Re: Ford Thames Lorries. I started work in September 1960 as an apprentice commercial vehicle mechanic,
with North Western Gas Board, Mersey Group in Bond Street,Liverpool. There were a large number of Ford
Thames lorries in the fleet. The older ones were mainly dropside lorries with a canvas tilt cover,and very
quiet Ford V8 petrol engines. There were several with coachbuilt van bodies,as in Oilys picture, they had
a 4 cylinder petrol engine, which we called the cost cutter engine. The later ones,some of which were
artics with Scammell Hitch coupling, had the 4D Diesel engine. Some of the trailers they pulled were
tippers for carrying coke in bulk,the others were flat trailers for delivering coke to houses.
I hope the younger drivers on this thread know what coke was back then,and not what it means now.
grumpy old man:
One thing I do remember about them, you could start them with your foot , yes, with your foot. The starter was operated by a small lever at the base of the engine cover/cowl. Jump in, quick flick with your foot and away you went.
Some of the bonneted Morris Commercials were started the same way as they had an extra pedal next to the clutch one. The early diesel engined Morris LD vans had a big brass T shaped handle on the floor by the handbrake that you pulled up to start the engine.
Ray Smyth:
Re: Ford Thames Lorries. I started work in September 1960 as an apprentice commercial vehicle mechanic,
with North Western Gas Board, Mersey Group in Bond Street,Liverpool. There were a large number of Ford
Thames lorries in the fleet. The older ones were mainly dropside lorries with a canvas tilt cover,and very
quiet Ford V8 petrol engines. There were several with coachbuilt van bodies,as in Oilys picture, they had
a 4 cylinder petrol engine, which we called the cost cutter engine. The later ones,some of which were
artics with Scammell Hitch coupling, had the 4D Diesel engine. Some of the trailers they pulled were
tippers for carrying coke in bulk,the others were flat trailers for delivering coke to houses.
I hope the younger drivers on this thread know what coke was back then,and not what it means now.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
The early ones were the ET6.Not sure if they put the P6 in that model but that would have a been an ET7.
When the engines changed to a 500E petrol 4cylinder and called the Costcutter as shown on the picture with the round badge on the bonnet and The Diesel 502E and known as The 4D with the badge on the the front.
There were more about than I thought and yes Pete Windrush Wallâs did use them and more owners than I thought BICC had a few and many Utillitys.They did this van on a 7V and Wallâ's had some of those with single wheels too.
Ray Smyth:
Re: Ford Thames Lorries. I started work in September 1960 as an apprentice commercial vehicle mechanic,
with North Western Gas Board, Mersey Group in Bond Street,Liverpool. There were a large number of Ford
Thames lorries in the fleet. The older ones were mainly dropside lorries with a canvas tilt cover,and very
quiet Ford V8 petrol engines. There were several with coachbuilt van bodies,as in Oilys picture, they had
a 4 cylinder petrol engine, which we called the cost cutter engine. The later ones,some of which were
artics with Scammell Hitch coupling, had the 4D Diesel engine. Some of the trailers they pulled were
tippers for carrying coke in bulk,the others were flat trailers for delivering coke to houses.
I hope the younger drivers on this thread know what coke was back then,and not what it means now.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
The early ones were the ET6.Not sure if they put the P6 in that model but that would have a been an ET7.
When the engines changed to a 500E petrol 4cylinder and called the Costcutter as shown on the picture with the round badge on the bonnet and The Diesel 502E and known as The 4D with the badge on the the front.
There were more about than I thought and yes Pete Windrush Wallâs did use them and more owners than I thought BICC had a few and many Utillitys.They did this van on a 7V and Wallâ's had some of those with single wheels too.
think this is a 1949 ford job. and its just as good inside the cab, looks absolutely original , might have an interior photo somewhere, took it a few weeks ago just down the road from me.
Tony
Ray Smyth:
Re: Ford Thames Lorries. I started work in September 1960 as an apprentice commercial vehicle mechanic,
with North Western Gas Board, Mersey Group in Bond Street,Liverpool. There were a large number of Ford
Thames lorries in the fleet. The older ones were mainly dropside lorries with a canvas tilt cover,and very
quiet Ford V8 petrol engines. There were several with coachbuilt van bodies,as in Oilys picture, they had
a 4 cylinder petrol engine, which we called the cost cutter engine. The later ones,some of which were
artics with Scammell Hitch coupling, had the 4D Diesel engine. Some of the trailers they pulled were
tippers for carrying coke in bulk,the others were flat trailers for delivering coke to houses.
