Hi Franky, re my comment on the XGR registrations and information on the web. I have had another look at the information available, A prefixes officially started on 1st January 1963 but some areas did not issue prefixes until as late as 1969. In the case of the Sunderland Daimlers, as was common practice back then registration numbers were often pre booked well in advance by municipal councils for their vehicles in order that the registration numerals matched the fleet numbers. Consequently perhaps of late delivery dates ie July 1964 these buses probably entered service with 1962 series letters. Perhaps this helps to date the vehicle in question better.
Cheers, Leyland 600
Leyland600:
Hi Franky, re my comment on the XGR registrations and information on the web. I have had another look at the information available, A prefixes officially started on 1st January 1963 but some areas did not issue prefixes until as late as 1969. In the case of the Sunderland Daimlers, as was common practice back then registration numbers were often pre booked well in advance by municipal councils for their vehicles in order that the registration numerals matched the fleet numbers. Consequently perhaps of late delivery dates ie July 1964 these buses probably entered service with 1962 series letters. Perhaps this helps to date the vehicle in question better.
Cheers, Leyland 600
Well this new info would certainly sit with the accident i have mentioned (involving this vehicle) previously. I think the time of the accident was around 1963, so possibly the wagon was about a year or so old. Ron canât recall the event but we have an older sister who confirms there was an incident involving this wagon. I was hoping, because i think there was a fatality, that there would be a press reference somewhere in the archives but as yet i canât find anything.
Thanks again Leyland 600âŚPaulycats.
Hi pauleycats, Try microfisch records of the relevant local newspaper, these are usually held in the local library, I was researching a family archives for a local family now living in New Zealand who explained that their great grandmother had committed suicide way back in the late 1800s. The trail eventually led me to the local library where within about 10 minutes I had a full report of the unfortunate incident in January 1893. I hope the records are as good for the 1950s and 60s in your case.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
snowman1:
hi lads
great picture of the old scammell rigid 8,any of you ever driven one? what would the top speed have been,30mph??
how long would a london round trip take tipping and re-loading starting from newcastle.
regards
sm1
Hiya,
The round trip with all the running about to tip and load would be about 600 miles,
so running about at 28/30 mph loaded both ways youâd be doing two trips a week
and thatâs with the aid of flexible log sheets which I assure you you would need to
guarantee getting home on Saturday if having left on Monday or Friday if starting
out on Sunday, remember it would be all handball and ropes and sheets plus the âif
trampingâ finding your own backload and that could involve a bit of hanging about
and running about and sometimes more than one pick-up, Good old days Ehâ
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
snowman1:
hi lads
great picture of the old scammell rigid 8,any of you ever driven one? what would the top speed have been,30mph??
how long would a london round trip take tipping and re-loading starting from newcastle.
regards
sm1Hiya,
The round trip with all the running about to tip and load would be about 600 miles,
so running about at 28/30 mph loaded both ways youâd be doing two trips a week
and thatâs with the aid of flexible log sheets which I assure you you would need to
guarantee getting home on Saturday if having left on Monday or Friday if starting
out on Sunday, remember it would be all handball and ropes and sheets plus the âif
trampingâ finding your own backload and that could involve a bit of hanging about
and running about and sometimes more than one pick-up, Good old days Ehâ
thanks harry, long retired.
Hi Harry,
The above reminds me of a story one of McPheeâs drivers told my Dad, they done three round trips between Newcastle and their depot in Wolverhampton in those Atkiâs, pretty sure it was an ex McPheeâs Atki Saviem had a deal on and had to drive it to its new home and he commented that he had never drove anything so worn out, Craddock Brotherâs probably bought it!! Cheerâs Pete
Punchy Dan:
0one for Larry .
Great Photo Dan, Thanks for posting it, Regards Larry.
pete smith:
harry_gill:
snowman1:
hi lads
great picture of the old scammell rigid 8,any of you ever driven one? what would the top speed have been,30mph??
how long would a london round trip take tipping and re-loading starting from newcastle.
regards
sm1Hiya,
The round trip with all the running about to tip and load would be about 600 miles,
so running about at 28/30 mph loaded both ways youâd be doing two trips a week
and thatâs with the aid of flexible log sheets which I assure you you would need to
guarantee getting home on Saturday if having left on Monday or Friday if starting
out on Sunday, remember it would be all handball and ropes and sheets plus the âif
trampingâ finding your own backload and that could involve a bit of hanging about
and running about and sometimes more than one pick-up, Good old days Ehâ
thanks harry, long retired.Hi Harry,
The above reminds me of a story one of McPheeâs drivers told my Dad, they done three round trips between Newcastle and their depot in Wolverhampton in those Atkiâs, pretty sure it was an ex McPheeâs Atki Saviem had a deal on and had to drive it to its new home and he commented that he had never drove anything so worn out, Craddock Brotherâs probably bought it!! Cheerâs Pete
Hi Pete, In those days most N/E Hauliers did three trips a week, There was plenty of good traffic about at that time, McPhees had plenty of steel loads from Consett & The Darlington Rolling Mills, When I drove for My late uncle Smiles for Miles Three trips a week was the norm , Usualy two Londons & a Manchester or Glasgow, Loaded both ways, Hard graft but the pay was good plus the night out money & blackout money for driving in the dark, IIRC It was the BRS That introduced this payment â â ?, Regards Larry.
