Bill Hall's Leyland Chieftain
Mention of Macclesfield in the previous posting, lead me to this shot. This Leyland (Redline) Chieftain had been new to a Mill company there, I think English Sewing Cottons. By the time of this capture it had been owned by local (Stoke on Trent) based Haulier and Coach operator William Hall of Rock End, Biddulph Moor for some time. Bill, and his father 'old Bill' were both legendary characters hereabouts, both having a stubbornly independent streak. Young Bill, who operated this lorry, came to work with me at Reliance Bus Works where we all grew to love him and his peculiar take on life... and regulations! The Chieftain had been new as a four wheeler, the second steering axle had been added to achieve a greater legal payload. This then rendered it's little Leyland 400 engine out of it's depth, so Bill re-engined it with a Scania power unit. On one of its double round trips a day to the Spalding area for straw, it expired. No replacement Scania was available at the right price, so a Volvo engine was fitted which also failed shortly afterwards. A second example was then fitted, but was always deemed by Bill to be useless, indeed, I towed him home twice. All this hindered his straw and coal haulage business, so in lieu of a weeks wages, I gave him an AEC 505 which he then fitted. Bill was finally happy, claiming that the lorry would now do the two round trips to Spalding on the same fuel as the Volvo took for one! Sadly, not long after this picture was taken, He contracted a brief but severe illness and died, we were devastated by the loss. The lorry too met it's end as surplus to requirements, It's seen here involved in salvage operations after our garage fire.
Bill Hall's Leyland Chieftain
Mention of Macclesfield in the previous posting, lead me to this shot. This Leyland (Redline) Chieftain had been new to a Mill company there, I think English Sewing Cottons. By the time of this capture it had been owned by local (Stoke on Trent) based Haulier and Coach operator William Hall of Rock End, Biddulph Moor for some time. Bill, and his father 'old Bill' were both legendary characters hereabouts, both having a stubbornly independent streak. Young Bill, who operated this lorry, came to work with me at Reliance Bus Works where we all grew to love him and his peculiar take on life... and regulations! The Chieftain had been new as a four wheeler, the second steering axle had been added to achieve a greater legal payload. This then rendered it's little Leyland 400 engine out of it's depth, so Bill re-engined it with a Scania power unit. On one of its double round trips a day to the Spalding area for straw, it expired. No replacement Scania was available at the right price, so a Volvo engine was fitted which also failed shortly afterwards. A second example was then fitted, but was always deemed by Bill to be useless, indeed, I towed him home twice. All this hindered his straw and coal haulage business, so in lieu of a weeks wages, I gave him an AEC 505 which he then fitted. Bill was finally happy, claiming that the lorry would now do the two round trips to Spalding on the same fuel as the Volvo took for one! Sadly, not long after this picture was taken, He contracted a brief but severe illness and died, we were devastated by the loss. The lorry too met it's end as surplus to requirements, It's seen here involved in salvage operations after our garage fire.