Life after Henley Transport Co Ltd , MLL 570L at the time it was new was the longest Atkinson rigid built.
I found this photo of it on the internet in its 2nd life on the fairground circuit.
Thatâs a great picture of MLL570L. DVLA shows it was last taxed 1st Feb 2008. I wonder what happened to it? Given itâs history and surviving as long as 2008 it would have made a good restoration project.
cav551:
Picture taken at Hellingly about 1978.
The AEC Matador breakdown that went all over the country to recover disabled vehicles and usually driven by Lofty (Brian Gibson). God knows how, but Lofty at 6ft 6in (atleast) managed to curl up on the bonnet and go to sleep while someone else drove it to give him a break on the rare occasions he got one if a second driver had been sent up with a relief wagon.
This was known to have dragged artics back from Liverpool and the West Country after taking them on to their tip. It looked a bit of overkill when it was sent out to get a smashed up workshop minivan from Mereworth.
It was not a nice vehicle to drive until the square front tyres wwere replaced
Ihave been working at a address in Hawkhurst and sitting at the back of the house is this wrecker waiting to be done up by a young lad(19) whos grandfather use to drive it
F40CKR has been painted up and is nr Stoke on Trent .
Punchy Dan:
0i know the colours arnt quite right but Kent reg ?
No. *KE and *KJ to *KR are Kent reg normally issued from Maidstone and *FN and *JG from Canterbury. Some or all of these also in use as two letter suffixes. D on its own was also a Kent suffix registration letter.
One of two Fodens which the company purchased from Wakeley Brothers of Rainham in Kent when they decided to sell their vehicles off , the other was an s80 tractor unit.
The Foden S80 (OKO 510M) was used in Fodens press photos when new, but I donât know if it was ever re-painted in Henleyâs livery. I think the S40 in the photo here was reg no (GKJ 118L).
Mark R:
The Foden S80 (OKO 510M) was used in Fodens press photos when new, but I donât know if it was ever re-painted in Henleyâs livery. I think the S40 in the photo here was reg no (GKJ 118L).
Hello Mark, old mate! Itâs really time you started work on a history of haulage in east Kent. You probably know more than most of us nowadays. Youâve got the pics, youâve got the contacts, youâve got the stories: do it! Iâd certainly donate all my photos and information. Cheers, Robert 
Mark R:
The Foden S80 (OKO 510M) was used in Fodens press photos when new, but I donât know if it was ever re-painted in Henleyâs livery. I think the S40 in the photo here was reg no (GKJ 118L).
I have a feeling Mark that all OKO 510M got was the Henley Transport Co Ltd name plate on the head board I am almost certain I have seen a picture of that somewhere.
The S80 was an 8 potter IIRC. It was certainly black and red with a Henley nameboard in my time. The two Wakeley drivers were âacquiredâ with the vehicles.
I saw this on e-bay recently. Gatwards stand at the Kent Show in 1967. LKJ320F already has its number plates fitted ready for the road on August 1st.
This photo is currently on e-bay.
Commer seems a strange choice, especially when so many AECâs came into the fleet during the sixties. Was this something to do with Gatwards trying to get Henley to try something else?
The body looks like is is removable, was this transferable across the fleet, or was this permanently on this Commer?
Does any one know the registration number of this vehicle?
The Commer was originally in the main transport fleet when it came home.
In later years the Commer became the farm lorry as the other Henley business interest was farming which dated back to the mid 30s.
Eventualy this vehicle was replaced by the Erf A series RKJ 160M.
Hi Lawrence, did RKJ 160M ever carry the livestock container off the Commer when operated by Brian at the farm ?
Compliments of the season, Leyland 600
Leyland600:
Hi Lawrence, did RKJ 160M ever carry the livestock container off the Commer when operated by Brian at the farm ?
Compliments of the season, Leyland 600
Hello Leyland600 yes it did have the livestock box on its back,I donât have any photos of RKJ160M on its own with the box on,I may have a pictue of it in one of Jacks ERF line ups.
A trawl back to page 5 shows a Commer with cattle body but right in the distance so it is not possible to read the number plate. There were two F or G reg Commers in the fleet in the early to mid 1970âs. By then they were not allocated to any particular driver although I was offered one as a regular vehicle after passing the test; I chose KKJ 290 E the Atkinson four wheeler instead. They seemed to be used as spare vehicles either as additions or as replacements for MOT or service, bearing in mind that a vehicle did not go back on the road again until all known defects had been rectified and any damage or paintwork attended to so even a service vehicle might be off road for more than one day. The cattle body was demountable so not carried all the time initially. They were TS3 versions and both came to sticky ends. The first one was burnt out by the golf course on seven mile lane when a sheet rope melted onto the exhaust and the load of oranges caught fire. A while later the other one was towed in with bits of rocker beam, con rod etc hanging out of the sump following over-revving coming down Charing Hill. The burnt out remains were wheeled into the workshop and the engine transplanted. IIRC after a while with the cattle body more or less permanently attached and it becoming the specific Farm vehicle, it was sold and RKJ 160 M was retired early from everyday use.
Hi Lawrence, I found this photo of RKJ 160 M with live stock container in a rather sorry state. I have no idea whose photo it is however and apologise if it infringes copyright. Also photos taken when I went to view the lorry at Spelmondham and its subsequent journey north to â â â â â â â â in 2005.
All the best for 2016, Leyland 600.
lawrence2765:
0A fantastic old fleet line up picture taken in the early 70s
Quite a few new Henley pics on ebay today. Robert