In fact in the in 1966, I used to some times do 3 Londons a week loaded both ways, Mind you this work from Proctor & Gambles on City Road Newcastle, Was Tote Bins full off soap chips, Specially made for the hard water in the London area, Fulls ones down & MTs back it was a doddle of a job, And most likely a good earner for the good old Jonnie Baxter, He was a great gaffer, Never told you to do something, He allways asked if you could do it, I enjoyed working for Baxters in my younger days, In fact he give me a job when I was 21 With very little driving of heavy goods motors knowledge, But I just got stuck in and took everything in my stride as it came , This was 1956 when most hauliers were getting going when denationalisation came about, My first attempt at driving for Baxter was an 4 wheeler Vulcan GUP 670. On time work for Thos Hedleys on City Rd Newcastle on Tyne.Later to become P&G Ltd, Baxters had their warehousing on the Milk Market Namley John Baxter & Co Warehousing & Transport Ltd. The good old long gone days, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
In fact in the in 1966, I used to some times do 3 Londons a week loaded both ways, Mind you this work from Proctor & Gambles on City Road Newcastle, Was Tote Bins full off soap chips, Specially made for the hard water in the London area, Fulls ones down & MTs back it was a doddle of a job, And most likely a good earner for the good old Jonnie Baxter, He was a great gaffer, Never told you to do something, He allways asked if you could do it, I enjoyed working for Baxters in my younger days, In fact he give me a job when I was 21 With very little driving of heavy goods motors knowledge, But I just got stuck in and took everything in my stride as it came , This was 1956 when most hauliers were getting going when denationalisation came about, My first attempt at driving for Baxter was an 4 wheeler Vulcan GUP 670. On time work for Thos Hedleys on City Rd Newcastle on Tyne.Later to become P&G Ltd, Baxters had their warehousing on the Milk Market Namley John Baxter & Co Warehousing & Transport Ltd. The good old long gone days, Regards Larry.
Hi Larry,
What happened to McPheeâs, bought out,went bump or just sold up ?
Alex Smiles have called it a day last year as well Larry, another long established name consigned to history 
, used them as subbies a lot and they were very reliable, Cheerâs Pete
pete smith:
Lawrence Dunbar:
In fact in the in 1966, I used to some times do 3 Londons a week loaded both ways, Mind you this work from Proctor & Gambles on City Road Newcastle, Was Tote Bins full off soap chips, Specially made for the hard water in the London area, Fulls ones down & MTs back it was a doddle of a job, And most likely a good earner for the good old Jonnie Baxter, He was a great gaffer, Never told you to do something, He allways asked if you could do it, I enjoyed working for Baxters in my younger days, In fact he give me a job when I was 21 With very little driving of heavy goods motors knowledge, But I just got stuck in and took everything in my stride as it came , This was 1956 when most hauliers were getting going when denationalisation came about, My first attempt at driving for Baxter was an 4 wheeler Vulcan GUP 670. On time work for Thos Hedleys on City Rd Newcastle on Tyne.Later to become P&G Ltd, Baxters had their warehousing on the Milk Market Namley John Baxter & Co Warehousing & Transport Ltd. The good old long gone days, Regards Larry.Hi Larry,
What happened to McPheeâs, bought out,went bump or just sold up ?
