davidcox:
Ivor
some ‘new’ photos I have found on tnet
the chap with the Ameys donkey jacket with the crane is my father Fred and the chap next to him is Andy Andrews (manager) the crane is driven by Charlie
Hello David, Been hibernating ? anyway, a nice set of pictures -i have not seen them before ,taken early 60 s i would say , i believe crane driver is Charlie Woodward ? , Andy Andrews i knew of course , never ever saw that bogie trailer at all- RMO is very familiar though . the Premix mixer was our first venture into 6 wheelers , Dodges spec was AEC engine and Hendrickson rear suspension and Stothert and Pitt 6 yard mixer. Thank you for supplying the pictures ! – toshboy
Yep Charlie Woodward had the 10 tonner Charlie Barratt had the thornycroft 5 tonner with a fold around (fly) jib and Bob (Aubrey) Webb had another ex RAF thornycroft 5 tonner. We also had a fifteen ton Coles ( I was river/ slinger on that for a while) and a Cole’s 30 tonner driven by Ken Hall.
I like the trailer pictures. It say up to 35tons, we used to put 45 on ours.
Nice pic David, i dont think you were the only company that over loaded trailers on heavy haulage.
Dont know if this has been on before from 1966.
Click on page twice.
DEANB
Thanks for that picture. I was telling an ex-colleague who is a train nut and was showing pictures of the ‘Grove’ railway, that Ameys took the engine from Wantage station to the airfield at Grove for restoration.
In the picture is my father Fred at the front of the engine, Andy Andrews the plant hire manager, I don’t know who the other trailer attendant is, presumably the driver at the time I think it was Jim ■■? forgotten his surname. looks like Ameys 30ton Coles crane loading it. I seem to remember being on the job but as a helper, as I was a mate on a small Leyland Comet loader at the time.
The Foden low loader is 122 ERO and the Foden that five years later I learnt to drive HGVs on. Apparently, in the days before ‘plating’ Tasker had imposed no limit on the trailer and as an abnormal special types vehicle, we could carry whatever we thought was safe! The heaviest load that I can remember was a Press head from British Leyland Cowley (Pressed Steel) to their plant at Swindon, I drove it on L plates and it weighed 45tons and we were 22 1/2 tones empty so we were grossing at 67 1/2 tons!!
I joined Ameys in the summer of 1965, as a low loader mate while awaiting placement on an apprentice mechanics scheme. However, I enjoyed myself so much on the open road that I decided to stay on the loaders and eventually ended up as a mate on 122 ERO and as soon as I was 21yrs Ameys allowed me to drive her. There was a change of policy apparently (approved by Ron Amey) whereas the lower age for drivers was 25yrs they made an exception for me at 21. I wish I had a FIVER for every time I’ve jacked up the rear of that trailer and dragged the rear wheels out!
I was on 122 ERO for about five years and in all that time there are only three pictures of me and her, because I was allways behind the camera.
I mean AMEYS- AMEY GROUP-- W.C AMEY, Amey aggregates, Amey Asphalt, Amey Premix, Amey Conbloc ,Amey plant, AmeyTransport, Amey Engineering, Amey Marine, Yes its a long time ago but very dominant in their time ,the cab colours were yellow . wings black ,lots of Bedfords, Fords, BMCs. not many heavy lorries,but lots of them!
Can anyone post any pics,tell any tales lets hear from you old codgers.Pre Hanson please.
Copied from Big G on Old Oxon Firms thread (hope you don’t mind George). John H. Brown owned Northmoor Quarry, now Linch Hill Leisure Park although the more recently mothballed Hanson pit is nextdoor. Ameys bought Browns’ out along with Dixs’, who quarried where the Stanton Harcourt civic amenity site now is. My Father in Law does Conblocs welding, and before he obtained the freeland Engineering name from the retired previous owner, he repaired Amey plant so I’ll ask him about them…
I remember Ameys Transport on Northumberland Avenue, Reading, in the 1960’s. They had a few Bedford’s, I THINK that Hill’s of Botley had the place before them. Also recall Ameys tipper’s knocking around the Reading area but cannot remember where they operated from though.
Anyone remember a driver called Ruben ? He had a Leyland Reiver with Bathgate cab in the 80s. I think he was from Reading area, in later years he had a Volvo FL 8 wheeler (N reg I think) with a light blue cab. He retired about 3 years ago and I’ve heard went back to West Indies. He sold his lorry to Dave Buckingham who ran it for about a year until it was replaced by a Hino. Ruben was known to be “a bit quick” and once tipped his lorry over on Burford roundabout.
