I’ll bet that 4 in line trailer “wobbled” a bit,didn’t like those things,had a few at Humber McVeigh’s
David
IMHO a four-in-line trailer combination was, in the day, the most cost effective artic at 24 tons gvw although I acknowledge the set up had to be treated with respect and it is in this “area” that problems IMHO were encountered but it was a “driver” problem and not the fault of the equipment. I can honestly say I never heard any of Brady’s drivers complaining about the Four-in-lines during the time I was there ! Question for our AEC enthusiasts, is that Allison unit a Mercury or a Mandator ? My guess is it was a Mercury as this would be the perfect match for the trailer ! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Dennis, This is a MK 5 AEC I dont ever recall a Mercury with this type of cab, Of course I may be wrong,■■?, Regards Larry.
Thanks for the info Larry. Was the difference between the Mandator and the Mercury the cab doors i.e. the Mandator had the “long door” and the Mercury the small one over the wheel ? Cheers Dennis.
Now just cast your eyes on the roping at the front of that load! Now that is a variation on what we termed “A Scotchman”, we would just put a rope up behind where the ropes crossed then hitched it down whereas this Allison driver has put a “tightener” on both parts of the cross ! I wonder if he was a Dundee driver or a Cockney shunter ? Or maybe that is the driver with the trilby and all he is there for is to “drive”. A bit like most of to-days jockeys if a similar situation arose ! "Sorry mate I’m only the driver, sheeting and roping ? never done it mate, the RTITB never taught that! Cheers Bewick.
Hiya Dennis I hope your keeping well my dad often used “A Scotchman” especially if he was loading for a Scottish driver who was heading back home
Or as you say for extra load security when he was loading for himself
I can remember when he worked for Kinneils he’d often rope a scotchman but some drivers would look a little bemused when he spoke in his broad Nottinghamshire accent and they were expecting a Scottish driver
Happy memories
Hiya Gaz, yes keeping well hope you are the same mate ! Aye the Scotsmen’s skill obviously was “exported” South over the years and was picked up by English drivers who worked with them eh! Cheers Dennis.
Dennis you a correct about the doors, Your mind must be still in the fast lane like mine Eh, Keep drinking the proper stuff & keep away from the pills what these present day quacks prescribe, Liquid nectar is the answer to everything IMHO, Rock on & keep the good times rolling Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dennis you a correct about the doors, Your mind must be still in the fast lane like mine Eh, Keep drinking the proper stuff & keep away from the pills what these present day quacks prescribe, Liquid nectar is the answer to everything IMHO, Rock on & keep the good times rolling Regards Larry.
You are a “Star Man” Larry But I hope you havn’t been in Blythe to-day creeping around that ■■■■ Corbyn !! You haven’t have you ? Cheers Dennis.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Dennis you a correct about the doors, Your mind must be still in the fast lane like mine Eh, Keep drinking the proper stuff & keep away from the pills what these present day quacks prescribe, Liquid nectar is the answer to everything IMHO, Rock on & keep the good times rolling Regards Larry.
You are a “Star Man” Larry But I hope you havn’t been in Blythe to-day creeping around that [zb] Corbyn !! You haven’t have you ? Cheers Dennis.
Dennis If I didnt like you I would hunt you down & chin you for saying things like that, He is a first class ■■■■ in my book God help us if he ever got into number 10 Regards Larry.
I’ll bet that 4 in line trailer “wobbled” a bit,didn’t like those things,had a few at Humber McVeigh’s
David
IMHO a four-in-line trailer combination was, in the day, the most cost effective artic at 24 tons gvw although I acknowledge the set up had to be treated with respect and it is in this “area” that problems IMHO were encountered but it was a “driver” problem and not the fault of the equipment. I can honestly say I never heard any of Brady’s drivers complaining about the Four-in-lines during the time I was there ! Question for our AEC enthusiasts, is that Allison unit a Mercury or a Mandator ? My guess is it was a Mercury as this would be the perfect match for the trailer ! Cheers Dennis.
Humbers went through a spate of 4 in line trailers turning over having 20ft containers loaded to the roof with bales of cloth,they were all returned to Grimsby,as they were no longer used,I presume they were scrapped,however,another pain in the arse trailer were the air suspension trailers,air bags were nuisance,and if the trailer was loaded high with timber and the bag burst,you had to get a new bag fitted,a right pain,just my opinion you understand.
Now just cast your eyes on the roping at the front of that load! Now that is a variation on what we termed “A Scotchman”, we would just put a rope up behind where the ropes crossed then hitched it down whereas this Allison driver has put a “tightener” on both parts of the cross ! I wonder if he was a Dundee driver or a Cockney shunter ? Or maybe that is the driver with the trilby and all he is there for is to “drive”. A bit like most of to-days jockeys if a similar situation arose ! "Sorry mate I’m only the driver, sheeting and roping ? never done it mate, the RTITB never taught that! Cheers Bewick.
