Ah! running legal, I doubt that any general haulage company ran strictly legal including BRS as the gross weight for 8 wheelers and 8 wheeled artics was then 24t and the were both rated as 16 tonners by all companies, but I have never been on a weighbridge and tared out at less than eight and half tons indeed nearer nine with an artic, but I think common sense used to prevail more in those days! The Thames Trader or Bedford or Commer with BTC four-in-line trailers were rated at the same 24t gross and were probably legal with 16t on but nobody could claim they were an ideal solution. The intention of companies like BRS was to run legal in a sensible manner but there of course some companies that thought 24t gross meant payload!
hiya,
prior to working for BRS in the mid 60s and early 70s i worked for several hauliers most with antique gear i drove regularly ancient 8 wheelers pulling drawbar trailers i seem to think we put 14 ton on the wagon and 6 ton on trailer, that seems a lot to me looking back but am sure that was the norm did the same job for BRS occasionally and am pretty sure the same rules applied , can somebody put me straight please i’d hate to think i was running bent all those years i wouldn’t be able to sleep if that was the case .
thanks harry long retired .
Hi again, Harry_Gill, I would say that that was very legal, certainly on Sutton’s two 8 wheeled Leyland and Trailers we would load up to 16t on the waggon and put 10t onthe trailer which by the way had twin 1000x20’ all around which strictly speaking was way above the law at about 38t gross, the maximum in law being 32t gross. We put 20t on the 4 wheelers and trailers. It may be of interest to know that the two Leylands only had the 600 engine of 124 bhp we would also load an old Atkinson 8 wheeler and trailer he sometimes ran at the same weights and this waggon was well into its twenties and was powered by the Gardner LW of a mighty 112 bhp and I do remember one of the Leylands KDJ175 and trailer coming down with 32t on its back and it must be remembered that we had never heard of powered steering and you did’nt get heavier steering than a Leyland Octo, they were heavier empty than a Bristol 8 wheeler loaded! Ah the good old days? And yes I think they were.
hiya,
thanks for the info ST pleased i ran legal although i lived in crawler gear most of the time, ah yes the old octopus and the bristols were very heavy and i was quite a big guy in those days but the old 8 legged AECs had a special steering which we termed trailer gearing not powered but a lot better for trailer work, oh happy days thanks again mate i can sleep like a babe again without the fear that the man from the ministry won’t come a knocking.
thanks harry long retired.
Amongst the ex B.R.S. drivers on this thread is there a historian of the company ?
When did B.R.S. come about ? I assume it was in the 1940’s when the transport industry was nationalized by the post WW11 Labour Goverment !
My father (no longer amongst us) worked fo B.R.S. at Brentford (don’t know exactly where) and when clearing out some old papers after his death I came across a reference he had from “Ideal Haulage” !! Does this mean anything to ex B.R.S. old timers ■■ I am assuming he was employed at Ideal Haulage when it was nationalized into B.R.S. !!
Big Leggy, I do not remember, when they started up, but they was around, when I was at school, a transport cafe was across the road, from our play ground, in horse shoe street Northampton. Many times, I would get a mug of tea and a large biscuit, for 2p, and they used to stop for grub, I started at school when I was three, because, they had space, and my cousin went she was 4, I kicked up a fuss, that was 1940. Sandman Norman
I worked for Fred Davies, St Helens which was an all Leyland fleet, apart from a couple of Thames traders. when I started there in 1960 we loaded 20 ton on a 4 wheeler & trailer, 25 ton on an 8 legger & trailer, & 25 ton on the artics, and the 4 wheel rigid Comets had 10 + tons on their backs. I had a 4 wheel Thames Trader and I regularly had 10 ton on it’s back.
Hello Big Leggy
I think nationalisation was around 1948 , remember stories of companies with over six Lorries in thier fleet were under compusory purchase . BRS Brentford depot was in Commerce road , backing onto the Canal just down the road from Zion Park ,used to offload there in the 60s . I remember alot of the Depots closing accross England in the early 70s , Bow Depot was a shock as it was massive and one of the biggest in the Country and probably Brentford went around that time.
Regards Frenchy
frenchy
Many thanks for the info – the dates would tie in with the era my father was at Brentford before he left and went to Lyons at Greenford !!
