Well it was Saturday 11 sept 1982 when I started work for H Fellows Transport Ltd as an HGV mechanic. As lunch time neared and I was ready to go home I was approached by the owner Ellis Fellows and Len Smith the forman "we've got a little job we want you to do before you go" they said.
They wanted me to fit a new quarter panel to the cab off one of their 400 series Sed Atkis that was prepared for MOT the following Tuesday.
The plan was to paint the truck on Sat afternoon, sign write it on the Sunday Morning, it was going to Scotland on Sunday afternoon and coming back on Monday ready for a quick check over Tuesday before the test.
I duly fitted the panel went home and thought no more of it. The driver however had other plans he was seeing a lady on the side and so he decided to set out in the early hours of Monday morning and do the trip in one run with disasterous results
The news that greeted me on Monday morning when I got to work was that the driver in question had killed five (two more died later).
He fell asleep behind the wheel and ran over the top of a Ford Transit minibus which had broken down on the M6 and was on the hard shoulder. The truck ran through the Transit as if it wasn't there ran up an embankment to a golf course where the load rolled off and then back onto the M6 where it jack-knifed.
I can still see in my minds eye the shattered glass of the Lucas tachograph that the driver smashed with his fist, the police never found the tacho card they reckon he ate it
I completed much of the repair work to the truck concerned, it was originally a 1975 'P' reg Sed Atk 400 and had been bought by H Fellows Transport as an insurance right off. It had been invloved in an accident in which its driver had been killed and the driver of the vehicle it hit had also died.
So it had now killed a total of nine people
Fellows transport had rebuilt it and re-registered it as COP921V ironically it was written off again six months after I rebuilt it when the new driver had to brake sharp and put the load through the back of the cab fortunately nobody was hurt.
Yep it was again rebuilt and lasted a few more years before it was due to yeild its parts for other members of the fleet, however fate came into play once more and it caught fire and burned out whilst in a layby. The driver had gone to phone and report it had broken down when he got back the fire brigade were hosing it down!
H Fellows Transport Ltd
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H Fellows Transport Ltd
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Re: H Fellows Transport Ltd
Thought I'd post a few more pics from those days working on Fellows Seddon Atkinsons, sorry that the pic quality ain't brilliant but there you go
First pic shows their first day cab 400 which I did a lot of the rebuild work (VMS989R).
Second pic shows a randon line of the fleet the 400 on the left of the pic is CRH678T, the 401 on the right is TAO612X, all Cummins powered!!
Third pic more of the fleet, note the GKN liveried 400 to the left of the picture, this was an ex S W Everitt motor DUY396S and was about to make its final journey to a truck breakers at Burton I had already fitted two knackered batteries and a seized altenator ready for the journey thats haulage companies for you
First pic shows their first day cab 400 which I did a lot of the rebuild work (VMS989R).
Second pic shows a randon line of the fleet the 400 on the left of the pic is CRH678T, the 401 on the right is TAO612X, all Cummins powered!!
Third pic more of the fleet, note the GKN liveried 400 to the left of the picture, this was an ex S W Everitt motor DUY396S and was about to make its final journey to a truck breakers at Burton I had already fitted two knackered batteries and a seized altenator ready for the journey thats haulage companies for you
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Re: H Fellows Transport Ltd
One last post here for tonight, these pics show VMS989R in trouble the location is one of the small country roads by Ditton Priors near to Bridgnorth.
What happened Well the driver had taken a wrong turn and decided to try and back into a small side road (behind the truck out of view) unfortunately he got the truck stuck down the soft verge to make matters worse there was a pond the other side of the greenery. Sadly the pics don't really do the situation justice but if you look carefully you can see that the trailer is resting on a telegraph pole which has now taken on an appropriate tilt
I seam to remember a farmers loadall unloading VMS and transffering the load to the Scania at the back of VMS, it was then possible to drive the truck out. The drivers knickname "Grizzly" is visible on VMS front grill he was too (used to think with his fists).
