ROADLINE resurrection thread

[Electric Leyland]

Having just lost about 15 mins worth of inane rambling about Roadline lorries (probably a good thing), I'm doing a short recap to myself.

 

The excellent Shite On A Farm thread from bangers & mash made me remember the old Roadline lorries, in fact I was half expecting to see one in there somewhere. For the younger viewers who never got to see the original Roadline thread which was lost in the great board purge, here is my one and only photo of one, taken on the M1 northbound just after the M6 joins it.

 

 

Taken a few years ago, sadly it has deteriorated a lot since.

 

Anyway here's one I just found on Flikr, which looks to be the one Regie Ritmo found for sale in that Classic Commercials mag a few years back, surely the last remaining one in the world...

 

 

 

Mr Bollox found one once too, and someone scanned in an old lorry brochure featuring one. Also a lorry magazine article too. Plus various sightings on the train to Leeds, on a farm near Potters Bar, and in the background on Minder and the end of a Stray Cats video (Runaway Boys I think)...

 

Anyone seen any more around the past couple of years of this rarest of commercial vehicle sightings? If so, you now know where you post your pics.

[Richard]

This is all I've got, from The Sweeney.

 

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Mine's in my bucket somewhere, I can't find the damn thing

[Tayne]

Don't know about Minder, but I mentioned that one in the Sweeney and then someone else (Richard) put the picture up as I lacked the technology.

Unless you already had that screengrab.

 

Trigger's watching all the Minders at the mo so he may jump in.

[andrew e]

HUBBA HUBBA!

 

 

 

I simply selected 1984 on the Deloran/Sao Penza cross and snapped you these, gotta go cos of terrorist's in a VW microbus!

[Electric Leyland]

Wow good replies so far guys.

 

Come on Mr_B, yours was the only other existing real-life spot to date!

[cobblers]

I have very vague memories of these on the road, but remember loads of the backs being used as stables or sheds, seen when I was on trains as a kid.

 

I might have dreamt it, but there was the back of one next to an old cement lorry at a mysterious half abandoned industrial estate somewhere about 6 miles west off the m18 somewhere north of Donny that I went to about 4 years ago, but I've spent hours on google maps to no avail

 

EDIT: Found the place, been flattened

[Anglevan]

There used to be an old box body at a farm on Geldard road coming out of Leeds towards Ikea / Morley.

I used to think must get a picture of that before it disapears sadly a a few months later it went, that was last year sometime. Never seen another anywhere, but do remember from the day...

[Electric Leyland]

Two chances gone begging there. Gone for good. They were all the rage in the corner of fields up and down the land in the 1980s, barely any left now.

 

But wait! Here's another snippet from Flikr, with bonus Chevette estate

 

 

[autohausdolby]

I remember them. Didn't they turn into Lynx?

[Electric Leyland]

  autohausdolby said:

I remember them. Didn't they turn into Lynx?

 

Indeed they did.

[CreepingJesus]

^Indeed, I swear Lynx still had some of the old motors, but painted brown. At least the ones they gave me, 'from the back o the yard'...

I well remember Roadline being heavily involved in Blue Peter's appeals for this an' that. They'd get free advertising and good publicity, for handling tons of whatever shite was being asked for. Lucky them.

Somewhere, in my vast collection of crap, are some old Leyland trucks brochures. If I can dig 'em out, they might well have some Roadline stuff in; especially the Roadrunner launch one.

[gricer]

Before the company was rebranded Roadline, it was BRS Parcels, part of National Freight Corporation. After an MBO it turned into Lynx, late 80s.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

 

[Richard]

  CreepingJesus said:

I well remember Roadline being heavily involved in Blue Peter's appeals for this an' that.

 

That's my only memory of them. That's why I never contributed to an appeal, I had no idea where I'd find a Roadline depot.

[garethj]

  gricer said:

Before the company was rebranded Roadline, it was BRS Parcels, part of National Freight Corporation. After an MBO it turned into Lynx, late 80s.

Nowhere else on the internet would you get information like this

 

But it's slightly disturbing

[Electric Leyland]

Nice one Bollox!

