I don’t know, again, I’ll ask.
London Road depot, Glasgow, distributed the Spillers contract, they also had vans based at Boots, Airdrie and did Aberdeen, Inverness and all points north of there.‘There’s only one thing that’ll pass a Smiths Motor and that’s another one’.
Must be true 'cause after I wrote that, at least two other transport authors plagiarised my words!Alex…the fleet numbering system was as far as I remember, the depot and gross weight ,
For example, SD457 would be S for Southampton depot, D for 32ton ,. and 457 the actual motor.Can’t member many of them now, but - M -Maddiston, B-Birmingham, N- Stockton,. G-Glasgow ( as you know Alex)…L -Luton…can’t remember Newton-le-Willows or Manchester as both N and M were taken by other depots…some of the lads will member more I’m sure…
Fergie/Alex,
Manchester fleet were designated “OD”,I always considered the way that was decided was the next unadopted letter,M was taken by Maddiston,so the next unadopted letter was O,interesting comment Fergie re D,I thought D was for depot,if you recall Smiths had at least 1 double drive Big J,ostensibly on Heavy Haulage,that was MD ■■?,so not convinced D was for the rated tonnage,but I am happy to be corrected by those who know better!
Wasn’t Glasgow ND■■? ? and Stockton I’m sure was TD■■?
David
Youre right Dave…TD was Stockton, I ought to know as I shunted the Stockton/Southampton trunk…but then, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast…let alone over 40 years ago 
Fergie47:
5thwheel:
Fergie47:
alexsaville:
DaveYou didn’t mention yesterday when you phoned your eyesight was going?
I’ll help you out, Mon Ami!
The Bedford ran out of Alloa, don’t know what it did there but I know a man I can ask, I’m sure your right that it’s Maddiston.
Since all the engine rebuilds were done there, maybe that’s why it was there.
The rigid’s mostly (I can’t say for sure they all did.) had the first letter of the depot code and a Z, what the Z signified I don’t know, again, I’ll ask.
London Road depot, Glasgow, distributed the Spillers contract, they also had vans based at Boots, Airdrie and did Aberdeen, Inverness and all points north of there.‘There’s only one thing that’ll pass a Smiths Motor and that’s another one’.
Must be true 'cause after I wrote that, at least two other transport authors plagiarised my words!Alex…the fleet numbering system was as far as I remember, the depot and gross weight ,
For example, SD457 would be S for Southampton depot, D for 32ton ,. and 457 the actual motor.Can’t member many of them now, but - M -Maddiston, B-Birmingham, N- Stockton,. G-Glasgow ( as you know Alex)…L -Luton…can’t remember Newton-le-Willows or Manchester as both N and M were taken by other depots…some of the lads will member more I’m sure…
Fergie/Alex,
Manchester fleet were designated “OD”,I always considered the way that was decided was the next unadopted letter,M was taken by Maddiston,so the next unadopted letter was O,interesting comment Fergie re D,I thought D was for depot,if you recall Smiths had at least 1 double drive Big J,ostensibly on Heavy Haulage,that was MD ■■?,so not convinced D was for the rated tonnage,but I am happy to be corrected by those who know better!
Wasn’t Glasgow ND■■? ? and Stockton I’m sure was TD■■?
DavidYoure right Dave…TD was Stockton, I ought to know as I shunted the Stockton/Southampton trunk…but then, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast…let alone over 40 years ago
What’s breakfast Fergie lol!!!
David
So what was the “letter” that denoted St. Albans depot ? I know there was a depot there because I went in on a number of occasions to pick up bits for my area ! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
So what was the “letter” that denoted St. Albans depot ? I know there was a depot there because I went in on a number of occasions to pick up bits for my area ! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Dennis,
Yes indeed,a busy depot,not large but nevertheless very busy,the depot lettering would be dependant on when the depot was opened,it can’t have been A,A was allocated to Alloa depot,perhaps L,for London would have been the next available letter,LD does seem familiar though.
David
quote
Bewick:
So what was the “letter” that denoted St. Albans depot ? I know there was a depot there because I went in on a number of occasions to pick up bits for my area ! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Den…Think it was L, covered London, but then again…
But the “D” I’m sure was the weight categorie, we had a Big J unit at Southampton with the AEC 505 at 28 tons and that was SJ… 
Now thinking that Newton_le-Willows was" W" for Wigan…but then
Gentlemen
St Albans was LD, Newton Le Willows was WD, I seem to remember.
Alex
This is a photo of one of there six wheeler,s double drive motor,s
(not a 240 Dennis) also remember them having some
six wheel Scania unit,s
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Leyland 680:
This is a photo of one of there six wheeler,s double drive motor,s
(not a 240 Dennis) also remember them having some
six wheel Scania unit,sSent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
…checkout the ■■■■■■■ badge on the lower grille Leyland 680!!!
