midgeteler:
Is it possible that a Trader was made under 3 ton?
Yes! I knew of a number that were “stripped out” and “weighed in” at just a fraction under the 3 ton ULW so as to enable 17 to 20 year olds to drive them.I have friends up in north ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ did run a couple of Traders in the late 50’s which were under the 3ton limit.
Bewick:
midgeteler:
Is it possible that a Trader was made under 3 ton?
Yes! I knew of a number that were “stripped out” and “weighed in” at just a fraction under the 3 ton ULW so as to enable 17 to 20 year olds to drive them.I have friends up in north ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ did run a couple of Traders in the late 50’s which were under the 3ton limit.[/quote
Thanks Bewick, maybe I’me not so senile as I thought 
Trader I drove in 1969 was a flat uladen weight 2t 19cwt 6ibs could legaly carry 7t, but often had 10t on if we were picking a full load of spuds up I was only 19 at the time & the first bit of my post was legal.
Inside the Trader.
Stanfield:
Inside the Trader.0
hi all,
i cant believe when i was a kid i used to have nights out with my dad in one of those! i remember parking up at Truro when you were allowed in the town centre nosed down to the river.
cheers steve.
IVe mentioned it on some post somewhere on here but Il say it again, if you look at the pic of the steering wheel its in good nick but some of ours had a few broken spokes due to pulling yourself in & out of the cab on multi drop work.
.
The Trader cab comfort wise was in a different league to the LAD ! I think you had to be deformed to drive the LAD, being very tall I had to lean my head to one side to see out the windscreen!, you needed a deformed left arm to change gear.
The Trader on the other hand was really comfy, with the seat almost flat on the floor you sat with your legs amost out straight and a heater that worked, wipers were crap but they all were then. The handling on the trader was great they would corner like a train on rails.
Good pics stravaiger, were`nt a bad drive but we were on fruit & veg, so loads of tatty sacks over the engine hump dampened the noise a little bit 
There is no contest.The Trader was a 100% better motor to drive than the LAD cabs.I’ve said it before,the “person” who designed the LAD cab should have done journey work in one for a time:he would then have raced back to the drawing board.If I had the choice,a Trader every time!! 
Got to agree about the LAD cab.I always found them cramped as I am 6’ tall,so anyone taller must have had trouble.I drove a Thames Trader now and again and found them a good lorry running at 14 ton gross.I used to ride shotgun when on holidays before I was old enough to drive myself with one of Roberts of Knighton drivers,he used to have 11 ton of grain onboard taking straight from farm to Avonmouth or Cardiff docks,and his trader outpulled most of the other lorries of those days,early 60’s.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Got to agree about the LAD cab.I always found them cramped as I am 6’ tall,so anyone taller must have had trouble.I drove a Thames Trader now and again and found them a good lorry running at 14 ton gross.I used to ride shotgun when on holidays before I was old enough to drive myself with one of Roberts of Knighton drivers,he used to have 11 ton of grain onboard taking straight from farm to Avonmouth or Cardiff docks,and his trader outpulled most of the other lorries of those days,early 60’s.
Cheers Dave.
And I thought you were a dyed in the wool TK fan Dave,so you can’t be all bad then if you “crack on” about the Great old Trader!Anon.
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Got to agree about the LAD cab.I always found them cramped as I am 6’ tall,so anyone taller must have had trouble.I drove a Thames Trader now and again and found them a good lorry running at 14 ton gross.I used to ride shotgun when on holidays before I was old enough to drive myself with one of Roberts of Knighton drivers,he used to have 11 ton of grain onboard taking straight from farm to Avonmouth or Cardiff docks,and his trader outpulled most of the other lorries of those days,early 60’s.
Cheers Dave.And I thought you were a dyed in the wool TK fan Dave,so you can’t be all bad then if you “crack on” about the Great old Trader!Anon.
Hello Anon from Milnthorpe.If you think I was a dyed in the wool TK fan,then think again.I had a guts full of TK’s which were a good little lorry in the early 60’s,but by the late 60’s they were out of their league,underpowered and the suspension etc was not man enough to do 14 ton gross.The plating law did everybody a favour.The Trader and BMC FFK140 were a stronger lorry,still not man enough for 16 ton gross,but a bit more to them than the TK.The traders that I drove had a two speed axle and some grunt,something that the TK,even the 381 soon ran out of.
Cheers Dave.
A couple more Trader photos
A few more Darham traders
Any trader fan with a spare 30K take look at this
coca cola kid:
Any trader fan with a spare 30K take look at this
Could have bought about 10 of those for 30 grand in 1960.
Cheers Dave.
