Regarding the ERF’s with 120 gardners I might be wrong but I think Niven of Palnackie ran some LVs with either the 120 or the 5cyl 100s they ran them with single axle trailers on the Stelrad contract,back then high horsepower was just coming on stream and also both ERF & FODEN built what you wanted. I drove for Campbell of Irvine and had a 66D reg GUY Warrior with the 5cyl Gardner and allthough running south was usually a combine at about 6tons we loaded back either out of London or South Wales with 15tons it had a 6speed box and 2speed axle and coped no bad.Eddie.
The Gardner 120 was an upgraded LW which used to be 112 bhp. 8.4 ltrs. and as such used to power■■? all sorts of heavy haulage machines and on general haulage anything up to 8 Wheeler and Treailers and was superceeded but not replaced by the 6LX 150 bhp. 10.45 ltrs. I must admit it would be underpowered for a 32t Gross machine…Tony.
Bewick:
5thwheel:
Hi all,We at Manchester SoM,had a mixed bag of engined Guy’s,although most were indeed 240 Gardners,although we had 2 or 3 Guy’s that were 120 Gardners on contract to OCL containers,painted in white and pale blue,what terrible machines,that A74 never seemed to end they were so slow,50 MPH was max speed if I remember!!
I remember Harold Gilmore[Manchester Manager] driving me over to Newton Le Willows Branch to collect a new motor being brought down piggy back from Falkirk,I had only started with them a week earlier[having left Humber McVeighs @ Salford],it was a Big J with a 240 in it,I drove it back to Manchester,what a flying machine,I had never experienced so much power having had a 150 Atki @ HMcVeigh’s,a great machine,and to top it all the new Guy was given to me as my motor on nights,Falkirk and back,5 nights a week,before coming off nights I ended up with a 240 engined ERF,far more comfort than the Guy.
When I went tramping,I lost the ERF and was given a Guy 220 ■■■■■■■■■■■■ a Fuller splitter box,another flying machine! great days!!
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to all Forum members!
Rgds,
David
Happy Christmas 5th Wheel but with regard to 8Lxbs in Big Js !are you sure you haven’t been on the Easy Start ? Smiths were a United Group co. in their latter years and they woudn’t have been willing to have paid a premium for a Gardner 8 cyl when a ■■■■■■■ 220 would do the same job ! and also the 9ft 6ins wheelbase of the Guy did not lend itself to the ideal chassis for that engine although I did see a Seddon tractor 32:4 fitted with an 8lxbI never saw a Guy but I could be 100% wrong ! As for a 120 Gardner in an ERF tractor !!! New can of WD40 please !!! LX150 Yes but not a 120 !! they were 16ton GVW rigid engines!!! Don’t take the criticism personal like ! I am only stimulating healthy debate ---- Maybe an ex SOM engineer or an ex Guy chap could clarify !!! All the best for 2010 Bewick.
Hi,
A new member here,( although I have followed the board for quite a while now), I’ve worked with the red&rust outfit since '77 to the present day (now the yellow peril !) and when I started there we had Guy’s with all manner of engines and running gear.
That said I don’t ever recall seeing one with a 240 (it would surely have the last 2pots on the catwalk!), at the midlands depots we had them with ■■■■■■■ 220 and early american 290’s, Rolls eagle 220 and 280, perkins 354 (rigids) and V8’s (lovely cab with a flat floor but only 28t gross), Gardner 180’s and Aec av470 and 505’s.
The ones fitted with the early 290’s were really quick (lethal solo),but the large turbo fitted to these was out on the catwalk and easily damaged if you picked up a trailer with a deep king pin. The one fitted with the perkins V8 were real quick too and with no bonnet inside gave plenty of room in the cab. Gardner 180’s were avoided at all costs! at 58mph they were the slowest! Ha Ha well I wish I’d got one now cause it would leave my present 53mph FH 13 for dead.
I can remember Smiths big j’s on the 74 and like BRS used some of the last models made but they always seemed to favour ■■■■■■■■■■■■ we were hauling BL car spares we used to do a changeover with them at Tee bay.
Happy days !
BEWICK. I think they did buy Big J’s right till the end. I remember, after I’d long gone, seeing the later units, with the bigger grill and GUY badge on it, also they had plenty of the later ERF’s
Mappo.
