bradfordlad9999:
Dieseldogsix:
Someone mentioned RK Crisp’s Big J’s, here,s one, not sure who’s photo maybe one of Ash’sthis got the 8lxb init
I think your right Sammy O, as far as I can remember all Crisp Big J’s had ■■■■■■■ engines.
Puppy:
relluf:
Lonewolf Yorks:
I remember a coloured guy from wolverhampton who also worked for Peter Winterscheid. Can’t for the life of me remember his name though…
I also remember a black guy on the continental run, big fella, used to eat like a horse at Billy’s (Lapalme). I can’t remember his name neither but I’m pretty sure he was from Bradford.
You will be thinking of Earl,he used to do Spain.He used to work for for Ken Taylor out of Huddersfield.Bought his own Renault Magnum and the last I saw him he had an FH500 globey.The guy from Wolverhampton was Neville,the firm he worked for in Wolves went bust and he moved on to other companies.
I remember Earl, used to bump into each other all the time in the TIR Zona Franca, we had a weekend at Billys once, and I went in the following week to hear of a huge bust up involving Earl a big german driver and something to do with Billys young daughter… Dont think the German was fit for much after it all neither was his truck that was badly trashed by other drivers…
Also his mate from the East of London who like me used to pull for LEP International, young lad always well dressed can’t remember his name, had a bad accident hitting a balcony in a small town in Spain that crushed the cab as I remember, spent some time in hospital…Anybody throw some light on any of it??
Pete
Hi Puppy,do you remember a huge Scottish guy called Frank.He used to work with Earl in Dundee.They didn’t like each other but respected each other.If it had kicked off there wouldn’t have been much left standing.I didn’t know the LEP driver cos I always tried to avoid Spain.
Saviem:
OssieD:
Anyone remember the French company who built their own bonneted wagons using a Scania engine and drive chain? Used to see them a lot pulling their own tankers, and any pictures?Ossie
Evening all, would anybody mind if I shared a few personal recollections of the late Antoine Loheac, (1904-2006), and his company, Societe d
exploitation A Loheac, and his self built vehicles whose collective name was "Tonton". Why Tonton, (Uncle)? The storey began in the early 30s, when Antoine Loheac purchased premises in Grand Couronne, near to Rouen, and opened a restauraunt, which became popular with lorry drivers, as well as local people, and flourished. This Antoine was to tell me generated his interest in road transport. Following the end of WW11 Antoine, along with many others began to buy and sell equipment left behind by the Allies. He generated funds from the sale of tyres that enabled him to buy a number of surplus American M426 tractor units, these could have been built by Marmon Harrington,International, Kenworth, or any number of others. Petrol engined, Antoine re engined with MAN diesels, ex the Dutch army, but his client did not pay for the vehicles after the work was done, so Transports A Loheac was born! Initial traffic was coal, and stone as there was much industrial activity in rebuilding along the Seine. Traffic, and the fleet increased, so more ex US tractors were purchased, and converted, now to the more advanced Somua Diesel of 120hp. Antoine worked on the conversions himself, often in the company of his Niece, whose constant requests to "Tonton" (her uncle), resulted in the name of his vehicles. Antoine explained the parameters that he worked to, A tare weight , fully fueled and equiped, no greater than 6tonnes,Safety, good stability, steering, brakes, Maximum reliability, a vehicle not working is not earning, Profitability, maximum useage, minimum acquisition cost, minimum cost of operation. Early Tontons were equiped with a cab constructed from flat aluminium panels which gave them a very utilitarian appearance. some were 4x4s on Brockway chassis, one of which I used to see regularly in Ferblatils Steelwork in Belgium in the late 70s, when it must have been approaching 35years old. The Somua diesels were superceeded by Berliet 150hp 6s, then the 190hp GLRE, with "magic" injection, (the MAN design adopted by Berliet, as opposed to the Saurer injection favoured by Unic). 1968 saw the move to fibreglass as a form of cab construction, and the first Tonton semi forward control, and perhaps the best recognised. By this time the transporting of "dangerous" goods was the main activity of Loheac, serving the many oil refineries and chemical works along the Seine. The Tonton was specifically designed for Tanker or Tipper work, long wheelbase for stability, armoured electrical wiring, copper brake pipework, tilting bonnet giving access to the radiator and ancillaries, Fixed cab, only a drivers seat,power by Berliet, or Deutz, and a ready to go weight 5.7tonnes, with a GTW of 35tonnes. At this time Loheac were also building their own Tank Trailers for both chemicals, and petroleum products, but buying propriety ones for Gas transport. Whenthe French weight limit went up to 38tonnes in 1972, a typical Tonton would have Berliet, or 210hp DAF power! Eaton 9509 gearbox, and Eaton back end, but the front axle beam and frame would still be 1940s US M426. Antoine , at one very agreeable lunchtime meeting explained that he was always evaluating "new", and perhaps higher powered options, amongst which Scania, Volvo, Henschel, and MAN, had figured, as had Rolls Royce, particularly as the SM340 Saviem fitted with a Rolls Eagle at 320hp, had