A couple from Swindon in Wiltshire’s past, Buzzer
oiltreader:
Thanks to Buzzer, ERF-NGC-European, Froggy55 and DEANB for the pics
OilyA fine example of a Mack F-700, all credit to Jaimie Wilson for the photo.
Cracking pic, Oily! I once sat in one for a long chat with the driver in a MSA in Iran. He showed me how the two sticks worked and I strongly suspect if it hadn’t had a bulldozer on the back he’d have let me drive it round the lorry park! Ro
HI FOLKS ,THE FIRST LORRY IN THE GARAGE LOOKS LIKE A DENNIS THEN A TK TO ME CHEERS BARRY
B.Wadsworth:
HI FOLKS ,THE FIRST LORRY IN THE GARAGE LOOKS LIKE A DENNIS THEN A TK TO ME CHEERS BARRY
And the last one looks like another Dennis Late 50s I would say, Regards Larry.
Early photo TVTE Gateshead, I was just young at the time, Did Slaters morph into Tilcon ■■? TYneside
WH Malcolm at Vaux Sunderland, Think this was taken just as the Brewery was closing, late 90’s Tyneside
tyneside:
WH Malcolm at Vaux Sunderland, Think this was taken just as the Brewery was closing, late 90’s Tyneside
Hi Tyneside, that photo brings back memories. Vaux breweries was iconic to Sunderland. Its hard to believe its gone. So many Vaux pubs in North East then there were their Swallow hotels where they always maintained a quality standard. The Royal County in Durham no longer has the prestige since Vaux parted with it.
We had unfortunately bought 3 new Leyland Lynx tractor units and at the same time Vaux had a some, and our fleet engineer Alan Henderson used to have a weekly chat with their fleet engineer discussing the problems we were experiencing. It was almost a competition as to who experienced problems first.
Hope you’re keeping safe Carl
tyneside:
Early photo TVTE Gateshead, I was just young at the time, Did Slaters morph into Tilcon ■■? TYneside
I’m not sure exactly how it came about but yes, they were part of the Thomas Tilling group of companies. As many know I worked for Tilcon from April 1975 until ther ‘sold’ the tipper side off in the early 90’s, first as a fitter then as a driver. When I started there they owned a host of companies that staff could get discounts with: Metal Box, Poole Pottery, Newey and Eyre electrics, Pretty Polly hosiery etc, and my father in law also worked for Tilcon in the office and we got a lot of Poole Pottery as wedding presents! 
Arthur Slater ran his own transport company at Kirby Misperton near Pickering (the buildings are still there) and had a large fleet of mostly Fodens, flats, tippers, Ensign Tankers etc. He also had some quarries. He only had one arm, the result of a crash in the Monte Carlo rally. How he joined Tillings I know not, but presumably his livery was chosen for the TILCON part of the group? TILCON stood for Tilling Construction, an ‘umbrella group’ involving LSM and other smaller companies they brought up. Too involved to go into detail here!
In 1976 Tilcon’s driver training school was based at Slaters depot, they had a 1968 Foden tilt cab eight wheeler tipper and a similar artic and the instructors were ex Slaters drivers. Slaters themselves were still operating, but were changing over to Volvo artics. I did my class 2 training with them, a two week course, and the actual test was taken in Scarborough. I was the last person to go from our quarry, but existing company drivers had been given training on the Foden gearbox there when Tilcon started buying Fodens in the early 70’s.
Slaters did leave the group though, and they are no more alas, and the livery changed to a blue and white. Sorry about the long post! 
Pete.
windrush:
tyneside:
Early photo TVTE Gateshead, I was just young at the time, Did Slaters morph into Tilcon ■■? TYnesideI’m not sure exactly how it came about but yes, they were part of the Thomas Tilling group of companies. As many know I worked for Tilcon from April 1975 until ther ‘sold’ the tipper side off in the early 90’s, first as a fitter then as a driver. When I started there they owned a host of companies that staff could get discounts with: Metal Box, Poole Pottery, Newey and Eyre electrics, Pretty Polly hosiery etc, and my father in law also worked for Tilcon in the office and we got a lot of Poole Pottery as wedding presents!