Educate me Dennis , I`ve never seen a tightener before , I can see the logic but how is it done ?
I’ll bet that 4 in line trailer “wobbled” a bit,didn’t like those things,had a few at Humber McVeigh’s
David
IMHO a four-in-line trailer combination was, in the day, the most cost effective artic at 24 tons gvw although I acknowledge the set up had to be treated with respect and it is in this “area” that problems IMHO were encountered but it was a “driver” problem and not the fault of the equipment. I can honestly say I never heard any of Brady’s drivers complaining about the Four-in-lines during the time I was there ! Question for our AEC enthusiasts, is that Allison unit a Mercury or a Mandator ? My guess is it was a Mercury as this would be the perfect match for the trailer ! Cheers Dennis.
Humbers went through a spate of 4 in line trailers turning over having 20ft containers loaded to the roof with bales of cloth,they were all returned to Grimsby,as they were no longer used,I presume they were scrapped,however,another pain in the arse trailer were the air suspension trailers,air bags were nuisance,and if the trailer was loaded high with timber and the bag burst,you had to get a new bag fitted,a right pain,just my opinion you understand.
David
I would say a Mandator looking at the cab ,didn`t Mercurys have single screens?
It’s a Mk V Mandator. The Mercury had a completely different cab. Mercurys of that era were powered by the AV470 engine which was 7.7 litres and anything between 90 & 144bhp. Mandators around this time were powered by the 11.3 litre AV690 which could be rated between 150 & 192bhp. These were the wagons to have at the time - along with the MkV Mammoth Major with the same motor in it.
Now just cast your eyes on the roping at the front of that load! Now that is a variation on what we termed “A Scotchman”, we would just put a rope up behind where the ropes crossed then hitched it down whereas this Allison driver has put a “tightener” on both parts of the cross ! I wonder if he was a Dundee driver or a Cockney shunter ? Or maybe that is the driver with the trilby and all he is there for is to “drive”. A bit like most of to-days jockeys if a similar situation arose ! "Sorry mate I’m only the driver, sheeting and roping ? never done it mate, the RTITB never taught that! Cheers Bewick.
I’ve also heard the phrase “Aberdeen Angus” for putting an extra dolly onto a cross, done by going through the centre of the X. You really could get a very tight rope and ideal for loads such as sacks. As others have written its a Mandator MkV and probably an early 1960s model judging from the older design of rear axle hubs, probably with an AV690 engine at 150 bhp and 6-speed o/d gearbox.
When I was on Inter City Transport the rear cross tightener was known as a Dundee which was apt for this thread. The four in line trailer was the only trailer that has really frightened me, on trunk one night on the BRS with a four in line coil carrier loaded with a coil this started to zig zag going downhill,I have not had any tandems do this to me, I managed to bring this to a halt using the deadman which was very slow because the four in line brakes were useless. Dennis I’m not surprised as an owner you would like the four in line although you would surely prefer a Thames Trader or Commer two stroke on the front which would have meant even more payload. Try changing a puncture on a four in line and then see how you like them…Tony.
Now just cast your eyes on the roping at the front of that load! Now that is a variation on what we termed “A Scotchman”, we would just put a rope up behind where the ropes crossed then hitched it down whereas this Allison driver has put a “tightener” on both parts of the cross ! I wonder if he was a Dundee driver or a Cockney shunter ? Or maybe that is the driver with the trilby and all he is there for is to “drive”. A bit like most of to-days jockeys if a similar situation arose ! "Sorry mate I’m only the driver, sheeting and roping ? never done it mate, the RTITB never taught that! Cheers Bewick.
Educate me Dennis , I`ve never seen a tightener before , I can see the logic but how is it done ?
Hiya “ramone” I believe that Gingerfold has explained the “tightner” in his post although that variation on the shot of the Allison 4-in-line is a variation which I have used but I much preferred putting a rope under the normal cross and then double hitching it down ! Tight as drum, probably as tight as the pocket which you have your wallet in !! But all seriousness apart this way of tightening up a cross was the accepted method as no doubt many of the Lads on the TN site would confirm. Cheers Dennis.
Now just cast your eyes on the roping at the front of that load! Now that is a variation on what we termed “A Scotchman”, we would just put a rope up behind where the ropes crossed then hitched it down whereas this Allison driver has put a “tightener” on both parts of the cross ! I wonder if he was a Dundee driver or a Cockney shunter ? Or maybe that is the driver with the trilby and all he is there for is to “drive”. A bit like most of to-days jockeys if a similar situation arose ! "Sorry mate I’m only the driver, sheeting and roping ? never done it mate, the RTITB never taught that! Cheers Bewick.
