Hello DEAN ,has Paul taken any pictures on D N Morgan from Craven Arms Shropshire ,a very big fleet that hauled mostly out of S Wales , thank you Trevor
Juddian:
I used to drive a 6 wheeler Constructor fitted with a Multilift Hooklift set up.Cracking machine, pulled like a train, superb gearbox with ideal gearing (a Leyland strength? i recall Buffalos being real flyers and good to drive with perfect gearing), had the best brakes iâve ever known on any lorry, a certain motorcyclist the worse for drink owes his life to that wagon whilst it was being driven by my late colleague Alec, had he been in one of the Sed Acks the lorry would have almost certainly have gone over the lad when he dropped his bike under the front of the wagonâŚbiker had overtaken me earlier and obvious the bike wasnât under control, wasnât really surprised when i rounded the next corner and there was the bike under the front of the Leyland coming the other way, a spectacularly short set of skid marks where Alec had anchored upâŚlad was lucky, heâd skinned one arm and was obviously â â â â â â but a couple of mates passing by in a car picked him and nipped him back to the pub so he could get some booze down him
, old bill were not amused as despite going hell for leather to the pub they were too late
âŚnot as i condone this but they were different times, amazingly we somehow managed to not get flattened by the compactor despite not having a hivis between us
, and we didnât take ourselves quite so seriously either.
On tip work it was fantastic, never got stuck, literally anywhere the track layer went that thing would go, the Seddons were hopeless but then they were road lorries really that just happened to have double drive, the Leyland was meant for such work.
The downside was the most awful choppy ride, on the wrong surface you could be hanging onto the steering wheel with your arse off the seat as the thing pounded over ordinary road undulations, countless times i hit me head on the steel plate panel just above your bonce, front spring rates all wrong and the dampers might as well have been removed and binned for all the good they didâŚbut once you got off-road all was forgiven.
I drove a cable type multilift but only 4 wheeler Clydesdale but still similar to what youâve described in most respects.It was as happy plodding up hills loaded to within an inch of its life as running at 65 mph on the flat.Have to say that the Rolls 265 Foden S83/85 will always be my favourite though and in a different league to most especially off road.
bubbleman:
Hi Dean,great shots mate especially the pic with Western Tpts Scania C790 HGN doing a delivery,my old pal Ivor Weekes was the driver of that old girl and here he is shutting up before going to the pub on a night outâŚkeep 'um coming mate!,Cheers Bubbs,
Thanks for the comment âBubbsâ preferred them green !
gingerfold:
One of Spillers Millingâs Constructors, we had about 15 between the various flour mills in the group in the 1980s. They were a good eight-wheeler and no major problems with them, the front mounted exhaust wasnât every driversâ preference, extra noise and fumes. This one was a Cambridge based Constructor, double shifted for its first 3 years of service. It was photographed at Spillers West Drayton packing plant.
Thanks for the pics and comments Graham. Any particular reason why they put the exhausts at the front ?
tastrucker:
Hello DEAN ,thank you for those clippings ,i see that Jervis of Doseley Telford Constructor is featured ,a big operator long gone that hauled coal into Ironbridge power station , Trevor
Thanks for your input Trevor. Its surprising how many companies featured in the articles/brochures have been
on the thread. 
graham-A:
DEANBBejam Scania.
Bejam Volvo
Just seeing if you were all paying attention âgraham-Aâ 
dave docwra:
DEANB. Carrying on with the Leyland Constructor 8 wheeler.Was this the company that became Hercock Continental ?
Dont know Dave but you are probably right looking at the colour scheme ! Someone may know for sure â â
Chris Webb:
Morning Dean.
The Volvo F7 could well be a Tankfreight wagon as it looks like a âWUâ West Riding reg plate.I think Wyatts from Leeds ran F7s as well so could be one of theirs.
You never cease to amaze me with the Companies you remember Chris.
