Historic lorry photo archive
![Historic lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-9-7.jpg)
Posted by Chris Graham on 13th March 2021
Schoolboy Malcolm Ladd was a lorry enthusiast in the 1950s, when he began building a lorry photo archive. Here are some of his favourites.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/Pic-1-20.jpg)
A classic – and it would appear, rather damp – dockyard scene from the late 1950s, starring a Commer QX TS3 from the R Rankin fleet. We imagine the location is somewhere on Tyne Dock. Note, also, the once-seen-everywhere British Railways standard 16-ton steel mineral wagon; once found in every siding. Today, just a handful remain in preservation.
I’m now 71 but, as a boy growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s, I travelled regularly during school holidays in the cab with my Uncle, who drove for Guymers Transport of Aldridge, near Walsall. I then had the idea of writing to transport firms to see if they had any photographs I could have. I got a good response, and still have 70-odd images in my historic lorry photo archive.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-2-18.jpg)
A 1958 Albion Chieftain tractor unit operated by Bolton-based Fred Snaylam & Son was, it would appear, number 26 in the fleet. ‘MBN’ was a local (Bolton) registration, issued between November 1957 and March 1958.
Lorry-driving was always what I wanted to do and, eventually, I was able to fulfil that dream. First, though, I joined Royal Mail in 1964, as a telegram boy, and then, at the age of 21, moved on to the small delivery vans. I gained my Class 1 in 1988, and night-trunked until I retired in 2018, giving me 54 years’ service in a job that I loved.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-3-18.jpg)
An Atkinson T746 operated by London-based Alfred Dexter Ltd, with a Scammell-type box van trailer called a ‘Pallet van’.
The firms that responded to a schoolboy’s request for photographs included Alfred Dexter of Liverpool, GD James and Wrekin Roadways of Wellington, Shropshire, Cawthorn & Sinclair of Birtley, Co. Durham, Bulk Liquid of Leeds, Capels of Coventry, Pitt & Scott of London, WT Flather (Steel Stockholders) of Sheffield, Hunters of Hull, Leonard J Stamp of Bristol, Midland Road Tank Services of Walsall, R Rankin of Newcastle upon Tyne, Edward Beck of Stockport, James Hemphill of Glasgow, Harris Road Services of Northwich, Thomas Allen of Stanford-le-Hope in Essex, Ross Garages of Cardiff, AS Jones of Liverpool, Fred Snaylam of Bolton, Davies & Brown of St Helens, Williams Bros of Denbigh, North Wales, and FG Marquand of Callington, Cornwall.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-4-16.jpg)
An official Scammell photo of a clearly brand-new Scammell Highwayman Frameless Artic 8 tanker, liveried-up and destined for Leonard Stamp Ltd, of Bristol. Written on the back of this photograph is: ‘Best wishes to Master MW Ladd, from L Stamp. Director & Secretary.’
I’ve provided a selection of those images I received, and hope you will find them of interest.
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![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-5-14.jpg)
Another Albion Chieftain from the Bolton-based fleet of Fred Snaylam. This four-wheeled platform lorry dates from 1957 and, like the artic shown earlier, has a Homalloy cab.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-6-15.jpg)
An Alfred Dexter Atkinson T746 again but, this time, with a Dyson trailer – in fact, it’s an official RA Dyson & Co photograph. This outfit was new to Dexters in 1956.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-7-14.jpg)
Another official Scammell photo of a new lorry, this time a Scammell Highwayman that was about to join the Duttson & Knight (Bristol and London) fleet, as number 11.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-8-11.jpg)
A Scammell 15-ton Artic 8 tanker, this time for Esso Petroleum and dating from 1954.
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An Arthur Wood of Walsall Albion CX7N eight-wheel tanker dating from 1946, according to its registration.
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The Leonard Stamp fleet appears to have been somewhat varied in the 1950s, with this Bedford SA tractor unit dating from early 1953.
![](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-11-5.jpg)
One of the smaller fleets to reply to Malcolm’s request for photos was Sheffield-based steel stockholders, WT Flather. It provided this image of a 1961 LAD-cabbed Leyland Beaver, at an entirely-appropriate location.
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Flather’s Leyland Beaver again; it appears as-new in this image.
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An Arthur Wood Albion FT3 tar sprayer in profile. It must surely be new – or nearly new – to be this clean!
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-14.jpg)
Back up to the North-East now, and a rather splendid 1953 Leyland Octopus 22.0/1 fuel tanker, from the R Rankin of Newcastle fleet.
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-15.jpg)
We finish this selection with a 1952 Foden FG6/15 flat, of R Rankin & Sons…
![lorry photo archive](https://heritagemachines.com/wp-content/uploads/pic-16-1.jpg)
… It’s loaded with 10 tote bins of the type often used for the bulk transport of carbon black, mainly for the tyre industry.
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