21.photobucket.com/albums/af336/RALLYBRICK49/old%20motors/img096.jpg)
2 pictures of my oil tankers,1st one a few years ago at the West Mid. show, longing to be older and drive a tanker 
2nd one my current truck, driving for Countrywide with a FM in mid wales, and longing to be younger. 
lynchs are still going, see them all the time loading hypocholride at ineos runcorn. a smart fleet indeed!
Working for Tanker company’s never appealed to me. 
After 34 years driving I now pull a tanker and wouldnt want to do anything else, it’s the easiest damm job I have ever known, you can stick box vans 
Wheel Nut:
jim d:
Hi lads very new to Trucknet & have been looking through lots of old threads.Was very interested in the chat relating to Townsons Tankers and maybe I can fill some bits in for you Chris Webb & Wheel Nut particularly. I drove for Esso at Dingle terminal in 60/70s before they moved to Mode Wheel.Townsons used to contract to Esso coming in from Oldham doing a local load and taking a load back to their area to deliver going home, it was Black oil normaly. I think Townsons was run by Mrs Townson and son Rodger,the boss mechanic was a chap called Bernie I think.Iam really driving in the mist of time now.When it was decided to up the weight from 24 tons to 32 (i think for a short while it was 30) Esso leased a couple of vehicles from Townsons and I was given the 1st one which was a Guy Invincible this wagon was one of the first to have a ■■■■■■■ engine fitted and as no agents had been appointed we had to go to Blackwood Hodge were the ■■■■■■■ fitter stayed in a caravan to look after any
problems.It had a 4500 gall 3 pot tank which again had a new pumping system,artic tankers as we know were either compressors or cargo pump on the unit and suction pipe,this had rear mounted pump hydraulic operated from the unit i was told it was a sort of proto type fitted by Drum Pump for Rodger any way it would shift 4500 galls in 20 mins all later tankers we got at Esso rear pumps were standard fitted. Townsons yard was at Mumps in Oldham and the wagon was red cab silver tank with Esso sign on back.when most wagons of the day would do 45ish this would skip along at 60 .We used to go to the ship yard at Barrow on nights and one night in Forton services on of Coopers of Wolverhampton drivers they had mainly Guys camelooking for the Esso driver of the Guy to ask what was under the bonnet by todays standards it was small a ■■■■■■■ 180 if I remember rightly & a David Brown gearbox.It was a great wagon to drive but some drivers didnt like the small wheel base which caused it to bounce a bit.After a couple of years Townsons replaced it with an AEC Mandator again we used it on the black oil job .Rodger Townson was a great lad with us at Esso we looked after his gear and he looked after us .Back to old firms what about Cawoods Fodens used to run into Fords AT Halewood with black oil.Hope it might be a bit of info regarding the interest in Townsons. Cheers JimThanks Jim. It was nice to read this, as I felt exactly the same about the man, he was a great boss and I learned an awful lot from him. He was also my mate after work.
Wheelnut
Are you not the Father in law of Roger Townsons daughter Michele ■■?
pastown:
Wheel Nut:
jim d:
Hi lads very new to Trucknet & have been looking through lots of old threads.Was very interested in the chat relating to Townsons Tankers and maybe I can fill some bits in for you Chris Webb & Wheel Nut particularly. I drove for Esso at Dingle terminal in 60/70s before they moved to Mode Wheel.Townsons used to contract to Esso coming in from Oldham doing a local load and taking a load back to their area to deliver going home, it was Black oil normaly. I think Townsons was run by Mrs Townson and son Rodger,the boss mechanic was a chap called Bernie I think.Iam really driving in the mist of time now.When it was decided to up the weight from 24 tons to 32 (i think for a short while it was 30) Esso leased a couple of vehicles from Townsons and I was given the 1st one which was a Guy Invincible this wagon was one of the first to have a ■■■■■■■ engine fitted and as no agents had been appointed we had to go to Blackwood Hodge were the ■■■■■■■ fitter stayed in a caravan to look after any
problems.It had a 4500 gall 3 pot tank which again had a new pumping system,artic tankers as we know were either compressors or cargo pump on the unit and suction pipe,this had rear mounted pump hydraulic operated from the unit i was told it was a sort of proto type fitted by Drum Pump for Rodger any way it would shift 4500 galls in 20 mins all later tankers we got at Esso rear pumps were standard fitted. Townsons yard was at Mumps in Oldham and the wagon was red cab silver tank with Esso sign on back.when most wagons of the day would do 45ish this would skip along at 60 .We used to go to the ship yard at Barrow on nights and one night in Forton services on of Coopers of Wolverhampton drivers they had mainly Guys camelooking for the Esso driver of the Guy to ask what was under the bonnet by todays standards it was small a ■■■■■■■ 180 if I remember rightly & a David Brown gearbox.It was a great wagon to drive but some drivers didnt like the small wheel base which caused it to bounce a bit.After a couple of years Townsons replaced it with an AEC Mandator again we used it on the black oil job .Rodger Townson was a great lad with us at Esso we looked after his gear and he looked after us .Back to old firms what about Cawoods Fodens used to run into Fords AT Halewood with black oil.Hope it might be a bit of info regarding the interest in Townsons. Cheers JimThanks Jim. It was nice to read this, as I felt exactly the same about the man, he was a great boss and I learned an awful lot from him. He was also my mate after work.
