i worked at Queen Street,Leicester depot,after passing my Class 1.didn’t stay long,and didn’t take any photo’s sadly.had some right old nails,D series artics with Scammell coupling,those old noddy vans,Spanish Dodges.pride of the fleet were 2 Borderer’s.
carryfast-yeti:
i worked at Queen Street,Leicester depot,after passing my Class 1.didn’t stay long,and didn’t take any photo’s sadly.had some right old nails,D series artics with Scammell coupling,those old noddy vans,Spanish Dodges.pride of the fleet were 2 Borderer’s.
I eventually had some good motors at NCL, my motor was a Sed Atk, ex Ryders ,which was knackered when they bought it, most of the time it was away getting major repairs, and I used brand new BRS Rental motors from the same depot, happy days… 3 days allowed 
to get 5 drops Scotch off from Carlisle.
robinswh:
I worked for them for about 8 months in 1971/2 from the leicester depot my idea was being sent to Peterborough to get class one HGV this never happened .I had miserable job of delivering parcels around leicester from walk through commer vans.I was not impressed.
Both my dad and me worked for National Carriers at Peterborough, dad was usually the shutter but often went out mainly with Atki Bordrers, Seddons, Albion Chieftens with G cab or Ford D’s. I worked in the depot driving Karrier Bantums and Electric trucks
Did “National Carriers” have any connection to “Rail Express Parcel” in the seventies? Their vehicles looked almost the same in both superstructures and colours, and it looks like they both transported goods to and from the railway.
I found a couple of photos of those two “firms” in a binder labelled “UK 1975”, and maybe someone can help me with the location of this place… 
/Stellan
Autotransit:
Did “National Carriers” have any connection to “Rail Express Parcel” in the seventies? Their vehicles looked almost the same in both superstructures and colours, and it looks like they both transported goods to and from the railway.
I found a couple of photos of those two “firms” in a binder labelled “UK 1975”, and maybe someone can help me with the location of this place…
/Stellan
They were both divisions within the nationalised conglomerate at that time but,and not before time, they were by then living “on borrowed time” and would disappear completly.Bewick.
We had a state-run freight firm called Slab, which later became Svelast that was privatized in the eighties (Green Cargo today) and had freight terminals on the larger railway stations. Was it the same for this conglomerate?
/Stellan
Autotransit:
We had a state-run freight firm called Slab, which later became Svelast that was privatized in the eighties (Green Cargo today) and had freight terminals on the larger railway stations. Was it the same for this conglomerate?/Stellan
British Rail was broken up in the 90’s and the actual network became privatised and was called Rail Track which in turn had to be returned to public ownership under the new name of Network Rail as Rail Track got into all kinds of difficulties.Various private passenger and freight companies started up and they paid access charges to Rail Track/Network Rail to use the actual railway infrastructure.The bulk of freight moved on the rails to-day is full trainloads of Containers,Coal,Steel,Stone and Oil any other movements of foodstuffs ect is a complete joke and is just carried out to appease the Enviromental lobby.The UK isn’t big enough geographically to make freight hauling,other than the bulk movements mentioned,a viable proposition and besides the network has just about reached saturation point with passenger traffic !! Cheers Bewick.
We also had the competition in the noddy vans. A real piece of city centre history.
I recognize your description Bewick. The Swedish government have done the same privatisation here… with exactly the same result: nothing works and everyone blame the others for everything that goes wrong. 
I have found some photos in my archive with the automatic trailer-system shown in the “Brochure thread”, and on this photo there´s another “parcel van” in the background… but I can´t read what it is.
/Stellan
National carriers was merged with BRS contracts in the early 80’s to form Exel logistics which of course is now part of DHL, so the original yellow livery is apt !
My Dad and me worked at Peterborough depot dad was there 68-74 I was there from early 71 to 78 Dad was shunter and did a few trips up the road when needed, I worked in the yard driving the Internal vehicles until 1975 when I became the Chauffer to the MD for two years based at head office, Whilst the boss went to the USA on business he said i could go through the training school at Peterborough which I did and got my class one and am still driving. Whilst working in the depot I drove Karrier Bantems, electric trucks and Scammell townsman tractor units all with two ton trailers, this gave me good training in manoeuvring and reversing artics
9ball:
Hello All
My dad worked for national carriers at temple meads Bristol in the late 70 early 80 would any one have any pictures of seddon Atkinson’s with 33ft tidd trailers or any of there fleet thanks John.
I have found some photos in my archive with the automatic trailer-system shown in the “Brochure thread”, and on this photo there´s another “parcel van” in the background… but I can´t read what it is.
The Noddy van in the background belonged to N.Francis & Co. Ltd. of Dalston, S London. These vans were supplied new to the company
Thank you for that information TIDDERSON 
BRS was mentioned earlier, and I have a black and white photo of one of their vans taken in London 1973… could it be the same make (Leyland?) as the blue van from N.Francis & Co. Ltd. of Dalston, S London? Another question is which year they were made, they looks a bit old in the early seventies.
/Stellan
BRS was mentioned earlier, and I have a black and white photo of one of their vans taken in London 1973… could it be the same make (Leyland?) as the blue van from N.Francis & Co. Ltd. of Dalston, S London? Another question is which year they were made, they looks a bit old in the early seventies.
[The Austin VA van was designed by BRS engineers and Star Bodies who made them. They came out in about 1958 as Austins with an Austin “wing” on top of the bonnet. They were built till 1976 changing to BMC and then Leyland badges. At one time BRS had about 2,700 mainly at Parcels depots but a few worked on general haulage replacing the old Austin WE seris Regards Peter
Thanks again for information Peter, it´s always nice to know what´s on the photos in the archive . Here´s photo of another van from NCL, taken somewhere in London 1973. Did all vans had sliding doors in the UK… and do they still have it?
/Stellan
Bedford van I drove one like this in leicester in 1971…thy only had a couple like that the rest were commer walk throughs
First Class 1 job was National Carriers out of Exeter St Davids in 1980. As a new licence it was great to learn on many different marques and reversing into very tight docks, had to lower the legs before shunting back as no room between the trailers.
Remember 2 Akki Borderer’s, 1 with power steering but little lock and the other without power steering but good lock, if you hit a big bump the cab would move and you could not the 2 gears against the engine, so you had to get someone to back up and push the cab back! Also very cold in winter and we used the old Corona bottles as cruise control.
Also remember night trunking down the M5 early hours, no traffic and the Traffic Police used to drive up without lights and switch everything on when they got next to you - used to make you jump with them asking what speed the old Spanish Dodge’s could do down Clevedon Bank. (80+ with a load on).
Best truck was the rental ERF’s from Frank Tucker!
carryfast-yeti:
i worked at Queen Street,Leicester depot,after passing my Class 1.didn’t stay long,and didn’t take any photo’s sadly.had some right old nails,D series artics with Scammell coupling,those old noddy vans,Spanish Dodges.pride of the fleet were 2 Borderer’s.
I worked there as a night yard shunter for a year in 1978 (I think it was) before they sent me to their training school at Peterborough for my very first licence which I took in a 7.5 tonner
Anyone got pics of the scammel coupling artics which I used to shunt and reverse ?
The ‘natty’ thing was using a scammell coupling unit which had a removable attachment for a fifth wheel coupling
That removable attachment had its own fifth wheel pin stand which it stayed on til wanted
hello Rog…it was late '79 when i started there.my first unit was an Albion 
a white one if you can remember that? i was hoping for a 141 