1970commer:
âwindrushâ Bellfield Brothers are from Thorncliffe near Leek, still in business.I notice there isnât a pic of the six wheeler Constructor that Mick (Malmic on here) ran, it would have required a VERY fast shutter speed to photograph that flying machine!
Pete.There you are Pete, it was stood still sometimes.
I know Alf Horobin had a FL7 at the same time & Shaun used to overtake the driver going up Collycroft just for fun, he used to split down half a gear to get over the top fully loaded, I have got a picture somewhere that John Harry Watson took at the garage of the same lorry with the back brake drums off AGAIN, just for routine maintenance you understand, it certainly went well & shifted some work.
I used to do occasional weekends with it after I finished working for Denis, it was certainly a step up from a Reiver.I suppose after one of Don Foxâs old lorries the Constructor was quite a step up too.
Good stuff â1970commerâ ,thanks for the comments and links.
kingswinford kit:
Hi Dean ,been catching up ! some great stuff you have posted thanks ,regards Keith
Juddian:
I used to drive a 6 wheeler Constructor fitted with a Multilift Hooklift set up.Cracking machine, pulled like a train, superb gearbox with ideal gearing (a Leyland strength? i recall Buffalos being real flyers and good to drive with perfect gearing), had the best brakes iâve ever known on any lorry, a certain motorcyclist the worse for drink owes his life to that wagon whilst it was being driven by my late colleague Alec, had he been in one of the Sed Acks the lorry would have almost certainly have gone over the lad when he dropped his bike under the front of the wagonâŚbiker had overtaken me earlier and obvious the bike wasnât under control, wasnât really surprised when i rounded the next corner and there was the bike under the front of the Leyland coming the other way, a spectacularly short set of skid marks where Alec had anchored upâŚlad was lucky, heâd skinned one arm and was obviously â â â â â â but a couple of mates passing by in a car picked him and nipped him back to the pub so he could get some booze down him
On tip work it was fantastic, never got stuck, literally anywhere the track layer went that thing would go, the Seddons were hopeless but then they were road lorries really that just happened to have double drive, the Leyland was meant for such work.
The downside was the most awful choppy ride, on the wrong surface you could be hanging onto the steering wheel with your arse off the seat as the thing pounded over ordinary road undulations, countless times i hit me head on the steel plate panel just above your bonce, front spring rates all wrong and the dampers might as well have been removed and binned for all the good they didâŚbut once you got off-road all was forgiven.
Everything i have read says they were a good work horse so thanks for confirming with your recollections of the Constructor
âJuddianâ
windrush:
Yes Robert, it certainly went well! Maybe Shaun had size sixteen feet?I donât think Mick would have passed me if he had been driving it though, Shaun must have kept his hard hat on because the ride was pretty poor on them and his head must have hit the roof a few times travelling at that speed!!
I drove that Foden once when Don Fox owned it, he was loaded with tarmac for Groby Road hospital at Glenfield and had a heart murmour in Ashbourne so they sent me to deliver the load for him as mine was on mot. It was painfully slow, worse than our eight leggers carrying six tonne more, I reckon Don had run the engine in steady when it was new and that was fatal to a Gardner, give them plenty of hammer from day one and they went pretty well then⌠until they blew up!
Pete.
Good memories Pete !
DEANB:
gingerfold:
One of Spillers Millingâs Constructors, we had about 15 between the various flour mills in the group in the 1980s. They were a good eight-wheeler and no major problems with them, the front mounted exhaust wasnât every driversâ preference, extra noise and fumes. This one was a Cambridge based Constructor, double shifted for its first 3 years of service. It was photographed at Spillers West Drayton packing plant.Thanks for the pics and comments Graham. Any particular reason why they put the exhausts at the front ?
it was for the location of the blowing equipment and the pto drive from the gearbox. If I remember correctly they were hydraulic driven blowers with an aftercooler, which needed plenty of space. Some blowers were, and still are, shaft driven. As a general comment there wasnât much wrong mechanically with the Leyland T45 range, except it was 10 years too late in coming onto the market. By the time it was introduced many former loyal Leyland Group customers had taken their business elsewhere. Echoing Juddianâs comments about the front springs and dampers, that problem went back to the Marathon and Leyland never did find the answer.
