Bookworm:
Hello Andrew, yes you are quite right, Swift Transport was set up by JR, his wife was a director along with a few Bridgend business people, one of them a solicitor. Bob Hawkins ran the operation until it was absorbed into the JR fleet and Bob and Sandra ran Traffic along with Ken Coombs. This was just before 1975 when I started back with JR for the 3rd time.
One of their trailers, a low height box, was the one I had permanently on the WBC Bookbinder contract for 8 years until I finished in 1989, doesn`t time fly, it seems like yesterday.
Best Wishes
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the reply.From memory you had OCY 29Y a 401 with a black add on roof spoiler on the bookbinder contract?I will post a picture.i think? Your driving Bernard Lewis’ Transcon up south road here,porthcawl carnival early 1980’s.Bernard calls into work occasionally,he’s looking well.
Hello Andrew, yes I had OCY 29Y for a few years until I had D586 LKG, another 401 with the 320 ■■■■■■■■ the best wagon I ever had. Because it never carried coils,which as you know used to batter the unit, I only pulled the box trailer, which I mentioned previously, with it, it used to drive like a car.
If you look back through your considerable archive you may find Bernards Transcon which I used on the Porthcawl Carnival with the old woman who lived in a shoe` float, I used it because I was on Rockwool then and had to use a JR tractor unit. This would have been 1981.
Mike
Bookworm:
Hello Andrew, yes I had OCY 29Y for a few years until I had D586 LKG, another 401 with the 320 ■■■■■■■■ the best wagon I ever had. Because it never carried coils,which as you know used to batter the unit, I only pulled the box trailer, which I mentioned previously, with it, it used to drive like a car.
If you look back through your considerable archive you may find Bernards Transcon which I used on the Porthcawl Carnival with the old woman who lived in a shoe` float, I used it because I was on Rockwool then and had to use a JR tractor unit. This would have been 1981.
Mike
Hi mike,
After I typed it came to me,Clive Sawden was driving the transcon in my picture and I have somewhere a photo and a video of “the shoe” float.from memory you did a lot of London area work on the bookbinder contract? I remember Vanman99 and I asking you for directions across south London,you knew every metre.
Regards Andrew.
Yes Andrew, When I left Bridgend on the Bookbinders job I usually had 14 or 15 drops and sometimes 4 collections spread all over Southern England , London and as far up as Grantham. Just like your old man. any tidy driver would always find the best way to do the job efficiently in the easiest way. There was no Satnav then I dread to think how todays truckers` (not Lorry Drivers) would manage the jobs we used to do in those days,or am I being a silly old ■■■■?
Bookworm:
Yes Andrew, When I left Bridgend on the Bookbinders job I usually had 14 or 15 drops and sometimes 4 collections spread all over Southern England , London and as far up as Grantham. Just like your old man. any tidy driver would always find the best way to do the job efficiently in the easiest way. There was no Satnav then I dread to think how todays truckers` (not Lorry Drivers) would manage the jobs we used to do in those days,or am I being a silly old ■■■■?
Hello Mike , The human brain is far greater than any Sat nav as long as you have still got your memory !
Hi all,
I think this is an ICS vehicle? Industrial cleaning supplies? Had blue,yellow and very dirty hard worked vehicles based in The abbey and other BSC plants for many years.
If I`m not mistaken this outfit was used to transport rolls into the hot mill rollshop in the Abbey. There was a hump in the tarmac opposite the canteen and it had a habit of bottoming the trailer, which you can see from the photo, is very low. I was working for Shorts at the time(late 1990s) driving a 100 ton scrap carrier out of the hot mill and used to put a chain on the back of the trailer and pull it back off the hump. This worked fine until one day it was really stuck and I managed to pull the rear of the trailer off, needless to say we stopped doing it!
Bookworm:
If I`m not mistaken this outfit was used to transport rolls into the hot mill rollshop in the Abbey. There was a hump in the tarmac opposite the canteen and it had a habit of bottoming the trailer, which you can see from the photo, is very low. I was working for Shorts at the time(late 1990s) driving a 100 ton scrap carrier out of the hot mill and used to put a chain on the back of the trailer and pull it back off the hump. This worked fine until one day it was really stuck and I managed to pull the rear of the trailer off, needless to say we stopped doing it!
Hi mike,
I thought that Foden looked familiar.ive always been fascinated by some of the very heavy hardware in The Abbey and other large steel mills over the years.I would have loved to of had a drive of a Kres carrier,they just seemed to pick up half a dozen slabs and cart them around the slab yard as if they were lolly pop sticks.
Regards Andrew.
Bookworm:
If I`m not mistaken this outfit was used to transport rolls into the hot mill rollshop in the Abbey. There was a hump in the tarmac opposite the canteen and it had a habit of bottoming the trailer, which you can see from the photo, is very low. I was working for Shorts at the time(late 1990s) driving a 100 ton scrap carrier out of the hot mill and used to put a chain on the back of the trailer and pull it back off the hump. This worked fine until one day it was really stuck and I managed to pull the rear of the trailer off, needless to say we stopped doing it!
