Have heard people mention Bennie Multidrives, what were they about? What quarry was that pictured at, one of the Wroxton pits? They’ve recently shut down Wroxton/Hornton quarry and concentrate now out Northampton way.
Muckaway:
Have heard people mention Bennie Multidrives, what were they about? What quarry was that pictured at, one of the Wroxton pits? They’ve recently shut down Wroxton/Hornton quarry and concentrate now out Northampton way.
These multidrives were a great idea they had a propshaft that run to the rear axles of the trailer,
The back trailer axles were on a turntable which turned seperate from the body very wierd to follow down the road.
I think they had their problems and the pay load was no more than the rigids !
I stand to be corrected on all of this!
Muckaway:
Rode in a Bison tipper a few times as a kid, bloody hot and that huge engine hump! For some reason one of (if not my favourite) tipper of all time. Got replaced by the Constructor I think (Dad had one of those aswell before promotion to Fodens).
Well Here is a Grundon tanker constructor D334 YLR driven by Derek Blackwell out of Banbury
D337 YLR driven by Les Clifton
A firm named KETTLE’S in the Potteries had some AWD’s fitted with multidrive, they were mainly used on muckshifting while constructing the new A50 from Meir to the A500, and could go anywhere! I guess that for their type of work payload wasn’t a priority but they seemed to disappear after the job was completed, maybe a Stoke member could shed some light on where they went.
Gone off topic, sorry! 
Pete.
Muckaway:
oiltreader:
Winter is on its way again, will it be this bad.
oiltreaderUnder better weather conditions, bet those buses were sounding the end of the railway at Chippi’. The line beyond Chippi’ lost it’s passenger trains the previous summer; would’ve loved to have seen those 1000ton ironore trains run over Hook Norton viaduct.
You mean over these ?
While at Bookers in Banbury was given this Fh for a week on Demo. I was told it was one of the first fh’s in the country
L702 HWL. Every where you went people wanted a look at it. great truck but out of the two Scania still wins for me !
picture taken wildmere road Banbury. Nice Cargos in the background.
M G b:
Was it not Dukes from Chipping Norton had a feed mill down by the Station
Hi M G B here is a pic of Dukes Waltham Cross, same company but chippy did not run artics as
I remember ! Cracking photo though !
Guys, you are right about the Multidrives they were a good idea in theory.
But for most operators the payload was too low to compensate for the higher purchase price, increased fuel consumption and higher servicing requirements.
The early ones tended to have T45 Leyland/Scammells on the front although Bennie did have at least one FL10 version and a company called Fenstone from the Midlands had an ERF E series.
GCE Hire Fleet from Peterborough had at least one with T45 cab and a guy called Don Bush from Dorset way had a customised T45 Scammell version that was in Trucking International mag and also in one of the CPP videos.
A Tarmac O/D possibly from Bayston Hill had a Bedford TL cab version.
The only people to really use them in numbers were the MOD with TM Bedford and Foden versions.
Dont think Bennies run many of anything anymore, had a big fleet of Volvos once.
Mark
lightswitch:
Muckaway:
oiltreader:
Winter is on its way again, will it be this bad.
oiltreaderUnder better weather conditions, bet those buses were sounding the end of the railway at Chippi’. The line beyond Chippi’ lost it’s passenger trains the previous summer; would’ve loved to have seen those 1000ton ironore trains run over Hook Norton viaduct.
You mean over these ?0
That’s the first one from Chippi. Pic would be pre ww2 as I think that was the calvining plant from the Earl of Dudleys Ironore pit between Swerford and Hooky, closed during the depression. I think they baked the ore in those towers to make it lighter (remove water) to shift by train to Wales/Black country.
roadcommander2:
Guys, you are right about the Multidrives they were a good idea in theory.
But for most operators the payload was too low to compensate for the higher purchase price, increased fuel consumption and higher servicing requirements.The early ones tended to have T45 Leyland/Scammells on the front although Bennie did have at least one FL10 version and a company called Fenstone from the Midlands had an ERF E series.
GCE Hire Fleet from Peterborough had at least one with T45 cab and a guy called Don Bush from Dorset way had a customised T45 Scammell version that was in Trucking International mag and also in one of the CPP videos.A Tarmac O/D possibly from Bayston Hill had a Bedford TL cab version.