Wheelnut
Are you not the Father in law of Roger Townsons daughter Michele ■■?
Not at all, she will laugh at that though. I will copy this post to her 
Chris Webb:
Now I remember,it was Shirleys Transport from Cellarhead.
Edwin Shirley Trucking was the pop group remover-still going I think.
Hiya chris …Shirleys.this would be a fair motor in your day.I remember her well when new but look what time has done to her.
Shirleys Cellerhead.
John
3300John:
Chris Webb:
Now I remember,it was Shirleys Transport from Cellarhead.
Edwin Shirley Trucking was the pop group remover-still going I think.Hiya chris …Shirleys.this would be a fair motor in your day.I remember her well when new but look what time has done to her.
Shirleys Cellerhead.
John
Hi John,time had certainly taken it’s toll on that old girl and she will have done a few miles with Shirleys.If she was a runner today she’d blast her way down the road with no limiter
Aye,she would have eared me a few bob.I remember Shirleys Transport very well,have they pulled t’pin?
The best motor I had when on tanker work was a TL12 Marathon but it was only a day cab - Evans never bought owt with a sleeper,not as I was bothered,it just meant I got to park up earlier on a dodgy with the Marathon 
Just remembered,I only got to drive an 88 once,a moonlighting job from Sheffield to Wilson’s Brewery Manchester one saturday morning,there was a slight difference between the Volvo and the Mandator I had over Woodhead.
Hiya chris…Shirleys have still got 70 plus motors running. and 10 or so runners parked up.Flying Foden is working for them.
That 88 would still run its complete but the cabs really bad now.I found a good cab in Ireland but it was just after i got the DAF.
I did see that mk5 with the tandam axle tank of Evens you posted that looked a nice outfit for its day.Then again you know how
i like that model AEC.
John
3300John:
Hiya chris…Shirleys have still got 70 plus motors running. and 10 or so runners parked up.Flying Foden is working for them.
That 88 would still run its complete but the cabs really bad now.I found a good cab in Ireland but it was just after i got the DAF.
I did see that mk5 with the tandam axle tank of Evens you posted that looked a nice outfit for its day.Then again you know how
i like that model AEC.
John
That’s nice to know that Shirleys are still going.
That Mandator MK5 was the only MK5 unit that Evans had,on a D 66 plate it would have been one of the last MK5s I suppose.They did have two MK5 3-axle units but they were cut-down 8-leggers re-reg on H plates,wish I’d got a photo of them. 
Shirleys also ran a couple of tankers for John Wyatt of Leeds for a while. I was on contract from S&R’s with them.
The Yorkshireman:
Shirleys also ran a couple of tankers for John Wyatt of Leeds for a while. I was on contract from S&R’s with them.
Yorkshireman we had a Sykes wagon on contract at Wyatt’s in the 70s the lad who was on it was ex S&R and his brother was at S&Rs it was a Crusader painted in Wyatts colours
cheeers Johnnie
The Yorkshireman:
Shirleys also ran a couple of tankers for John Wyatt of Leeds for a while. I was on contract from S&R’s with them.
Hiya Yorkshireman …I’ve grown up with the lads on Wyatts from Shirleys.Alfie Johnson…Eric Bates.and Pete Stevo.Erics is still at Shirleys
Stevo has now Retired and Alfie was doing some continental work but i’am not to shaw who for i’ll ask my mate.
John
Hi Sammyopisite, John.
