Robert Baillie Transport from Horndean and Portsmouth had a very busy depot in Wigan
from 1965 until 1985. Their main source of traffic was fresh produce from Guernsey,
Brittany, Jamaica, and Windward Islands. This ERF artic is loaded with bananas from
Jamaica, en route to the ripening rooms beneath Piccadilly Railway Station in Manchester.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
White Star Carriers was started by a Mr Harry Pilkington of Westhoughton, near Bolton.
After Mr Harry Pilkington passed on, his sons, Arthur and Dennis took over the running
of the the business. They bought Days Transport of Bolton, purely for obtaining
the licences, and in 1964, they bought Diamond Transport of Manchester, and also
Fred Howarth of Westhoughton. The company had now become a major player
in the field of Parcel Carriers, and were now in larger premises at Cale Lane,Wigan,
and were linked with some of the larger nationwide parcel carriers, e.g. Atlas Express.
I am grateful to a former “White Star” driver for the information and the picture.
Ray Smyth.
Ray Smyth:
Robert Baillie Transport from Horndean and Portsmouth had a very busy depot in Wigan
from 1965 until 1985. Their main source of traffic was fresh produce from Guernsey,
Brittany, Jamaica, and Windward Islands. This ERF artic is loaded with bananas from
Jamaica, en route to the ripening rooms beneath Piccadilly Railway Station in Manchester.Regards, Ray Smyth.
Is my memory correct Ray , I seem to recall when delivering to Westhoughton depot in the 90s there was a banana ripening place on the opposite side of the yard . Always a skip full of waste bananas by the door . Dave
rigsby:
Ray Smyth:
Robert Baillie Transport from Horndean and Portsmouth had a very busy depot in Wigan
from 1965 until 1985. Their main source of traffic was fresh produce from Guernsey,
Brittany, Jamaica, and Windward Islands. This ERF artic is loaded with bananas from
Jamaica, en route to the ripening rooms beneath Piccadilly Railway Station in Manchester.Regards, Ray Smyth.
Is my memory correct Ray , I seem to recall when delivering to Westhoughton depot in the 90s there was a banana ripening place on the opposite side of the yard . Always a skip full of waste bananas by the door . Dave
Yes Dave, There was and possibly still is a Banana Ripening operation at Westhoughton. The ripening rooms underneath Piccadilly
Railway Station in Manchester were down a curved arched tunnel on London Road, which after about 120 ft, opened out into the
unloading area. There were a few dim lights in the roof of the tunnel, but all that they did was shine down on to the top of the 30ft
banana container. No reversing lights in those days, so you had to switch on the sidelights, and also switch on the nearside indicators
to give yourself a clue as to where the back end of your trailer was. After handballing the bananas off, you were given a couple of
large bunches of bananas for home. Happy Times Eh ? Regards, Ray.
L & J Wilcock TK Bedford on Chapel Lane, Wigan, on its way to the Wholesale Fruit & Vegetable Market
at Worthington Way, near to junction 25, M6, June 1995. The M.F.I. building in the background occupies the site
of what was Robert Baillie depot from mid 1960s until the mid 1970s. I am grateful to Tom Sutch and
Paul for the picture. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Ray, A T.Armstrong Scania 111. I believe that Armstrongs had a yard in Wigan ! 
Thank you to Dean for the T.Armstrong Scania picture. R.G.Brown Pipelines were
a major supplier of “Hot Finished Seamless” carbon steel Linepipe, delivering to
Shipbuilders, Petrochemical Plants, and many steel fabrication sites in the U.K.
Their warehouse was at Lockett Road, Bryn, near Wigan, not far from Junction 25, M6.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
Another couple of motors from Wilcock’s fleet of seven vehicles.
Ray Smyth, I have to correct you about the BRS Heinz interfactory run which after the 1964 C&U changes were run using 32 foot tri-axle Boden trailers with a 22t payload with the change over being at Rowley Road Depot nr. Coventry with Kitt Green running AEC mandators and Hampstead Depot (CJ), London, running Guy Big J’s with 220 ■■■■■■■ and Mandators. Tuffnel Park dealt with North East and Scottish traffic. There were 6 load each way per day, 6 days a week and 6 loads each way per night, 6 nights a week, I was at Hampstead Depot and have done this change over many times…Tony.
Hi, Eddie , Did TREVOR HAVE anything to do with TRANSAM TRUCKING ?CHEERS BARRY
Hiya Barry, I didn’t really come into contact with Trevor Rac much after he parted company with Bill. All I know is he set up as Truckmart, selling used wagons, somewhere on Poolstock lane in Wigan. I’m not sure exactly where, although Ray might know. At some point, again I’m not certain exactly when, he obtained a contract with Sharp’s, the people that made TV s and stuff, and moved onto premises at Dobson Park on Manchester road at Higher Ince.
He seemed to do quite well out of Sharp’s, and a few years later, he moved into the old Dunlop factory up by the side of the M58 at Skelmersdale. In fact, I think he bought the place outright. He changed the name of his company to Trans Freight Europa. Maybe this is what you’re thinking of. He was still doing the Sharp’s job, as well as warehousing other people’s stuff and he had quite an impressive fleet by this time. Mostly Mercs and Scanias if memory serves.
When he threw in the towel about 20 years ago, he rented the premises out to a Scottish haulage company who’s name I can’t recall at the moment. The premises are currently occupied by SMT, Standish Metal Treatment, who shotblast and paint structural steel, although I’m not sure who owns the site now, as I heard from Alan that Trevor had sold his house and his business interests in this area a couple of years ago.