gingerfold:
DEANB:
gingerfold:
One of Spillers Millingâs Constructors, we had about 15 between the various flour mills in the group in the 1980s. They were a good eight-wheeler and no major problems with them, the front mounted exhaust wasnât every driversâ preference, extra noise and fumes. This one was a Cambridge based Constructor, double shifted for its first 3 years of service. It was photographed at Spillers West Drayton packing plant.Thanks for the pics and comments Graham. Any particular reason why they put the exhausts at the front ?
it was for the location of the blowing equipment and the pto drive from the gearbox. If I remember correctly they were hydraulic driven blowers with an aftercooler, which needed plenty of space. Some blowers were, and still are, shaft driven. As a general comment there wasnât much wrong mechanically with the Leyland T45 range, except it was 10 years too late in coming onto the market. By the time it was introduced many former loyal Leyland Group customers had taken their business elsewhere. Echoing Juddianâs comments about the front springs and dampers, that problem went back to the Marathon and Leyland never did find the answer.
Thanks for the explanation Graham.
tastrucker:
Hello DEAN ,has Paul taken any pictures on D N Morgan from Craven Arms Shropshire ,a very big fleet that hauled mostly out of S Wales , thank you Trevor
Hello Trevor, Heres some that have already been posted previously.
One or two of the Constructors we ran. They were a natural replacement for the Bison and Octopus but a vertical exhaust stack should have been offered as a factory fit. We spent a bit of cash converting one or two to Eminox verticals. I also preferred the Fuller to the Spicer gearbox.
As previously mentioned the 24-21 and 24-23 would beat anything else in the same weight range.
Sita Mercedes.
Finn Forest DAF,anyone know anything about them â â
Ellis Transport Volvo from North Wales.
Argos Scania.
Asda Scania.
Anyone recognise the colour scheme on the Volvo â â ?
Anyone recognise the ERF â â ?
Looks like something â â Distribution on the front of the ERF â â
Robert Horne Group Scania.
Blue Circle Cement DAF
Ralph Davies Volvo
E.B.Janes Magnum.
Gary C Wright Scania from Mid Wales.
Mansel Davies Volvo.
Jenkinsons Scania.
A couple of B.J.Waters trucks.
Croome Volvo.
Heygates Foden.
Meachers Volvo.
Bowker Volvo.
Hi dean the fh with the blue and gold stripes seems familiar, I think it hailed from the east London/Essex area and was owned by Chris Tucker who I think was something to do with the early days of truck racing
Hi Dean,marvellous photo of Clwyd Ellisâs fl10 (taken on the A5 between Pentrefoelas and Glasfryn heading home) itâs still on the road! Nowadays itâs used the odd day in the summer but will be out every day from October until May. Itâs a bit of a family pet!
DEANB:
tastrucker:
Hello DEAN ,has Paul taken any pictures on D N Morgan from Craven Arms Shropshire ,a very big fleet that hauled mostly out of S Wales , thank you TrevorHello Trevor, Heres some that have already been posted previously.
5
2
1
0
3
4
Did anybody else go to their winding up auction sale (around 84 ish at a guess?) at their depot at Craven Arms?
I remember everything making a good price that day, all good clean tackle.
robroy:
DEANB:
tastrucker:
Hello DEAN ,has Paul taken any pictures on D N Morgan from Craven Arms Shropshire ,a very big fleet that hauled mostly out of S Wales , thank you TrevorHello Trevor, Heres some that have already been posted previously.
5
2
1
0
3
4
Did anybody else go to their winding up auction sale (around 84 ish at a guess?) at their depot at Craven Arms?
I remember everything making a good price that day, all good clean tackle.
