Author Topic: local haulage firms 1960s/70s  (Read 5682 times)

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Offline gaztrucker

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local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« on: September 02, 2017, 07:37:45 pm »
hi as a hgv driver and transport enthusiast has anyone got any memories or photos of local wagons and haulage companys as a kid i remember phillip harris , vc davies , t.alun jones, all tipper operators also a lad called dixie worked out of an old quarry on the great orme had an  seddon tipper later replaced by a volvo f86 one of the first volvos to work in north wales    additionally my dad used to load wagons in a sand pit in penrhyn bay which i believe was situated where the green is behind the launderette off llandudno road thanks gaz c

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2017, 10:46:11 pm »
I had two uncles who worked for Oaklands Haulage in Victoria Drive, Llandudno Junction during the fifties and sixties.

The business was owned by Mr Amphlett, the Colwyn Bay solicitor whose practice address is still called Oaklands today.

I often used to accompany my uncles taking fish from Conwy to London Billingsgate and Conwy mussels to markets in Sheffield and Birminghsm.

Sometimes, we would pick up farm feed in Liverpool and deliver it to farms up in Bryn y Maen and the surrounding district.


Offline Gwynant

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2017, 10:01:42 am »
       I worked in Red's  Garages in Llandudno in the 60s and remember Philip Harris of Mochdre having his wagons serviced there. I think they had red cabs and blue mudguards and he had two SWB tippers and a LWB flat-back, all Commer TS3s and very noisy. We were always being called out to replace broken half-shafts, sometimes on building sites!
     Dixie used to let us use his quarry on the Orme for "foreigners" at the weekend as he had an open pit on site, very handy for exhaust and clutch replacement.
     I bought a used Avenger from Ormerods in the 70s with a 12 month guarantee and the garage burnt down a month later! Luckily I had no trouble ever with it and I had it for a further 11years..

Offline Robbie G

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2017, 04:15:09 pm »
My father also worked at Reds and I remember him been very friendly with Phillip Harris who as a young man drove a wagon for Bithells of the Junction .Phillip Harris started of with to 2.no. Dodges which were bought from Pumphery ? of Flint and started working out of Penmaenmawr Quarry ,he later became a very large haulage company .
As for the Commer wagon it was originally based on the Avenger coach body with a 37hp petrol engine before evolving to the diesel version , the TS3 engine was a two stroke engine with opposed pistons it had serious braking problems and gearbox trouble I don't remember how they resolved the problems . One of the earliest operators in this area was a company from Caernarfon  C.C.Williams Fruit Wholesalers I think they used to go through a gearbox every week going up the old Aston Hill out of Queensferry ,the reason if I remember correctly had something to do with the torque of the engine .
Unfortunately I have no photos of any of the haulage contractors vehicle's , but I remember seeing one of Bithells Trucks taken opposite the old cattle mart in Conwy will try to locate a copy and post it on the Forum . 
Bri . your Uncle Dai worked at Bithells I wonder if his sons have any photos

Offline gaztrucker

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2017, 04:22:53 pm »
nice one gwynant red garages had an ace mechanic think his name was howell  absolute genius with the commer two stroke engine these things needed careful maintenance but sounded fantastic especially when fully loaded pulling up penmaenhead towards the hotel 70!! before the a55 was built phil owen the fruit and veg firm from glan conwy had a commer maxiload ts3 flatbed was still running it to liverpool market when i started with garstangs in 1983 also as a truck mad kid in the 60s i remember tyldesleys builders running a swb commer tipper think it was light blue happy days!!!!!

Offline Robbie G

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2017, 07:24:13 pm »
gaztrucker if you google old photos of north wales haulage vehicles a few local wagons to view . Vinnie Howells was the name of the fitter at Reds .

Offline DaveR

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2017, 09:07:02 am »
Dixie used to let us use his quarry on the Orme for "foreigners" at the weekend as he had an open pit on site, very handy for exhaust and clutch replacement.
Whereabouts was the quarry?

Offline Gwynant

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2017, 09:52:50 am »
Dixie used to let us use his quarry on the Orme for "foreigners" at the weekend as he had an open pit on site, very handy for exhaust and clutch replacement.
Whereabouts was the quarry?

    It was right at the top end of Tyn-y-Coed Road Dave, where it becomes Anglesey Road, on the right hand side and it had an open pit built out onto the quarry base. Dixie used to say you could always use it provided you asked first and didn't make a mess. I think he used to use it as a wagon park and depot rather than a quarry.
   It was handy as it was quite deep as he used to use it for his wagon maintenance but not so handy if you wanted to replace a burnt out clutch because you had to drive halfway up the Orme to get there!

Offline SDQ

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2017, 09:54:47 am »
Dixie used to let us use his quarry on the Orme for "foreigners" at the weekend as he had an open pit on site, very handy for exhaust and clutch replacement.
Whereabouts was the quarry?


On the right hand side at the top of Ty'n Y Coed Road where it meets Anglesey Road.
Valar Morghulis

Offline Hugo

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2017, 10:09:17 am »
Didn't Dixie live in a bungalow in Tyn Y Coed Road  by the quarry?     I remember him as being a very nice guy

Offline spotty dog

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2017, 10:26:51 am »
Oaklands Haulage
did Bryn Foulkes buy Oaklands and run it from Ferry Farm road in junction before moving  it to Bodysgallen farm?

Offline Gwynant

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2017, 02:03:48 pm »
Didn't Dixie live in a bungalow in Tyn Y Coed Road  by the quarry?     I remember him as being a very nice guy
     I think he did Hugo, then later on  he moved down to a house on Cwm Road right opposite Hywel Place .He had a son Mike who everyone knew as "Yo-Yo", who used to work in Boase's wood yard (now Jewsons),  and then drove for Ind Coope, and was also a very good goalkeeper in many local teams, you must have come across him during your footballing years!

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2017, 03:20:37 pm »
Oaklands Haulage
did Bryn Foulkes buy Oaklands and run it from Ferry Farm road in junction before moving  it to Bodysgallen farm?

That seems to ring a bell, spotty dog.

My uncle, who was the foreman, sadly passed away and my other uncle moved on to be a driver with Crosville.

Since my original post, I can also remember, as a young twelve year old, taking slate from Llanbeiris to various locations in England.

Offline Cambrian

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2017, 03:37:56 pm »
Didn't Bob Bithell operate a tipper truck out of his garage in Oswald Road, Llandudno Junction.  He traded as J R Bithell.

Offline Robbie G

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Re: local haulage firms 1960s/70s
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2017, 04:15:53 pm »
Garage still there run by his daughter and her son he also ran Blue Coaches from Llandudno for a number of years .