What happened Well the driver had taken a wrong turn and decided to try and back into a small side road (behind the truck out of view) unfortunately he got the truck stuck down the soft verge to make matters worse there was a pond the other side of the greenery. Sadly the pics don't really do the situation justice but if you look carefully you can see that the trailer is resting on a telegraph pole which has now taken on an appropriate tilt
I seam to remember a farmers loadall unloading VMS and transffering the load to the Scania at the back of VMS, it was then possible to drive the truck out. The drivers knickname "Grizzly" is visible on VMS front grill he was too (used to think with his fists).
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Re: H Fellows Transport Ltd
Hello Jeremy
Great pictures and a tragic story. Just shows what can happen if you nod off at the wheel.When I worked in Margam,I was driving to work on the M4 at around 0530.Saw an artic up ahead that seemed to be weaving slightly as I overtook it I noticed to my horror that the driver had his head forward with his chin on his chest.I tooted my horn several times and woke him up.He wound down his window and said thanks.I have seen this happen a few times in the last couple of months in the Newport area.Even seen trucks clip the bollards and barriers in the roadworks between jct 30 and 32.There is so much pressure on drivers these days,they are always heading West,I guess to the ferrys in West Wales.
When I am out and about in the van all hours of the day or night,if I feel tired I pull into the services for a coffee or a walk.The motorway services should drop their prices,I think this would reduce accidents by encouraging tired drivers to take a break.You need a bloody mortgage to have a breakfast in those places.
Great pictures and a tragic story. Just shows what can happen if you nod off at the wheel.When I worked in Margam,I was driving to work on the M4 at around 0530.Saw an artic up ahead that seemed to be weaving slightly as I overtook it I noticed to my horror that the driver had his head forward with his chin on his chest.I tooted my horn several times and woke him up.He wound down his window and said thanks.I have seen this happen a few times in the last couple of months in the Newport area.Even seen trucks clip the bollards and barriers in the roadworks between jct 30 and 32.There is so much pressure on drivers these days,they are always heading West,I guess to the ferrys in West Wales.
When I am out and about in the van all hours of the day or night,if I feel tired I pull into the services for a coffee or a walk.The motorway services should drop their prices,I think this would reduce accidents by encouraging tired drivers to take a break.You need a bloody mortgage to have a breakfast in those places.
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Re: H Fellows Transport Ltd
John and Martyn glad you like the pics and tragic story that goes with the first pics.
One of lifes regrets for me is that I never kept a written record of all that took place during those years, I always said it would have made a crackin soap opera trouble is I think people would not believe it because of some of the things that happened, oh well at least I lived the experience.
I have a few more pics that I will add to this post and another story or two.
Jeremy
One of lifes regrets for me is that I never kept a written record of all that took place during those years, I always said it would have made a crackin soap opera trouble is I think people would not believe it because of some of the things that happened, oh well at least I lived the experience.
I have a few more pics that I will add to this post and another story or two.
Jeremy
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Re: H Fellows Transport Ltd
Look forward to more stories Jeremy, Amazing but very sad
Nick
Nick
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Re: H Fellows Transport Ltd
Jeremy, I know you like Hy-mac kit, I used to collect new Hy-Mac's from the factory (now K.J Services) and take them to either Puckelchurch not far from Bristol or to Isis Plant Depot's as instructed, this would have been a great job for you??? can I ask what you do now to earn your daily bread.
tctractors
tctractors
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Re: H Fellows Transport Ltd
tctractors wrote:Jeremy, I know you like Hy-mac kit, I used to collect new Hy-Mac's from the factory (now K.J Services) and take them to either Puckelchurch not far from Bristol or to Isis Plant Depot's as instructed, this would have been a great job for you??? can I ask what you do now to earn your daily bread.
tctractors
Tony sadly I'm a quality manager at a local engineering company these days, long story how I got there but its a yawn boring job
Well inspector, purchaser, quality manager, dogs body etc.......
you get the picture
I have a few amusing pics from there I might just post one day, do have more pics to post now but I'm afraid that the pub is calling there's a pint or three waiting my undivided attention so I'll say an early goodnight to all.
Jeremy
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