The only people to really use them in numbers were the MOD with TM Bedford and Foden versions.
Dont think Bennies run many of anything anymore, had a big fleet of Volvos once.
Mark
Bennies run Scania 8wheelers now,were doing quite a bit around Milton Keynes. You could tell when they’d supplied stone to a site;all the roads nearby were rusty-coloured! 
Thanks for that Muckaway, Bennies used to have probably 20 plus eight wheelers but I think they are down to just a handful now.
As you probably know they owned Brackmills who closed down their heavy haulage operations earlier this year.
I think they were also involved with Barton Plant who again used to run Volvos but now have a handful of Scanias.
If you see any about mate, post up some pics.
Cheers
Mark
oiltreader:
Dieseldogsix,
A load of Triumph Spitfires, most likely on their way to Honeybourne, note the headamps blanked awaiting glass, this would be fitted at storage. Standard Triumph leased storage at Honeybourne airfield in Worcestershire. We used to load Cowley made cars to Coventry then 2 Coventry/Honeybournes, then load from Honeybourne to wherever.
The motor in the pic if I remember correctly would be Brockhouse built with an electric lift for the top deck and skids for the bottoom, we had similar 9 cars but built by Carrimore.
oiltreader
I went to Honeybourne many times, Infact it’s where I first drove a car when i was 13 , a Triumph Herald, Dad also used to ferry Jags there, once on the way back round the lanes near Bidford on Avon he spotted an apple tree at the side of the road, as we were bringing a load of Spitfires back to Rowley Road, he got on top and damm near filled the Spitfire with the fruit.
Hi Lightswitch, in reference to your pic which showed the old ford cargos in the background that cab is the up to date version over here in the state, how behind the times is that.
roadcommander2:
Thanks for that Muckaway, Bennies used to have probably 20 plus eight wheelers but I think they are down to just a handful now.
As you probably know they owned Brackmills who closed down their heavy haulage operations earlier this year.I think they were also involved with Barton Plant who again used to run Volvos but now have a handful of Scanias.
If you see any about mate, post up some pics.
Cheers
Mark
Didn’t know Brackmills had gone; they used to bring any new Volvo plant Smith’s bought. I think Bennies Northampton pit’s near Irchester, where the ironore pits were. I’ve always thought it strange that ore gets imported, when the stonepits around Banbury and Northampton produce the stuff… 
Good work Lightswitch, thanks for the Bennie pic and sorry to be the bearer of bad news about your old Foden!
Muckaway, Brackmills did a lot for Volvo construction equipment. Hence the Brackmills later livery of white & blue which was Volvo’s colours. At one time Brackmills ran in the same yellow colours as Bennie.
Do you remember MJ Rolls from Bourne, they also used to move a lot of Volvo equipment from the Duxford HQ, they had blue Volvo low loaders.
Mark
Saw this pic. of a little Bedford, I would think on the show scene, but does anyone know if that was the firm that ran it or the name of the chap that restored it.
Hi Big G, that was the firm that ran it; J.H Brown operated Linch Hill Gravel pit between Stanton Harcourt and Northmoor. Google Linch Hill Leisure Park, and the lakes are the ones that Browns dug after WW2. Ameys took them over and pit got mothballed late 80s early 90s. Re-opened during the 2000+ boom but was shut about 3 years ago, and it’s awaiting re-opening pending a planning application to dig Stonehenge Farm, Northmoor. Google Hanson stonehenge you’ll probably find NIMBY objections from residents with gravel driveways! 
Have heard that some of the Bedfords used by the Stanton gravel companies were ex military ones, from when RAF Stanton Harcourt, Akeman Street and Broadwell were closed after the war. Wychwood Brewerys O-Type used for publicity purposes was one of these.
Hiya …Colas roads still have some multi drives.I think they have them at the Rowley Regis yard.They like them for tar spraying
in Devon and Scotland.They are useful on hills as the bitumen runs to the back of the tank taking the weight off the drive axle
in a usual artic, But the multi drive comes into its own driveing from the trailer.
John