Hi Tone
Thanks for that wee story, I think if I had been you I would have been down the stairs first.
Eddie.
Came across this old Photo of my Big J while working for Smiths out of Southampton depot in the early 70,s.
Us trampers used to take the lorries home if not working at the weekend and i used to park mine
on Hedge End trading estate.The car alongside it was my Zephyr.
mappo:
Came across this old Photo of my Big J while working for Smiths out of Southampton depot in the early 70,s.
Us trampers used to take the lorries home if not working at the weekend and i used to park mine
on Hedge End trading estate.The car alongside it was my Zephyr.
Hiya “Mappo” com’on make my day (and that of a lot of ex SOM drivers) and swear blind that your motor was powered by a Gardner 8LXB!!!Cheers Bewick.
I worked for Smiths in Inverness depot and worked out of the BA at Invergordon. I drove a guy big j reg no PWG48M and it certainly had a gardner 240 fitted, sorry cant remember the fleet no. Inverness was an outlying depot for the Falkirk depot Big Jock Elder was manager at the time. There were 3 drivers based up here myself Dave Mackintosh (musicman) Tommy Forbes (shunter) and Albert Pesscod (haggar) (cb handles). I still have a copy of the drivers handbook and a drivers folder a bit worse of wear. At the time we were probablly the best paid drivers in the north, happy days.
hidrive:
I worked for Smiths in Inverness depot and worked out of the BA at Invergordon. I drove a guy big j reg no PWG48M and it certainly had a gardner 240 fitted, sorry cant remember the fleet no. Inverness was an outlying depot for the Falkirk depot Big Jock Elder was manager at the time. There were 3 drivers based up here myself Dave Mackintosh (musicman) Tommy Forbes (shunter) and Albert Pesscod (haggar) (cb handles). I still have a copy of the drivers handbook and a drivers folder a bit worse of wear. At the time we were probablly the best paid drivers in the north, happy days.
'fraid the panel can’t accept your vague testimony “hidrive” no Reg.no. no Fleet no.!! If were not careful we’ll have all the SOM lads on claiming to have driven a Guy big J with an 8LXB engine.You’ll have to be more specific!! Bewick.
I never saw a “Big J” with a 8 pot in but I never saw a S.O.M. stationary long enough to get a proper butchers either. 
sammyopisite:
I never saw a “Big J” with a 8 pot in but I never saw a S.O.M. stationary long enough to get a proper butchers either.
All you had to do Johnnie was as they flew past you on the motorway is look at the back of the cab and “bingo” was it a ■■■■■■■ or an 8 Pot LXB!!! Cheers Dennis.
Well pre limiter days, SoM waggons were doing anything twixt 60-80mph on the M6, yet you seldom saw one on the hard shoulder with a burst trailer tyre. If I recall rightly they were one of the few trunking firms to use brand new tyres on trailers when others were running on retreads and even recuts. Am I right in thinking this?
Tone
canaldrifter:
Well pre limiter days, SoM waggons were doing anything twixt 60-80mph on the M6, yet you seldom saw one on the hard shoulder with a burst trailer tyre. If I recall rightly they were one of the few trunking firms to use brand new tyres on trailers when others were running on retreads and even recuts. Am I right in thinking this?Tone
Tone,
Manchester depot used to use Bandag remoulds from somewhere around Wigan way on the trailers IIRC,what I do remember is Harold Gilmore,Manager, checking pressure of the trailer tyres some nights as we were leaving the depot!!!a driver called Jimmy Holt almost ran him over one night,said he didnt see him lurking by the gate post!!
Take it easy,
Rgds,
David
I might have this completely wrong, but I have a feeling they put brand new tyres on unit drive axles at St Albans, and when they had worn down a bit, transferred them to trailers.
This may have not been SoM though, but I’m sure that’s how someone who I drove for used tyres! It might have been Intercity. Remember them too?
Tone
SMITHS POLICY FOR TYRES WAS NO REMOULDS OR RECUTS ON UNITS WHATSOEVER CANALDRITHINK I REMEMBER U DID YOU HAVE A BEARD I CAN REMEMBER SHUNTING THE MOTERS ROUND THE YARD AS SOON AS I GOT BACK FROM SCHOOL ONLY 13 OR 14 YEATHIS WAS 1973-4A LONG TIME AGO I HAVE SOME GREAT MEMORYS OF THAT TIME AND THE MANY DRIVERS THAT PASSED THROUGH SMITHS GATES
reagle ill do it:
SMITHS POLICY FOR TYRES WAS NO REMOULDS OR RECUTS ON UNITS WHATSOEVER CANALDRITHINK I REMEMBER U DID YOU HAVE A BEARD I CAN REMEMBER SHUNTING THE MOTERS ROUND THE YARD AS SOON AS I GOT BACK FROM SCHOOL ONLY 13 OR 14 YEATHIS WAS 1973-4A LONG TIME AGO I HAVE SOME GREAT MEMORYS OF THAT TIME AND THE MANY DRIVERS THAT PASSED THROUGH SMITHS GATES
I remember you well. I was impressed by your skills as a youngster.
