South Wales Hauliers sixties and seventies onwards (Part 1)

smallcoal · 27 February 2016 20:14

One of raymonds foden

leyland600 · 27 February 2016 21:18

Hi abtfinman, as well as freezing to death in the S83 could you see where you were going with those massive headlights? I certainly couldn’t with the two 8 wheelers I had, firstly a S80 then a S83 and yes it was a long way to reach the windscreen.
Cheers Leyland 600.

pete_359 · 28 February 2016 09:49

bubbleman · 28 February 2016 12:52

Hiya,heres one I took in Northern France a few years ago,Cheers Bubbs,

bubbleman · 28 February 2016 13:01

Hiya,Another Raymonds…this one heading home on the M4 with a rearranged back end ,Cheers Bubbs,

pete_359 · 28 February 2016 20:05

Hi Marcus,
Thanks for sharing you j.r. Pictures mate.

bubbleman · 28 February 2016 21:49

Hiya,Heres a couple more on the M4 Andrew ,Cheers Bubbs,

pete_359 · 28 February 2016 21:57

bubbleman:
Hiya,Heres a couple more on the M4 Andrew ,Cheers Bubbs,

Top man,that’s ■■■■ Hopkins (r.i.p) driving the foden and Peter Lacey in the f10,he still drives for j.r.

paul_john · 28 February 2016 22:00

abtfinman:
Hi Paul
Drove for Hoovers from 1973 to 1979. They owned all of their motors. Only time they didn’t was towards the end and we had Volvo F7s on hire.Totally underpowered compared to the Mandators. They were run on the Scottish trunk. Fully freighted on the way home, slow but comfortable.

When AEC stopped making Mandators Hoovers bought a batch of Foden S83s. Massive cab and 2 small Smiths box heaters. Froze in those things in the winter. Demisters were useless and the windscreen was so far away you had to slide forward off the seat to wipe it.

My regular motor was a Mandator but if it was in the workshop you took whatever was available. Didn’t like those Fodens 1 bit.

Hi all. Alan, I new you would have the answer. What’s the situation with their transport/distribution these days?

Regards Paul.

abtfinman · 29 February 2016 07:04

Paul John:

abtfinman:
Hi Paul
Drove for Hoovers from 1973 to 1979. They owned all of their motors. Only time they didn’t was towards the end and we had Volvo F7s on hire.Totally underpowered compared to the Mandators. They were run on the Scottish trunk. Fully freighted on the way home, slow but comfortable.

When AEC stopped making Mandators Hoovers bought a batch of Foden S83s. Massive cab and 2 small Smiths box heaters. Froze in those things in the winter. Demisters were useless and the windscreen was so far away you had to slide forward off the seat to wipe it.

My regular motor was a Mandator but if it was in the workshop you took whatever was available. Didn’t like those Fodens 1 bit.

Hi all. Alan, I new you would have the answer. What’s the situation with their transport/distribution these days?

Regards Paul.

Hi Paul.
The Hoover factory closed down several years ago. The machines are now all made abroad. I think it is Italy. Part of the factory is used as some sort of distribution or rectification facility. Various hauliers vehicles can be seen, but TWT from Ystrad Mynach seem to have quite a few trailers in there.

Hi Pete 359.

Look forward to seeing the Scania photos. They were not actually Hoover lorries . The Scanias came in when BRS took over. I did not work for BRS. I went to Midland Oil in Ebbw Vale as Transport Co-ordinator when Hoovers made us all redundant.

Best Regards

Alyn

abtfinman · 29 February 2016 07:15

Leyland600:
Hi abtfinman, as well as freezing to death in the S83 could you see where you were going with those massive headlights? I certainly couldn’t with the two 8 wheelers I had, firstly a S80 then a S83 and yes it was a long way to reach the windscreen.
Cheers Leyland 600.

Hi Leyland 600.

I had forgotton about those lights, they were pretty bad. As i said earlier my main memory of the things was the cold. First time i ever took one out I came out of the Bolton Depot on a cold murky winters morning heading for Leeds. Got on the M62 going down into Death Valley. Screen started misting up. Put the demisters on , within about 10 seconds I could see nothing at all. Managed to get onto the hard shoulder so I could clean the screen.

Did I mention I didn’t like the bloody things?

Best Regards

Alyn

harry_gill · 29 February 2016 13:03

abtfinman:

Leyland600:
Hi abtfinman, as well as freezing to death in the S83 could you see where you were going with those massive headlights? I certainly couldn’t with the two 8 wheelers I had, firstly a S80 then a S83 and yes it was a long way to reach the windscreen.
Cheers Leyland 600.

Hi Leyland 600.

I had forgotton about those lights, they were pretty bad. As i said earlier my main memory of the things was the cold. First time i ever took one out I came out of the Bolton Depot on a cold murky winters morning heading for Leeds. Got on the M62 going down into Death Valley. Screen started misting up. Put the demisters on , within about 10 seconds I could see nothing at all. Managed to get onto the hard shoulder so I could clean the screen.

Did I mention I didn’t like the bloody things?