Hard times on the Southampton hauliers site ? Well, when you dress like a big girl, flares or hot pants, sandels, and hair like an old tart, what do you expect, want me to stick a few photo’s up ? no ? didn’t think so !! Come to think of it Tone, YOU WERE an old tart !! Big G Unit, don’t give him any sympathy !!!. ERF 4 wheeler, don’t remember that one Tony, I do remember an AEC Mercury, and a TK bedford 4 wheeler ( Ivor Trueman drove the TK for a bit ) but they’d long gone by the time you got there I guess. And Aldridge depot Tone, did lots of change overs there, and bunkered at the tanker company just down the road, Jones of Aldrige, part of the group I think. Also remember the girl in the office at Smiths !! Phew, close call … nuff said.
5th Wheel
Really don’t remember any GUY BJ’s with the 240,s mostly, they had either the 180, 205, or 220 ■■■■■■■■ in them. Some ERF’s I belive did have the straight 8. However, someone with more knowledge and a better memory may well remember differently, I wait to be corrected.
I do remeber, when shunting the Stockton night trunk out of Southampton, that the ■■■■■■■ engined Guys, used 20 gallons of diesel more, on the same trip, as the 180 Gardner engined wagons did. Add that up over a year !!
I do remember Harold Gilmore, the manager, seemed a nice guy. Loaded a few times out of Manchester depot, but mostly just bunkered.
Big G unit. Like the model, but as said, red chassis and wheels, would make it better. Also that old 33’ Boden trailer, great to pull, heavy, solid and braked well, loved them behind me, better that the Highway 40’ spread axles thingys, bounced all over the road, and twisted, and going around a tight corner would nearly pull the tyres off the rims.
Anyway, nice to see alot of interest in the old company, willl dig some old pic’s out, and if Alex get’s one here, he’ll have a tale or two to tell !!
Hope 2010 is good to you all.
Cheers
A few Smiths pic’s, sorry to those who have seen them before on other threads
Loading Monsanto, Hythe, Soton, with 40’ Highway spread axle trl, for Stockon.
RMS39G my wagon for a year or two when “tramping”
Jock McDonald, R.I.P. Loaded ISR rubber for either Glasgow, or Edinburgh
Shunting the Stockton wagon, outside my Mothers house, dropped in for tea !! Well, you could in those days,!! no tacho, no phones, no one looking over your shoulder, easy days !!
The 40’ bouncy Highway trl again.!! Waiting loading instructions in Cornwall, having delivered to the RAF base at Helston.
Loaded lead ingots from Fareham, on the good, solid old Bowden 33’ trl, destination, Doonray powerstation, longest UK trips I did for Smiths.
Loaded drums of chemicals, Ex Union Carbide, Hythe, for Glasgow.
Those were the days, when you took you wagon home.!!!
Nice pictures Fergie 
Fareham - Douneray would keep you going for a bit.
Yes,those were the days when you took the wagon home.Building air up at 0200 - morning neighbours! 
I think you will find it is a Navy base in Helston (Fleet air arm)
RNAS Culdrose…My dad was Stationed there in the late 70s - early 80s
Chris Webb:
Nice pictures Fergie
Yes,those were the days when you took the wagon home.Building air up at 0200 - morning neighbours!
Hi,
In those days, I always took the wagon home but I lived right across the road from the Sunset cafe. The old major who ran the place was always borrowing my lawnmower so we struck a deal on free parking !
sunset cafe stayed there a lot when i worked with smiths …think its a supermarket now
Semtex:
I think you will find it is a Navy base in Helston (Fleet air arm)RNAS Culdrose…My dad was Stationed there in the late 70s - early 80s
Semtex You’re right of course, but that picture was probably taken in '69, some 40 odd years ago, and the old memory is fadeing fast !! Having said that, I LIVED near there 7 years ago, and use to deliver parts to the MT section, so I SHOULD have remembered, Senior moment !!! Wait till you get old !!
Chris Webb Fareham / Dounreay . Took two and a half days then, tipped, run back to Frazerborough / Peterhead / Aberdeen for back load. A good weeks work, wonder what it could be done at to-day !!
