I will start this new thread with a transport firm that started sometime in the 1930s.
James Horace Wilkinson, born 1901, started with just 1 lorry,and continued with just 1
until his son John joined the business in 1965 with a new TK Bedford flatbed lorry.
The business became “James Wilkinson & Son”. Johns Dad was always known as Horace.
From the late 1970s, the main source of work was carrying Forklift Trucks, mostly for
Regentruck, part of the then Lansing Bagnall company. 1st picture is an ex Wincanton ERF
coupled to an ex Regentruck Trailer. Regards, Ray Smyth.
I can recall admiring motors from Wigan owned br The Carrington Coach and Haulage Company . I lived in central Scotland near to a large NCB central stores and their motors delivered mining machinery almost every day , they ran a very well maintained fleet .
Hi Shugg, Thank you for your comments. Clarington lorries were seen very often carrying “Pit Props/Roof Supports”
from Gullick Mining Macinery at Ince, to collieries throughout the United Kingdom. This picture is from Ron Hunt.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
This Bedford KM, DBA 791L, was bought by me in 1979, ex Hadfields, Ashton Under Lyne.
It was 22tons GVW, weighed just under 7tons. My main source of work at that time,and
for the next 18 years was deliveries of bagged flour from Rank Hovis, mostly handball.
The 16Ton GVW Ford 1614 D Series, COA 605V was acquired in 1985 for the Rank Hovis work.
This Ford 1614 D Series, KUE 293P belonged to John Wilkinson of James Wilkinson & Son, Wigan.
It had a “Brimec” Tilt & Slide body, for the carriage of Fork Lift trucks and Sideloaders.
It is seen here at Leeds Street depot,Wigan, in 1988. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Lawrence Dunbar:
IIRC, There was a firm called Midway Transport in Wigan did a bit sugar haulage, This was the 50/60s Era, Regards Larry.
Hello Lawrence, Midway Transport were based at Golborne, about 4 miles south of Wigan.
I believe they were owned by, or connected to Hills of Cardiff. They did a lot of work for
H.J.Heinz. This AEC 8 wheeler is seen passing through the Market Place in Wigan, en route
from the old Heinz factory at Standish to the “New” factory at Kitt Green, Regards, Ray.
B.R.S., British Road Services had a depot at Kitt Green, Wigan, directly opposite the Heinz factory.
A fair amount of their work came from Heinz, but they did General Haulage as well. I recall in the
1960s, they had many Bristol artic units, operating with 30ft tri-axle flat trailers with single wheels.
One of the regular duties performed by the Bristols was a night changeover at Dordon on the A5
between Tamworth and Atherstone. The Southbound load was 20 tons of Heinz goods for Heinz
at Harlesden, London,NW10, the Northbound load was sometimes 20 ton of Heinz for Kitt Green.
The night changeover was with drivers from BRS Tuffnell Park in London.
BRS at Kitt Green was, if my memory is still working, code CG. So far,I have not seen any BRS lorries
from Kitt Green on Trucknet, I reckon some Trucknet members will let me know if there are any.
This Foden 8271 KD belonged to Owner Driver,and long time friend of mine, Ron Smith (RIP)
The photo recently appeared on Bubblemans Scrapbook Memories thread, but I thought that
it is worthy of posting it on here. Regards, Ray Smyth.
McMullan Transport from Ballymoney, Co Antrim had a depot at Forton Road, Wigan.
I occupied 2000 sq ft of the building from 2004 until 2009. On the left in picture 2 is
Ged, stood near my doorway, he drove a 6 wheeler lorry for McMullan Transport.
Picture 3 is my 2 Mercedes-Benz 1820s in the front yard. Regards, Ray Smyth.
I know that the title of this thread is “Wigan Transport Companies”, but I think it is OK to put on
pictures of companies not from here in Wigan, but who had depots “Large & Small” in the Wigan area.
Reed Transport, and Reed Corrugated Cases, had a large factory on the A49, Warrington Road, just
500 yards/metres from Junction 25 M6. Several of these Scania 110 artic units were based at Reeds
in Wigan, and they were on regular night trunk changeover, Wigan to Newport Pagnell M1 and back.
The drivers didn’t have to swap trailers, the Wigan drivers exchanged ignition keys with the drivers
from Maidstone, and vice versa. Thanks to DEANB for the Paul C Gee pictures. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Ray Smyth:
B.R.S., British Road Services had a depot at Kitt Green, Wigan, directly opposite the Heinz factory.
