ERF-NGC-European:
Just for my peculiar records (which many actually find useful on here!): can anyone remember driving one of these DAF 2800 DKS units with a 9-speed Fuller (rather than the more common 13-speed one)? I know the slightly later DKSE was fitted with a 9-sp Fuller in RHD form (I drove one so that’s secure!), but I can’t find evidence that the earlier DKS was fitted with a Fuller RT(0)9509(a) box or not - I have a strong suspicion that it was available to UK operators. Your help would be much appreciated! Thank you. Robert
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Well, for those who are interested, I may be able to answer my own question as I’ve just found this clipping from either TRUCK or T&D in my files. It states that the DKS model was offered with 9-sp Fuller for some time. Here is the clipping with a zoomed in version for the hard of hearing. robert
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I drove one of the Fuller9 versions for about a year before I left the owner’s employ for a job with better pay AND a brand new DKSE.
Two massive clangers with the earlier one- firstly, the boss had Rothdean mount a Granning tag axle under it, making the loaded ride absolutely atrocious. The second was my fault- I couldn’t understand why Daf had specified the Fuller 'box without an inertia brake: Upward changes were of the “roll a ■■■ in neutral, light it and take three drags before engaging the next gear” type! The years went by and I found out, through TNUK that there was indeed an inertia brake fitted- it had never been adjusted since new!
Thanks for that ROF! Yes, they were a lot work without the clutch brake / enertia brake, especially when selecting your pulling away from start gear! Robert
Retired Old ■■■■:
A slightly different sequence when starting off from stand-still, Robert- Clutch to the floor, start engine then roll ■■■ and proceed as above!
Another shot of Foden S83 Reg No YYP 901T which was new in March 1979.
It made it into preservation as can be seen below in these two pictures courtesy of Gyles Carpenter.
DEANB:
Perhaps we’re both having a brain ■■■■, Dean
I definitely remember the Dafs coming after the Volvo’s. Looking at the pic of the Dafs, they are all early to mid '80’s registered whereas all the F10’s were mid to late seventies, obviously following the 88’s…
Perhaps Harvey upset them, that’s why they went for the Daf’s?
My brain ■■■■ could be the Basingstoke thing… Looking at the photo’s,the lorries all say Blandford on the door, even the 88. There is a Basingstoke connection somewhere though, I’m sure - head office maybe?
Who was your Grandad Dean? Seventies and eighties was my era for the bulk grain and farm deliveries/collections. Had some really great times and met some really great blokes too
Well chap i was in and out of All Seasons place at Blandford through the 70’s and i can never ever recall seeing
a Volvo of any sort in there colours ,i reckon they had to be based at Basingstoke. The only trucks that i can
remember were definately the 2800s and we use to run with them alot. Now if there were Volvos based at
Blandford i cant believe i would have never seen one as the odds would be off the scale…something odd here ! The other company that run alot of 2800s on the grain were Ings just outside of Fordingbridge.(red trucks)
My grandads company was G.Marks Transport from Wimborne,Green and cream. The yard was next to the Green
Man pub. Who did you drive for ■■
Hi all, I might be able to shed a bit of light on the All Seasons situation. My father Ron (Nobby) Bone drove for them back in the mid 70s. The company was a joint operation between agricultural merchants Smith Bros of North Waltham (Basingstoke) and Blandford and Webb (Blandford). Both companies operated their own fleet of delivery vehicles to supply their agricultural customers customers with their own produced seed (branded as All Seasons), animal feeds and fertilisers. All Seasons Transport was set up to provide transport services for bulk grain for the seed mills and large volume collections of animal feeds and fertiliser from suppliers mills, warehouses and docks. All Seasons Transport originally operated out of the Basingstoke depot starting with an Atkinson borderer and a Seddon artic units. Dad was driving class 3 vehicles for Smith Bros on farm deliveries. They put him through his class1 and he transferred from Smith Bros to All Seasons to drive the Seddon. Secondary work transporting bulk agrigate and supplying the feed mills with raw materials meant the All Seasons fleet expanded to include an F86 8 wheel bulk blower and the F88 in the photo. Eventually a second depot at Piddle Trenthide was opened with further vehicles operating out of there. Over the next few years F10s and the DAFs joined the fleet. Dad went back to Smith Bros before the decent lorries were bought. I think he got fed up with sleeping on a board across the engine cover of the Seddon!!! All Seasons were going strong, branching out yet again, into scrap metal collection/delivery with the fleet expanding to include Leylands and ERFs.