I think you might be talking about the Priestley brothers, Alan worked for S&R longest before taking over a pub near Yeadon. Can’t think of his brothers name off hand but he lived in I liked them both, even though they were both barmy. If I remember right, Bob took over the crusader later on.
John, same memory problem I’m afraid. I remember there were two of them on the contract but I can’t for the life in me recall their names. Steve seems to ring a bell. Again I got on well with them. Sorry about memory but if you see them tell them I say Hello. Now where the hell did I put those memory tablets.
How many bumped into Blackie down a dark alley?
Ian Black was a good tankerman with a strange requirement
Hiya Chris, just noticed this earlier post about DCL with pics from Steve.
Green and white was the original colours, blue and white came after the takeover and sell offs.
This one is out side the garage at Ancoats
Would have a guess that this one is at the LDoY finals at Cranfield
Ray
Hi Ray.
So was the old Distillers company sold off as I notice the logo on the Leyland artic is Distillers MG.I remember them running 24/7 into Staveley Chemicals in the 70s with AEC Mercurys and single axle tanks from Coleshill I think.
Pity owd L.S.Lowry didn’t paint some lorries when he were in Ancoats,I’ll bet he’d have seen one of Wilsons ERFs
Hi 3300John I knew a few of Shirley’s lads in the 70s and 80s one lad I did a few jobs with went into the office and I can’t remember his name he was one of those people who was always smart and never seemed to get dirty and we would be doing the same job not like me I needed overalls to keep my overalls clean.
Hi Sammyopisite, John.
I think you might be talking about the Priestley brothers, Alan worked for S&R longest before taking over a pub near Yeadon. Can’t think of his brothers name off hand but he lived in I liked them both, even though they were both barmy. If I remember right, Bob took over the crusader later on.
Hi John you are right I can remember Alan taking the pub now the other was Terry as you say both barmy but hey did not stand out so that says we must have been of a similar ilk then there was John who opened the whitwood truck stop and quite a few who went as owner drivers for Shawfleet when they changed the name from Sykes
cheers Johnnie
Chris Webb:
Hi Ray.
So was the old Distillers company sold off as I notice the logo on the Leyland artic is Distillers MG.I remember them running 24/7 into Staveley Chemicals in the 70s with AEC Mercurys and single axle tanks from Coleshill I think.
Pity owd L.S.Lowry didn’t paint some lorries when he were in Ancoats,I’ll bet he’d have seen one of Wilsons ERFs
Hiya Chris,
Distillers were bought out by Guinness sometime about mid 80s. If you remember, the top man at Guinness got sent to prison for fraudulent dealings. At the time another company were trying to buy Distillers, think they were called Argyle Group who admitted that if they bought out Distillers then they would sell everything off apart from the ‘wet’ side. So the day Guinness took control all the office staff at Ancoats were getting p****d and saying our jobs are safe. Little did they know, within a short time Cellar services, Engineering, United Yeast, Co2 and about 75% of office staff were all gone. Co2 was sold to Messer Gresham, now just called Messer.
You would be right about Staveley and tankers from Coleshill. Surprised you didn’t see any of the Atki Borderers as well. It was vary rare for tankers from Ancoats at that time to use Staveley as we used to use ICI at Billingham. Although I was told, sometime after I had left,that they had a few tankers based in there.
Eeeeeeee lad, Wilson ERFs, there’s memories for you. Went for a job at Wilsons when I was about 19 or 20, was told to come back in about 25 years 
apparently there was a queue as long as Oldham road.
Ray
Hi Ray.
thinking back I did see Distillers Atkis in Staveley,such a long time ago.
There are some photos of Wilsons ERFs on Pauls N.West Trucks site sent in by Zeterpilot (John-Paul) who now lives in Finland.I remember seeing them crawling over Woodhead early in a morning when I was running back to Maltby off nights,used to pass them and Connell and Finnegans tippers running to Stocksbridge with scrap around 0500.
It must have been a good job if the queue was as long as Oldham Road. They used to be in Stockport and moved to Ardwick- or was it t’other way round?
Morning Chris,
Oops silly me 
, wrong Wilsons, thought you meant Wilsons brewery 
.
Think Wilsons transport did come from Stockport to Ardwick, only remember them in Ardwick though, but
I keep thinking Station Rd Reddish or was that Stanleys
Those ERFs of Wilsons Transport were certainly slow, used to be able to pass them going over Woodhead in an old Albion
fully loaded with timber
Ray