That was a dirty job in the wet wasnt it, that Buckingham scania sounded nice you could hear that from a mile away,( Muckaway ), is that Nathan in the real world remember the american plate on the grill . Have they sorted that wheel wash out at Ardley yet 
i hate to think what crap was being piped thru there 
Yes, It’s me! Pretty sure I saw Allan today along A40, a McAdam truck driver waved anyway. That Buckingham Scanny sounded nice but was so loaded with extras it didn’t carry nowt (18 ton max at 32 ton ain’t very good if you’re paid on tonnage!) Dave Buck bought that off Youll and Dodds so it must’ve done some miles before he had it! People said it wasn’t actually a V8 but it sounded like it because Dave fiddled with the exhaust.
PS. The extra plate on the cab is Canadian, parents got it as a souvenir just before I had the Foden new so I fitted it when I had the (now wifes) name put on the front 
Just hijacking the thread to say that the first truck that I drove for my last firm was an ex Smiths Foden 6 wheeler, D704 PWL, with a 250 ■■■■■■■ L10 and 8/9 speed Fuller box. I had it from 1997 until 1999, It had all the extras, air seat, cross locks etc which was nice because the Foden’s that we had at Tilcon were just the basic models! My gaffer stretched the wheelbase to make it a 26 tonner and fitted an insulated body, and it was possibly the comfiest truck that I ever drove (and no limiter!!). Before your time I guess though Muckaway.
Pete.
Nice to talk to you nathan, i do miss the tipper work , but no more getting muddy or digging out in bad weather, i will keep a look out for you, i will ring allan tommorow to see how he is , he gets about with mcaddams they take the coloured tarmac for tennis courts ect or over the place, . Danny now has a 51 plate fm eight wheeler grey with black body , but he has been spotted driving for william gilder . Do you still get involved with the steam engines at toddington? hear they had a bit of trouble with the track near bishops cleeve. Go steady mate .
With a user name of Windrush i wondered if you were from around that area now i know 
truckeygar:
With a user name of Windrush i wondered if you were from around that area now i know
Afraid not truckeygar, North Derbyshire (though I did live in Reading for 24 years)! The EMPIRE WINDRUSH was the ship that brought me to the UK in 1951, hence the username.
Pete.
windrush:
Just hijacking the thread to say that the first truck that I drove for my last firm was an ex Smiths Foden 6 wheeler, D704 PWL, with a 250 ■■■■■■■ L10 and 8/9 speed Fuller box. I had it from 1997 until 1999, It had all the extras, air seat, cross locks etc which was nice because the Foden’s that we had at Tilcon were just the basic models! My gaffer stretched the wheelbase to make it a 26 tonner and fitted an insulated body, and it was possibly the comfiest truck that I ever drove (and no limiter!!). Before your time I guess though Muckaway.Pete.
No it wasn’t mate my dad had her from new! She replaced a Leyland Constructor VWL 513X and was one of Dads favourite wagons in 32 years on Smiths. Dad says someone had her re-engined as she had a 220 ■■■■■■■ when new. He had it until the late 80s recession hit and he was given an 8 wheel Foden B501 AUD then G163 BLM. G163 got nicked in 93 and Dad had to go back on D704 until the insurance paid for his new 8 legger L101 VLE (someone else had that one after Dad -and tipped it over while tipping, wrote it off!). I think Smiths sold 704 around 96 when some P reg 3000s arrived, I remember seeing its sister and a D reg 8 wheeler in Smiths yard with no signwriting on at this time and heard these went up North. 8 legger was D612 PUD. Dad was well chuffed to read your earlier post!
That would be about right datewise. I had a new 3000 series Foden 8 legger on Tilcon in November 96 and then changed jobs to Gough Transport Ltd in Matlock and had 704 in November 97. The truck was bought by Gough’s in 96 and they had the 220 uprated to 250, just did the pump and injector’s so it was the same engine. The gaffer’s son had it first until he resigned and then I took it on. I had a replacement gearbox as the original one developed a fault, it stayed in gear even when the lever was in neutral which was “interesting”! It was sold to a guy in Buxton, I would assume that it eventually got broken up for parts, and I was then given an F reg 6 wheeler which lasted until they made me redundant in 2002. Tell your Dad that the truck was a credit to him, it wasn’t knocked about at all, though of course it was a little ‘tired’ by the time that I drove it!
Pete.
Did your 3000 series rev fast when idling? I started on Smiths Feb 99 as a shovel driver, done 2 years until I was old enough to drive lorries. First wagon I had was an F reg 8 legger with CAT 300. Bit slow by todays standards but was ideal to learn on. Had that for a month until it went into pit as a dumper (got wrecked in a month) and I went on a 6 wheel 3000 N318 FLL. Had that for about 18 months and then got 6 wheeler S146 KLM, 4000 series-fantastic wagon, 340 CAT with Jake Brake (sounded beautiful going down steep hills!)
Kept her in (almost) show condition for 3 years and then got the one pictured above brand new. She’s got the 12 litre 345 CAT and returns between 9.5 to 9.8mpg.