Arthur Slater ran his own transport company at Kirby Misperton near Pickering (the buildings are still there) and had a large fleet of mostly Fodens, flats, tippers, Ensign Tankers etc. He also had some quarries. He only had one arm, the result of a crash in the Monte Carlo rally. How he joined Tillings I know not, but presumably his livery was chosen for the TILCON part of the group? TILCON stood for Tilling Construction, an ‘umbrella group’ involving LSM and other smaller companies they brought up. Too involved to go into detail here!
In 1976 Tilcon’s driver training school was based at Slaters depot, they had a 1968 Foden tilt cab eight wheeler tipper and a similar artic and the instructors were ex Slaters drivers. Slaters themselves were still operating, but were changing over to Volvo artics. I did my class 2 training with them, a two week course, and the actual test was taken in Scarborough. I was the last person to go from our quarry, but existing company drivers had been given training on the Foden gearbox there when Tilcon started buying Fodens in the early 70’s.
Slaters did leave the group though, and they are no more alas, and the livery changed to a blue and white. Sorry about the long post!
Pete.
No need to apologise, Pete, a very interesting post. But I am surprised at the mention of Metal Box, I thought they were an American company. I did a lot out of their place near Mansfield (or was it Sutton, or both?) when I was driving for Rodney Closs, easy enough loads with little gear changing required on the road, but elfin safety loading? I think not, teetering on top of those high loads trying to spread outsize and heavy sheets. Probably lifted up there with them on a pair of forks. 
Reminded of me of Raleigh bikes at Midlands Storage, come to think of it, might have done some Metal Box there too. 
Easier and much preferred were the backloads to Metal Box, of tin plate from Velindre to Leicester as well as the other 2. Only problem there was the hanging about for hours on end then to be loaded in one sling, dropping packs individually along the trailer. In about 2 minutes flat. 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Thomas Tilling (he ran London’s busses of course in the early 1900’s) group did change the various companies annually Spardo, I suppose they picked the ones that were performing the best and dropped the others? We used to get a list of all the companies to get discounts with, it was a very long list!
I believe that Ballidon quarry was actually part of the group long before Tilcon was formed around 1970, but still operated under their own name with the original owner (Herbert Plumbley) still in charge but that was way before my time there of course. What I will say, and I have never met anyone who disagrees with me, is that they (Tilcon) were a superb company to work for and they treated staff well. At Ballidon for example all the staff had transport provided, there were several minibusses and Land Rovers etc, and there must have been around fifty company cars plus numerous vans. Father in Law drove one of the Transit minibuses and as a family we had an Easter holiday in Wales with it all on company fuel! The cars were serviced reguarly, washed, vacuumed out and refueled every week by Lawrence Greatorex (a former truck driver) and no expense was spared on maintenance on all the vehicles. It all changed of course when the ‘Seven Tees’ management took over! 
Pete.
Hi Eddie, A new member called PeterR has put a post and questions on the Liverpool Hauliers thread
concerning car transporter deliveries from the Triumph car factory at Woodend Avenue in Speke, Liverpool.
I thought that you, being a car transporter chap could perhaps answer his queries. Best regards, Ray.
Thanks to Buzzer and tyneside for the pics
Oily
Tilcon topic and a cab resting at Cliffe on the Thames Estuary in Kent.
the caption reads
1961 model, which had been preserved, last licensed in 1997. A spare cab, much later, and perhaps ex-Tilcon, is in the tipping body. A note elsewhere suggests this has a Foden 2-stroke engine. I is listed at DVLA as having a 4.1 litre engine. New June 1 1961.
all credit to Sludge G for the photo
Ray Smyth:
Hi Eddie, A new member called PeterR has put a post and questions on the Liverpool Hauliers thread
concerning car transporter deliveries from the Triumph car factory at Woodend Avenue in Speke, Liverpool.
I thought that you, being a car transporter chap could perhaps answer his queries. Best regards, Ray.
Sorry Ray can’t help, the nearest I got to Liverpool on transporters was Ellesmere Port or more specifically Hooton Railway Station yard, a storage pound for Vauxhall Vivas, this would be after delivering in Salford and the loads were always for Cardiff or Newport Docks.
Cheers
Eddie
oiltreader:
Ray Smyth:
Hi Eddie, A new member called PeterR has put a post and questions on the Liverpool Hauliers thread
concerning car transporter deliveries from the Triumph car factory at Woodend Avenue in Speke, Liverpool.