David
That’s why I said it,s not a 240
That trailer behind the 6x4 Big J seems to be very lightweight.
gingerfold:
That trailer behind the 6x4 Big J seems to be very lightweight.
They were Highway trailers, made in Eastleigh near Southampton and we’re indeed very light, at the time I think the lightest 40 and 33 ft there was with the big super singles, alloy frame work, ply wood floors …The 40ft was OK, but the 33ft were a nightmare, so light the bounced around even loaded, I hated the things, so always tried to get a Boden trailer if there was a choice, heavier, but more stable…the governors liked the Highways as you could squeeze a bit more on…
Hey,
Smith Maddiston Belium Brussels.
Pic taken in Antwerp docks, picking up trailers of the Tilbury Antwerp ferry.
Eric,
Well found tiptop,Volvo and what appears to be an AEC IINM,great picture thanks for posting.
David
5thwheel:
Well found tiptop,Volvo and what appears to be an AEC IINM,great picture thanks for posting.David
A Belgian, Bollekens-cabbed AEC Mk5 Mandator, I believe. Ro
Hi all, i did a bit of subbing for Smith of Maddiston would have been around 1975/76 worked for the Southampton depot if i remember it was Norman Kibby depot manager and Euwan in the warehouse we used to load Channel island toms from Portsmouth then change over normally Garstang but had to phone from north of Birmingham to get a destination as it could sometimes be Haywood depended where the Toms where going normally Belfast so into Garstang drop trailer for a night man from Glasgow he would take them on to Stranraer one night the night man was held up so ask me to go to the Moss on the A74 when night man arrived he was not happy i had loaded Portsmouth in the morning and got up to the Moss. He said could not be done legal did not have the heart to tell him i was heading south that night. He apparently put in a complaint about me doing to much in a day
gerbil sb152:
Hi all, i did a bit of subbing for Smith of Maddiston would have been around 1975/76 worked for the Southampton depot if i remember it was Norman Kibby depot manager and Euwan in the warehouse we used to load Channel island toms from Portsmouth then change over normally Garstang but had to phone from north of Birmingham to get a destination as it could sometimes be Haywood depended where the Toms where going normally Belfast so into Garstang drop trailer for a night man from Glasgow he would take them on to Stranraer one night the night man was held up so ask me to go to the Moss on the A74 when night man arrived he was not happy i had loaded Portsmouth in the morning and got up to the Moss. He said could not be done legal did not have the heart to tell him i was heading south that night. He apparently put in a complaint about me doing to much in a day
I had 3 years of 3 Garstang changeovers with Maddiston drivers,if the last one was delayed with tyre or other problems and was running late by 30 minutes or more,I had to use a public phone in Garstang village and phone the Manchester night foreman Cliff Poyser who invariably told me to take the trailer up to Crooklands or the Moss to help the delayed Maddiston driver make it back home.
The Maddiston drivers were quite a strict bunch,whilst taking the trailer further north assisted them,if the final trailer was a load for ISR,I had to take it straight down to Market Drayton,leave it at the Tern Hill café and bring an empty trailer,left by the shunter,back to Manchester…… could be a long night!
David
gerbil sb152:
Hi all, i did a bit of subbing for Smith of Maddiston would have been around 1975/76 worked for the Southampton depot if i remember it was Norman Kibby depot manager and Euwan in the warehouse we used to load Channel island toms from Portsmouth then change over normally Garstang but had to phone from north of Birmingham to get a destination as it could sometimes be Haywood depended where the Toms where going normally Belfast so into Garstang drop trailer for a night man from Glasgow he would take them on to Stranraer one night the night man was held up so ask me to go to the Moss on the A74 when night man arrived he was not happy i had loaded Portsmouth in the morning and got up to the Moss. He said could not be done legal did not have the heart to tell him i was heading south that night. He apparently put in a complaint about me doing to much in a day
Same thing happened to me gerbil in winter 1979.I was on a Penrith changeover from Maltby one night and got to Bowes on A66 to find “Road closed” sign across.So turned round after phoning in and away back to A1,up to Newcastle,across A69 and down M6 to Penrith.Found our Newbridge shop steward fast asleep.He never said owt,changed over and I went back to Maltby via M6/M61/M62 due to snow on A66 and Woodhead.
Later one of our TSMs told me he’d complained about my diverted run saying it could not be done legal so they sent a copy of my log sheet to shut shop steward up. It was a long night but was done legal,having a SA400 with 240 Gardner helped.There was no incentive to go over hours at MFS,everything was done legally.IIRC I just managed to get to Penrith in four and half hours.
tiptop495:
Hey,Smith Maddiston Belium Brussels.
Pic taken in Antwerp docks, picking up trailers of the Tilbury Antwerp ferry.Eric,
Cracking pics Eric…Pretty sure they were sub- contractors to SoM
This Pic I put on page one of this thread, drove it for about a year, then it went back to Maddison to be sold I guess.
