Biglorryblog's regular Scottish contributor Alex Saville has set up the perfecet 'For an Easter Egg' quiz for which BLB is most grateful. Alex e-mails me: "Brian, here are photos of some sad old lorries spotted in Taylor & Morrison's yard in Carnwath, Lanarkshire, last Monday, plus a couple of some more modern Fodens Alex." So for those eggs, what are these old timers?
The Brochure King should get this..!
Bit of air in the tyres and a dust off... Be as good as new...
Getting a bit harder now...
With the new 'Windyaireymatic' cab... and what's next to it?
Looking good for a V-reg.
Touch of rust in the front... But six good tyres.
Cab looks in pretty good nick too. Now click through here for a couple of 'new-timers'...
Kite marque triplets...
And a Mk II too... Meanwhile Alex says: "Brian, a reliable source told me the owner won't part with any of these old motors, or their parts. A lot of enthusiastic restorers would gladly take some of this stuff if only for their parts value!" Too true Alex, and thanks to you and T&M for the pictures.
"So for those eggs, what are these old timers?"
Scrap?
The AEC Matador has coachbuilt bodywork which points to it having been a bus company recovery truck at some point.
Well,as its Easter and its not celeberated here in the States,nothing special for dinner today,a
few eggs will do nicely.Here we go;
Leyland Bison,Guy Big J4T,Leyland Buffalo,AEC X
military,E series ERF,EC series ERF,this is a tricky one lets try Lynx,Leyland Roadtrain T45,
Foden Alpha mk i,Alpa mk 2.
It always amazes me when I see lorries left to rot. How can they afford to leave them like that?
Brilliant photos though, I love looking at the old models but it is sad to see them looking like that.
Hi Danny, you ask "How can they afford to leave them like that?" I think the answer in many cases is that "they" can't afford to do anything else with them. In many big companies, trucks gradually get retired from 24/7 work to shorter day trips to becoming a relief truck until they get too unreliable even for that. Parts then become hard to get and expensive and it is just not worth while repairing them, so they get sold to someone who only needs a truck occasionally or uses it on private land, perhaps a farmer or a winery and eventually it is impossible to repair them without spending a fortune and a huge amount of time. A handful of them will be restored by enthusiasts and that is great, but there is no way that every truck on the road can be restored.
I have been driving trucks for a living for over 50 years and love driving old trucks when I get a chance, but there is no way that I would drive an S.21 Foden or a Mk V AEC Mandator regularly today doing commercial work, much as I loved driving them in the old days. Even if they were in new condition, modern road and traffic conditions and commercial reality would make it unthinkable, so that is why they are left to rot. Perhaps a pity, but it is inevitable. Normally a few of each model survive in the hands of enthusiasts which is wonderful and gets me all misty-eyed when I see them in top condition, but I can't see any option for the other 99% than to scrap them or let them rot.
cant understand why ian taylor wont sell these .trucks for renovation i drove a few of them.its asham.