Is that just before it went up in flames 
v7ctor late last year
animal:
Is that just before it went up in flames
Thats right, but the fire was at Aycliffe, he sold out the tank fleet to hargreaves about a year before who i worked for till retiring.vic.
hi consettbell
is it you and your dad who have restored glendennings erf wrecker. i can remember in mid to late eightys it recovering one of grady halls erf artics that had gone off the road into a ditch and was on its side near killinghall skipton. cant remember who was driving the wrecker but he was quite young.it recovered the tractor unit and i recovered the trailer with another unit as there was no damage to the trailer. it was loaded with lime for redcar steel works. we even managed to recover the load and tipped it at redcar. the crane that was hired to lift the outfit back on the road also came with a clam bucket thats how we loaded it back up. could it have been your dad driving the wrecker?
mick
It might have been but I doubt it, he may have been there with another driver but probably not driving it. Bobby English? was the regular driver I think, I’ll ask him. George Richardson and his son have restored the wrecker, he runs a couple of car transporters too. He also has TF Corners old 6x4 B series wrecker (18 tons unladen!) in restoration but I’ve not seen it yet.
Here George driving his artic:
His brother driving the rigid:
And his son in the wrecker:
Bobby English did not drive the wrecker , he was a transporter driver ending up as a welder/plater in the workshops .Bob Bainbridge was the regular driver aswell as tyre fitter ,crane driver and yardman at shotley bridge
Bobby Bainbridge, thats the fella, I was close at least 
thanks for the info consettbell and paw123
none of those names ring a bell it was a long time ago though
gradys wrecker at the time was an ex bp leyland octopus with LAD cab and leyland 680 engine. we removed the second steer axle to make it a 6x4 unfortunately the lifting gear was crap with no A frame or winch so was only good for straight towing.
later they purchased ex sunters f89 6x4 tractor unit LHD i think the reg was NAJ601P and converted it into a wrecker 55mph flat out put it would pull a house down. unfortunately they put the lifting gear on off the octopus!!!
i can remember borrowing jr joungs f88 wrecker a couple of times to suspend tow motors anyone remember that vehicle?
mick
consettbell:
Bobby Bainbridge, thats the fella, I was close at least
while were on glendennings, anyone any info on Brian Backhouse?
hi kev, you need to speak to harry gill, last time i saw brian was about 5 year ago at hexham, bumper
Don’t know much about Brian Backhouse, but from what I’ve heard his chain tightening skills were legendary, and his trailers never quite the same shape afterwards!
hiya,
Bobby English was a car transporter driver and would have left Glenny’s when at the Shotley Bridge site and he left before they even had a wrecker i left in about 1975 and never saw one at Shotley.
thanks harry long retired.
What about the 6 wheel drive AEC Harry?
consettbell:
Don’t know much about Brian Backhouse, but from what I’ve heard his chain tightening skills were legendary, and his trailers never quite the same shape afterwards!
He’s a big lad so i’m not suprised about the chains, I spoke to Harry at the"do" but I should have done it before the bushmills.
kevmac47:
consettbell:
Don’t know much about Brian Backhouse, but from what I’ve heard his chain tightening skills were legendary, and his trailers never quite the same shape afterwards!He’s a big lad so i’m not suprised about the chains, I spoke to Harry at the"do" but I should have done it before the bushmills.
The next one then
hiya,
Brian Backhouse one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet, very long time worker for Glenny was speaking to him via the phone a little while back, been out of the game for a while now and spends time with his sister in London going back and forth in his car, he lost his wife quite some time ago she was equally as nice as Brian it would have knocked him for six, Brian and me was really good friends and ran together a lot me usually getting piggy backed home on his motor when it was quiet in Brum he had a Crusader and me a 180 ERF Brians motor was quite a bit nippier than mine and i got home a lot quicker and when he chained my motor to his it just about flattened my trailer tyres,must pop over to see him now the weather is getting better if he’s at home.
thanks harry long retired.
hi
AEC 6x6 reg PTY 99 pre 1965 homes twin boom recovery gear fitted followed by AEC 4x4 Reg FTY99L Harvey Frost twin lift hand winch opperated registered 1973/74 Purchased from Army surplus sales
Followed by ERF DVT 723J 64cu re-engined with a ■■■■■■■ NHF 240 14 litre Hendrikson rear bogie Lifting gear removed from PTY 99 and fitted to DVT723J after booms were shortened
Brian Backhouse is in very poor health the last time I saw him was 2 years ago.
Bobby English started driving with the tippers first a 6 wheeler Leyland Retreiver Then a 8 wheeler ERF FJR606L
harry_gill:
hiya,
Brian Backhouse one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet, very long time worker for Glenny was speaking to him via the phone a little while back, been out of the game for a while now and spends time with his sister in London going back and forth in his car, he lost his wife quite some time ago she was equally as nice as Brian it would have knocked him for six, Brian and me was really good friends and ran together a lot me usually getting piggy backed home on his motor when it was quiet in Brum he had a Crusader and me a 180 ERF Brians motor was quite a bit nippier than mine and i got home a lot quicker and when he chained my motor to his it just about flattened my trailer tyres,must pop over to see him now the weather is getting better if he’s at home.
thanks harry long retired.
Thanks Harry,bring him to the next “do” tell him Geordie Waltons buying the beer, thats sure to work.
According to Bob tucks book the lifting gear came from a Diamond T wrecker. Heres a few shots of it:
consettbell:
According to Bob tucks book the lifting gear came from a Diamond T wrecker. Heres a few shots of it:
Do you think they skimped a bit on the engineering■■?
