This little FG was the first lorry to arrive at Laugharne.
Ex military Bedford next into the park
Dave the Renegade:
Coming in to the park at Laugharne.
A great photo of Gwyn Bowens S 39 Gardner powered 8 legger, I used to load back from them at their depot in Gorsinenon with tin plate, Sometimes out of the warehouse faciltey or at the Bryngwynn mill, Happy long gone days when haulage was a good game to be in & make a few bob Eh,Regards Larry. (PS This was the earley 60s).
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dave the Renegade:
Coming in to the park at Laugharne.A great photo of Gwyn Bowens S 39 Gardner powered 8 legger, I used to load back from them at their depot in Gorsinenon with tin plate, Sometimes out of the warehouse faciltey or at the Bryngwynn mill, Happy long gone days when haulage was a good game to be in & make a few bob Eh,Regards Larry. (PS This was the earley 60s).
Before my time as a lorry driver Larry. I didn’t start officially until 1968,although unofficially it was earlier than that in between driving smaller stuff, but I remember Gwynne Bowen having a fine fleet.
Cheers Dave.
Spent a lot of hours driving the tipper version of this one at 14 ton gross, good money, but hard work in an underpowered lorry.
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dave the Renegade:
Coming in to the park at Laugharne.A great photo of Gwyn Bowens S 39 Gardner powered 8 legger, I used to load back from them at their depot in Gorsinenon with tin plate, Sometimes out of the warehouse faciltey or at the Bryngwynn mill, Happy long gone days when haulage was a good game to be in & make a few bob Eh,Regards Larry. (PS This was the earley 60s).
Before my time as a lorry driver Larry. I didn’t start officially until 1968,although unofficially it was earlier than that in between driving smaller stuff, but I remember Gwynne Bowen having a fine fleet.
Cheers Dave.
hiya,
Seems like I missed out as a driver who spent most of his life at the wheel but I never got
to drive a Foden, well not strictly true I did once in the sixties move one of Robinson’s
half cab objects about 200 yards in Cricklewood and even the regular drivers of them
weren’t happy with them, that experience put me off for life, no seriously the firms I did
for didn’t have any, I did get many lifts with Salkeld’s lads when I lived at Consett over 20
years ago and those lads who got “lumbered” with those two stroker’s deserved a medal
the size of a frying pan you needed to have the dexterity of a whirling Dervish when you
hit the slightest of banks they changed down more gears in a minute than I’d use all day
but they did sound well on the level and downhill but from what I saw the drivers would
earn their wages driving those things.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dave the Renegade:
Coming in to the park at Laugharne.A great photo of Gwyn Bowens S 39 Gardner powered 8 legger, I used to load back from them at their depot in Gorsinenon with tin plate, Sometimes out of the warehouse faciltey or at the Bryngwynn mill, Happy long gone days when haulage was a good game to be in & make a few bob Eh,Regards Larry. (PS This was the earley 60s).
Before my time as a lorry driver Larry. I didn’t start officially until 1968,although unofficially it was earlier than that in between driving smaller stuff, but I remember Gwynne Bowen having a fine fleet.
Cheers Dave.hiya,
Seems like I missed out as a driver who spent most of his life at the wheel but I never got
to drive a Foden, well not strictly true I did once in the sixties move one of Robinson’s
half cab objects about 200 yards in Cricklewood and even the regular drivers of them
weren’t happy with them, that experience put me off for life, no seriously the firms I did
for didn’t have any, I did get many lifts with Salkeld’s lads when I lived at Consett over 20
years ago and those lads who got “lumbered” with those two stroker’s deserved a medal
the size of a frying pan you needed to have the dexterity of a whirling Dervish when you
hit the slightest of banks they changed down more gears in a minute than I’d use all day
but they did sound well on the level and downhill but from what I saw the drivers would
earn their wages driving those things.
thanks harry, long retired.
As far as I know Harry, there would be no point in changing down with a Foden two stroke. I drove a Commer two stroke as
the regular driver for C W Griffiths,and it wouldn’t shaft at all on a downhill bank.Pulled like a train and had excellent brakes which you had to hold back going downhill with. I would think the Foden two stroke would be the same.
As you say a great sound from the engine. A haulier from Hereford had two Foden two stroke eight wheelers hauling out of the Gore quarry when I was driving and they went well. Sam Longson had a load of them,and they used to come past screaming hauling to and from South Wales.