 

(blakey voice) aaww that's made my day that 'as.

[Vin]

There used to be a Roadline trailer in a field, alongside the A50. Past the Toyota factory on the way to Stoke. Was about 10 years ago though.

[Spottedlaurel]

Old Bedford brochures had shots of one or two in them, think I scanned some in and chucked them on here in the olden days. Recent bits I’ve seen:

 

Roadline lorry body by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Roadline lorry body by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

This body is round the back of some garages in Boxford, Suffolk. May not be clear in these photos, but IIRC the sides tapered in.

 

Roadline plastic lorry (1970s?) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Still somewhat mystified as to why I didn’t buy this last year.

[AnthonyG]

Was Roadline a sort of nationalised DHL then?

[Electric Leyland]

Nice find SL, you can just make out a confirming bit of Roadline green at the bottom-middle!

 

Got that model in my Roadline models collection. It's massive but only made mainly out of plastic, but can sport the 7 or 8 smaller models on its back.

 

I dont know why I'm so obsessed with something so utterly mundane.

[Mash]

Bloody hell a fiver! I really hope you are kicking yourself every day SL

[gricer]

>>Was Roadline a sort of nationalised DHL then?<<

 

It was part of a nationalised haulage group called NFC, which included other lost brands such as BRS, National Carriers, Pickfords, Freightliner and Roadway. Sold off under Thatcher - ended up with Exel, Lynx and Allied Pickfords. All now taken over by big parcels giants Lynx is part of UPS; Exel is part of DHL.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I too have previously eyeballed this Roadline at the side of the A50, so it must have been there in the last 4 years, however I drive up the A50 every day nowadays and have not seen it so it must be gone now. I will have a proper look tonight though just in case.

[trigger]

  Tayne said:

Don't know about Minder, but I mentioned that one in the Sweeney and then someone else (Richard) put the picture up as I lacked the technology.

Unless you already had that screengrab.

 

Trigger's watching all the Minders at the mo so he may jump in.

 

I sure am, There was a Roadline truck drive past in one of the earlier episodes, I'll see if i can find it at some point.

[dollywobbler]

I have absolutely no recollection of Roadline at all. I know of BRS purely because somewhere, I've got a Corgi set of BRS vans and I can remember Lynx (had the Corgi toy artic when I was a nipper) but Roadline? Nah. Wonder how my childhood missed that one!

[kinkersaab]

I must be too young to remember roadline? or were they more an english firm? I do however remember seeing old Sunblest van bodies lying in various fields etc ,and think i spotted one the other day, no doubt tayne will confirm soon.....

[Electric Leyland]

  kinkersaab said:

I do however remember seeing old Sunblest van bodies lying in various fields etc ,and think i spotted one the other day, no doubt tayne will confirm soon.....

 

Let's have a look then! Nearly as good as a Roadline, a Sunblest is.

 

That A50 sighting amazes me, I've done that road dozens and dozens of times 1990s-present from Leicester to Stoke and never noticed it. The new Burton bypass, not the old A road with all the cameras (now the A511)? Either way, amazing. Hopefully.

 

Best one of the lot can be viewed from the train (looking west) from London to Leeds, about half way up I think in the Lincs area, before Notts altough I cant really remember. A whole VA Noddy van in green with the Roadline logo fully viewable, yet the thing's been dumped at the side of the road for what looks like decades. Hope to god it's still there, I saw it aobut 2-3 years ago. Must do that train jounry again, as there's also a Renault 16 dumped in a back garden in the South Leeds area also viewable from the train (also looking west).

[Richard]

  kinkersaab said:

I must be too young to remember roadline? or were they more an english firm? I do however remember seeing old Sunblest van bodies lying in various fields etc ,and think i spotted one the other day, no doubt tayne will confirm soon.....

 

There's definitely a Sunblest body somewhere in Aberdeenshire. I've passed it a few times but I can't remember where.

[autohausdolby]

Lynx certainly had a lot of early roadrunners, they used to deliver to the crap clothes shop I worked as a yoof. Disapointingly the paint was never peeling off to reveal that yellow, green and White joy underneath.