Hi mike,
I thought that Foden looked familiar.ive always been fascinated by some of the very heavy hardware in The Abbey and other large steel mills over the years.I would have loved to of had a drive of a Kres carrier,they just seemed to pick up half a dozen slabs and cart them around the slab yard as if they were lolly pop sticks.
Regards Andrew.
Andrew , We have four for sale at rest in the abbey I spent eight years on them 6 or 8 slabs in a lift usual weight 160tns . All the best Ian .
Bookworm:
If I`m not mistaken this outfit was used to transport rolls into the hot mill rollshop in the Abbey. There was a hump in the tarmac opposite the canteen and it had a habit of bottoming the trailer, which you can see from the photo, is very low. I was working for Shorts at the time(late 1990s) driving a 100 ton scrap carrier out of the hot mill and used to put a chain on the back of the trailer and pull it back off the hump. This worked fine until one day it was really stuck and I managed to pull the rear of the trailer off, needless to say we stopped doing it!
Hi mike,
I thought that Foden looked familiar.ive always been fascinated by some of the very heavy hardware in The Abbey and other large steel mills over the years.I would have loved to of had a drive of a Kres carrier,they just seemed to pick up half a dozen slabs and cart them around the slab yard as if they were lolly pop sticks.
Regards Andrew.
Andrew , We have four for sale at rest in the abbey I spent eight years on them 6 or 8 slabs in a lift usual weight 160tns . All the best Ian .
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the reply.A family friend,Des Williams drove them for short bros,I think? They were a big plant company,I’m guessing they sold out,to was it Brambles? They had some big gear.it seemed that every steelworks I went to had short bros plant there,especially lakenby,Redcar and Scunthorpe.For a period of around two years a brand new orange and white Hitachi EX1800? Face shovel just sat in their yard next door to joint.it never moved.must have been over a million pounds worth back then?
Regards Andrew.
Bookworm:
If I`m not mistaken this outfit was used to transport rolls into the hot mill rollshop in the Abbey. There was a hump in the tarmac opposite the canteen and it had a habit of bottoming the trailer, which you can see from the photo, is very low. I was working for Shorts at the time(late 1990s) driving a 100 ton scrap carrier out of the hot mill and used to put a chain on the back of the trailer and pull it back off the hump. This worked fine until one day it was really stuck and I managed to pull the rear of the trailer off, needless to say we stopped doing it!
Hi mike,
I thought that Foden looked familiar.ive always been fascinated by some of the very heavy hardware in The Abbey and other large steel mills over the years.I would have loved to of had a drive of a Kres carrier,they just seemed to pick up half a dozen slabs and cart them around the slab yard as if they were lolly pop sticks.
Regards Andrew.
Andrew , We have four for sale at rest in the abbey I spent eight years on them 6 or 8 slabs in a lift usual weight 160tns . All the best Ian .
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the reply.A family friend,Des Williams drove them for short bros,I think? They were a big plant company,I’m guessing they sold out,to was it Brambles? They had some big gear.it seemed that every steelworks I went to had short bros plant there,especially lakenby,Redcar and Scunthorpe.For a period of around two years a brand new orange and white Hitachi EX1800? Face shovel just sat in their yard next door to joint.it never moved.must have been over a million pounds worth back then?
Regards Andrew.
I knew Des very well what was shorts is now Harsco ,Shorts had four 1800,s and one 3600 all gone now except for the 3600 which I believe is in K and J yard in Rhymney Graham Hillman would know this We have recently lost the slab contract to Runtech but still have the pot carriers they are big old girls mind you . Ian .
Hello Ian (Curly Bills boy) ,Shorts cant have much left now, I know the coke contract has gone, which I ran on for a few years, and also working with Andrew Whitefoot on PC4. I am surprised they`ve lost the slabs as well.
Best Wishes
Mike Cockel
Bookworm:
Hello Ian (Curly Bills boy) ,Shorts cant have much left now, I know the coke contract has gone, which I ran on for a few years, and also working with Andrew Whitefoot on PC4. I am surprised they`ve lost the slabs as well.
Best Wishes
Mike Cockel
Hello Mike Footer has now transferred to Lloyd - Walters but still on the small Kress they went over with the contract we only have pot carriers , slag pit digging ,balling and scrap processing and haulage its a three year contract which is just enough to see me out .
Bookworm:
Hello Ian (Curly Bills boy) ,Shorts cant have much left now, I know the coke contract has gone, which I ran on for a few years, and also working with Andrew Whitefoot on PC4. I am surprised they`ve lost the slabs as well.
Best Wishes
Mike Cockel
hi both,
Mike i am surprised that they’ve lost the slabs,i wasn’t aware Runtech were tendering for that job?So much change and unrest in The Abbey these days,personally i just cannot see the works surviving,long term? I really hope i am wrong…………
regards Andrew.
A liitle quiz question,what’s unusual about this particular, L10 ■■■■■■■ powered JR 301 seddon Atkinson? Raymond’s had dozens of 301’s,though this one was slightly different and the only one that they had,to my knowledge?Vanman99 may well be the first to guess correctly?
Very good answer ian,though not was i was referring to tbh.JR had four double drive Foden’s at the same time as B771 ACY and they had those odd size super singles also.This was the only 301 in JR’s 1980,s fleet of many that had this fairly rare and visible feature.
Regards andrew.