Hi ,i can remember the auction vaguely, Noel Morgan ran a very well maintained fleet that largely hauled out of South Wales ,steel in particular ,from Llanwern to Pressed steel at Swindon ,
Appropriately ,after the auction a lot of kit ended up in South Wales ,regards Keith
My father bought a Mercedes Benz 1617 chassis cab from D & N Morgan it was an ex boxvan and they put a new 26 foo platform on it reg was KNT535W it had a back to front 8 speed gearbox was heavy as a 16 tonner but was easy to uprate to 17 ton turned out to be a good lorry the first of many 1617/1720
eurotrans:
Hi dean the fh with the blue and gold stripes seems familiar, I think it hailed from the east London/Essex area and was owned by Chris Tucker who I think was something to do with the early days of truck racing
Thanks for the name âeurotransâ
Dai jones:
Hi Dean,marvellous photo of Clwyd Ellisâs fl10 (taken on the A5 between Pentrefoelas and Glasfryn heading home) itâs still on the road! Nowadays itâs used the odd day in the summer but will be out every day from October until May. Itâs a bit of a family pet!
Nice to hear the old Volvo is still working Dai,thanks for your input.
Heres a newer one of their Volvoâs.
kingswinford kit:
ârobroyââDEANBâ]"tastrucker"Hello DEAN ,has Paul taken any pictures on D N Morgan from Craven Arms Shropshire ,a very big fleet that hauled mostly out of S Wales , thank you TrevorDid anybody else go to their winding up auction sale (around 84 ish at a guess?) at their depot at Craven Arms?
I remember everything making a good price that day, all good clean tackle.Hi ,i can remember the auction vaguely, Noel Morgan ran a very well maintained fleet that largely hauled out of South Wales ,steel in particular ,from Llanwern to Pressed steel at Swindon ,
Appropriately ,after the auction a lot of kit ended up in South Wales ,regards Keith
Thanks ârobroyâ and Keith for your comments.
ianto:
My father bought a Mercedes Benz 1617 chassis cab from D & N Morgan it was an ex boxvan and they put a new 26 foo platform on it reg was KNT535W it had a back to front 8 speed gearbox was heavy as a 16 tonner but was easy to uprate to 17 ton turned out to be a good lorry the first of many 1617/1720
I agree Ian,those old Mercâs were great ,reliable motors.
Some odds and sods.
Click on pages once or twice to read.
ârobroyâ I could be wrong but i think you drove for Cheri Foam at one time ?
Heres one for Chris.(240 Gardner) 1975.
AJA Smith Foden.1984.
Birds Eye 1968.
Bejam 1973.
Blue Dart 1979.
N.J.Grose 1977.
Cupits Transport. 1979.
Dyson trailers. 1966
Album pics. Not taken by me.
Rugby Cement Volvo.
Mortons Atkinson.
Sid Knowles Bedford.
Pountains ERF
Sheffield & Co Foden.
Phillips fleet line up.
John Raymond Roadtrain.
Scammell mechanical horse.
Lund Scania.
HoveringhamSeddon Atkinson.
Concorde DAF.
ARC Volvo.
Anyone recognise the Seddon Atkinson â â Anyone know the name of the town the pic was taken in ? The stone folly may be
a clue,i think it may be in the Mendips ?
Heanor Volvo F12.
Mid Winters ERF bulker.
Croxson MAN.
Brett Group Volvo F86 tipper.
GTI Mercedes.Anyone know what GTI stands for â â
Lion Tube DAF.
Anyone recognise the Ford D series artic â â ?
ianto:
My father bought a Mercedes Benz 1617 chassis cab from D & N Morgan it was an ex boxvan and they put a new 26 foo platform on it reg was KNT535W it had a back to front 8 speed gearbox was heavy as a 16 tonner but was easy to uprate to 17 ton turned out to be a good lorry the first of many 1617/1720
Hi ianto ,many of those 1617 Mercs were on contract to Wye Plastics that was at Madley nr Hereford ,they also worked out of Dunlopilla at Hirwaun for several years ,regards Keith