Most of Smiths old wagons used to be very desirable 2nd hand because Smiths were (and still are) so strict on maintenance. We have to stop them luchtime day before service and wash and polish them before they enter the workshop! They kept some G reg 4000s until end of 2004 as they were so reliable. Will put up some pics later that I’ve taken of lorries waiting to be sold. I took an R reg 3000 to a farmer near Banbury about 2 years ago to be used as an off road grain cart-it was replacing one of our old KMs!
P.S Did you get any pics of D704?
Sorry Muckaway, no pics. 
In fact the only truck that I photographed is the one in my avatar. My 3000 Foden had the Rolls 335 and idled fine, though the ■■■■■■■ engined ones that we had did tickover fast until they warmed up.
I thought that the maintenance was up to scratch at Smith’s, it was the same at Tilcon. Engine oil and ALL filters were changed monthly without fail and the truck’s were greased fortnightly, paid off in the long run as folk were queuing up to buy them when they were sold on.
Pete.
Merehead quarry weighbridge.
A mendip tipper heading home from Bristol.
Phil.
Loading at Wickwar (the dig opposite side of the road to the weighbridge)
Artics were banned from this area as the haulroads were so steep
Awaiting it’s fate; I think this one was scrapped as the engine had just about had it when taken off the road and the sheeting system had been removed for reuse.Notice that a beacon has disappeared aswell! The sister truck in the background lasted a bit longer as yard spare and I think it “emigrated”. The bodies on these two were worth more than the rest of them.
hello muckaway, was Dannys first wagon a ex Smiths ?
truckeygar:
hello muckaway, was Dannys first wagon a ex Smiths ?
No but he bought it 'cos he drove one similar. His first had a Rolls (or Perkins) with an asphalt body. I remember when he first got his CPC he asked Smiths but they weren’t selling one. He tried Tuckwells but they warned him against it as the one they were selling needed a lot of work to get through MOT ( you wouldn’t get that very often).
The pic above shows Dans first 8 wheeler on Smiths- the one in the background. He asked to come off it when they stopped backloading muck with the alloy bodies (or tried to!) and got an N-reg with a steel body. The muck when wet used to cling in the alloys and make them unstable. Dan made more bonus on the steel body!
just remembered; his first Foden came from Ipswich way, a small haulier was retiring and he got a good deal on it.
That day was bloody cold! Eddie Harrison drove the ERF until he was laid off several weeks later. The ERF was mothballed and was sold last month. Anyone know what happened to it? Reg number W886 EOW, sold to someone in Worcestershire. The old 4000 series is still used occasionally but is going soon when some new Dafs arrive. Any takers? She drives quite nice, I had it about 3 weeks ago.
Muckaway:
Did your 3000 series rev fast when idling?
Kept her in (almost) show condition for 3 years and then got the one pictured above brand new. She’s got the 12 litre 345 CAT and returns between 9.5 to 9.8mpg.
Most of Smiths old wagons used to be very desirable 2nd hand because Smiths were (and still are) so strict on maintenance. We have to stop them luchtime day before service and wash and polish them before they enter the workshop! They kept some G reg 4000s until end of 2004 as they were so reliable. Will put up some pics later that I’ve taken of lorries waiting to be sold. I took an R reg 3000 to a farmer near Banbury about 2 years ago to be used as an off road grain cart-it was replacing one of our old KMs!
P.S Did you get any pics of D704?
Here’s some pics taken at Worsham quarry. Now closed I’ve read it was opened originally during the 40s. I can remember it being worked by Steetleys’ for a while during the 80s, after a period of being mothballed a company called Worsham Quarry was setup to finish working it and restore it to farmland. This company was part operated by Raymond Brown and I remember loading out of there and the tickets would read “Recycled Rock & Aggregate Ltd”. Don’t know why but Browns pulled out and Smiths took over, extending the life of the pit and using it as their recycling plant plus backfilling with non-recyclable inert waste. It closed last year.
This was the last but one Foden 8 wheeler bought by Smiths. The alloy body has a special liner in the bottom to prevent loads sticking and to reduce damage by carrying demolition waste.
Great pics Muckaway,the Fodens are gradually disappearing around this way.When Tilcon had the Gore quarry,they had 12 Foden eight wheelers,also several hauliers had them as well,now there’s just 3 in the quarries around here.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Great pics Muckaway,the Fodens are gradually disappearing around this way.When Tilcon had the Gore quarry,they had 12 Foden eight wheelers,also several hauliers had them as well,now there’s just 3 in the quarries around here.
Cheers Dave.
My Alpha comes off the road for 2 weeks tomorrow for MOT- that’s right 2 working weeks. It’ll be practically restored; Smiths valet the cab top to bottom, paint just about every nut and bolt, any niggle they cant deal with it goes to Cherrys at Radley,Abingdon (ABS warning light in other words!) I think its washed at least twice. You can smell paint and polish for days after you get it back!
Driving a more traditional Foden during that time,I’m having the W reg 4000 series with ■■■■■■■ engine (in the RAF Brize Norton pic above) complete with crash box and draughty cab doors!