been such a sensation at Loheacs great competitor, and my client, ONATRAs Pont du Tancarville operation. However Rolls depended heavily on Leyland for market share in France, and had little support outside of that marques network. He had once asked AEC for an engine to evaluate, he received a Leyland 680! oh dear! The Tonton evolved, cab over versions were produced both in day and sleeper form, and the traditional Tonton profile became more handsome, the main difference being a shorter bonnet. Power units became DAF 8litre, and the 320 Scania, not big power as brookie pointed out, but the aim was profitability, and safety, reliability. By the late 70s Loheac had operations based at Grande Couronne, (Rouen), Lyon, Paris, and in Belgium, and operated around 500 (recyclable) Tontons. For some time there had been great consternation in Paris, and also Blainville, that this large operator/constructor right on Renaults doorstep, was not building vehicles with Renault power. Our Chairman Francoise Zanotti, (and all the Royal family in attendance) descended on Lohecs office in Grand Couronne, (incidentally Antoines personal office was in the original Cafe Restraunt where he started out in 1934). As all major meetings in French industry are centred around lunch, then this meeting in 1979, was no exception, and following a grand repast the speeches began. At the time, sitting far from the top table, I was impressed by Zanottis phrase describing Society Loheac as, " Frances second lorry manufacturer", history now proves that Loheac was Frances "last independent lorry manufacturer manufacturer", Unic being part of Iveco, and Renault finally succuming to Volvo. During the 80s Tontons appeared with Renault engines, then cycle parts, and finally becoming Tonton cabbed, (and a very handsome forward control one at that), G260, and G320 Renaults. I have ignored the 6x4, and 6x6 vehicles, based on Brockway, and Renault components, mainly tipper or mixer chassis, and some of the other Tonton tractor units that were utilised in other Loheac operations, but all shared the same creative design, and ability to be recycled! Antoines sons Daniel, and Jean Claude became key players in the business, Daniel formulating the creation of Societe Group Gael, in1989, (Mormont, Lyon, Orleans) 1991 The holding group Gail, 1992 relocation to Isle de France, (Paris East, Marmont,Paris south, Melun, and following his fathers death in 2006 taking over the Loheac, Gael Group. 2008 the Group activity was split into two activities, S.T.E.R.N. Tanker operations, and A.C.L.A. Container transport, by skillfull management of a most profitable group, proving that he , as his late father, is a creative and good business man. I am now long away from lorries, and the rigours around them , but I have very warm and happy memories of many most cordial , and illuminating meetings with the modest, tall, bespectacled Antoine Loheac, Frances second lorry manufacturer. Cheerio for now.
Hello Saviem,thank you for a fascinating and illuminating post.I used to see the Loheac trucks regularly on the RN between St Dizier and Reims and never knew what they were.A very ingenious man Antoine.
'Orrible looking things!
Got to agree with you there Harry! by no stretch of the imagination could they be termed good looking.
Evening all, yes the Tontons were a , well ugly! but it was a case where form, and purpose dictated the look. They were outstandingly simple both in terms of construction, and it naturally followed that they were simple, (and quick), to work on. Antoines later cab overs were “easier on the eye”, and the last ones, (arguably Loheac cabbed Renaults, although they had Twin splitters, and some had SAMT boxes), quite handsome. To drive, for I have been fortunate enough to drive a laden Tonton, one Berliet powered, one DAF, both Eaton 9509A, surprisingly comfortable, and manouverable, but even by the standards of the day, not “barn stormers”, but they were not intended to be! Overall, yes, you could do a hard day in one, and not feel knackered at the end! They were both surprisingly quiet as well. Overall, a bit like a simplified B series ERF, So really quite some machine! Hard day today, I am getting a bit old to do fencing and gates, (or so my various protesting bits tell me), so, shower, Poulet roti, and a little light Bollinger me thinks! Cheerio for now.
hello Brookie, here’s one more
on the way to Spitalfields, new covent garden and western market with fruit and veg groupage
dcal:
hello Brookie, here’s one more0on the way to Spitalfields, new covent garden and western market with fruit and veg groupage
& that would be Dover?
on a sunny afternoon
jessicas dad:
cheers ash
a big thank you
im really pleased thank you very much.
this is my dads truck and the one i travel over most of europe by the time i was 6. then one day my dad called the yard and was told " come back to leeds job’s over "
thank you very much im well chuffed.
i do owe a good drink.
I went all over Europe in YWR 261S, a Mercedes 1626 bought new from Cox’s of Leeds. The salesman who sold it to us was Martin Moss, soon to form with his wife Sandra. They had one of our old 1418 Mercs as a shunter in their yard at Normanton, GKH 484N
Fat Lad Noddy:
jessicas dad:
cheers ash
a big thank you
im really pleased thank you very much.
this is my dads truck and the one i travel over most of europe by the time i was 6. then one day my dad called the yard and was told " come back to leeds job’s over "
thank you very much im well chuffed.
i do owe a good drink.
