oiltreader:
These with permission and thanks to Dave Fawcett, the Bedford VAL pigeon carrier I’m guessing would have started life as a removal van, mebbe not
Oily
Hi Oily, I think the Bedford VAL was most probably designed & built as a Pigeon Carrier.
I remember my father telling me of a visit to Marsdens about that time when he went to see how they were getting on building one of ours.
Aurthur Rathbone who designed most of the vans at that time was wandering round with a bit of wood, deep in thought, next to a van that was partly built, and dad said to him, ‘What are you up to’ 'Its a pigeon carrier & they want all these bloody doors to open at the same time; He was obviously figuring out how he could get all the doors to open together. About a month later there was an article & photo in Commercial Motor about a pigeon carrier they had built & how they had come up with this unique design to open all the doors so all the pigeons could fly out together, giving them an equal start. That may not be the van but there is a good chance it was.
Hope you’re keeping well, regards Carl
Hi Carl, I’m well thanks your info for the pigeon carrier sounds spot on.
Cheers
Oily
Hi jakey,that truck sounds like a nightmare take it everybody uses it no regular driver ,we had a driver at Jones Cyril his name was,he would pee in a bottle and tip it in the coolant in the morning his cab stunk for years so I know where you coming from ,nice pics oily keep on posting mate
Great photos Oily , Yes John from new it had a regular driver but when he left it was never allocated a driver so now every one uses it ! shame because it was nice ,only last week the back end was snagged against there own fence ,it was botched up but I know it will never get repaired .
smallcoal:
Hi mark ,I got those mags in my wagon I think I may be on west wales today won’t know till I get in cheers John
Hi John,
Sorry mate been busy mother not been well again…let me know when your on west Wales run mate…I will make sure the other mags are there to exchange mate.
Did I see you climbing up the Newport bank this morning mate ?
JAKEY:
I like this but I would prefer a MERC or MAN chassis and cab .
Hi Steve,
These maxi vans seem to be taking flight everybody wants one…we have one on demo at the moment…the demo one we have the body is like cardboard…the GRP is so thin you can see through it…I don’t think the bodies will last long unless they are proper removal bodies
How you doing bit slow at the moment !
Everybody I talk to at the moment are slow.
DEANB:
Anyone know anything about this company. If they really did go to Moscow and Afghanistan then
fair play to them.
Click on page once.
Hi Dean,
Yes this company realy did go to these places,
What I remeber of Smiths they did a lot of work for Davis Turner…Evan Cook…and many of the big company’s who did not venture to those parts…I think they are still in business today !
smallcoal:
Hi mark ,I got those mags in my wagon I think I may be on west wales today won’t know till I get in cheers John
Hi John,
Sorry mate been busy mother not been well again…let me know when your on west Wales run mate…I will make sure the other mags are there to exchange mate.
Did I see you climbing up the Newport bank this morning mate ?
Hi mark what time was that cause I passed a Ryan’s container by Cardiff gate in Brittanias colours
smallcoal:
Hi mark ,I got those mags in my wagon I think I may be on west wales today won’t know till I get in cheers John
Hi John,
Sorry mate been busy mother not been well again…let me know when your on west Wales run mate…I will make sure the other mags are there to exchange mate.
Did I see you climbing up the Newport bank this morning mate ?
Hi mark what time was that cause I passed a Ryan’s container by Cardiff gate in Brittanias colours
It was you then mate…Yes the Ryan’s Merc container box was behind you a little way back…I was in the far lane westbound coming off for Cwmbran just before the tunnels …the traffic was heavy my side you didn’t see me…was just after 8 this morning
your info for the pigeon carrier sounds spot on.
