A Seddon Diesel goes for it as it overtakes one of Edward Becks Scammells on the long climb up towards Shap in 1965
moomooland:
A Seddon Diesel goes for it as it overtakes one of Edward Becks Scammells on the long climb up towards Shap in 1965
Another great period photo,the Seddon looks well loaded i wonder how fast they were going
Evening all, Dennis, a sensible response thank you!You are quite right about the vulnerability to weather, coupled to the volume of traffic using the road, and the latter was probably the major factor contributing to the reputation of Shap.
Too many vehicles, chasing, (all be it slowly), tight times to do a job,risks get taken…then wallop, if your “lucky”, its only a mechanical problem, but if not, then its more serious!
That Seddon, (if I am not mistaken ), was on a Commercial Motor, or Motor Transport road test. Looks like Seddons Boden test trailer behind her…or am I wrong?
I was hoping that this thread would take off, (and I would get my “rear ended”)…still there is time…
Cheerio for now.
Saviem:
Evening all, Dennis, a sensible response thank you!You are quite right about the vulnerability to weather, coupled to the volume of traffic using the road, and the latter was probably the major factor contributing to the reputation of Shap.Too many vehicles, chasing, (all be it slowly), tight times to do a job,risks get taken…then wallop, if your “lucky”, its only a mechanical problem, but if not, then its more serious!
That Seddon, (if I am not mistaken ), was on a Commercial Motor, or Motor Transport road test. Looks like Seddons Boden test trailer behind her…or am I wrong?
I was hoping that this thread would take off, (and I would get my “rear ended”)…still there is time…
Cheerio for now.
Hiya "Saviem"I believe that the Motor Panel cabbed Seddon was running tests on the RR Eagle 220 prior to the “Tin cab” 32/4 launch in '67 (I think),but the trailer looks suspiciously like a York to me,going by the steel headboard,no doubt Seddons also had free access to Bill Bodens great products but the Boden and its successor Crane Fruehauf always had a timber clad headboard.Oh! and by the way,just because you have access,via the cough!,cough!,backdoor at Bollinger for £10 per Magnum,there’s no need to advertise the fact and get up the noses of your Yuppie neigbours in the village.I would need to win the Euro lottery to be able to quafe as much Bolly as you ! 
Cheers Dennis.
Well Ive had a few white knuckle rides going over Shap50s/60s Era, But I was taught how to handle these situations by some great long gone old drivers who did all this long before I got behind the wheel of the old wagons that were in operation in those days, Regards Larry.
I recall trips on the Brady Octopus and trailer that but for the odd time we were loaded for Scottish Cables at Renfrew with 22ton of strip coil our other loads for Scotland or the N.east were usually very heavy loads of plate out of the Vickers yard in Barrow.By heavy I mean 18/20 ton on the Octopus and 7/8 ton on the trailer.Once we rolled out of the dip at Hucks Brow to climb the Fell the 680 Power plus had to graft and the result was always a soot black drivers side wheel but it never missed a beat,I also recall one instance as we were travelling through Shap village we had a double blow out on a near side axle,Bang,bang,an old lass walking along the pavement landed on the deck with fright,all her shopping spilled everywhere ! The Octopus was always fitted with Dunlop 900x20 RB6 radials and when they were worn they would usually blow off in quick succession and then it was time for a new set on the steers and the best of the rest onto the drives,The trailer always had 1000x20 crossplys and we carried a 1000x20 spare.Usually we ran back empty from the North which is when I was allowed behind the wheel of that great machine,19 year old,like a dog with a bladder full of ■■■■ and a street full of lamp posts 
cheers Dennis.
Aye Dennis you learned the hard way, The same as me and a lot more old lads, How things have changed over the years Eh, The crap system we have to-day Plus all the RED TAPE, Im glad to be out of it, Operating a haulage Co no matter how large or small it is must be a bloody nightmare, Every time a look at the Motor Transport, Its all Doom & Gloom, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Aye Dennis you learned the hard way, The same as me and a lot more old lads, How things have changed over the years Eh, The crap system we have to-day Plus all the RED TAPE, Im glad to be out of it, Operating a haulage Co no matter how large or small it is must be a bloody nightmare, Every time a look at the Motor Transport, Its all Doom & Gloom, Regards Larry.
Aye Larry I honestly do not know how they make a “go” of the job nowadays,it never was plain sailing but if you had some decent customers and some good drivers and you treat gear with respect you could get a decent return,maybe not as good as some businesses but if Road haulage was your chosen job you could succeed,but to-day it’s ■■■■■ from what I hear about the job! 
Cheers Dennis.
I didn’t think that Shap was too bad, Northbound, as long as you kept an eye on the temperature gauge. We learnt not to stop at the top to let the engine cool down because “afterboil” would make it worse.
Southbound could be a bit hairy if you had a bit of weight on but we had to use the gearbox and ignore the impatient folks behind. Then, when we caught sight of the bridge at the bottom it was time to “let her go” and hang on for dear life!
