marky:
Frank Burton (were they from around Wolverhampton somewhere?) were also running late registered B-Series tractors.
I remember seeing them in & out of Bootle for a good few years (89-96). There were a couple of B-prefix B-Series 4x2 tractors in their livery - both with 8LXBs and both used to bark like ‘Patricroft foxes’ toiling up Balliol Rd loaded with copper plates on tri-axle flats. I assumed at the time that they were working at 38 tonnes, so perhaps there had been some ‘fettling’ done to the 240s; especially as the 265 bhp 8LXC and 300 bhp 8LXCT were introduced after the B-Series ended production. The Burton motors were eventually replaced with E-Series - and so was the signwritten livery with stickers…
marky,frank burton was from willenhall west midlands,he wrapped up a few years ago
marky:
Frank Burton (were they from around Wolverhampton somewhere?) were also running late registered B-Series tractors.
I remember seeing them in & out of Bootle for a good few years (89-96). There were a couple of B-prefix B-Series 4x2 tractors in their livery - both with 8LXBs and both used to bark like ‘Patricroft foxes’ toiling up Balliol Rd loaded with copper plates on tri-axle flats. I assumed at the time that they were working at 38 tonnes, so perhaps there had been some ‘fettling’ done to the 240s; especially as the 265 bhp 8LXC and 300 bhp 8LXCT were introduced after the B-Series ended production. The Burton motors were eventually replaced with E-Series - and so was the signwritten livery with stickers…
The late registered B series had been mothballed from new for a few years in primer, hence the late reg. numbers, most of Frank’s work was from James bridge copper works at Walsall, when the works closed they called it a day.
It was mainly billets up to Yorkshire metals on the East Lancs rd. at Kirkby and cathodes back from Bootle.
I done the same up for BRS running with Burtons motors but I had a Sed atki and pulled a fold down grain trailer that carried billets as a flat then folded the inward dropping sides back up to backload copper scrap pipe from the same place.
This was a 270 ex Turners ( it was later boosted to 310 ish which I used on night trunk Gloucester - Venlo for about 6 years. As it was first registered 6 months before the limiter regulations it used to fly. Seen here at Sargestedt in what had been the old East Germany.
And Saving the best till last. This used to get all the cameras out when parked between a Scania and Volvo on the Venlo border in the early 80’s. Used to run to Dusseldorf but made it as far as Munich once
I don’t know who had it before Tony Jones but he wasn’t that far from your neck of the woods. There was also a similar A series (reg ■■? GUT ? ) also with a luxurious sleeper pod but that one ended up in the ditch which runs by the side of the lane from the yard, along with 20 tons of Chipboard. ( A middle east driver not used to right hookers)
There were at least one ex Sammy Jones unit on the fleet but I can’t remember which one it was, they all looked the same once Bill Mills had finished with them.
( All comments come with the rider " T’was awhile ago and memory is a funny thing")
zzarbean:
I don’t know who had it before Tony Jones but he wasn’t that far from your neck of the woods. There was also a similar A series (reg ■■? GUT ? ) also with a luxurious sleeper pod but that one ended up in the ditch which runs by the side of the lane from the yard, along with 20 tons of Chipboard. ( A middle east driver not used to right hookers)
There were at least one ex Sammy Jones unit on the fleet but I can’t remember which one it was, they all looked the same once Bill Mills had finished with them.
( All comments come with the rider " T’was awhile ago and memory is a funny thing")
a jones driver,vince cook had an a series with a 230 gardner or ■■■■■■■ and they had messed with the pump an he used to say what a rapid machine it was and that vicks had brought it after
This was a hard worked tractor during the time we ran it.It was doing a round trip per 24hrs,6days a week between West Thurrock and Milnthorpe. We double shifted it out of Dudley,it never missed a beat !!
Just trawled through all the pictures on this thread and I can’t find any ERF’s belonging to Mansfield Roadways or E & J Meeks. I worked for them in the '80s but sadly didn’t take any photos. Can anyone help? Also, what about Bowmans and Bowrings?
spannertrucker:
Just trawled through all the pictures on this thread and I can’t find any ERF’s belonging to Mansfield Roadways or E & J Meeks. I worked for them in the '80s but sadly didn’t take any photos. Can anyone help? Also, what about Bowmans and Bowrings?
