I remember those G Range Volvo’s well, I used to see them running down Maryhill Road on their way south at night. The trailers looked odd as well, they seemed to be narrower, maybe that was just because their height made them look that way. I also remember the later Scania’s.
Like most drivers of my generation, I could kick myself for not taking photo’s so can’t add any here, sorry!
Connals were a very old firm, being mentioned in a book called ‘The Second City’, the history of the City of Glasgow. They were originally Storekeeper’s, adding Transport much later.
Their first artics were LAD Albion’s with Scammell couplings and single axle trailer’s. The Volvo’s were their first heavy tractors, following on from the Albion’s.
As well as having vast storage sheds at Craigmont Street, just off Maryhill Road, they got involved with Distribution. They fell foul of the Law for using BMC threepeeny bit chassis with swap bodies, the chassis were under 3 t ULW and were only (The Law said!) legal if they swapped the bodies, which were deemed to be part of the load.
Unfortunately, great attention to the vehicles by the commissioners discovered the bodies didn’t get swapped often, that cost Connal’s a hefty fine.
They were taken over by the TDG, keeping their name.
Highland Haulage was another company taken over by the TDG, although the name was kept, I was told that the owner didn’t sell the name with the company and retained the title while TDG was allowed to use the name.
In later years TDG amalgamated Connal’s and Highland Haulage, becoming Connal-Highland. When the TDG closed both business’s, the original owner formed a new Highland Haulage with two other transport companies in Inverness and that the one in business today.
As we all know up here, TDG was the kiss of death for many long established Scottish transport companies.
Hope all this is interesting to you all.
Alex
Eddie Heaton:
Hi Ray, unless I’m mistaken, the G89 doesn’t appear to have been a popular choice of vehicle in the UK, I certainly don’t recall seeing any about this area, other than the ones that Connals operated. How many did they have by the way?
No doubt they were an excellent motor, but they did look a bit oddball. Perhaps it was the combination of being a day cab and having the forward set front axle that made them look a little bit U.S. spec.
Presumably, the forward set axle was for weight distribution, but surely that couldn’t have been the primary reason for Connals to choose them. Perhaps it was the power ?
Who else ran G89s, any idea mate ?
Regards. Eddie.
Just rereading this thread Eddie,Humber McVeigh had quite a few G89’s,all based at their head office in Grimsby,odd looking machines though!
David
An AEC Mandator of Connals Transport from Craigmont Street, Maryhill Road, Glasgow.
One of their main sources of work was from Brown & Polson at Paisley, manufacturers
of cornflour and other foods, including Gerber foods for babies.
Ray Smyth.
When “I were a Lad” growing up in Kendal probably '60/61 about I recall Brown & Polson artics were Guy Invincibles and they pulled probably the highest artic vans on the road at that time. They were all painted white but I don’t remember who the Guy’s were operated by ? Cheers Bewick.
alexsaville:
I remember those G Range Volvo’s well, I used to see them running down Maryhill Road on their way south at night. The trailers looked odd as well, they seemed to be narrower, maybe that was just because their height made them look that way. I also remember the later Scania’s.
Like most drivers of my generation, I could kick myself for not taking photo’s so can’t add any here, sorry!
Connals were a very old firm, being mentioned in a book called ‘The Second City’, the history of the City of Glasgow. They were originally Storekeeper’s, adding Transport much later.
Their first artics were LAD Albion’s with Scammell couplings and single axle trailer’s. The Volvo’s were their first heavy tractors, following on from the Albion’s.
As well as having vast storage sheds at Craigmont Street, just off Maryhill Road, they got involved with Distribution. They fell foul of the Law for using BMC threepeeny bit chassis with swap bodies, the chassis were under 3 t ULW and were only (The Law said!) legal if they swapped the bodies, which were deemed to be part of the load.
Unfortunately, great attention to the vehicles by the commissioners discovered the bodies didn’t get swapped often, that cost Connal’s a hefty fine.
They were taken over by the TDG, keeping their name.
Highland Haulage was another company taken over by the TDG, although the name was kept, I was told that the owner didn’t sell the name with the company and retained the title while TDG was allowed to use the name.
In later years TDG amalgamated Connal’s and Highland Haulage, becoming Connal-Highland. When the TDG closed both business’s, the original owner formed a new Highland Haulage with two other transport companies in Inverness and that the one in business today.
As we all know up here, TDG was the kiss of death for many long established Scottish transport companies.
Hope all this is interesting to you all.