Cheers Dave.
A Guy Otter pulling into Laugharne.
Hiya,
Yes Dave, I too drove a Commer two stroke, a four wheeler and the fastest best pulling four
wheeler I’ve ever driven, and unlike the lads who drove the Foden two strokes who did have
their work cut out in this hilly part of the world and excessive gear changing was part and
parcel of their daily grind that’s in their own words and me being passenger en-route to my
place of work where a couple of “canny banks” in the mile it was from my pickup to my drop
off, Salkeld’s had several of these machines some drivers said they was OK and some drivers
preferred not to comment but crap was often mentioned maybe they had been driving the
Gardner engined stuff previously and found them better, i did get lifts in the Gardners as
well and they did go up the “banks” better than the “strokers”, maybe I was spoiled my then
machine at that time was a Volvo f88 a big difference I can tell you and even when I’d killed
the f88 the Big “J” which was it’s replacement complete with “Roller” engine I knew which
motor I preferred to do my days work with.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Yes Dave, I too drove a Commer two stroke, a four wheeler and the fastest best pulling four
wheeler I’ve ever driven, and unlike the lads who drove the Foden two strokes who did have
their work cut out in this hilly part of the world and excessive gear changing was part and
parcel of their daily grind that’s in their own words and me being passenger en-route to my
place of work where a couple of “canny banks” in the mile it was from my pickup to my drop
off, Salkeld’s had several of these machines some drivers said they was OK and some drivers
preferred not to comment but crap was often mentioned maybe they had been driving the
Gardner engined stuff previously and found them better, i did get lifts in the Gardners as
well and they did go up the “banks” better than the “strokers”, maybe I was spoiled my then
machine at that time was a Volvo f88 a big difference I can tell you and even when I’d killed
the f88 the Big “J” which was it’s replacement complete with “Roller” engine I knew which
motor I preferred to do my days work with.
thanks harry, long retired.
I see what you mean Harry. I never spoke to anyone who drove a Foden two stroke artic. I can well imagine the Volvo F88 being a good wagon, from various blokes that I have spoken to, that rated them. John Davies who drove the one below was one, he had an ERF with a ■■■■■■■ after which he told me wasn’t as good as the F88.
Cheers Dave.
The other AEC of Lloyds of Ludlow, pulling into Laugharne.
I think that most drivers who had driven a Foden stroker, especially the Mark 7 supercharged version, wouldn’t want to go back to a Gardner powered one. The Foden engine of course had valves (exhaust only) whereas the Rootes had not. Been passenger in a couple and you had to keep them ‘on song’ around 2000+ rpm I seem to recall as once the revs died that was it pulling wise and you couldn’t skip gears or the power died away, the reason the 12 speed box was developed really. Having said that, the Gardner engined ones with a 12 speed would beat anything comparable up banks, but the stroker was something else! 
The Admiralty was one of the last users of the two stroke, fitted in launches, but hills were not REALLY an issue! 
Pete.
Well put Windrush, Years ago a firm called Hewitt from Morpeth had an S18 Artic Stroker, I was used to pull timber on a pole boggie of various lengths, The late Harry Perverley who used to drive it could make it go, You could here him coming a mile away what a terrific sound it had, Of course as you will already know the Foden had the oil boost braking system in those days so they had to fit a compressor and an air tank on the back so as to operate the trailer brakes, And this old motor did some graft in its day, Fodens did very well for us & I would have a one tomorrow if it was possible, Happy Foden days, Regards Larry.
Not a lorry, but still of interest to the AEC fans.
Scania 143 500 pulling into park.
Dave the Renegade:
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dave the Renegade:
Coming in to the park at Laugharne.A great photo of Gwyn Bowens S 39 Gardner powered 8 legger, I used to load back from them at their depot in Gorsinenon with tin plate, Sometimes out of the warehouse faciltey or at the Bryngwynn mill, Happy long gone days when haulage was a good game to be in & make a few bob Eh,Regards Larry. (PS This was the earley 60s).
Before my time as a lorry driver Larry. I didn’t start officially until 1968,although unofficially it was earlier than that in between driving smaller stuff, but I remember Gwynne Bowen having a fine fleet.