I never bothered to ask him about where & when he worked for various companies and when I started HGV driving I never realy saw much of him.
If I can find the original reference (we moved house two & half years ago so typically I’ve not unpacked everything yet) I’ll see if there are any clues to where the company was in Brentford !!
Thanks again…
Yeah I looked into this subject sometime back, don’t have it to hand now but it was brought in by the Labour Government after they passed the transport act in 1947. the road and rail transport were nationalised in 1948 coming under the British Transport Commision The nationalised road transport was called British Road Services (B.R.S.) and took over most of the Companies running long distance haulage, though some contract work was exempt, as with Hanson’s at I.C.I.
Many owners became managers but not necessarily at their own yards, the problem was of course, they did not share the enthusiasm of the Government, which is understandable. I think this lead to a few strange running plans at times. The nationalisation plan was stopped when the Conservatives came to power in 1951 and the break up of the B.R.S. started in 1953 but some parts carried on in varying forms, mostly as Public Companies, I think. So what, on paper seemed a great idea, was fairly short lived and leaves one to wonder if it really had a fair crack of the whip! But we don’t want to go there do we!!
frenchy & BigG-Unit
I’ve just looked through the family “strong-box” and found the reference I was talking about ! Now I know this is where my father was working and any reference he made to B.R.S. was always prefaced with Brentford…
“Ideal Haulage Service & Motor Works, Ltd” == Proprietors of “Universal Haulage Co., Ltd.” Offices at 230A High St. Brentford, Middx…
The letter is dated January 1950 – so I assume that this is during the period of goverment nationalisation of haulage companies !!
I assume that it was during this period that the introduction of A,B & C licences was begun (as opposed to the modern O licence).
On the headed note-paper of this letter it lists the company directors and one of them is M.A. ■■■■, a forefather of the ■■■■ company of Northampton ■■
Big Leggy : That’s a little gem you have there mate! you should get it framed and not let it lanquish in a box. I think you are right about the licences and of course many paid good money for some rough old motors just for the A licence when B.R.S. and other companies too, were sold off.
My father was with Joe Harding at Cowley during the war, which became the Oxford B,R.S. Depot, but he left to work for a small local firm. It has only occured to me since joining this forum that he never discussed his work very much, or maybe he did and I wasn’t listening.
Hello
Great info there , thanks Fellas . Ive just looked on Amazon and " BRS the early years" is available for around £26
I reckon that`ll be money well spent for the misty eyed Red and Rust anoracks , like me .
Regaeds Frenchy
Frenchy, Hope you pay that much for my book, when its finished, then people say that ex- B.R.S. drivers are a little Madddd, but do not believe them, for we are the salt of the earth Ha ha ha, and just look how long we are living, some I used to know, who could not do a trip at a moderate pace, are now flying at a different place, whether it up above, or down below, they sure did get there quick, I wonder if they are happy?, but I know some quick witted fellow on here is sure to let us know. Sandman Norman
Hello Norm
Ill pay that for your new book . I can just see it now entitled!!!! NORMANS BRS GUIDE TO 50 THINGS YOU SHOULDNT HAVE DONE ON THE HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN .
Regards Frenchy
hiya,
well frenchy us red and rust brigade must make heaven material because we never did nowt wrong but i’m in no rush to prove it,
thanks harry long retired.
Frenchy & harry, you two should sing to me, ( You may not be a angel) and I already have a title for my book, and I have done 60 pages, and it starts from childhood, and will include a lot of my middle east trips, it is funny, ■■■■, and sad, but this is life." Have Wheels Must Travel", this was in me from a young lad, I loved to roam, the roads never seem to end for me, and the main reason I joined the army, to seek pastures new, and learn to drive. One thing I must say, its a pleasure to communicate, with you two ex- B.R.S. retrobates. Sandman Norman
I think this lead to a few strange running plans at times. The nationalisation plan was stopped when the Conservatives came to power in 1951 and the break up of the B.R.S. started in 1953 but some parts carried on in varying forms, mostly as Public Companies, I think. So what, on paper seemed a great idea, was fairly short lived and leaves one to wonder if it really had a fair crack of the whip! But we don’t want to go there do we!! 