Wigan Album
Unsworth coaches
5 Comments
Photo: J. Unsworth
Item #: 27367
Harry was very experienced, and I personally learned a lot from listening to Harry spin his yearns but more importantly his knowledge. No sat nav's in fact I never saw Harry open a map in all the time he worked for Unsworth's He knew his Job, you can learn so much form listening to Experienced people. If this type of training had continued in the industry there would be no need for driver C.P.C training today! (C.P.C is Certificate of professional competence) It seems to designed by people who have NEVER DONE A DAYS WORK behind the wheel of a Coach/Bus or Lorry! Enough rant Harry & many more like him where great teachers best of all they never knew it!
The Bedford VAL was a nice looking motor and no mistake. John, do you remember a driver from Garswood by the name of Ronnie Weston? I don't think he did the coaches, he was on a tipper at Cronton in the late 60's. He could have been on day work internally but I'm not sure. Vinny Roberts was there at the same time driving a loading shovel.
John.Tommy Halsal also drove this Val in 1964 they tested
these Vals on a speed track they put a explosive in the NS
second steer tyre sent it round the track when it was doing
60 M P H they made the tyre blow out the coach kept going
straight ahead if it had been a single axel it would have
gone left or right depending on which tyre had blown not
many know about this but it's true D.C.
Eddie yes I do Remember Ronnie Weston. Last at Central Park in the 80's
Dereck. Thanks for that info. It would have been Bedford or Ministry of Transport that carried out the tyre test. Your recollection is the first I have heard about it, I will ask my brother if he remembers. I DO remember doing plenty brake test with the two Val 14 my father ran. We had brake reline's of to a tee in those days. (nearly has fast as F1 lads today Ha Ha.) There where only 14ins wheels with a 5ins shoes on rear & 3ins shoes on front, so the friction wear was increased because of the reduction in braking area compared with 20ins wheels. Smiths over came the problem by fitting Telmar Electric Retarder to the transmission. Dad was unsure if this was the solution. 1.because of the cost. 2 He was not sure the tranmission would take the strain. They where only a 7 ton GVW axel. He had plenty of experience of these axels failing on the Bedford 'S'type & TK coal trucks. So soon went back to Chassis with 20ins wheels.
John, I don't know why Bedford's made these Vals only thing
I can think of is they would go straight if a front tyre blew out,they burned brake linings off,they also scrubbed
tyres off king pins every 2 years the hand brake was a
transmission one every time it parked the vehicle rocked the
passengers to sleep,you must admit as your dad found out they were not a good coach with all their faults.D.C.