I thought that you, being a car transporter chap could perhaps answer his queries. Best regards, Ray.Sorry Ray can’t help, the nearest I got to Liverpool on transporters was Ellesmere Port or more specifically Hooton Railway Station yard, a storage pound for Vauxhall Vivas, this would be after delivering in Salford and the loads were always for Cardiff or Newport Docks.
Cheers
Eddie
Thank you for your speedy reply. Cheers Eddie, keep safe, Ray.
oiltreader:
The real McCoy, a beauty thanks to Hitman for sharing.
Oily
That was never actually a Slater or Tilcon motor, but I remember chatting to the owner at the old Pickering rally and I believe that he either once drove for Slaters or worked at North Riding Garages which were also part of the Tilling group. I think he has another one as well? There aren’t many (if any?) original vehicles restored in Tilcon livery which is a shame, although Paul Parker has been restoring one of their Foden S50 halfcabbed eight wheelers for a few years now.
Pete.
windrush:
tyneside:
Early photo TVTE Gateshead, I was just young at the time, Did Slaters morph into Tilcon ■■? TYnesideI’m not sure exactly how it came about but yes, they were part of the Thomas Tilling group of companies. As many know I worked for Tilcon from April 1975 until ther ‘sold’ the tipper side off in the early 90’s, first as a fitter then as a driver. When I started there they owned a host of companies that staff could get discounts with: Metal Box, Poole Pottery, Newey and Eyre electrics, Pretty Polly hosiery etc, and my father in law also worked for Tilcon in the office and we got a lot of Poole Pottery as wedding presents!
Arthur Slater ran his own transport company at Kirby Misperton near Pickering (the buildings are still there) and had a large fleet of mostly Fodens, flats, tippers, Ensign Tankers etc. He also had some quarries. He only had one arm, the result of a crash in the Monte Carlo rally. How he joined Tillings I know not, but presumably his livery was chosen for the TILCON part of the group? TILCON stood for Tilling Construction, an ‘umbrella group’ involving LSM and other smaller companies they brought up. Too involved to go into detail here!
Would I be correct in thinking that Tilcon also took over Ryton Sand & Gravel ■■? Tyneside
In 1976 Tilcon’s driver training school was based at Slaters depot, they had a 1968 Foden tilt cab eight wheeler tipper and a similar artic and the instructors were ex Slaters drivers. Slaters themselves were still operating, but were changing over to Volvo artics. I did my class 2 training with them, a two week course, and the actual test was taken in Scarborough. I was the last person to go from our quarry, but existing company drivers had been given training on the Foden gearbox there when Tilcon started buying Fodens in the early 70’s.
Slaters did leave the group though, and they are no more alas, and the livery changed to a blue and white. Sorry about the long post!
Pete.
windrush:
tyneside:
Early photo TVTE Gateshead, I was just young at the time, Did Slaters morph into Tilcon ■■? TYnesideI’m not sure exactly how it came about but yes, they were part of the Thomas Tilling group of companies. As many know I worked for Tilcon from April 1975 until ther ‘sold’ the tipper side off in the early 90’s, first as a fitter then as a driver. When I started there they owned a host of companies that staff could get discounts with: Metal Box, Poole Pottery, Newey and Eyre electrics, Pretty Polly hosiery etc, and my father in law also worked for Tilcon in the office and we got a lot of Poole Pottery as wedding presents!
Arthur Slater ran his own transport company at Kirby Misperton near Pickering (the buildings are still there) and had a large fleet of mostly Fodens, flats, tippers, Ensign Tankers etc. He also had some quarries. He only had one arm, the result of a crash in the Monte Carlo rally. How he joined Tillings I know not, but presumably his livery was chosen for the TILCON part of the group? TILCON stood for Tilling Construction, an ‘umbrella group’ involving LSM and other smaller companies they brought up. Too involved to go into detail here!
In 1976 Tilcon’s driver training school was based at Slaters depot, they had a 1968 Foden tilt cab eight wheeler tipper and a similar artic and the instructors were ex Slaters drivers. Slaters themselves were still operating, but were changing over to Volvo artics. I did my class 2 training with them, a two week course, and the actual test was taken in Scarborough. I was the last person to go from our quarry, but existing company drivers had been given training on the Foden gearbox there when Tilcon started buying Fodens in the early 70’s.
Slaters did leave the group though, and they are no more alas, and the livery changed to a blue and white. Sorry about the long post!
Would I be correct in thinking that Tilcon also took over Ryton Sand & Gravel ■■? Tyneside
Pete.