Wigan Album

A really good reliable British truck, this one powered by the TS 3 engine rather than the Perkins 6-354 version, but both had power in reserve, drove these vehicles lots of times.

I suspect a Foden 8 wheeler at the side of it.

Howard, You are spot on with your description of the photo.
At the time of this photo, the Foden would be 24tons Gross
Vehicle Weight, so when it was unladen it weighed about 8tons, so therefore it could carry 16tons of load, and in
the case of Reeds, that would be 11 or 13 large paper reels.

Ray... May I hazard a guess at each lorry being in the colour Blue?

Hi TD, The lorries of "Reed Corrugated Cases" were most certainly Blue, But the lorries of "Reed Transport" were
green. The Reed Group had many factories throughout the UK,
producing many varied products,usually connected to paper,
and serviced by "Reed Transport" lorries. The factories that
produced cardboard boxes had lorries in their blue livery,
and the distinctive "REED CORRUGATED CASES" product name and
logo. The green lorries were to a certain extent into general haulage, as well as carrying Reed products.
For example, I have delivered 20tons of newsprint reels to
the Liverpool Echo, then gone on to Lever Bros at Port Sunlight and loaded 20 pallets of soap powder for delivery
to the South of England. Regards, Ray.

Thanks Ray for your very good explanation and clarification. Regards TD.

Dougie...I have just put a post on the Reeds Scania picture thread, but it has slipped on to page 2. Regards, Ray.

Ray I remember you well from reeds. I was there from the very start March 59 and left after 26 years service re the Commer 7 toner it was based at Thatcham and bought one of 5 on 29/10 /62 . Now the green fleet was based at Wigan depot from1961 to 1981. The people you can’t remember are Les Gaskell and John/Jackie melling and Bill charnock had two sons working there Gary and Maurice the Cyril is Wilding .Finely for now the Scania110 is another Thatcham based one fl no 755 bought 8/7/74 . If you require any more info let me know .best regards Bill Parr

My thanks to Bill Parr for his information,in particular regarding the "Green Fleet" and the "Blue Fleet, far more
accurate than my postings. Bill has completed the names of
those whose names were incomplete. I had been at Reeds for
about 8 months before I got my own lorry,One of the Charnock
lads decided to leave, so I was allocated his lorry, a Ford
D Series artic, I think the Reg No,was TKE 524H. From memory
I think that the "Double Bottom" trailer outfit was driven
by Bill Parr on its Motorway Trunk journeys. Just recalled
another drivers name...Graham Baldwin, I think more names will return to my brain as time goes on. Regards, Ray Smyth.

Reed trans info
Hi Ray
Many thanks for your kind comments re your vehicle it wasn’t the reg you mention the only TKE reg were given to fleet numbers 956/957/958/959 bought between 1/10/69 and9/10/69 I have all the full reg if you are interested. Re another contributor I fully agree our canteen ranked along side Heinz and Kellogg’s ones and these don’t forget is the MAIN reason that Reed ca e to Wigan in 1959
Best regards
Bil Parr

Sorry Bill, The reason reeds moved from Manchester to Goose green in 1959 was for a bigger site and better road network that would come with the new motorways that would be on the door step in the future, lol do you remember the British Rail three wheeler driven by Sid ---

Hi Dougie
Many thanks for correcting me re Reeds move to Wigan when the the site became vacant and am I glad they did. The only 3wheel scarab scammel British Rail driver was Len McIntyre who later became one of our drivers .Len also played professional rugby for Oldham at the same time
Regards Bill

Bill, don't remember "Len" being on the three wheeler,but I remember him doing a 12 months stint sheeting on the bays for doing something he shouldn't have

Hi Duggie yes Len Mac did (time ) on the bank as did Jack Melling as both have now passed away we wil let sleeping dogs lie . Len used to deliver goods from his job as a transport driver for British Mail and you will remember our Transport Manager at that time was Jim Atkinson along with his assistant manager Tommy Adkins well every time Len deliverd he would pester either of them with (giz us a job ) and in the early 60s they did and the rest is now history
Best regards
Bill

Hi Ray
Graham Baldwin was always part of the blue fleet and became a yard Forman the same job that Les Gaskel and Jimmy Kelly did. You would also remember joe Bolton , Alan roper bill unsworth the list including fitters and
banksmen is well over one hundred I have every one of there names
sadly a lot no longer with us .Keep on trucking Ray
Bill Parr

Graham came up the bowling club one Sunday night to see us about a year ago, I wasn't in so he left £5 behind the bar for me and my brother to have a drink (it's the truth I bet you don't be leave that)

Les always had a few pounds in his top pocket just in case, I remember a Jimmy 1960 time don't remember is last name came from Bryn

Dougie
I don’t think for one minute your story about Graham I well remember him starting for Reeds if memory recalls he came from Hailwoods as did Ted Holland and Jimmy wright among a couple of overs all these drivers I had
underinstruction as a M.otec1 fully trained hgv instructor what we called on the job training. A job I undertook at all Reed depots. I always thought Graham was a keen driver unlike some drivers you will understand just treated as a job . I myself like my brother Ray and his son Steve were
always involved in the haulage game and we loved it
bill parr

It's been nice talking with you, is this the lorry Cyril had is heart attack after being unloaded, if I remember correct he was lifting the sheets so the forklift could get under to pick them up without ripping them

Dougie I’m afraid you’ve got me with the heart attack question as in both photos the Commer and the Scania are both Thatcham based lorries and had Thatcham drivers not Wigan ones . The only Cyril Wigan drivers that come to mind were Bibby and Wilding.We lost Tommy Tinsley at Barnsley due to a tragic accident when he fell from a high load . Our Manager Jim Atkinson also died in his office. Re the mention of piggy backing trailers are you referring to the banking area near to the garage.

Hi. Thanks to Bill and Ray for the history of the Reeds fleet. I remember the vehicles being green and then blue.
My father drove for Reed in the 1960/70's Walter Rushton

My dad worked at Reed Turnhouse, Edinburgh, starting in early 1960’s driving lorries. Can anyone tell me the name of the lorry that he would have been driving at that time please.

I drove at RCC Lydbrook from 1973 to 84 we had d series ford artics in blue but they were contract lorries Edwards transport/William Nuttall then taken over by Renwicks Freight we sometimes delivered to Wigan customers when their machines were serviced and they were,nt producing boxes.

Hi Michael
Re your dad Walter I knew him very well he came to Reed transport in late 60s along with Jimmy Kelly they were both ex coach drivers of Smiths now days Shearings your dad was mainly on the blue fleet and Jimmy who became a yard Forman on the blue fleet also
Regards Bill Parr