The Classic Machinery Network

The Merc does not look old now compared to some of the Brit models of then. How sickening that between poor management and stroppy unions the whole of the UK vehicle industry was shafted.

Grandparents ran Model 'T's, then Chevvys of some sort. Then parents had Morris Comercial, 3 Bedford TKs, an ergomatic Leyland Lynx tipper and a 1969 Ford D1000 before the Merc. I must have pics of some of the others somewhere, when I find them I'll post them. The Morris, TKs and D1000 were all mainly used on tractor haulage.

essexpete wrote:The Merc does not look old now compared to some of the Brit models of then. How sickening that between poor management and stroppy unions the whole of the UK vehicle industry was shafted.

Pete I think it had a lot more to do with poor design when I left school and started working on the Seddon Atkinson's I recall being totally appalled by the defects I found on brand new vehicles and the main issue was that the attitude of Seddon Atkinson and the dealership I worked for was simply to fit a new replacement part which would simply fail again and again.

To be fair to Seddon Atkinson they made something like 16 changes to the design of the tachograph cables to try and cure the problem of breaking cables but the issue was never truly resolved; again the cracking 'A' frames on the 400 series was never resolved because it was argued that it would cost too much to redesign the whole lot and they simply opted to change cracked frames while the vehicles were under warranty after that it was the customers problem, you cannot treat your customers like that and stay in business.

Jeremy

Jeremy Rowland wrote:

essexpete wrote:The Merc does not look old now compared to some of the Brit models of then. How sickening that between poor management and stroppy unions the whole of the UK vehicle industry was shafted.

Pete I think it had a lot more to do with poor design when I left school and started working on the Seddon Atkinson's I recall being totally appalled by the defects I found on brand new vehicles and the main issue was that the attitude of Seddon Atkinson and the dealership I worked for was simply to fit a new replacement part which would simply fail again and again.

To be fair to Seddon Atkinson they made something like 16 changes to the design of the tachograph cables to try and cure the problem of breaking cables but the issue was never truly resolved; again the cracking 'A' frames on the 400 series was never resolved because it was argued that it would cost too much to redesign the whole lot and they simply opted to change cracked frames while the vehicles were under warranty after that it was the customers problem, you cannot treat your customers like that and stay in business.

Jeremy

Jeremy that just highlights the problem. Surely in that case it was poor management to allow the crap design to go on. Ultimately a design team must answer to senior management.

Yes Pete I agree; I think a lot of the problems came about through penny pinching too but there you go its sadly all over now.

Jeremy

Some busy London scenes from 1969 , Big tipper body on the old Bedford O and the Trader driver has great faith in the dragline operator ..................

Great pics Craig

Neversweat wrote:Great pics Craig

I'll second that, a lovey mix of technology. What is the older bonneted tipper (I ought to know) is it a Bedford?

Yes Bedford O series , they only made these 1945-53 ( ok also a few in 1939 that mainly ended up at Dunkirk) but they must have sold stacks because they seem to be common up until early 70s

Ditch Cleaners