I worked for Ameys in about 67/68 at Lechlade, and later at Somerford Keynes. Sorry got know pic’s, but at that time they ran 4 wheeler BMC’s… 6 wheeler Dodges with 505 AEC engines… and 4 wheeler Albion’s with a 4 pot engine ( gutless wonders ) and 6 wheeler Albions. It was all company wagons then no owner drivers.
altitude:
I worked for Ameys in about 67/68 at Lechlade, and later at Somerford Keynes. Sorry got know pic’s, but at that time they ran 4 wheeler BMC’s… 6 wheeler Dodges with 505 AEC engines… and 4 wheeler Albion’s with a 4 pot engine ( gutless wonders ) and 6 wheeler Albions. It was all company wagons then no owner drivers.
Hi Altitude (like that)
What i can recall of lechlade pit,it was i believe taken over from Pooles?? by AMEYS .there was a transport manager Vic Croft ,pit foreman Vickers ,this would be around 67/68 ,but along time ago and memories fade ,Premix had a plant there as well ,which i used to visit ,Somerford as well, i knew the foreman ,Ellis comes to mind, not sure.any of this jog the brainbox? TOSHBOY
altitude:
I worked for Ameys in about 67/68 at Lechlade, and later at Somerford Keynes. Sorry got know pic’s, but at that time they ran 4 wheeler BMC’s… 6 wheeler Dodges with 505 AEC engines… and 4 wheeler Albion’s with a 4 pot engine ( gutless wonders ) and 6 wheeler Albions. It was all company wagons then no owner drivers.
Hi Altitude (like that)
What i can recall of lechlade pit,it was i believe taken over from Pooles?? by AMEYS .there was a transport manager Vic Croft ,pit foreman Vickers ,this would be around 67/68 ,but along time ago and memories fade ,Premix had a plant there as well ,which i used to visit ,Somerford as well, i knew the foreman ,Ellis comes to mind, not sure.any of this jog the brainbox? TOSHBOY
Yeah your spot on there toshboy. The pit forman at Somerford was Martin Ellis, a good bloke.
altitude:
I worked for Ameys in about 67/68 at Lechlade, and later at Somerford Keynes. Sorry got know pic’s, but at that time they ran 4 wheeler BMC’s… 6 wheeler Dodges with 505 AEC engines… and 4 wheeler Albion’s with a 4 pot engine ( gutless wonders ) and 6 wheeler Albions. It was all company wagons then no owner drivers.
Hi Altitude (like that)
What i can recall of lechlade pit,it was i believe taken over from Pooles?? by AMEYS .there was a transport manager Vic Croft ,pit foreman Vickers ,this would be around 67/68 ,but along time ago and memories fade ,Premix had a plant there as well ,which i used to visit ,Somerford as well, i knew the foreman ,Ellis comes to mind, not sure.any of this jog the brainbox? TOSHBOY
Yeah your spot on there toshboy. The pit forman at Somerford was Martin Ellis, a good bloke.
Thanks Altitude, yes Martin great guy he was .liked fishing too! ----toshboy
Wasn’t the original Lechlade Pit (now the trout fishery) owned by Coln Gravels? It’s what it’s referred to by people I know, aswell as the current Lechlade/Fairford Hanson pit is also known as “Coln”.
There was Coln Gravel Claydon Pike, on the Lechlade to Fairford road, then there was Poole ( Lechlade ) on the Lechlade to Burford road. This was owned by Ameys, but the lorries ( BMC’s and Albion’s ) that ran out of there were all dark gray, with a plate on the sides of the body, in the Amey yellow with Poole (Lechlade ) painted on it.
altitude:
There was Coln Gravel Claydon Pike, on the Lechlade to Fairford road, then there was Poole ( Lechlade ) on the Lechlade to Burford road. This was owned by Ameys, but the lorries ( BMC’s and Albion’s ) that ran out of there were all dark gray, with a plate on the sides of the body, in the Amey yellow with Poole (Lechlade ) painted on it.
Ah, now I know the difference! Coln must be nearly exhausted but they keep finding somewhere to dig! Not old enough to remember Pooles but I’m sure I remember seeing the plant or bits of it near the old weighbridge when I was out riding with Dad in the 80s…
Ford D Series found this in a mag some time ago.
Coln must be nearly exhausted but they keep finding somewhere to dig! Not old enough to remember Pooles but I’m sure I remember seeing the plant or bits of it near the old weighbridge when I was out riding with Dad in the 80s…