Cheers Dave.hiya,
Seems like I missed out as a driver who spent most of his life at the wheel but I never got
to drive a Foden, well not strictly true I did once in the sixties move one of Robinson’s
half cab objects about 200 yards in Cricklewood and even the regular drivers of them
weren’t happy with them, that experience put me off for life, no seriously the firms I did
for didn’t have any, I did get many lifts with Salkeld’s lads when I lived at Consett over 20
years ago and those lads who got “lumbered” with those two stroker’s deserved a medal
the size of a frying pan you needed to have the dexterity of a whirling Dervish when you
hit the slightest of banks they changed down more gears in a minute than I’d use all day
but they did sound well on the level and downhill but from what I saw the drivers would
earn their wages driving those things.
thanks harry, long retired.As far as I know Harry, there would be no point in changing down with a Foden two stroke. I drove a Commer two stroke as
the regular driver for C W Griffiths,and it wouldn’t shaft at all on a downhill bank.Pulled like a train and had excellent brakes which you had to hold back going downhill with. I would think the Foden two stroke would be the same.
As you say a great sound from the engine. A haulier from Hereford had two Foden two stroke eight wheelers hauling out of the Gore quarry when I was driving and they went well. Sam Longson had a load of them,and they used to come past screaming hauling to and from South Wales.
Cheers Dave.
Hello Dave , what a lovely picture , but that Foden is cheshire reg ? Geo Mayers Chester had afew like that wonder if it is oneof his thank you Trevor
tastrucker:
Dave the Renegade:
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dave the Renegade:
Coming in to the park at Laugharne.A great photo of Gwyn Bowens S 39 Gardner powered 8 legger, I used to load back from them at their depot in Gorsinenon with tin plate, Sometimes out of the warehouse faciltey or at the Bryngwynn mill, Happy long gone days when haulage was a good game to be in & make a few bob Eh,Regards Larry. (PS This was the earley 60s).
Before my time as a lorry driver Larry. I didn’t start officially until 1968,although unofficially it was earlier than that in between driving smaller stuff, but I remember Gwynne Bowen having a fine fleet.
Cheers Dave.hiya,
Seems like I missed out as a driver who spent most of his life at the wheel but I never got
to drive a Foden, well not strictly true I did once in the sixties move one of Robinson’s
half cab objects about 200 yards in Cricklewood and even the regular drivers of them
weren’t happy with them, that experience put me off for life, no seriously the firms I did
for didn’t have any, I did get many lifts with Salkeld’s lads when I lived at Consett over 20
years ago and those lads who got “lumbered” with those two stroker’s deserved a medal
the size of a frying pan you needed to have the dexterity of a whirling Dervish when you
hit the slightest of banks they changed down more gears in a minute than I’d use all day
but they did sound well on the level and downhill but from what I saw the drivers would
earn their wages driving those things.
thanks harry, long retired.As far as I know Harry, there would be no point in changing down with a Foden two stroke. I drove a Commer two stroke as
the regular driver for C W Griffiths,and it wouldn’t shaft at all on a downhill bank.Pulled like a train and had excellent brakes which you had to hold back going downhill with. I would think the Foden two stroke would be the same.
As you say a great sound from the engine. A haulier from Hereford had two Foden two stroke eight wheelers hauling out of the Gore quarry when I was driving and they went well. Sam Longson had a load of them,and they used to come past screaming hauling to and from South Wales.
Cheers Dave.Hello Dave , what a lovely picture , but that Foden is cheshire reg ? Geo Mayers Chester had afew like that wonder if it is oneof his thank you Trevor
You could well be right about the history of that vehicle Trevor. A lot of people restore a vehicle similar to one they ran in the past, or it could be someone from the Swansea area that has restored it. One of the South Wales members will give us the low down on it.
Cheers Dave.
Waiting for a parking space at Laugharne.
Thank you dave , you may have seen Goerges blue Fodens taking steel from Shotton down to S Wales they wuold use the Leominsterto Brecon road i cant remember what the number was . Trevor .
tastrucker:
Thank you dave , you may have seen Goerges blue Fodens taking steel from Shotton down to S Wales they wuold use the Leominsterto Brecon road i cant remember what the number was . Trevor .
I must have done Trevor. There used to be a lot of steel and coal wagons on that road, until the motorway network etc came along. Still quite a bit of transport on that route nowadays.
Cheers Dave.