I would pull into the yard at about 4pm after a long day’s shunting around London starting at about 6am. I would get out of the unit while it was still ticking over, and you would refuel and back it into the the bays ready for the trunkers while I sorted out the paperwork.
Yes, had a beard then, and still do. The same one!
I think that yard in Fleetville was originally a BRS one back in the late forties.
Yes, it’s all a long time ago, but some of it is still vivid.
There was a shunter called Dave, who used to sing with a guy from Hatfield. They did blues and stuff. Then the other guy decided they should do singer songwriter stuff, but Dave disagreed. so they split.
The other guy was Donavan.
Dave was heavily into model soldier battle re-enactments and had a garage full of battle scenes.
Great days!
Tone
Do’es anyone remember a driver called Alex Stoddart,this would be around the early 60s,I think he ran out of Maddison and sometimes stopped over at Brough,big mate of my Dads, who was mechanicing for Watty Sayer at the time,I used to call in the garage after school and then go home,
Mother would ask “wheres yer Dad,”, Errrr,Wellll,He’s having a quiet drink 
with Alex,Well that was it,dinner in the bin,and a bit of verbal exchange between them the next morning,
Last i heard,he started up on his own over Middlesbrough way,As i say this would be early around the 60s to early 70s,Smashing bloke,as they all were
found this in an old cmmercial motor-alan
Bewick:
hidrive:
I worked for Smiths in Inverness depot and worked out of the BA at Invergordon. I drove a guy big j reg no PWG48M and it certainly had a gardner 240 fitted, sorry cant remember the fleet no. Inverness was an outlying depot for the Falkirk depot Big Jock Elder was manager at the time. There were 3 drivers based up here myself Dave Mackintosh (musicman) Tommy Forbes (shunter) and Albert Pesscod (haggar) (cb handles). I still have a copy of the drivers handbook and a drivers folder a bit worse of wear. At the time we were probablly the best paid drivers in the north, happy days.'fraid the panel can’t accept your vague testimony “hidrive” no Reg.no. no Fleet no.!! If were not careful we’ll have all the SOM lads on claiming to have driven a Guy big J with an 8LXB engine.You’ll have to be more specific!! Bewick.
Dennis,Have another look at the post,Hidrive quotes the reg as PWG 48M…so there!
Take it easy,
Rgds,
David 
5thwheel:
Bewick:
hidrive:
I worked for Smiths in Inverness depot and worked out of the BA at Invergordon. I drove a guy big j reg no PWG48M and it certainly had a gardner 240 fitted, sorry cant remember the fleet no. Inverness was an outlying depot for the Falkirk depot Big Jock Elder was manager at the time. There were 3 drivers based up here myself Dave Mackintosh (musicman) Tommy Forbes (shunter) and Albert Pesscod (haggar) (cb handles). I still have a copy of the drivers handbook and a drivers folder a bit worse of wear. At the time we were probablly the best paid drivers in the north, happy days.'fraid the panel can’t accept your vague testimony “hidrive” no Reg.no. no Fleet no.!! If were not careful we’ll have all the SOM lads on claiming to have driven a Guy big J with an 8LXB engine.You’ll have to be more specific!! Bewick.
Dennis,Have another look at the post,Hidrive quotes the reg as PWG 48M…so there!
Take it easy,
Rgds,
David
I’m going to have to aquiess and allow your submission as regards the elusive SOM Big J 8LXBs!!! The lad seems to be adament about the motor he drove having the big Gardner.But it is a bit like someone getting done for murder but there’s no body!!! When Hidrive stopped for a p*** on Glencoe he could have at least took a photy(of the motor that is!!)PS I’ll get some stick off Trev H cause he’s also adament that he never saw any 8LXBs on the line at Fallings Park and he was in and out of the factory on a regular basis during the relevant period when these “chassis” would have been built.Don’t weaken! Cheers Dennis.
Perhaps Wolfie Model Maker could put a Big J with a “misplaced 180”[too far back,would look like a 240 with ease]
Rgds
David
5thwheel:
Perhaps Wolfie Model Maker could put a Big J with a “misplaced 180”[too far back,would look like a 240 with ease]Rgds
David
Aye David and that model might be the only sight we’ll get of an SOM 8LXB Big J!!! Dennis.
Bewick:
5thwheel:
Perhaps Wolfie Model Maker could put a Big J with a “misplaced 180”[too far back,would look like a 240 with ease]Rgds
David
Aye David and that model might be the only sight we’ll get of an SOM 8LXB Big J!!! Dennis.
I have a neice who does picture retouching on a computer for one of the big newspapers maybe I could get her to rustle up something with a pic of the back of a big j and rear view of the elusive 8 pot engine, this is becoming the holy grail , nice w/end all fred m
Hi, Ya All!!
I’ve said it before and I 'll say it again! The only thing that would pass a Smith’s notor is ANOTHER ONE!!!
Dennis, you dont get out enough! You have to get over this Gardener thing at Smith’s. Go see Chuffy and go for a walk together!!
Alex