Educate me Dennis , I`ve never seen a tightener before , I can see the logic but how is it done ?
Hiya “ramone” I believe that Gingerfold has explained the “tightner” in his post although that variation on the shot of the Allison 4-in-line is a variation which I have used but I much preferred putting a rope under the normal cross and then double hitching it down ! Tight as drum, probably as tight as the pocket which you have your wallet in !! But all seriousness apart this way of tightening up a cross was the accepted method as no doubt many of the Lads on the TN site would confirm. Cheers Dennis.
Well in my earley days in the haulage game it was allways called a Scotch Hitch, & it worked very niceley keeping the ropes very tight I carried a lot of high loads of soap powder from Manchester up to Rutherglen & the old sizal ropes were hard on the old hands & I allways tried to keep them dry , The good old days Eh, Regards Larry.
Aye Larry it was a vast improvement when Poly Propylene ropes came out in the early 70’s as no matter how hard you hitched down the sisal ropes when they were wet after a few mile in dry weather they used to dry slacken and needed tightening eh! Happy days alright !! Cheers Dennis.
Suttons Tony:
When I was on Inter City Transport the rear cross tightener was known as a Dundee which was apt for this thread. The four in line trailer was the only trailer that has really frightened me, on trunk one night on the BRS with a four in line coil carrier loaded with a coil this started to zig zag going downhill,I have not had any tandems do this to me, I managed to bring this to a halt using the deadman which was very slow because the four in line brakes were useless. Dennis I’m not surprised as an owner you would like the four in line although you would surely prefer a Thames Trader or Commer two stroke on the front which would have meant even more payload. Try changing a puncture on a four in line and then see how you like them…Tony.
I’ll give you that Tony ! changing the insides wheels was “difficult” as one or two old tyre fitters have told me, but it was mainly neglect that caused the problem so in all thing s if you looked after your tyres the problem could be mitigated ! Cheers Dennis.
I think you,ll find the gent in the trilby is THE Mr Allison the founder and there were a lot of these BTC 4 in line trailers and quite a few of that model of Mandator… I drove one for a couple of years loved it !!!
Well with regard to four in line trailers, I got a new Dodge K type in 1966 when I drove for Baxters Road Services in Newcastle, It was coupled to a 30 ft York 4 in line, I used to run to West Thurrock with soap power from Procter & Gambles on City Road Newcastle loaded both ways & I never had any problems with it Of course one had to drive these very carefully, The brakes were average on the trailer but the Dodge brakes were good, In later years when I drove for F.Short & Son Ltd in Newcastle they bought this very same trailer second hand & it was used on their Newcastle Hull trunk run, It was no bother at all, Some drivers didnt like it because they found it hard to reverse with the wheels being right at the back, Regards Larry.
Suttons Tony:
When I was on Inter City Transport the rear cross tightener was known as a Dundee which was apt for this thread. The four in line trailer was the only trailer that has really frightened me, on trunk one night on the BRS with a four in line coil carrier loaded with a coil this started to zig zag going downhill,I have not had any tandems do this to me, I managed to bring this to a halt using the deadman which was very slow because the four in line brakes were useless. Dennis I’m not surprised as an owner you would like the four in line although you would surely prefer a Thames Trader or Commer two stroke on the front which would have meant even more payload. Try changing a puncture on a four in line and then see how you like them…Tony.
I’ll give you that Tony ! changing the insides wheels was “difficult” as one or two old tyre fitters have told me, but it was mainly neglect that caused the problem so in all thing s if you looked after your tyres the problem could be mitigated ! Cheers Dennis.
So, do tell Dennis.
Bradys had a reputation in the sixties for overloading and poor maintenance. However, when a new MOT tester came to barrow in about 1970/71, he told me a different story. He said that he’d been warned about Brady’s, but found that their fleet was generally well maintained and that they had few MOT failures. From what you say, perhaps the inside wheels on the 4 in lines were looked at regularly.
I have to say I never fancied a 4 in line. When you followed one round a corner an outside wheel could lift and carry on like that for ages. I was always waiting for them to roll over, although I admit I never saw one do that.
backsplice:
I think you,ll find the gent in the trilby is THE Mr Allison the founder and there were a lot of these BTC 4 in line trailers and quite a few of that model of Mandator… I drove one for a couple of years loved it !!!
Interesting Backslice. Yes, he does look well dressed!
So, you liked the Mandator. How about the 4 in lines?
backsplice:
I think you,ll find the gent in the trilby is THE Mr Allison the founder and there were a lot of these BTC 4 in line trailers and quite a few of that model of Mandator… I drove one for a couple of years loved it !!!
The gent in the hat is Alec Bruce, he was the depot manager of Allisons Transort @ Causwayside St in Glasgow just off London road. The shot was taken for publicity purposes at Parkhead