Alex Smiles have called it a day last year as well Larry, another long established name consigned to history
Hiya,
Larry, On the subject of âdoing Londonâ at one firm I worked for up here in the
North East we had a job going from Consett to Fordâs at Dagenham with loads
of coal the job usually entailed leaving loaded down to Fords tip and return to
Kates Cabin at Peterborough a fair days work by an employee for an employer
by anybodyâs reckoning the second day was spent returning to the yard to load
again for another trip then the yard star man did the job and did the trip all in
one hit, so he got the job, Ah but he loaded half the floor a load of bricks onto
the tipper which didnât pass scrutiny at Fords and the load was rejected and it
had to be returned to the private mine, and that killed what had been a good
job which must have been a good payer as we always returned empty.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
pete smith:
Lawrence Dunbar:
In fact in the in 1966, I used to some times do 3 Londons a week loaded both ways, Mind you this work from Proctor & Gambles on City Road Newcastle, Was Tote Bins full off soap chips, Specially made for the hard water in the London area, Fulls ones down & MTs back it was a doddle of a job, And most likely a good earner for the good old Jonnie Baxter, He was a great gaffer, Never told you to do something, He allways asked if you could do it, I enjoyed working for Baxters in my younger days, In fact he give me a job when I was 21 With very little driving of heavy goods motors knowledge, But I just got stuck in and took everything in my stride as it came , This was 1956 when most hauliers were getting going when denationalisation came about, My first attempt at driving for Baxter was an 4 wheeler Vulcan GUP 670. On time work for Thos Hedleys on City Rd Newcastle on Tyne.Later to become P&G Ltd, Baxters had their warehousing on the Milk Market Namley John Baxter & Co Warehousing & Transport Ltd. The good old long gone days, Regards Larry.Hi Larry,
What happened to McPheeâs, bought out,went bump or just sold up ?
Alex Smiles have called it a day last year as well Larry, another long established name consigned to historyHiya,
Larry, On the subject of âdoing Londonâ at one firm I worked for up here in the
North East we had a job going from Consett to Fordâs at Dagenham with loads
of coal the job usually entailed leaving loaded down to Fords tip and return to
Kates Cabin at Peterborough a fair days work by an employee for an employer
by anybodyâs reckoning the second day was spent returning to the yard to load
again for another trip then the yard star man did the job and did the trip all in
one hit, so he got the job, Ah but he loaded half the floor a load of bricks onto
the tipper which didnât pass scrutiny at Fords and the load was rejected and it
had to be returned to the private mine, and that killed what had been a good
job which must have been a good payer as we always returned empty.
thanks harry, long retired.
Talking of killing the job a NE haulier in 1980s had drivers (paid on 18 % of what he claimed were vehicle earnings) doing round trips to London per day. Our drivers working according to the law were getting on average 32% of vehicle earnings plus of course night out allowance. This enabled rates to be cut below what could be profitable with vehicle and driver working anywhere near what could be legal at speed limits and drivers hours. Nearly 600 mile return journey sometimes 5 days per week, not doubled manned.
TTB:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Leyland600:
Hi TTB your account of a Chinese Six for Robson of Hexham intrigues me, do you have a photo or any other details. I used to run over to the north east almost daily in the 1960s and 70s and knew most motors in the Tyne Valley but cannot recall this one. Eden Commercials did supply some chassis to Hexham operators in the past, I know the former stores manager who is a mind of information regarding their customers. If you can post a photo or registration details I may be able to identify the vehicle better. ?
Cheers, Leyland 600.Hi âLeyland600â, IIRC The Chinese 6 wheelers that John Robson had were Ex Brewery Motors, He did have a 6 wheeler ERF , It had the livery of The House Of Mayfair on the rear doors of the Curtain sided body, He hauled wallpaper & Fablon from their Cramlington works, He went on to run a Ford Cargo tractor unit plus the later ERF,s on the same work, Plus other work out of Preston Brook, With Soap Powder products from Port Sunlight works belonging to Lever Bros, Regards Larry.
Sorry i must have not explained myself i meant to say i used to go to Hexham with my friends who used to run a ERF LV chinese Six along with a 6 wheeler A series and some four wheeler ERFs as well as Seddon Diesels then onto Mercs and Scanias out of Eastgate Cement works and cannot recall ever seeing any of the Robson ERF units stood in Primrose Coaches yard
john Robson and his son Malcolm
Used to run a couple Bedford Chinese six rigids in the mid 80s they used to subby for wellborn freights and R Watson transport out of commercial plastics at cramlington John died a few years back and the last time I spoke to Malcolm he was operating a couple of motors in Lancashire
Hey Lawrence, is Edger Ridley still around, I knew him and Toby around 1989
doug wheeler:
Hey Lawrence, is Edger Ridley still around, I knew him and Toby around 1989
Hi âdougâ Sadley Edgar passed away some years ago, But Toby is still going strong I see him at the drivers bash twice a year which is held in The Labour Club in Newcastle, The next one is not far away its between the Xmas & New Year holiday period, Well worth a visit IMO, Regards Larry.
Good pics Jim, your definitely dedicated to your hobby out in that weather this morning!!! Regards Kev.
Wish I had a quid for every time I have been on a loading dock next to one of Moffatts at a mart somewhere in the north east.
Tyneside
Kev the lorries are working in all weathers so I like to photograph the in all weather, even in the fog. gaffer thinks Iâm crackers. 
