Truck Shite

[mat777]

On 6/9/2023 at 7:00 PM, warninglight said:

Not the truck but the load...

Spotted heading north past Gretna during the week. 

oooh I do love a VAL!

 

[Crackers]

42 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

Sad news - an era is ending After 40 years Bob Carmichael is officially retiring and the man himself confirmed he's coming off the road at the end of July. The F88 is for sale - no idea how much he wants for it as even he doesn't seem to know what it's worth and is just saying "make me an offer" but he gave the impression it's likely to be a lot.

A familiar sight at the Gaydon shows but leaving for the last time

Three words for whoever buys it: DO NOT PAINT!

This needs an AS group-buy. I'll chuck in the P6 sale proceeds, that should get us part way there!!

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, quicksilver said:

Sad news - an era is ending After 40 years Bob Carmichael is officially retiring and the man himself confirmed he's coming off the road at the end of July. The F88 is for sale - no idea how much he wants for it as even he doesn't seem to know what it's worth and is just saying "make me an offer" but he gave the impression it's likely to be a lot.

A familiar sight at the Gaydon shows but leaving for the last time

Three words for whoever buys it: DO NOT PAINT!

awww sad to see things come to a close, I mean I knew it would happen eventually but its still sad! I do hope it does find a good home who will either preserve it as is, or better yet still keep using it  

 

I am curious now, IIRC this was/is the oldest lorry that was still in regular service right? so I wonder what the next oldest lorry is now!

1 hour ago, Crackers said:

This needs an AS group-buy. I'll chuck in the P6 sale proceeds, that should get us part way there!!

Yes I like this idea @Six-cylinderimagine if you got a suitably vintage car transporter trailer for it too, imagine how many Citroen Visas you could rescue with a quick trip to France! better still if you get it declared manufactured 1972 then you could even bring it into Central London! (commercial Vehicles built before the 1st of Jan 1973 are exempt from the LEZ charge)

(I mean its registered Feb 1973 so as it stands it would not be allowed in, but I have to ask what was the turn around time back then between a Lorry being built and it actually being registered? so I do wonder if it really is from 1972)

[Crackers]

37 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

I am curious now, IIRC this was/is the oldest lorry that was still in regular service right? so I wonder what the next oldest lorry is now!

It depends how you define "regular service" really. A  number of showman vehicles are older than Carmichael's Volvo, for example some of the Carter's Steam Fair fleet:

https://www.carterssteamfair.co.uk/rides/

Also, one of my personal favourites - I'm not sure if it's in revenue earning service or whether it's a private vehicle that's liveried up as a fictious (but convincing) organisation - this Atkinson Borderer which also falls firmly into the "Do Not Paint" category.  A few months newer than the Volvo, but anyway:

(as spotted by @quicksilver) 

[quicksilver]

1 hour ago, Crackers said:

It depends how you define "regular service" really. A  number of showman vehicles are older than Carmichael's Volvo, for example some of the Carter's Steam Fair fleet:

https://www.carterssteamfair.co.uk/rides/

Also, one of my personal favourites - I'm not sure if it's in revenue earning service or whether it's a private vehicle that's liveried up as a fictious (but convincing) organisation - this Atkinson Borderer which also falls firmly into the "Do Not Paint" category.  A few months newer than the Volvo, but anyway:

(as spotted by @quicksilver) 

That Atkinson isn't a licensed HGV so I wouldn't count it. The Steam Transport Group doesn't actually seem to exist and is apparently just one private individual who restores old locos and uses the truck to move them around. Carters Steam Fair aren't travelling any more either. They packed up last season and all their equipment is coming up for auction shortly.

The next oldest fully licensed HGV could be Comfortex's Atkinson OEB 536M. Not quite the same as Bob's F88 as it's a recent restoration and hasn't been in continuous use - it was completed just before lockdown and the owner got fed up of not being able to drive it because all the shows were cancelled so he licensed it and put it to work.

[Crackers]

1 minute ago, quicksilver said:

Carters Steam Fair aren't travelling any more either. They packed up last season and all their equipment is coming up for auction shortly.

Yeah, I went to one of their final days last year. I'd still say those were "working trucks" though - being used by a commercial outfit for their intended purpose. I know their intention is for that to be the collection's future with another owner, so I wouldn't discount them.

[CreepingJesus]

If Les Baston is still working his Sed -Atki 400, that would be in with a shout, surely? A or B reg, if I recall correctly.