He was living in the IOM for quite some time I believe, and he also has a property near Carcassonne evidently, but the last I heard, he was spending a lot of time in Florida. That’s pretty much all I can tell you I’m afraid Barry, and some of that information may quite well be out of date. But to be honest, I don’t think even Alan is bang up to date with what Trevor’s up to. But you’ve just reminded me Barry, I once borrowed a wagon from him to go up to Perth, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got a photo of it somewhere, I’ll have to have a look for it. All the best for now mate.
Regards. Eddie.
I remember Trever Ratcliffe when he was running TFE At Skem. He had a few businesses on Pimbo - TFE were on Potter Place, where he also had the wagon & trailer sales company. There was also a small computer firm there which he was briefly involved with, which a bloke I knew ran for him. In Peel House (just across the way on Peel Road) he also had a tacho analysis & management firm on the top floor.
All the company cars at Trans Freight Europa were white Mercedes 190s, and they had registration numbers from A1TFE up to (around) A20TFE. Trevor had a green Merc estate which wore TR1717 as the registration number. The fleet at that time, which would’ve been around 1993, was almost all Foden. Jumping forward several years, didn’t John Miller have that yard and warehouses?
Suttons Tony:
Ray Smyth, I have to correct you about the BRS Heinz interfactory run which after the 1964 C&U changes were run using 32 foot tri-axle Boden trailers with a 22t payload with the change over being at Rowley Road Depot nr. Coventry with Kitt Green running AEC mandators and Hampstead Depot (CJ), London, running Guy Big J’s with 220 ■■■■■■■ and Mandators. Tuffnel Park dealt with North East and Scottish traffic. There were 6 load each way per day, 6 days a week and 6 loads each way per night, 6 nights a week, I was at Hampstead Depot and have done this change over many times…Tony.
Hi Tony, Thank you for your comments regarding BRS Kitt Green/Heinz and their Night Trunk activities. The information that I posted was told
to me more than 40 years ago by an elderly ex BRS Kitt Green driver, so I quoted it on this thread in good faith. At the moment I am trawling
through the “British Road Services” thread on here, and I am up to about page 40…long way to go yet. Are you aware of any BRS Kitt Green
lorry pictures in the pages that I have not yet viewed ?. Kind Regards, and Best Wishes For Christmas, Ray.
Feliz Navadad y Prospero Ano Nuevo !!!
We borrowed one of TFE’s units to drag his stuff up there. To be fair, the motor wasn’t exactly the pride of the fleet, but one doesn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, does one?
The shots were taken on Liverpool road Ashton in Makerfield, close to junction 24 of the M6 and the Sharp’s sign can be seen in the windscreen of the Merc. You’ll no doubt recognise Mark in one of the shots Barry.
Thanks for your comments Marky, I think you’re right about Miller’s, I’d forgotten their name, I only remembered that it was a Scottish company. You could be right about the Fodens as well, although it’s the Mercs that remain prominent in my memory.
The trailer sales place that Trevor had going was run by a chap called Charlie I seem to recall, his speciality was tank trailers I believe. I can’t remember the details, but I believe the poor bloke died in tragic circumstances. You may have come across a chap by the name of Granville as well Marky. Granville had a slight speech impediment and was a good friend of Trevor’s and was usually involved in pretty much everything that Trevor did.
2 More pictures of R.G.Brown Pipelines Ltd. Pictures courtesy of Dean and Paul.
Its been a great year here on Trucknet, My thanks to you all, Happy Christmas.
Ray Smyth.
This AEC, despite having a FG Depot code, looks like it belongs to BRS Kitt Green, Wigan.
The stencilled words on the back of the cab reads “Prescott Lane, Kitt Green, Wigan”.
Perhaps it had been recently transferred to Kitt Green from another depot.
Against the trailer headboard are 3 Steel “Goalposts” for the loading of Steel Tubes, RSJs,
Square Section, and Solid Bar, a lot of which in the late 1960s and early 1970s arrived by rail in
Wigan for onward transport to John England Tubes at Higher Ince, and R.G.Brown Pipelines
at Bryn. Some of R.G.Browns lorries have appeared recently on this thread. I would like to
see a list of BRS Depot Codes if any Trucknet Member has one. Photo courtesy of Eddie Heaton.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
This Seddon artic has Depot Code CG on the cab side, which is Kitt Green Depot, Wigan.
Picture is courtesy of Eddie Heaton.
Robert Baillie Transport depot at Wigan was built new for the company about 1976.
This picture was taken in 1980. Sainsbury`s and McDonalds now occupy the site.
My KM Bedford 6 Wheeler is lurking at the left side of the building. Ray Smyth.
I bought this Mercedes Benz 1820 in year 2000, and during the next 10 years it clocked up over 500,000 miles.
It is seen here parked up at Berwick Upon Tweed, en route from Dundee to Berghaus Ltd at Jarrow. Ray Smyth.
Ray Smyth:
This AEC, despite having a FG Depot code, looks like it belongs to BRS Kitt Green, Wigan.
The stencilled words on the back of the cab reads “Prescott Lane, Kitt Green, Wigan”.
Perhaps it had been recently transferred to Kitt Green from another depot.
Against the trailer headboard are 3 Steel “Goalposts” for the loading of Steel Tubes, RSJs,
Square Section, and Solid Bar, a lot of which in the late 1960s and early 1970s arrived by rail in
Wigan for onward transport to John England Tubes at Higher Ince, and R.G.Brown Pipelines
at Bryn. Some of R.G.Browns lorries have appeared recently on this thread. I would like to
see a list of BRS Depot Codes if any Trucknet Member has one. Photo courtesy of Eddie Heaton.Regards, Ray Smyth.
The FG Depot code is Northampton, Thank you to Chris Webb for the information. Regards, Ray Smyth.
