Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i Classic & Vintage Commercials

Though we don’t generally include Fairground or Circus lorries in Carrying On because their pattern of use is somewhat different from that of most other working commercial vehicles, that certainly doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate them. Quite the reverse in fact; we know that fairground operators take enormous care of their vehicles, often in less-than-ideal working conditions. What’s more, its often fairground work which makes an old lorry last long enough to pass into preservation. Anyway, over the summer we’ve received quite a few photos of fairground transport, so thought that it would be nice to present a special selection. Especially as, although things are changing, there still seem to be a significant number of Fodens and ERFs at work here.…

Bermuda, an archipelago consisting of over 130 individual islands (many linked together by bridges) is a British Overseas Territory located in the North Atlantic Ocean. Total land area is just 21 miles and the population a little over 70,000. Overall, Bermuda is a mixture of British and American influences. For example, they drive on the left, but since 1970 the currency has been the Bermudan dollar, which is pegged at 1:1 to the US dollar. Prior to that the currency was Bermuda Pounds, Shillings and Pence. There has been gradual metrification, so distances and speed limits are now measured in kilometres. The national speed limit is just 35kph, or roughly 22mph, though it must be said that few people stick to it. A few motor vehicles were imported in the…

My earliest memory of riding in a heavy lorry came during a fly-fishing trip with my father during my school holidays. One of his jobs with the Rover Co of Solihull was calling on dealers to report back on product or customer problems. HQ must have wondered why dealers in mid-Wales, the Lake District, Hampshire and Scotland saw a lot of my father in the trout season! Anyway, there we were near Shap on our way to Scotland when father called in for another of his enthusiasms, a foaming pint of local ale. He overheard a conversation between a farmer and a quarry owner about their respective Land Rover and Rover challenges with a local dealer. My father’s ears pricked up and he promised to investigate the matter. Everyone was…

These days, ‘competition’ within utility supply is the norm, and younger than their mid-50s probably haven’t really experienced anything else. But until the late 1980s, things like gas, electricity, water and even telephones were state owned public utilities. Gas and electricity were supplied by regional gas and electricity boards such as SEGAS (South Eastern Gas Board) and Seeboard (South Eastern Electricity Board) each of which had a monopoly on supply within their area. The South Western Electricity Board (or SWEB) was one of fourteen area electricity boards and supplied all electricity to an area that embaced Cornwall and Devon, most of Somerset including Bristol and part of West Dorset including Bridport and Lyme Regis. At its peak SWEB had 1.227million customers. But like all the Electricity Boards, SWEB didn’t just…

Early Commando literature had referred to the range as the ‘Uni-structural Line-up’. To quote their brochure: “Chrysler planners evolved the uni-structural design. The use of common section structural frames, where practicable, for vehicles of different gross weights 7500-9856 kg: 11380-14733 kg (7.38 to 9.7 tons: 11.2 to 14.5 tons). With interchangeable units of proved reliability. Enabling normal production methods to meet a given specification – precisely! This way the Commando range offers over 500 basic variants! Over 4000 possibilities! All off the production line! Giving the greatest model choice available ...” With any new lorry range most attention tends to be focussed on the cab. Here the Commando scored well in that it certainly upstaged rivals Bedford who could not offer a tilt cab on their TK. Tilt cabs were…

The area around Glasgow has atradition for making commercial vehicles, and the Vale of Leven is just a stone’s throw away from Albion Motors’ old factory at Scotstoun on the banks of the River Clyde. The site of the BMC factoryat Bathgate is also just down the road. Robert Campell, whose family have lived in the area for years, owns Robert Campbell Commercials. The business was originally begun by his father in the 1960s. “My father started the business back in 1964 using the severance pay he got from an engineering job,” Robertexplained. “By coincidence he was working on the same site that our company uses today,although the business has been located at several different depots over the years. He started off dismantling old cars, before moving on to trucks…

The 53rd East Coast Run took to the roads between Hull and Bridlington in mid-June where the vehicles parked up on the cliff top high above the North Sea at the north end of the town. One feature of this event is the number of people who are out in every layby and village to watch the vehicles pass by, and this year was no exception, with the entrants certainly getting the cameras clicking. In all, approaching 100 heavy commercials took part, which is thought to have been the largest contingent yet. And with large numbers of cars also in attendance which were matched by the superb weather, a good day was had by all.…

DVLA-related services including tax disc and driving licence renewal may not be available from post offices from next year, due to an ongoing dispute between DVLA and Post Office Ltd about what is fair remuneration for sub-postmasters who carry out DVLA duties. The most recent contract between the two organisations, under which Post Office Ltd provided “a limited range of DVLA services” expired in May without agreement. A temporary extension until March 31 2024 has been agreed between the two parties, and while negotiations are ongoing, CVC understands that there are still significant differences between the two parties, and no guarantee whatsoever of a successful outcome. According to the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NFSP), Post Office branches carry out around six million DVLA transactions a year, with the fees being…

Our unofficial ‘South Wales Representative’ Ashley Lovering (known locally, we understand, as ‘Ash the Flash’ due, we stress, to him usually having a camera in hand and not for any other reason) tells us that the Celtic Truck Show on July 23 at the Pembrokeshire Show Ground near Haverfordwest attracted several classic lorries alongside the more modern displays. The event, which is also features a model display with remote-control and other vehicles is, apparently, organised by a small team, and Ashley says “the welcome from the organisers is great and I am sure this event is going to grow year on year.”…

We rarely see twin-steer tractors these days but fifty years ago they played a significant role in haulage, one example being this AEC Mammoth Minor of Marley Tiles. They came about as a result of poorly thought out regulations in 1964 in which the new 32 ton artics were restricted to 13m overall length. While 32 tons was allowed on four axles it needed to be on an outer axle spread of 11.6m which was almost impossible to achieve. The answer was to add an axle, one option being the twin-steer. Leading makes included AEC, Atkinson, ERF and Foden. Marley Tiles are also leading suppliers of drainage pipes which form the load on this impressive outfit. Peter J Davies…

Sadly, as we’ve reported already, there is to be no Eastern Counties Norfolk Showground event this year, as the site isn’t available. However, the organisers are determined to press ahead in 2024, and an announcement is expected shortly. Meanwhile, to provide continuity, organisers Gary and Julie Woodrow staged a smaller, invitation-only event at Bressingham Steam Museum near Diss on June 18. We ran a news item on this last month, but as the show included a couple of new restorations and several lorries which aren’t often seen outside East Anglia, we thought readers might like a larger report as well.…