Hi le, The Shap brings back lots of memories in the late 60s and early 70 s i used to run over the Shap with a BMC FJK ARTIIC with a BTC 4 in line 14 to 15 tons on her back bloody hard work ,stop in Shap let her cool down top up with water off to go get to the top stop cool down more water ,then off to carlile next water stop ,carried 5 galls in cab 7 water stops before Glasgow ,best thing abount her was the bench seat great kipp ,A couple of years ago just before i was put out to grass i was doing coach driving and had a party in Kendal and could not beleave all the traffic that was in Kendal ,Just to think all the traffic on the M 6 used to go through there ,I just shuck my head , jUST a bit of useless info , Cheers Barry
ramone:
moomooland:
A Seddon Diesel goes for it as it overtakes one of Edward Becks Scammells on the long climb up towards Shap in 1965
Another great period photo,the Seddon looks well loaded i wonder how fast they were going
Would imagine anything faster than walking pace was fast enough to get past the Scammell !! 
Suedehead:
ramone:
moomooland:
A Seddon Diesel goes for it as it overtakes one of Edward Becks Scammells on the long climb up towards Shap in 1965
Another great period photo,the Seddon looks well loaded i wonder how fast they were going
Would imagine anything faster than walking pace was fast enough to get past the Scammell !!
That Seddon looks like it’s on trade plates with a test load on the trailer.
Chris Webb:
Suedehead:
ramone:
moomooland:
A Seddon Diesel goes for it as it overtakes one of Edward Becks Scammells on the long climb up towards Shap in 1965
Another great period photo,the Seddon looks well loaded i wonder how fast they were going
Would imagine anything faster than walking pace was fast enough to get past the Scammell !!
That Seddon looks like it’s on trade plates with a test load on the trailer.
Just look at the roping on the backend of the sheeted load,classic “scotchman” tight as a crabs arse !! Bewick.
On a Monday morning there was usually 4 or 5 McMurdos going down to Krafts at Kirby and one morning 3 of us were in the lay-by on the left just before the Jungle wee had left room for the fourth one to get in when he came down after a while Rab appears in the lay-by and runs on down and out the other end with slight traces o smoke from all four hubs. It was an LAD cab chieftain 7tonner and it didny like the 10ton that had been put on it. We met up with him in Kendal where he managed to get it to stop. Eddie.
P
moomooland:
A Seddon Diesel goes for it as it overtakes one of Edward Becks Scammells on the long climb up towards Shap in 1965[ Looks like a bunch of proper drivers using the road sensibly,keeping well over to the left to allow the passing sedon to get on,Try that these days and you get 10 spot lights in your face,and various hand gestures.
If there was other traffic around and the road was wide enough for three, it was the norm for us to drive close to the verge to allow faster vehicles to pass, wasn’t it? Just when was the “I don’t give a sh*t about anyone else” mindset introduced?
Good to see a ‘new’ pic of Shap, and not a snow scene either, which is the usual theme. What is it’s source? Presumably, he took more than just the one shot that day.
The spacing out of the 4 lorries is interesting. Could be just coincidence but, was it a ploy to avoid being held up on the climb by slower wagons, so that each could hit the climb at their own speed?
I don’t think the Seddon 32:4 was doing tests for the new cab launch, I have a pic somewhere of that and the front grille is a different design which changed when sales started to what we see in the pic, it may well be on test and it does seem to be an early model with the wipers fitted at the bottom of the screen, it could have been testing one of the optional engine types though, appears to be working okay anyway! Franky.
Evening all, jackslad, ROF, how right you both are!
Had to nip down to Felixstowe the other afternoon to pick up a little piece of equipment, so stuck the trailer behind the Jeep, (20ft triaxle), and off I went. Now its an easy journey, M6, A14, and return, but the clowns driving some of the lorries…no wonder the general public`s attitude towards lorries has hardned to a pathalogical hatred.
Lane discipline seems to be a forgotten art, as does keeping close to the nearside,and has mirror useage become unnecessary when hiding behind semi pulled curtains? Still it does not matter when you use the size of your vehicle to do just what you wish to do in terms of wombling along!!!
Bewicks terminology,“steering wheel attendants” really comes to mind as a true description of a lot of todays lorry drivers, certainly some of the morons I seemed to meet on my simple journey. When I remember the pride that I, and so many others had in our skilled trade, and how we enjoyed and improved our skill, (even if it was low paid)!
I still remember my first journey as a lorry driver over Shap, and many subsequent ones through the 60s, low power, sometimes a struggle, but all done to the best of my personal ability, as were all of my journeys wherever they took me in the UK and Europe. I was, and am, proud to have been a lorry driver, but my goodness, 10spotlights you may have…but skill Gentlemen you do not!!!
Cheerio for now.
Well said Sav, Regards Larry.