Richards and Wallington

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LDK
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #11 by LDK » Sat Nov 06, 2010 11:22 am

My father Bernard Curtis worked for them for several years on crane work and muck shifting with draglines, face shovels and backackters. We moved all over living in a caravan and following the work.
Later he went rigging and de-rigging and for a short time we had our caravan in their yard at Acocks Green (not sure about the spelling)
I am sure the driver of that Mack lowloader when it first arrived was Ron Damssey, he drove a Leyland before that and kept it immaculate. I seem to remember my father telling me that all their vehicles and equipment was hand painted in those days.
Other names that I remember are Gordon Shepherd, a fitter and friend of my dad, he past away a few years ago.
Jock Ritchie was transport manager.
Ruben ( sorry I can't remember his surname at the moment) who was on a dozer or tractor and box for them for years.

My father liked the company. When he was rigging he worked tremendous hours, and covered a lot of miles. He put 24,000 miles on a new Anglia van in 3 months traveling to and from jobs. I spent most of my weekends and holidays with him.


chainmaker
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #12 by chainmaker » Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:09 am

Hi all fairly new on here.I started work for richards and wallington in 1964 it was my first job and the pay was half crown per hour 12.1/2 pence the plant manager was ron harris, they had a very large fleet of mixed plant. so much so the workshops were divided into different sections. the main shop was split into the tractor section,jcb section,navvie section, small operated plant section i.e. dumpers agricultural tractors and such. The outside workshops were compressor shop, mobile crane shop, non operated plant shop i.e. pumps, vibrating pokers, Pegson rammers, airpowered rotary drills thousands of feet of air hoses. Next door was the paint spray shop and stores, opposite were the offices. The yard used to belong to British Waterways and is now the Birmingham Truck Stop. We had loads of machines i.e. 10RB, 19RB, 22RB, 38RB, JCB3 and 3c, JCB4 and 4C, JCB7 Hymac 480/580, NCK crawlers Andes and Pennines, various priestmans, drott btd6 b100 b150 td18 cats 955f/h 977 951 d4s d6s d8s d9s and oher stuff that ive forgotten cranes-hydrocon highlander hamilton etc we had coles cranes comining out of our ears 15 ton 25 ton 80 ton and a 100 ton centurian it seemed to be challenge between sparrows of bristol and r&w who had the biggest crane we then had a 110ton lorraine this was the crane that fell down the mountain in wales but thats another story.the driver of yankee boy was ronnie dams he kept his trucks imaculate RK CRISP is another chapter as is Richards and wallington earthmoving and BCHC and y now ive probably bored you sh**less oh one other thing albert (jock) ritchie was the navvie forman he lost a leg due to diabetes he later became the plant manager a reel nice bloke rip sorry if ive bored you but R&W were a reel big outfit

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XS650
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #13 by XS650 » Wed Nov 24, 2010 10:13 am

Theirs a lot of Richard and Wallingtons crane photos here-


Classic Working Pics 50s 60s 70s
Not all those who wander are lost.


chainmaker
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #14 by chainmaker » Thu Nov 25, 2010 12:48 am

thanks for the link xs brings back a few memories thanks again


gah1950
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #15 by gah1950 » Fri Nov 26, 2010 10:07 pm

hello chainmaker.
i can remember well the incident of the lorraine crane,it was doing a tandem lift of one of the girders on the walnut tree viaduct at taffs well nr cardiff.not sure of the crane that was basically sat on the a470 but during the lift the lorraine was pulled off the old railway track above and landed on the taff valley floor i cant remember any one getting seriously hurt in the incident. the main contractor was christiani shand and it was around 1969/1970.
graham.

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FOWLER MAN
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #16 by FOWLER MAN » Sat Nov 27, 2010 12:09 pm

Hello Graham,
Your spot on with the date it was 1969, I was back and fore to site looking after hired plant. The opperator jumped onto the bridge before the crane came over the top and was not seriously hurt.

Fred


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martyn williams
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #17 by martyn williams » Sat Nov 27, 2010 4:42 pm

Bloody hell Graham and Fred 1969 !!! Where has all the years gone. I remember the removal of the viaduct on my trips to Cardiff as a 11 yearold.
Found this photo.
Martyn
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FOWLER MAN
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #18 by FOWLER MAN » Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:03 pm

B100 LOADER wrote:Bloody hell Graham and Fred 1969 !!! Where has all the years gone. I remember the removal of the viaduct on my trips to Cardiff as a 11 yearold.
Martyn

Where in deed?? Makes me feel old, nice to see the photos Martyn,
At least one of the cranes on the valley floor below was a Gottwald.
Fred


chainmaker
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #19 by chainmaker » Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:14 pm

hi all it was the coles centurian on the 470,this was the first 100 tonner roy richards bought the driver of lorraine broke his ankle when he jumped/ apparently the banksman for the coles had it slewing to far and it pulled the lorraine over cant remember the drivers name but he reconed he sh*t hiself when the lorraine landed next to him.The banksman buggered off never to be seen again


kieran
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Re: Richards and Wallington

Post #20 by kieran » Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:05 am

LDK wrote:My father Bernard Curtis worked for them for several years on crane work and muck shifting with draglines, face shovels and backackters. We moved all over living in a caravan and following the work.
Later he went rigging and de-rigging and for a short time we had our caravan in their yard at Acocks Green (not sure about the spelling)
I am sure the driver of that Mack lowloader when it first arrived was Ron Damssey, he drove a Leyland before that and kept it immaculate. I seem to remember my father telling me that all their vehicles and equipment was hand painted in those days.
Other names that I remember are Gordon Shepherd, a fitter and friend of my dad, he past away a few years ago.
Jock Ritchie was transport manager.
Ruben ( sorry I can't remember his surname at the moment) who was on a dozer or tractor and box for them for years.

My father liked the company. When he was rigging he worked tremendous hours, and covered a lot of miles. He put 24,000 miles on a new Anglia van in 3 months traveling to and from jobs. I spent most of my weekends and holidays with him.


jock was my old boss a true gent & i went all over the country with gordon riggin
dont take a lift from a stranger


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