Classic lorry road run
Posted by Chris Graham on 28th May 2021
Anne Bates reports on a recent classic lorry road run that sent the lucky drivers down some of the best roads Wales has to offer.
Classic lorry road run: Stunning Welsh scenery and a classic Welsh mountain hairpin – look where the red Guy Otter in the background is pointing!
A couple of months ago, we featured Tommy Williams’ classic lorry collection of four Bedfords, plus a ‘Birmingham Bedford’ Austin. Well, on 2nd May, four of the collection were out on the road, as Tommy had organised a special road run to celebrate his retirement – aged 83 – from an extremely successful career in road haulage. Some specially-invited local friends also took part, and here’s what happened.
Starting from Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, at 10:30am, the lorries set off with enthusiasm on the planned route up the A40, to take the right-hand exit at the roundabout over the River Towy bridge, and on into Llangadog. Here the lorries picked up the scenic A4069, which ascends the Black Mountain, heading towards Brynamman.
We featured Roy Davies’ Foden eight-wheeler last year. It was out on the run, looking good and driven skillfully by Roy – especially when on-coming traffic forced him to take a shunt at the hairpin bend seen in the photograph above.
The participants, having passed the derelict limestone quarries, headed on to Brynamman, before transferring into Breconshire (now Powys) to Ystradgynlais, and heading north up the Tawe Valley, and climbing to Crai before starting the long descent to Defynnog and Sennybridge. The lorries then headed for Brecon, before taking the A470 over into the Wye Valley and up to Builth Wells. After this they turned back towards Carmarthenshire, down the A483, passing through Llanwrtyd Wells to the Sugar Loaf, Llandovery and back to Llandeilo.
Four of Tommy’s five lorries were out. Teifon Thomas drove the Austin k4, seen here with Tommy himself behind, at the wheel of his 1938 Bedford WST.
Gethin Thomas with his Foden, complete with a scale model of the same vehicle loaded on the back!
Retired vehicle inspector, Mike Chandler, was out for the first time in his AEC Mercury. In this inaugural, shake-down run, the AEC had a minor hiccup. But the slipped hose clip was soon rectified.
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