loving the buffalo those oldies have proper character 
Pebbles 74:
Hello fryske,Really interesting this ‘Constructopus’. Is that the ‘true’ poistion (height) of the T45 cab as it was when fitted to the 500 series chassis, or is sat up on some blocks or something? Looks mighty high?
In some ways this is not a million miles away from from the narrow cabbed eight wheel constructor that Leyland offered later on. I always nagged my Dad about having one of them. He ran four Constructor six tippers all 24:21TL11’s, one with Fuller Range-Change the rest were Spicer Splitters, all had the 2 spring rear boggie, they did us very well. Prior to that we had a new Bison on T plate with the 4 spring suspension. Earlier still it was 3 AEC Marshals, what I woundn’t give to have kept one of them!
Looking forward to seeing the restored Octopus. Having seen the two Reivers at the Salop Steam Rally I’m sure the end result will be done to a very high standard.
All the best, Andrew Stone.
Hi Andrew
As far as I know - the cab is at the proper height - maybe it would look different with the mudguards/wheelarches fitted?
And those wheels could be smaller scrap ones I guess?
There’s still a Bison at work in Wales btw:
On this year’s Cheshire Run
ERF 6 wheel bulker by fryske, on Flickr
the big un:
A couple more for you43
and this is the air-vac unit on my truck201
ah yes i have seen that before but it was some years ago now !
have found out the other 5 triaxle trailers are powered by the respective units ‘wet pack’ basicly a hydraulic pressure pack that drives the blower/compressor pump & hydraulic system on the trailer.
i think 
fryske:
On this year’s Cheshire Run
ERF 6 wheel bulker by fryske, on Flickr
nice .
would that be a dunspencer body fitted on there ?
Agreed - very nice!
I was having a look at this one at the County of Salop Steam Rally (Onslow Park Shrewsbury) on August Bank Holiday. The progamme said she was new to a North Wales operator - the traffic area from the registration is Merionithshire, but she was supplied by Frank Tucker which would be Exeter? Can anybody shed an light on that?
Not sure about the body, I bet somebody will know though!
Regards,
Andrew
MolePower:
fryske:
On this year’s Cheshire Run
ERF 6 wheel bulker by fryske, on Flickrnice .
would that be a dunspencer body fitted on there ?
Thanks for that fryske,
I wonder if there are any photos around from when she was on the road in that guise?
Incidentally, what part of the world do you hail from? Your excellent flickr pages show a lot of photos from the Midlands & Welsh Borders?
I’m currently resident just outside of Wolverhampton & work in Stafford, but am originally from Honiton in East Devon.
Best regards, Andrew Stone
fryske:
Pebbles 74:
Hello fryske,Really interesting this ‘Constructopus’. Is that the ‘true’ poistion (height) of the T45 cab as it was when fitted to the 500 series chassis, or is sat up on some blocks or something? Looks mighty high?
In some ways this is not a million miles away from from the narrow cabbed eight wheel constructor that Leyland offered later on. I always nagged my Dad about having one of them. He ran four Constructor six tippers all 24:21TL11’s, one with Fuller Range-Change the rest were Spicer Splitters, all had the 2 spring rear boggie, they did us very well. Prior to that we had a new Bison on T plate with the 4 spring suspension. Earlier still it was 3 AEC Marshals, what I woundn’t give to have kept one of them!
Looking forward to seeing the restored Octopus. Having seen the two Reivers at the Salop Steam Rally I’m sure the end result will be done to a very high standard.
All the best, Andrew Stone.
Hi Andrew
As far as I know - the cab is at the proper height - maybe it would look different with the mudguards/wheelarches fitted?And those wheels could be smaller scrap ones I guess?
There’s still a Bison at work in Wales btw:
Leyland Bison CFO500V | Bought new by Clarance Griffiths in … | Flickr
same bulk body as the ERF ,
the one here was built by dunspencer at Ilton somerset , i think wilcox may have bought them out
I think you are right MolePower, there was some connection between Wilcox & Dunspencer.
When I was a nipper TWR (Tom Ridley - who I believe had some connection to ‘Tiverton’ Body Builders), used to do my Dad’s bodywork, & in a couple of cases they sprayed & singwrote our cabs. Their workshops were in the same yard as AGC in Cullompton. They could & would build pretty much anything from tipping bodies, box vans, flats you name it, including bulkers with blowing kit.
Now, from what I remember the welding jigs that they used for building the bulk alloy bodies were designed & owned by Wilcox, & Dunspencer was the blowing kit that they used. Essentially I suppose TWR were a subcontractor to Wilcox, as & when required, in that part of the country. At some point there was a ‘parting of the ways’ between TWR & Wilcox, with Wilcox removing the jigs & taking them elsewhere. This would have been mid to late 80s.
We also used to move grain off-farm for a chap who had a tractor driven Dunspencer suker-blower unit, a proper designed machine sold by them. Bloody slow old job from what I remember!
Some examples of TWR’s work for my Dad:
This body was built for an eight wheeler but never fitted, Dad bought it ‘second hand’ & had TWR shorten & fit it to our last brand new six wheeler. This set up was for hauling wood peelings / tree bark which was very bulky.
This is the same chassis, about a year later, with it’s second body when brand new - plank aluminium dropside also built by TWR. A long story… 
Same one again, here with the bulk side boards we used for grain / feed & cider apples.
And finally…
Just out of interest, is that industrial estate still there now? The last time I went through Cull’y there was a Tescos where the filling station used to be? And what of TWR?
All the best,
Andrew Stone
MolePower:
same bulk body as the ERF ,
the one here was built by dunspencer at Ilton somerset , i think wilcox may have bought them out
How about this old timer then? Image courtesy of Bubbleman’s ‘Scrapbook Memories’.
This one was driven, at one time, by Tony Hannaford (T&T Transport of Clyst St George Near Exeter). John Derrick also ran an tidy AEC Marshal 6x4, they were both in a maroon livery. I think this photo is at Otterton Mill near Budliegh Salterton in East Devon. Later on they had a store at Dunball, just of J23 on the M5 in Somerset.
All the best! Andrew Stone.
love those B&W pics , as for your RGS STONE pics i can remember them parked up round fenny bridges area
Same Tank Trailer Different Tractor, Working out of BOCM in Selby. 1972 to 84
WCF yard BOCM Selby.
mole power go to old time site look at companies along the a65 thread page 9 and ul c 2 of the tidiest bulkers in the country also on this site look at scorton vehicle rally cheers bibs
BIBS:
mole power go to old time site look at companies along the a65 thread page 9 and ul c 2 of the tidiest bulkers in the country also on this site look at scorton vehicle rally cheers bibs
might just do that . thanks
Some great photos on this thread, here’s a few photos from me:
cheers
nice pictures chap
one of our 58 reg g cabs belongs to grumpy granddad 
tipping one of the best trailers on the fleet ex-abn BT51
the two new 8 wheelers
