cav551:
The DD8 and trailer must have been reaching retirement on that sort of distance work by summer 1969. How much would that have grossed out at with that load of pulp?
Being Athersmiths “cav” the load would have been no more than 20 ton, they were a unionised firm based on the BRS format and Athersmiths themselves wouldn’t knowingly put a foot wrong ! Now Bradys on the other hand I recall one episode when I was at Bradys in the late 60’s on the Octo and trailer there was regular pulp boats that used to come into Barrow Docks and this one had pulp on for the new Thames Board Mills at Workington which had recently started up. Well the Waggon and trailer just happened to be m/t so we went down the dock and loaded with loose bales of pulp for Thames Board for delivery next morning. Our load was in the region of 28ton according to the bale weights and the road up the west coast is a right grueller ! and there is one very steep bank at Muncaster and boy did this make the 680 work hard but we made it comfortably and got up to Workington tipped and shot back to Barrow m/t. Apparently Athersmiths declined to load any of their motors for Workington with pulp ! When I first kicked off with my first motor my third and fourth loads were wood pulp ex Barrow for Croppers Mill at Kendal, I recall Jackie Brady saying to me when he gave me the job " The rates a bit keen Son ( called everyone Son!) so if you can put 60 bales on which was 12 ton ! it will make the job a bit better for you" ! I should have just put 50 bales on for 10ton but I was only running to Kendal 30 odd mile eh! Strict observance of the law regarding legal payloads were never Bradys strong point During the time I was at Bradys we got some awful weights on the Octopus and trailer at times out of the Ship Yard, the Steel Works ( transhipped in the yard ) and out of British Cellophane usually for London Docks or British Waterways at Brentford.Cheers Bewick.
Thanks for that Bewick. I was imagining the poor old shed struggling along up Archway with that lot on its back amid clouds of black, but it sounds like things could be a lot worse. In fact just getting out of Northfleet would have warmed it up nicely in the winter.
cav551:
Thanks for that Bewick. I was imagining the poor old shed struggling along up Archway with that lot on its back amid clouds of black, but it sounds like things could be a lot worse. In fact just getting out of Northfleet would have warmed it up nicely in the winter.
I think the new Transport Act came into force in 1970 when mates were no longer required on Waggon and trailers and of course artics were able to run at 30 ton gvw by this time and took over as true 20 tonners. I’m not just sure when Athersmiths would have stopped running their 8 wheelers but they had a few G and H reg 32/4’s running by this time but funnily enough they never ran any 40 ft trailers and then sold out to Bradys in 1973.Cheers Bewick.
This is a shot of the earlier sister Octopus HEO 557 to the one I was on JEO 192 , the first one didn’t pull a trailer for very long and was operated solo but JEO pulled a trailer for more or less all it’s operational life finally finishing its time for the last few months running solo with Tuborg lift off tanks into London from Felixstowe. It was scrapped in December 1969 IIRC but it can claim to have been one of the most hard worked motors in the UK during the 60’s, and I can personally vouch for that ! Plus it was driven continuously during the time it pulled a trailer by a Driver who was a true master of the craft of handling a waggon and trailer, Oh! and superbly skilled at the craft of sheeting and roping ! the late Eric Postlethwaite. Happy days Cheers Bewick.
Strange to say the least ! I wonder how many of them were built and it has the Big “A” on the grille ! I wonder if this was supposed to be the replacement for the Borderer ? Quite striking the looks of it ! Cheers Bewick. PS just “clocked” the Borderer badge !
This photo is long before your time at Brady’s been hoping someone would put a photo of the old 8 wheeler Guy be leave it had a meadow,s engine in it cheers Frank.
Leyland 680:
This photo is long before your time at Brady’s been hoping someone would put a photo of the old 8 wheeler Guy be leave it had a meadow,s engine in it cheers Frank.
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Leyland 680:
This photo is long before your time at Brady’s been hoping someone would put a photo of the old 8 wheeler Guy be leave it had a meadow,s engine in it cheers Frank.
Sorry Dennis This write up is for Brady’s on other page
Leyland 680:
This photo is long before your time at Brady’s been hoping someone would put a photo of the old 8 wheeler Guy be leave it had a meadow,s engine in it cheers Frank.
Aye I hoped this would drag you out and onto the thread Frank!! Hope you are keeping well and you have good 2017 ! Right Mate, lets have the gen on this Guy, was it ex Hauliers looking at the little dropsides ? and that looks like a “back end” shot of the Big’un leaning on the cab and would the little lad be young John maybe ? Now come on Frank you are the Brady archivist you worked for them many years and got “the gold clock” !!! . Cheers Dennis.
Hi Dennis
No not an old X hauliers be leave they had 2 of these but we’re not in service when I started there in 1964 had been parked up at the old brick work,s Don’t think that is the Big un but there are 2 Kendal driver in the photo 1 being the tall guy in the middle who would be the driver of the 8 wheeler Guy Big Tom Sharp the other is Tommy Benson with the mustachios walking towards the other driver,s As you now when the pulp boat was in Brady would put every available motor on the job note the tipper being loaded at the far end Cheers Frank
Leyland 680:
Hi Dennis
No not an old X hauliers be leave they had 2 of these but we’re not in service when I started there in 1964 had been parked up at the old brick work,s Don’t think that is the Big un but there are 2 Kendal driver in the photo 1 being the tall guy in the middle who would be the driver of the 8 wheeler Guy Big Tom Sharp the other is Tommy Benson with the mustachios walking towards the other driver,s As you now when the pulp boat was in Brady would put every available motor on the job note the tipper being loaded at the far end Cheers Frank
Thanks for that Frank ! So what would the side boards have been for, Bradys didn’t do any pig iron did they ? Cheers Dennis.
No they never did pig iron But when he bought Furness Transport out all there motor had sideboards think it was a Vickers thing because they used to have quite a few trailers with sideboards
You are a Star Frank ! was this Ronnie’s motor by any chance ? Bradys wouldn’t have run this motor when they bought Furness out, or did they ? Cheers Dennis.
This was one of a pair of sister motors operated by the Mill for my sins I organised the repainting and lettering as they had modified their title, from the previous long winded name. I eventually purchased this unit along with a newer one that replaced the other G reg motor when Bewick Transport took over the whole of the transport operation at the Mill in Jan '77.
You are a Star Frank ! was this Ronnie’s motor by any chance ? Bradys wouldn’t have run this motor when they bought Furness out, or did they ? Cheers Dennis.
Yes the did for a few years then Rony got brand new tilt cab AEC 8 wheeler OK
I recall one episode when I was at Bradys in the late 60’s on the Octo and trailer there was regular pulp boats that used to come into Barrow Docks and this one had pulp on for the new Thames Board Mills at Workington which had recently started up. Well the Waggon and trailer just happened to be m/t so we went down the dock and loaded with loose bales of pulp for Thames Board for delivery next morning. Our load was in the region of 28ton according to the bale weights and the road up the west coast is a right grueller ! and there is one very steep bank at Muncaster and boy did this make the 680 work hard but we made it comfortably and got up to Workington tipped and shot back to Barrow m/t. Apparently Athersmiths declined to load any of their motors for Workington with pulp ! When I first kicked off with my first motor my third and fourth loads were wood pulp ex Barrow for Croppers Mill at Kendal, I recall Jackie Brady saying to me when he gave me the job " The rates a bit keen Son ( called everyone Son!) so if you can put 60 bales on which was 12 ton ! it will make the job a bit better for you" ! I should have just put 50 bales on for 10ton but I was only running to Kendal 30 odd mile eh! 
Strict observance of the law regarding legal payloads were never Bradys strong point 