I went all over Europe in YWR 261S, a Mercedes 1626 bought new from Cox’s of Leeds. The salesman who sold it to us was Martin Moss, soon to form Sanmar with his wife Sandra. They had one of our old 1418 Mercs as a shunter in their yard at Normanton, GKH 484N
Pop Larkin:
Nice pics, Ash.
Apart from one trip (5 weeks) for Loctite, which was a cracking trip, my time was spent with Cave Wood from 1979 to when they introduced fines for importing folk not on CMR. The job was trashed when they took away customs.
Hi Pop. I was the first owner driver on Cave Wood when they was in Chesham, then Hughie Jaimeson joined us with his new Yellow and Mauve Volvo 86, I had a Mercedes 1418 bullnose at the time. I used to live in High Wycombe. George Boon was my best mate when I worked for V.M. Transport before Cave Wood bought them out.
Suedehead:
MOC:
Lonewolf Yorks:
There was a very similar Transcon abandoned in Calais around that time (89) it had ‘The shed’ hand painted on it.
Aye I didn’t drive it for very long after that and the next time I saw it in either Dover or Calais it was yellow. I’ve heard before that it was dumped in both Calais and Turkey. Poor old wagon.
Much more recently I finally discovered what happened to her cos someone put me onto the guy that built her and I went down to Sandwich and met him last year.
I also have some photos of her in a blue livery.
I did come accross this pic in the blue livery
OO er steady driver.
that is tommy dodds old transcon aint it
jj72:
fly sheet:
I carn’t remember the name of that lot, they where from Kent & I remember John Dowdall subbed his Greek loads for them & pulled one of them brown steps, on the tip of my tongue Gilman Gilbert something like. I remember them doing shoes from Italy a lot too, someone will put me out of my misery soon…gillmans come from ashford in the old goods yard they were allways getting nicked with the belly tanks in france they used to do a lot of waist paper out for newgate forwarding then groupage back
Maybe Rod Gilman? Mel Stephens off Croomes worked for him for a while after falling out with Mr Croome - got a ropey old wagon and drag doing Italy, bit of a Stetson n’ Spurs outfit by all accounts
jj72:
fly sheet:
I carn’t remember the name of that lot, they where from Kent & I remember John Dowdall subbed his Greek loads for them & pulled one of them brown steps, on the tip of my tongue Gilman Gilbert something like. I remember them doing shoes from Italy a lot too, someone will put me out of my misery soon…Maybe Rod Gilman? Mel Stephens off Croomes worked for him for a while after falling out with Mr Croome - got a ropey old wagon and drag doing Italy, bit of a Stetson n’ Spurs outfit by all accounts
keith the thief:
Suedehead:
MOC:
Lonewolf Yorks:
There was a very similar Transcon abandoned in Calais around that time (89) it had ‘The shed’ hand painted on it.
Aye I didn’t drive it for very long after that and the next time I saw it in either Dover or Calais it was yellow. I’ve heard before that it was dumped in both Calais and Turkey. Poor old wagon.
Much more recently I finally discovered what happened to her cos someone put me onto the guy that built her and I went down to Sandwich and met him last year.
I also have some photos of her in a blue livery.
I did come accross this pic in the blue livery
OO er steady driver.
that is tommy dodds old transcon aint it
Same truck in Black ,cant be two like that.
Excellent thread and a lot of stuff being said that many of us will agree with, yes this definetly was the best era to have been driving trucks as there was a lot of continental work still being done by uk hauliers including the firm I worked for at the time, and we had the benefit of having some great trucks to work on like the scania’s, merc sk’s, daf 28’s etc,and more than anything there wasn’t all these million and one rules, laws and regs that are drowning everything now, I wouldn’t mind if there was some point to it all other than to keep some office bods and yellow coat hangers somewhere in cushy jobs, the generation before us where the real heroes though doing the middle east etc in old atki’s and erf’s and the like.
I feel quite sorry for the youngsters coming up now wanting to be drivers, they’ll never get the chance to experience the crack that we did and the culture that existed in the job during that era, I count myself lucky to have experienced it, it was hard work but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, they were great times.
I’ve come off the trucks in the last few months after 26 years, driving a van for the nhs now, boring as hell but at least I don’t have to put up with digi card, dcpc, trackers, speed limiters, bloody ugly plastic euro truck with no gear lever that wants to drive itself,and snotty letters from management because one of their buy one get one free eastern european drivers has done a woopsy again, they’re welcomed to it, I was born to be a lorry driver not a steering wheel attendant.
Keep the stories and pics comming.
A couple more pics of Dover.
MOC:
A couple more pics of Dover.
Great Pics it brings so much back spending time in the School hols going all over Europe with my Dad , as well most bosses didn,t have a problem with you being with your dad no health & safety Insurance etc etc. Just went with him helped if you could when you got to unload always remember unloading Onions in Dublin and the guy asking does the kid want to earn some money, dad says of course he does get in the back son a give them a lift , did get a fiver for it seamed so much at the time anyone got anymore pics of Dover please
Whether you like Yank metal or not, the sad part is we haven’t for a long time & will never again see wagons like this running on British plates again 
