jshepguis:
Here is another one Ro from a previous thread on here.
What a fantastic picture jshepguis! Thanks for posting. That one is clearly an 8m tilt. Now that we know that UK cross-channel tilts seemed to come in 8m, 10m and 11m lengths in the '50s & '60s; and the Continental ones at approx 10m, 11m and 12m it is easier to identify the approx lengths of all the trailers on this thread. Indeed, I have created temporary separate folders for each on my laptop just for while this thread is running.
I see that Translode trailer sports Paris and Rotterdam as its main destinations.
Nice to see an Atkinson example. I seem to remember a similar Atkinson / tilt setup with an A.T.L.A.S. trailer if anyone can find the pic!
Here’s a simple zoom on the high-resolution picture: it’s written Scania-Vabis on the bonnet. Almost certainly an International M 426 repowered with a Scania engine and fitted with a locally-made cab. The front wheel hubs are typical.
As far as i remember the euro work was set up in the mid 50s and was i believe one of the first from the uk to go over the water and the link up with van gaever lasted while mid 70s some of the early loads went on flats before the tilts were used ,bearing in mind i was told all this when i started in early 80s from old hands that had been overseas in very basic units ,there was a office in purfleet and a office in hull at the docks i believe they did go into russia at some point but there was a lot of trls dropped at the dock and visversa i missed a trick years ago not taken pics from that era i was offered and not many of the people involved are still alive when i started at ackworth a lot of the tilts were parked up in the graveyard but no mobile phones with cameras there was also some dog and pups buffalos i believe and guys which had to be made special for the lenth and weight , never saw them in action to late but there was a far amount of traffic moving around ,all the pics i have posted were from Onward Holdings website with permission
BIGAW:
As far as i remember the euro work was set up in the mid 50s and was i believe one of the first from the uk to go over the water and the link up with van gaever lasted while mid 70s some of the early loads went on flats before the tilts were used ,bearing in mind i was told all this when i started in early 80s from old hands that had been overseas in very basic units ,there was a office in purfleet and a office in hull at the docks i believe they did go into russia at some point but there was a lot of trls dropped at the dock and visversa i missed a trick years ago not taken pics from that era i was offered and not many of the people involved are still alive when i started at ackworth a lot of the tilts were parked up in the graveyard but no mobile phones with cameras there was also some dog and pups buffalos i believe and guys which had to be made special for the lenth and weight , never saw them in action to late but there was a far amount of traffic moving around ,all the pics i have posted were from Onward Holdings website with permission
Andy
Thank you for those insights Andy! With Euro work set up in the mid-'50s, Ackworth must have been more or less pioneers in cross-channel Ro-Ro traffic then. I think there were only the Tilbury-Antwerp and the Preston-Larne Ro-Ro ferries in existence at that time [someone put me right if I’m wrong there]. Interesting times for transport men.
BIGAW:
As far as i remember the euro work was set up in the mid 50s and was i believe one of the first from the uk to go over the water and the link up with van gaever lasted while mid 70s some of the early loads went on flats before the tilts were used ,bearing in mind i was told all this when i started in early 80s from old hands that had been overseas in very basic units ,there was a office in purfleet and a office in hull at the docks i believe they did go into russia at some point but there was a lot of trls dropped at the dock and visversa i missed a trick years ago not taken pics from that era i was offered and not many of the people involved are still alive when i started at ackworth a lot of the tilts were parked up in the graveyard but no mobile phones with cameras there was also some dog and pups buffalos i believe and guys which had to be made special for the lenth and weight , never saw them in action to late but there was a far amount of traffic moving around ,all the pics i have posted were from Onward Holdings website with permission
Andy
Thank you for those insights Andy! With Euro work set up in the mid-'50s, Ackworth must have been more or less pioneers in cross-channel Ro-Ro traffic then. I think there were only the Tilbury-Antwerp and the Preston-Larne Ro-Ro ferries in existence at that time [someone put me right if I’m wrong there]. Interesting times for transport men.
Ro
I think you are right Ro,i dont recall reading about any other ferry services apart from the ones you have mentioned. Do you know who the ferry operator was ?
Andy, Thats right before the tilts flats were definately used,like the one below from 1965.
BIGAW:
As far as i remember the euro work was set up in the mid 50s and was i believe one of the first from the uk to go over the water and the link up with van gaever lasted while mid 70s some of the early loads went on flats before the tilts were used ,bearing in mind i was told all this when i started in early 80s from old hands that had been overseas in very basic units ,there was a office in purfleet and a office in hull at the docks i believe they did go into russia at some point but there was a lot of trls dropped at the dock and visversa i missed a trick years ago not taken pics from that era i was offered and not many of the people involved are still alive when i started at ackworth a lot of the tilts were parked up in the graveyard but no mobile phones with cameras there was also some dog and pups buffalos i believe and guys which had to be made special for the lenth and weight , never saw them in action to late but there was a far amount of traffic moving around ,all the pics i have posted were from Onward Holdings website with permission
Andy
Thank you for those insights Andy! With Euro work set up in the mid-'50s, Ackworth must have been more or less pioneers in cross-channel Ro-Ro traffic then. I think there were only the Tilbury-Antwerp and the Preston-Larne Ro-Ro ferries in existence at that time [someone put me right if I’m wrong there]. Interesting times for transport men.
Ro
The ferry was operated by The Transport Ferry Service who were part of The Atlantic Steam Navigation Company Ltd. What a great name.
There was a film made about this by BFI that i think was called “road across the sea” from memory. I am sure it is on utube,so if someone knows
how to load it on here that would be good ?
Not sure any ackworth lads went into Russia more likely the van gaever boys but never herd of any thing going as far as the states ,they always said that when the trls returned from over the water the tyres were always nearly new going out and part worn or bald coming back looks like someone was on a fiddle ,i still talk to one off the old lads who was running the office at hull and spent time over in antwerp he may shed some light over the russia and usa .
Next to the Tilbury - Antwerp service, there was also Tilbury - Rotterdam. Some haulers on the Continent were in Belgium & Holland ops. : Camerman/Europa Express (eg. Ackworth trailers, Monk’s trailers, Ferrymasters trailers), Leopold Van Gaever (eg. Ackworth trailers, Smiths of Eccles trailers, Ferrymasters trailers), SANSSE (eg. Bass trailers, Monk’s trailers), Soc. Belgo-Anglaise des Ferryboats (eg. Whitebread trailers, BRS trailers), Westfriesland (eg. Whitebread, John Russell Ltd. trailers), König (eg. Ackworth trailers)…