[MKT]

WDM have a V suffix Merc that's still in operation, as well as a W and a Y.

A.G. Brown use a Y suffix Bedford as well.

[martc]

Seen in Berlin.

[martc]

[quicksilver]

My favourite from Gaydon. A bit scruffy and the owner said it's never been polished so it has that authentic working truck look. It also has the best name of ever: Guy Invincible sounds like a comic book superhero.

[5speedracer]

Really looks the part for a muck shifter. The wheel step to toehole step and in must have been a real PITA though.

[bigstraight6]

Here it is many years ago when in service with a well known Westcountry showman

[quicksilver]

2 hours ago, bigstraight6 said:

Here it is many years ago when in service with a well known Westcountry showman

It was a mixer originally and also ran on the fairs for Whiteleggs as seen in this great shot fully loaded

Shame it doesn't still have that Serck plate as that's the only thing that could make it better.

[Mac69400]

Bob used to deliver wood to a lad that had a yard behind my workshop. It was always a joy to hear the old thing reverse down the track. He's also got a big 70s American coupe. I don't know what it is, but it looks absolutely shagged.

[quicksilver]

Old ERF taking a steamroller to the Bloxham rally today.

I was so excited by seeing that I almost missed something even rarer with another engine behind it...

It's only a bloody Seddon Atkinson Strato!

[Crackers]

On 21/06/2023 at 13:21, 5speedracer said:

Really looks the part for a muck shifter. The wheel step to toehole step and in must have been a real PITA though.

As must be the tiny door aperture, looks like you have to step down into the cab once you've got a foot on the wheel arch. 

[Cavcraft]

That Volvo should either be bought by someone who'll keep using it, or by a Volvo trucks dealer to put in the showroom and leave as is.

 

 

[quicksilver]

13 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

That Volvo should either be bought by someone who'll keep using it, or by a Volvo trucks dealer to put in the showroom and leave as is.

 

 

Absolutely. Bob said he wants it to go to someone who will preserve it as is so hopefully he'll be vetting potential buyers' intentions carefully. I really hope it doesn't get turned into yet another shiny over-restored show truck as that would be an insult to his dedication to keeping it on the road.

[busmansholiday]

On 12/06/2023 at 15:56, Crackers said:

It depends how you define "regular service" really. A  number of showman vehicles are older than Carmichael's Volvo, for example some of the Carter's Steam Fair fleet:

https://www.carterssteamfair.co.uk/rides/

Also, one of my personal favourites - I'm not sure if it's in revenue earning service or whether it's a private vehicle that's liveried up as a fictious (but convincing) organisation - this Atkinson Borderer which also falls firmly into the "Do Not Paint" category.  A few months newer than the Volvo, but anyway:

(as spotted by @quicksilver) 

That looks like it was one of Ernie's* fleet, right colours, flags etc.

 

*Ernie Thorpe, Thurgoland (between Barnsley and Huddersfield), massive, and I mean massive Atkinson fan. When he eventually couldn't get hold of any more he bought a shit load of ex OpenReach / Post Office DAF 95s.

[MiniMinorMk3]

A Bedford S Type leaving Newport Pagnell in the olden days.

[Cavcraft]

Not as old as the Volvo and not a class 1, but this is still about (working) as have seen it a couple of times on the A55, somewhere near Conway I think recently

 

[Cavcraft]

17 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

That looks like it was one of Ernie's* fleet, right colours, flags etc.

 

*Ernie Thorpe, Thurgoland (between Barnsley and Huddersfield), massive, and I mean massive Atkinson fan. When he eventually couldn't get hold of any more he bought a shit load of ex OpenReach / Post Office DAF 95s.

Did they do steel work? Swear I've been caught behind them going over the Peak District more than once.

[busmansholiday]

2 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Did they do steel work? Swear I've been caught behind them going over the Peak District more than once.

Yes, ran almost all the haulage out of Rotherham and Stockbridge and some out of Scunthorpe.

[catsinthewelder]

I got to sit in the cab of a truck today, who can work out what it is?

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

I got to sit in the cab of a truck today, who can work out what it is?

Some sort of amphibious, like a DUKW?

[catsinthewelder]

17 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Some sort of amphibious, like a DUKW?

No but it was built to deal with H2O.

Have another clue.

(the yellow one)

[quicksilver]

It's one of those weird AWD snow blower things.

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

Austin Loadstar?

[Dyslexic Viking]

That truck is probably similar in construction to this one in that it has its own engine at the back for the snowblower?