Best Regards

Alyn

Hiya,
I drove one of FF Robinson’s"half cab things" a distance of about two hundred
yards, off the loading bay and parked it up (with the shunter’s permission) it
was the most horrible thing I’ve ever driven the driver was on my side too, he
told me that not one of the drivers liked them contrary to what the boss said.
thanks harry, long retired.

pete_359 · 29 February 2016 23:08

abtfinman:

Paul John:

abtfinman:
Hi Paul
Drove for Hoovers from 1973 to 1979. They owned all of their motors. Only time they didn’t was towards the end and we had Volvo F7s on hire.Totally underpowered compared to the Mandators. They were run on the Scottish trunk. Fully freighted on the way home, slow but comfortable.

When AEC stopped making Mandators Hoovers bought a batch of Foden S83s. Massive cab and 2 small Smiths box heaters. Froze in those things in the winter. Demisters were useless and the windscreen was so far away you had to slide forward off the seat to wipe it.

My regular motor was a Mandator but if it was in the workshop you took whatever was available. Didn’t like those Fodens 1 bit.

Hi all. Alan, I new you would have the answer. What’s the situation with their transport/distribution these days?

Regards Paul.

Hi Paul.
The Hoover factory closed down several years ago. The machines are now all made abroad. I think it is Italy. Part of the factory is used as some sort of distribution or rectification facility. Various hauliers vehicles can be seen, but TWT from Ystrad Mynach seem to have quite a few trailers in there.

Hi Pete 359.

Look forward to seeing the Scania photos. They were not actually Hoover lorries . The Scanias came in when BRS took over. I did not work for BRS. I went to Midland Oil in Ebbw Vale as Transport Co-ordinator when Hoovers made us all redundant.

Best Regards

Alyn

hi alyn,
saw this on Facebook,i messaged the poster for permission to share,no reply,so thats a yes to me ….

abtfinman · 1 March 2016 09:44

pete 359:

abtfinman:

Paul John:

abtfinman:
Hi Paul
Drove for Hoovers from 1973 to 1979. They owned all of their motors. Only time they didn’t was towards the end and we had Volvo F7s on hire.Totally underpowered compared to the Mandators. They were run on the Scottish trunk. Fully freighted on the way home, slow but comfortable.

When AEC stopped making Mandators Hoovers bought a batch of Foden S83s. Massive cab and 2 small Smiths box heaters. Froze in those things in the winter. Demisters were useless and the windscreen was so far away you had to slide forward off the seat to wipe it.

My regular motor was a Mandator but if it was in the workshop you took whatever was available. Didn’t like those Fodens 1 bit.

Hi all. Alan, I new you would have the answer. What’s the situation with their transport/distribution these days?

Regards Paul.

Hi Paul.
The Hoover factory closed down several years ago. The machines are now all made abroad. I think it is Italy. Part of the factory is used as some sort of distribution or rectification facility. Various hauliers vehicles can be seen, but TWT from Ystrad Mynach seem to have quite a few trailers in there.

Hi Pete 359.

Look forward to seeing the Scania photos. They were not actually Hoover lorries . The Scanias came in when BRS took over. I did not work for BRS. I went to Midland Oil in Ebbw Vale as Transport Co-ordinator when Hoovers made us all redundant.

Best Regards

Alyn

hi alyn,
saw this on Facebook,i messaged the poster for permission to share,no reply,so thats a yes to me ….

Some old faces there. Top left hand picture from left to right. Johnny Spotless (can’t remember his proper surname), Cliff Ward, Johnny Vaughan and Glan Morgan. Not sure who the other ones are.
Whose facebook page were they on?

pete_359 · 1 March 2016 20:38

Hi alyn,
The Scania Hoover images were posted by a chap called john Pearce.

abtfinman · 2 March 2016 08:06

pete 359:
Hi alyn,
The Scania Hoover images were posted by a chap called john Pearce.

John is or was from Nelson, ex Hoover driver, must have stayed on with BRS.

pete_359 · 2 March 2016 19:08

Hi all,
I tripped up (electronically) on a Facebook page about the South Wales town of Barry.these next images are from there.

pete_359 · 2 March 2016 22:01

Check your email inbox sbf10 and lance…

leyland600 · 3 March 2016 17:48

Hi daibootsy, study your photos of Hoover AECs general opinion seems to suggest that the fleet was made up of AEC Mandators, I would agree with that is correct, however looking through the December 1961 edition of the AEC Gazette a magazine I have had in my possession since publication I find the attached photograph and caption regarding tractor unit 3213 MT I would have thought back then that the AEC publishing caption writers would have got their facts correct before printing. Some of you gents down in South Wales must know for sure. ?
Cheers, Leyland 600.

harry_gill · 3 March 2016 19:16

Leyland600:
Hi daibootsy, study your photos of Hoover AECs general opinion seems to suggest that the fleet was made up of AEC Mandators, I would agree with that is correct, however looking through the December 1961 edition of the AEC Gazette a magazine I have had in my possession since publication I find the attached photograph and caption regarding tractor unit 3213 MT I would have thought back then that the AEC publishing caption writers would have got their facts correct before printing. Some of you gents down in South Wales must know for sure. ?
Cheers, Leyland 600.

Hiya,
The BRS, only used the lighter tractors for single axle trailers the Mandators only
ever pulled tandems and ran at max weight permissible at the time, if Hoover
were using Mandators for those lightweight trailers it seems like a sledgehammer
being used to crack a walnut.
thanks harry, long retired.