I hope the younger drivers on this thread know what coke was back then,and not what it means now.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
The early ones were the ET6.Not sure if they put the P6 in that model but that would have a been an ET7.
When the engines changed to a 500E petrol 4cylinder and called the Costcutter as shown on the picture with the round badge on the bonnet and The Diesel 502E and known as The 4D with the badge on the the front.
There were more about than I thought and yes Pete Windrush Wallâs did use them and more owners than I thought BICC had a few and many Utillitys.They did this van on a 7V and Wallâ's had some of those with single wheels too.
think this is a 1949 ford job. and its just as good inside the cab, looks absolutely original , might have an interior photo somewhere, took it a few weeks ago just down the road from me.
Tony
grumpy old man:
One thing I do remember about them, you could start them with your foot , yes, with your foot. The starter was operated by a small lever at the base of the engine cover/cowl. Jump in, quick flick with your foot and away you went.
Some of the bonneted Morris Commercials were started the same way as they had an extra pedal next to the clutch one. The early diesel engined Morris LD vans had a big brass T shaped handle on the floor by the handbrake that you pulled up to start the engine.
Pete.
Father had one of the first Series 3/FE Austins with the 3.4 4 cylinder BMC diesel. That had a lever hanging down under the instrument panel to start it. IIRC it gave a bit of trouble and had to be modified under warranty to pull instead of push, or vice-versa, canât remember now, it was 1955 after all, and I was only 9!
Bernard
grumpy old man:
One thing I do remember about them, you could start them with your foot , yes, with your foot. The starter was operated by a small lever at the base of the engine cover/cowl. Jump in, quick flick with your foot and away you went.
Some of the bonneted Morris Commercials were started the same way as they had an extra pedal next to the clutch one. The early diesel engined Morris LD vans had a big brass T shaped handle on the floor by the handbrake that you pulled up to start the engine.
Pete.
Father had one of the first Series 3/FE Austins with the 3.4 4 cylinder BMC diesel. That had a lever hanging down under the instrument panel to start it. IIRC it gave a bit of trouble and had to be modified under warranty to pull instead of push, or vice-versa, canât remember now, it was 1955 after all, and I was only 9!
Bernard
Mates Guy Vixen with the BMC 3.4 is fitted with same pull up lever down side of seat, when you pull the engine stop lever out just on the last turn of engine if you pull lever out slowly it leaves the starter in âmeshâ if you get what I mean!!,
windrush:
I remember Walls having a largish fleet of those Thames vans in their cooked meat division, maybe the ice cream section also ran them as well?
Buzzer:
Get fire goin mother itâs cold enough outside to shram yu, remember this well. Buzzer.
Youâve got me going again Buzzer, right back to my early days and something similar to the sketch, all cooking done on the range, baking in the oven, father up at 5am every morning cleaning out the grate, getting the fire going with kindling that had been tinder dried on top of the oven, drying wellies with crunched up newspaper stuffed inside and laid by the fire, all spotlessly kept clean by mother polishing with black lead, emery paper and brasso. Not forgetting the companion set, brush, poker, small shovel and a toasting fork.
Oily
Buzzer:
Get fire goin mother itâs cold enough outside to shram yu, remember this well. Buzzer.
Hell, Iâve done that amny times, brilliant invention, you could get a good draught going with a sheet of newspaper. Come to think of it, in the days gone by you could do many things with news paperâŚwrap your fish and chips, start a fire, radiator blind, tear it into squares.
Buzzer:
Get fire goin mother itâs cold enough outside to shram yu, remember this well. Buzzer.
Hell, Iâve done that amny times, brilliant invention, you could get a good draught going with a sheet of newspaper. Come to think of it, in the days gone by you could do many things with news paperâŚwrap your fish and chips, start a fire, radiator blind, tear it into squares.
Warm up frozen brake chambers n seal up tailgate on tippers to keep fine stuff in
, yes, with your foot. The starter was operated by a small lever at the base of the engine cover/cowl. Jump in, quick flick with your foot and away you went. 