Blandford and Webb eventually bought Smith Bros out and all Smiths vehicles were repainted in B&W colours. All Seasons was kept on in it’s own right. Eventually Blandford and Webb were bought out by BOCM Paul’s and I think it was at this time that N D Young bought the All Seasons business.
coomsey:
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No wonder drivers struggled with the Foden box if I’d have read that n tried to follow it I doubt I’d have got out the yard
In practice it was still a 12 speed box and we used it exactly the same!
Pete.
N so it was Pete, n thank God somebody showed me how to use it, else I’d still be in the yard
I was always a fan of the switch on the dash , the later models with the switch on the gearstick weren’t as crisp to use and were prone to the air pipes next to the exhaust manifold melting especially on steep hills on a hot day . I bet Pete would have some experience of that . Dave
rigsby:
I was always a fan of the switch on the dash , the later models with the switch on the gearstick weren’t as crisp to use and were prone to the air pipes next to the exhaust manifold melting especially on steep hills on a hot day . I bet Pete would have some experience of that . Dave
Yes we did Dave, however we had it more on the S39’s when the asbestos sock on the downpipe burned away and then flakes of hot rust dropped onto the pipes. Usually when dragging loaded up Longcliffe!
As an amusing side tale, when I was still working in the garage I was driving up Longcliffe in a Sed Ak 400 with around 15 tonnes on it at about ten mph taking it home overnight as I had an early MOT at Derby next morning and an airpipe blew and stopped me dead! However the general manager had been on his way home in the company car and was tucked well under my back end waiting for a place to overtake, the truck stopped quicker than he did and a nice dent appeared in the bonnet! He was bright red in the face and all set to give me a rollocking until I explained what happened; “Well, at least the brakes should pass OK” was his only comment when he calmed down!
Punchy Dan:
The Volvo car transporter Iam thinking Glevum from Swindon although I can’t help thinking the name Lindsey too ,one of them used to carry scrap for coopers metals .
Correct on both counts Dan
Glevum Transport and M.D Lindsay were one and the same. Not sure which one morphed into the other but I recall Glevum carrying scrap and Lindsay doing car transporters, both with tidy and smart FL10’s. Not sure if they’re still going but there is one of there FL’s on the show scene I think…
Mick Lindsay was the depot/transport manager for Coopers depot in Byard road Gloucester.
Well Harvey thats just put a spanner in the works to my comment above ! Out of intrest were Blandford
the main branch that ordered the trucks and would the Volvos have gone to Basingstoke ■■
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Morning Dean,
In my time everything had to go to Blandford as there was a chap who inspected them before they were used ( I think that should say ), Paid for ) Harvey
Perhaps Harvey upset them, that’s why they went for the Daf’s?
“HOW VERY DARE YOU” What on this earth could upset anyone enough to make them buy a DAF !!! I allways carried a card with the Samaritans telephone number on should anyone have such thoughts Harvey
This is t he only one of Antell’s well-known Atkis to remain with them (although both the Borderer and Leader have been restored with new owners), and they continue to use it to move about their more elderly machinery:
Hi, Dean
my favorite trucks are:
-Pegaso 2080 (spanish)
-Berliet and Saviem (French)
-Fiat / iveco (italian)
as soon as you can post some pictures, ok?
thank you so much Dean
tastrucker:
Hello DEAN ,lovely old picture of T E Jones Seddon , well i didnt know that had one of those ! Looks like scrap from Shotton or GKN Wellington ,would say it is ex Bulwark ,thank you Trevor
Hi Trevor, Hope you are keeping well,
Is that the same Jones’s that ran some coaches as well and morphed into Greyhound Plant hire, yard just off the A5 on the Knockin road? Cheer’s Pete
Hello pete ,yes im fine ,T E took over Vaggs coaches but only ran them for a short time and yes they became Greyhound but were not around for long ,but i believe they still own the site at Knockin heath . Vaggs kept buses thier for about i wouls say for over 50 yrs ,and had milk tankers at thier other garage on the A5 in Nesscliff ,good to hear from you Pete thank you Trevor
