Hiya i took this photo in Malta 2 years ago …she looks pritty smart i think
…
this truck was sprayed up at the yard where i used to park my truck.masseys had a spray job
done at 3 years old.they always looked spot on
this is a roadtrain i had new at S Coopers she did’nt get a paint job done for about 3 months
this was a monday the truck was washed saturday i’d run around the sugarbeet lanes
and picked up the field on route
John
Muckaway:
Perhaps Fryske could post a cab photo of a Constructor on here and I’ll put up a couple of Foden Alpha ones, 85 and CF versions as a comparisson? I’ve seen Fryskes’ cab shot on another thread and it still looks quite modern…
Constructor 6
Constructor 8
Freighter
Open top Marathon
Bison
And a nice Beaver
Muckaway:
Tyneside, put the Bison and constructor stuff on; I grew up riding in those, more so Constructor pre '87 (Dad was promoted to a new Foden from an X plate Constructor 6w then). On the subject, did any Constructor drivers (particularly early models) have problems with heavy clutches? I remember Dad complaining about it…
I will scan on asap. We had Constructor 6 and 8 wheelers,all tippers, all the sixes had the TL11.(24.21 and 24.23) The eights had TL11, ■■■■■■■ and Gardner all bought new from X reg up to E reg (1986) Clutch weights varied depending on gearbox, Fuller or Spicer, but I cannot recall any being particularly heavy.
Muckaway
Few brochure pics as promised. They will be all late seventies / early eighties. Anything more specific just ask!!!
Despite my best efforts I never did meet the three young ladies !!!
Nice pics Tyneside, the Bison is still fondly remembered with Smiths long serving drivers, like the Constructor they did get credit for being good off road. Smiths drivers have said that head gaskets on the Bisons were the biggest problem, although they werent the fixed head version. The last came the year I was born so they were g etting old when I rode in them. I do remember I got a hot ■■■ from the engine cover and those wingnut things to open the windows 
bowserman:
This was my first job driving,
Went all over the UK in that!
Do you remember Phil Gent drove for Brian, He lived along the street from me, I think he has a Cement Mixer Now.Regards Larry
Muckaway:
Nice pics Tyneside, the Bison is still fondly remembered with Smiths long serving drivers, like the Constructor they did get credit for being good off road. Smiths drivers have said that head gaskets on the Bisons were the biggest problem, although they werent the fixed head version. The last came the year I was born so they were g etting old when I rode in them. I do remember I got a hot ■■■ from the engine cover and those wingnut things to open the windows
Hi Muckaway In the fifties/sixties we ran Bedfords and Albions. We got our first Bison in 1975 after some bad experiences with Reivers. When we sold up in 1988 we had a mixture of Freighters for Livestock / flat work and Bisons and Constuctors 6 and 8’s. Bison’s with the 502 and Fuller g/box were a good site motor and took some abuse. We had a couple with the TL11 and had no Head Gasket trouble but I did know of another operator who had a LWB Bison on livestock which gave some head problems. I understand that the TL11 was evolved from the old 680 and I did hear unofficially that to accomodate the turbo one of the head studs had to be re-engineered and this was causing a weak spot. ( that may also be a load of rubbish)
If you need any further pics just ask and I will see what I have got.
Regards Tyneside
Going back to 1980/82 I had a R plate 502 engined Buffalo 6 legger which ocasionally pulled a trailer,it was on its third engine which had been cut backto 2200 rpm and other than a couple of minor breakdowns that could have happened to any wagon ,it never missed a beat and even though power must have been reduced it and was good for 60mph and would easily live with F86/F7/2300 types.Once it was rolling pulling the trailer did’nt seem to make much difference.I became a big fan of its 9spd Fuller but have hardly used one since. There was a T plate TL11 Bison there as well which was rarely used and the one time I took it out with little weight on, it did seem to lack guts though it may of course gone better, as it were, with a proper load on, we had an L reg Marshal like that. Some years later at another firm we had three Y and A reg Freighters and these did have the heavy clutch mentioned and apart from that they were good to use but they were less than impressive when it came to pulling power even though they never got anywhere near 16 tons gross.
HI .Mr Dunbar .I have just been looking at a very tidy fleet i suppose they are of your own are you still running and where abounts are you based nice motors .Regards B ARRY Waddy
HI .Mr Stanfield .Just been lookng at your photos on site must say exelent first class .I have just found an old album of a lot of our old motors but as you know i am quite new to this sort of thing and do not have a clue how to put them on the site .IFF you happen to be passing my home any time call in your welcome to have look . REGARDS BARRY WADDY
This is the first truck I drove after passing my test.
It originally had a L10-250 that was replaced with a 290 after it dropped a valve. It had a 10 speed spicer gearbox. tared in at 10.200 if I remember corectly.
dozer:
This is the first truck I drove after passing my test.It originally had a L10-250 that was replaced with a 290 after it dropped a valve. It had a 10 speed spicer gearbox. tared in at 10.200 if I remember corectly.
ramone:
dozer:
This is the first truck I drove after passing my test.It originally had a L10-250 that was replaced with a 290 after it dropped a valve. It had a 10 speed spicer gearbox. tared in at 10.200 if I remember corectly.
Did they put a merc cab on it too ?
lol !! I wish! I copied the wrong link!! quickly corrected!
dozer:
ramone:
dozer:
This is the first truck I drove after passing my test.It originally had a L10-250 that was replaced with a 290 after it dropped a valve. It had a 10 speed spicer gearbox. tared in at 10.200 if I remember corectly.
Did they put a merc cab on it too ?
lol !! I wish! I copied the wrong link!! quickly corrected!
Ha ha i thought i had gone mad then i put my smart arse comment on and when i posted it the mercs gone and a constructer is in its place 
We ran a few Leylands, these two we got new, both gave us very good service for 7 years, Regards Larry.
Bewick:
Chris Webb:
Bewick:
Chris Webb:
LB76:
0I agree,a real nice photo of classic Leylands.
Here’s another of Guard Bridge Paper tilt cab Beavers…one of my favourite photos.
Superb,absolutley superb shot that one!!! However,the only observation I would make,especially as this would have been a “posed” shot------is what a mess that front fly sheet “lug” is on the lefthand trailer!!! Anyway now this great Paper Mill,Guard Bridge,has been mentioned it has reminded me of my time in a mill."When I were a lad( all that Hovis (zb)) I worked in another fine paper mill,James Cropper’s nr. Kendal.On one of the M.G.machines I was on one of the regular orders was MG Grey and blue duplex, high quality wrapper, that was made for Guard Bridge,for them to wrap their quality papers in.Guard Bridge didn’t have the same machine that could make the type of wrapper they wanted and Croppers did!Just a bit of background info!! Dennis.
I’am not 100% sure but I seem to remember hearing somewhere a while ago that they had finished.Those Beavers would have had the 680 Power Plus engine as I think they only put the 600 in the Tilt cab Badger! Dennis.
Glad you like the Guard Bridge Beavers Dennis.I reckon I could have coped with that little untidy flysheet though,nowt would have got wet,and I reckon the drivers were ready for the off and wishing the cameraman would ■■■■ off so they could get down t’road of a sunday afternoon and blow the ■■■■■■■■■ off the A6.
I presume Guard Bridge has closed?
There’s a great feature in new Heritage Commercial mag; Leyland Roadtrain high datum low loader in Wimpey construction colours.
One of Kidds transport.
Muckaway:
There’s a great feature in new Heritage Commercial mag; Leyland Roadtrain high datum low loader in Wimpey construction colours.
This one?