Trev H. Sunset, many a night there, for it’s time, it was the dog’s knob, clean, good food, a bar, and entertainment, some of which you didn’t tell the wife about !!
Fergie47:
Mappo.Hard times on the Southampton hauliers site ? Well, when you dress like a big girl, flares or hot pants, sandels, and hair like an old tart, what do you expect, want me to stick a few photo’s up ? no ? didn’t think so !! Come to think of it Tone, YOU WERE an old tart !! Big G Unit, don’t give him any sympathy !!!. ERF 4 wheeler, don’t remember that one Tony, I do remember an AEC Mercury, and a TK bedford 4 wheeler ( Ivor Trueman drove the TK for a bit ) but they’d long gone by the time you got there I guess. And Aldridge depot Tone, did lots of change overs there, and bunkered at the tanker company just down the road, Jones of Aldrige, part of the group I think. Also remember the girl in the office at Smiths !! Phew, close call … nuff said.
…
Cheers for that Dave, i was going to say that it,s good to see those photos again
and maybe pay you a compliment or two on your experience and knowledge. But now i,m not gonna..
mappo:
Fergie47:
Mappo.Cheers for that Dave, i was going to say that it,s good to see those photos again
and maybe pay you a compliment or two on your experience and knowledge. But now i,m not gonna..
They’re you go again Tone, sulking like a big tart !!! Now, dry yer eyes, sort yer make up, and say something nice, or I’ll post some pic’s of you…1970’s. hot pants, and sandels !!
AND I’ve still got the negatives !! 
I give up.!!! 
Fergie47:
mappo:
Fergie47:
Mappo.Cheers for that Dave, i was going to say that it,s good to see those photos again
and maybe pay you a compliment or two on your experience and knowledge. But now i,m not gonna..
They’re you go again Tone, sulking like a big tart !!! Now, dry yer eyes, sort yer make up, and say something nice, or I’ll post some pic’s of you…1970’s. hot pants, and sandels !!
AND I’ve still got the negatives !!
What about the white socks that went with the sandals
Sorry Tony
Cor blimey Pat ssssshhhhhh. It was a long time ago.
Bloody hell Mappo! they are hounding you on this thread now !! you must have broad shoulders mate. I think I know where you mean the Aldridge depot was, but still can’t see it in my minds eye. I ought to remember it as I lived just up the road in '72 when I started with a Ford van doing light haulage. I Used to do flyers out of Birlec and B.R.D. and a few more firms around there.
I agree about the sheet on the model, I thought it was a bit poor. I have made some up with a “tarp” made from a olive spread tub foil and cotton which I think look better as you can paint a bit of age into it. Here’s a pic of one I stuck on a cheap model to try it, again, not a finished article, but will give you an idea. Thought I would do something like it on the Smith’s E.R.F. at some time when I get around to it.
Fergie47 : Great pictures of Smith’s wagons mate and looking forward to more of them. It doesn’t matter if they have been posted else where, you couldn’t get tired of seeing them could ya.
Sorry for going a bit off topic Can someone post us back on track. 
Big G Unit
A few more, as requested, and back on track !!!
OOOOOPs, sorry about this last one. Now I wonder who that is, stood next to his new motor, he use to do 2 Italys a week in that !!
PS. PAT, you got the colour of the socks wrong !!!
BigG-Unit:
Bloody hell Mappo! they are hounding you on this thread now !! you must have broad shoulders mate.BigG-Unit…Glad you noticed mate,if i may call you that,cos it seems that some people on here that i used to consider as mates
have resorted to being childish and immature in their old age.
Good job i,m thick skinned aye.
If you get to make a fly sheet for the Smiths ERF, make sure we get to see it MATEFergie47… What can i say other than how disappointed i am in you yet again for embarrassing my twin brother like that.
It was,nt his fault, he was just following the fashion of the day.
I was hoping that a few new years resolutions might have been made to give Mappo a break.
Should have known better i guess.
Sorry Fergie ok I admit I got it so wrong see here
Regards Pat
Oh no Pat, not you as well. ( again )
I,m losing the will to live.
Seriously lads this started as a sensible thread, so lets get back to it. Or else !!!