Wigan Album

oh boy ! this is what I remember - ERF 8 wheeler, thanks Keith, you don't know how much I wanted to see a Fred Rose truck, childhood memories. I trust taking a copy is OK !.

JJP

Please feel free to copy the photo.

Come on Ozy +Gary lets have your comments now that Garys
big coal wagon is on D.C.

Garry would have had to have muscles like Popeye to navigate that round the estates before power steering was introduced.

Its not got windscreen wipers.

Sandbach turned out some nice looking motors in the 50's and 60's and no mistake. The S20, S21 and S40 Fodens to name but a few, but this KV ERF predates them all with regard to futuristic styling. This one appears to be parked up on the tip at Blackrod. It doesn't look as though it's been long out of the paint shop. Thanks for taking the trouble to find it and post it Keith. Derrick, e-mail me, we'll have a couple of jars and burn a bit of diesel. Regards. Ozy.

Ozy
The photo was taken at the back of the garage on a Saturday morning after delivering a load of wire coils to Warrington. Return load from Cardiff. I practised the hitch knot roping the sheets in position.

Seeing as how it was taken on a Saturday Keith, it's funny I'm not in the shot. I presume you were the photographer? If you'd have turned 15 degrees to the right, you would have probably got the rest of the fleet in. Pity it isn't in colour, but anyone who matters will no doubt already be aware that they were painted bright red, as were most wagons back then. Sutton's, Heaton's. Smith of Eccles, BRS, etc. Brilliant photo mate, I'm looking forward to seeing the Seddon. Regards. Ozy.

Jimmy. WE all had muscle's like Popeye those days you had to
stand up in the drivers seat to turn the steering wheel I
pulled a muscle in my chest twice thank god for power
steering the best thing since sliced bread D.C.

I should have said this in my previous post, but the driver's hitch, I'll bet you can still do it to this day can't you Keith, it's like riding a bike, once you learn how to do it, you never forget. I've lost count of the number of steering wheel attendants who've asked me to show them how it's done. It's pretty much obsolete now but I'm secretly glad that I am among the dying breed that still knows how to rope and sheet. Regards. Ozy.

My coal lorry didn't have power steering, and we tight street corners.

Can any of you rope and sheet?

Hi Ozy

Yes I can still do the hitch knot, I've put one at the end of the clothes line.
I have an abiding memory of the ERF. I was fascinated, as a young lad, as to how the fly off handbrake worked.
Cheers.

Gary ,Welcome Back I knew you and Ozy would be back your
truck wasn't a 8 legger was it Gary. Alex I can rope and
sheet,I have worked in road haulage since 1958 as a HGV
class one Driver Fitter I also have a Transport Manager CPC

Yes Alex, I have done a lot of roping and sheeting, also had lots of experience with chains and sylvesters.

Derrick did you obtain you HGV one by Grandfathers rights in 1958. Not many artics about at that time.

Alex, the HGV licence was only introduced in 1970 (I think)
Before that you only had to be aged over 21 to drive wagons.

As there seems to be a lot of ex drivers, hauliers etc on this site, I wonedered if any of you knew Holcrofts on Bolton Road, Aspull. I was at WGS with JD Holcroft ("Jed") 1963-69, and I'm sure his dad ran a small haulage company. I left wigan in 1970 so lost touch.

ALEX, HGV licenses only started 1969, you had to have 6 months experience 68/69 to qualify on the type of vehicle you applied for we only had class 2 wagons so class 2licence
I passed a class 1 test later to get a HGVclass1 license I
also passed CPC national for a Transport Managers License I
went TO Manchester Transport Training Group Middleton D.C.

Carolaen, I remember a small haulage company in Bolton Road Aspull, I don't know the name of it, it was on the left hand side going up to the A6, he had a couple of Leylands, painted green.
I used to pass it regular heading for the M61,

Carolaen, Yes I remember Holcroft's his name was Thomas he
had 2 wagons there are 3 terraced house's and a garage on
the other side to the church that's where they parked but
they are long gone.D.C.

Just to add my two penn'orth, there were a lot of experienced drivers who, just like Derrick and many more besides, drivers with experience on artics and wagon and drags alike, were denied a class one, or class two licence purely on the basis that they didn't happen to be driving that particular class of vehicle at that particular time, i.e. Jan. 1969 up to Dec. 1969.These competent but unfortunate drivers were therefore compelled to sit a ministry test in order to gain a licence to drive a vehicle that they had been been driving for years previously. You couldn't make it up really could you?
Still, I challenge anyone to show me the perfect system. History has repeated itself yet again with the recently introduced DCPC legislation. DCPC by the way stands for Driver's Certificate of Professional Competence. In layman's terms, what it entails, is paying £600 or thereabouts every few years to have some spotty kid straight out of college teach you how to do what you've already been doing for the past forty odd years. ( but properly this time around ). Experienced British drivers have been bailing out in droves in recent years, only to be replaced by Eastern European drivers. I'm not making a political statement here by the way, I'm merely stating facts. Sleep easy my children, I'm sure these Polish drivers know what they're about. Regards. Ozy.

Jimmy/Derrick. Yes that was him. I remember the green Leyland lorries now. Thanks for the replies.

Yes Oz, and now we have a national shortage of HGV drivers.

Hi Keith i was 2nd mate on this truck 1959 when i was 16 the day driver was Jack Ward from Horwich i can't remember the night trunkers name its nice to see this photo you don't happen to have anymore pics of Fred Rose i.e 2 Seddons old Atki's & Fodens thanks Mick

I remember Fred Rose red wagons appearing early 60s at Bryn at Prescott's haulage at top of Rag Brew, Rose Hill on Wigan Road. Any info. or ideas? If thread still read.