A fair amount of their work came from Heinz, but they did General Haulage as well. I recall in the
1960s, they had many Bristol artic units, operating with 30ft tri-axle flat trailers with single wheels.
One of the regular duties performed by the Bristols was a night changeover at Dordon on the A5
between Tamworth and Atherstone. The Southbound load was 20 tons of Heinz goods for Heinz
at Harlesden, London,NW10, the Northbound load was sometimes 20 ton of Heinz for Kitt Green.
The night changeover was with drivers from BRS Tuffnell Park in London.
BRS at Kitt Green was, if my memory is still working, code CG. So far,I have not seen any BRS lorries
from Kitt Green on Trucknet, I reckon some Trucknet members will let me know if there are any.
Hi all
the transport companys from Wigan area i remember or have heard tales about them
Frank Harrison Hindley.
L N Longmate Hindley Green
Mick Kisluk Hindley
Todds plant hire Wigan
Severn Stars Haulage Wigan [ part of ridings sawmill ]
C M wade demolition
Barry Greenall Commercials [ recovery ]
Armstrongs Wigan
LWT Contractors Wigan
JWT waste Atherton
J FISHER & SONS Atherton
Billy Ryder Ashton
A B Little Ashton
Vince Brown Wigan
Hill Brothers Wigan
M Turner & Sons Wigan
S A Gaskell Ashton
Vincents Wigan
B J Skip hire aspull
H & G Transport Wigan
I will try to get some photos of above named companies and post them on here.
A few more
More & Leigh Lowton
Tommy Horrocks Lowton
C Broome Leigh
Stafford Low loader hire Leigh
Manfast Wigan
M Neild tippers Wigan
Andrew Littler Bryn
Hi Glynn77, Welcome to Trucknet. Thank you for your posts, I am familiar with most of the company names
that you have mentioned. I was towed back to Wigan by Barry Greenall at “Warp” speed from from the M55
near the Fleetwood Junction, and I knew Vince Brown quite well, I recall that I subbed a couple of loads to
Vince, probably to Clydebank, when I was “Over the top busy”. I have just remembered Ian Mather (RIP),
Ian did a few driving jobs for me about 2008, delivering “Counter Terrorism” equipment in one of my
Mercedes-Benz vans to the Military and the Police at Winterbourne Gunner and Porton Down. Hope you find
some pictures, and post them on here. There is a thread on “Old Time Lorries” that covers Hauliers in
Ashton In Makerfield, and thereabouts, started by Senior Trucknet member, Eddie Heaton.
Kind Regards, Ray Smyth.
Eddie Heaton has informed me that John West started the “Ashton In Makerfield” thread, not Eddie as mentioned above,
so its apologies to John, but also thanks to Eddie for his input to many threads on Trucknet. Regards, Ray Smyth.
This is a 13ton GVW Ford D series lorry that I bought from Rank Hovis in 1980.
Despite being an accredited carrier for Rank Hovis, they insisted on removing
all names and logos when they sold a lorry,even though this lorry would carry
their product for the next 5 years. GYF 628N is seen here in the the yard of
Robert Baillie Transport, Worthington Way, Wigan, waiting for me to give it a
coat of paint. It is parked on the exact spot where the car wash is now at
Sainsbury`s store. The second picture shows it on the right, alongside Ford D1311
HHX 310N, after I had brush painted both vehicles. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Hi Ray, just a minor point if it isn’t being pedantic, although I’ve submitted odds and sods to the A in M thread, John West is the man actually responsible for launching the thread.
With that said, and since Vince Brown’s name has been mentioned, I worked alongside Vinny at Pennington Haulage for a spell, before he set up on his own carting out of Gridweld. I also did the odd load for the late John Littler, Andrew’s brother.
You may remember Freddy Brown, of Highfield Haulage fame, his premises were on Foundry lane, Highfield. He also drove for ■■■■ Pennington back in the mid 70’s, before going it alone.
I’ve hesitated to submit any photographs to this thread, as, incredible as it may seem, I don’t appear to have any, or none of Wigan hauliers anyway, most of my photos being Ashton related, but among the names suggested by Glynn, I could provide hitherto unseen shots of Gaskell’s, Greenall’s and Pennington’s motors by the bucketful. But then, they wouldn’t strictly speaking be Wigan hauliers would they?
Finally, and I realise it’s a bit of a long shot, but I was wondering if the previous poster, Glynn, could possibly be Glynn Jones from Stubshaw? Probably not most likely, just curious that’s all.