Alex
Now then Alex how are you keeping, well I trust.! Now then I knew Sir James Duncan and he was a canny Chap but he didn’t stand any crap or poor performing subsidiaries. He once told me that where they could be very tolerant at times when circumstances were outside the control of a subsidiary they would only go so far and then an ultimatum would be given and if there was little or no improvement the relevant firm got “the chop” or was rolled into one of their other subsidiaries. The late great Tommy Riding always turned in a regular profitable return for the TDG so they left him well alone and he was allowed to run his fleet in the original Riding livery right up until the day he retired in 1995 when “The suits” took over and quickly F---- the firm up !! But all in all IMHO the old TDG when Sir James was “The Guvnor” was a very successful no nonsense Operator albeit in many different guises! All the best Dennis.
Bewick:
When “I were a Lad” growing up in Kendal probably '60/61 about I recall Brown & Polson artics were Guy Invincibles and they pulled probably the highest artic vans on the road at that time. They were all painted white but I don’t remember who the Guy’s were operated by ? Cheers Bewick.
Hi Dennis, When I was aware of Connals, late 1960s and early 1970s, they used the depot of Robert Baillie at Wigan
as a changeover point, the night trunk drivers from Glasgow went to the same “Day Digs” as Baillies Portsmouth men,
and the Wigan shunters would tip a full load of palletised Mazola cooking oil at Corn Products at Trafford Park, and
then load double deck glass bottles from Rockware at St Helens or Doncaster, or Garston. Occasionally the trailer
would be a 40ft tandem flat, so good quality sheeting and roping was necessary, not easy on a windy day.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
Just found this Ray note the trade plates. Les.
lespullan:
Just found this Ray note the trade plates. Les.
0
Great picture Les, Glasgow trade plates, and by Royal Appointment on the door. Thank you, Ray.
Interesting posts on here - the ones from a couple of years ago taking my name in vain, I missed! On the motorway the other day, my wife asked me why the green trailer in front was thinner than the others. I replied that it wasn’t - it was a double decker Dunelm Mill - and explained that it was an optical illusion because of the height. I suspect the Brown and Polson trailers were also full width.
As I remember, most of Pritchett Bros box trailers were Crane Fruehauf, which I think were based on the earlier Boden design. (I’m sure Bewick will know their parentage) all these years later I can’t remember which door opened first (I think it was the offside). What I am sure of is that the other most popular make, York, opened the other door first. What Ratcliffe’s trailers did, I don’t remember.
Eddie referred to ‘The Beach’. A part of the drive next to our house had a sort of ‘shingly’ surface, not having been tarmacced. My stepmother would say ‘park your lorry on the beach, not on the drive!’ Pritchett’s yard was similar in that it was part tarmac and part what I guess was flattened ‘tip’ from the original coal mine on the site. I referred to it as the beach in the office and this name somehow seemed to catch on (or was it just me Eddie?)
Interesting that the ‘Commissioners’ who were paid come rain or shine, imposed fines on the company that was helping provide their salaries, for what were really technical offences - if they bankrupted them they wouldn’t care. We sometimes have some odd ways of looking after the companies which actually do the work and earn the money, while being lenient on thieves and chancers, or is that just a grumpy old man speaking? Oh no, he’s on another thread!
John.
John West:
Interesting posts on here - the ones from a couple of years ago taking my name in vain, I missed! On the motorway the other day, my wife asked me why the green trailer in front was thinner than the others. I replied that it wasn’t - it was a double decker Dunelm Mill - and explained that it was an optical illusion because of the height. I suspect the Brown and Polson trailers were also full width.
As I remember, most of Pritchett Bros box trailers were Crane Fruehauf, which I think were based on the earlier Boden design. (I’m sure Bewick will know their parentage) all these years later I can’t remember which door opened first (I think it was the offside). What I am sure of is that the other most popular make, York, opened the other door first. What Ratcliffe’s trailers did, I don’t remember.
Eddie referred to ‘The Beach’. A part of the drive next to our house had a sort of ‘shingly’ surface, not having been tarmacced. My stepmother would say ‘park your lorry on the beach, not on the drive!’ Pritchett’s yard was similar in that it was part tarmac and part what I guess was flattened ‘tip’ from the original coal mine on the site. I referred to it as the beach in the office and this name somehow seemed to catch on (or was it just me Eddie?)
Interesting that the ‘Commissioners’ who were paid come rain or shine, imposed fines on the company that was helping provide their salaries, for what were really technical offences - if they bankrupted them they wouldn’t care. We sometimes have some odd ways of looking after the companies which actually do the work and earn the money, while being lenient on thieves and chancers, or is that just a grumpy old man speaking? Oh no, he’s on another thread!
John.
John, Your comments about the back doors on van trailers has explained something to me. Have a look at the posting
that I put on this page on 13/8/2016. We still occasionally enjoy a nice tin of salmon 
. Ray.