They were never stood long enough to photograph
I used to work with some (by then) ex Meeks’ drivers and almost without exception, they were top men. Good drivers and grafters with it.
spannertrucker:
Just trawled through all the pictures on this thread and I can’t find any ERF’s belonging to Mansfield Roadways or E & J Meeks. I worked for them in the '80s but sadly didn’t take any photos. Can anyone help? Also, what about Bowmans and Bowrings?
I didn’t take these,I think flatman001 sent them to me,hope he doesn’t mind…I think the accident was on the A48.
I remember Meeks when they were on the tar job out of Orgreave,Sheffield.
curnock:
a jones driver,vince cook had an a series with a 230 gardner or ■■■■■■■ and they had messed with the pump an he used to say what a rapid machine it was and that vicks had brought it after
Memory banks working at full stretch now (which isn’t easy in the middle of a week of nights )
I went up to Tony Jones with another driver (Irish Chris) to pick up two units, as soon as he saw the left ■■■■■■ B series with the 330 ■■■■■■■ in he grabbed it, and kept it for the next 10 years, (later plated TAF 365) that left me with the A series (RDH) A while later another A series with a pod on came into the yard (GUT) If S Jone’s A series had a pod and not a full sleeper that could have been the one. Overall it was a better truck than RDH and I took it over, and it did go well much betterer than RDH. Then one day another driver (now sadly gone to the truckstop in the sky) used it to deliver a load of chipboard. Unfortunately going up the lane he put a wheel on the soft verge and got stuck. By the time he’d ran back down the lane to get help the whole lot was down in the ditch ( a good 5’ below road level)
That was the end of GUT and I had to go back onto RDH until I was laid off (for the first time) in 1983
Both RDH and GUT were fitted with 240 straight eight Gardners
Hiya …this is my old ride she was ex s jones she was on the scrap job but tipped over… she was rebuilt
had a new cab then went onto european tank work…at only 65mph max nothing would stay with her
constantly… she just stayed sat at 65mph… scabby travalers nicked her and chopped out the motor for
export but got caught going over the M62 with a transit fully loaded with 2 …8lxb’s on the back.
in the photo she’s 7 years old and looks new…PRF298L was the reg
John
Strewth, that’s a very late B-series… I seem to remember the first of the C-series around '82 on an X reg? Does anyone know the story behind this one?
Cracking photo though. Thanks Stanfield
My all-time favourite lorry
It was an Eden Commercials demo, that for reasons best known to themselves they hung onto for years, Bert Smith then bought it from them for a song, complete with a fold down bunk across the seats. Roger who`s name is on the front I believe last worked at Haulage Express at Harker, probably still does.
Strewth, that’s a very late B-series… I seem to remember the first of the C-series around '82 on an X reg? Does anyone know the story behind this one? Cracking photo though. Thanks Stanfield My all-time favourite lorry
It was an Eden Commercials demo, that for reasons best known to themselves they hung onto for years, Bert Smith then bought it from them for a song, complete with a fold down bunk across the seats. Roger who`s name is on the front I believe last worked at Haulage Express at Harker, probably still does.
One of 3 ERF “C” series we got from Eden Commercials in 1982 two on the “X” plate and we held one back and put it on the “Y”.
here’s a few before and afters,what the fitters would do with broken ERF’s at WA GLENDINNINGS Consett.i think they had as many spares at Shotley Bridge as they had at Sandbach.
Got My self an old 1976 B series today , Not sure who was the original owner, i hope to get the old girl back on the road for next year , the 8LXB sound sweet, makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end when you rev here ,photo of the truck if any one recognises her
Bought new by Woodwards of Macclesfield - registered in July 1970 - 4 wheeled flat - Gardner 6LW 120 - Engine No. 173434 - Chassis No. 19649. Bought by J Haydon & Sons circa 1974 and fitted with a livestock body (I went to Birkenhead in her early '75).
Last photo was in 2006 - I don’t know what’s become of her
)
