Hell Drivers

[Sid Langran]

Hi, thanks for the remarks about the rear view mirrors under the floor of Streeters Tippers, It worried me that I might have either imaged it or I had seen the Film you talk about, anyway I gave one on my elder brothers a ring, this brother began driving for Streeters on his de-mob in 1954, my father got him the job, "had a word with the Boss" Right he said that there was one or two of the drivers who had their regular lorry who done this trick with the mirrors, but because he was a newcomer he had the oldest truck in the yard, and it had a wooden body and did not have the hightened front boarding to protect the cab, so he had a mirror on the inside of the little air vent situated centrally in the roof, which allowed a much better view behind than the side mirrors.
The older "snub nosed" Dodges all had wooden bodies, but were only about 10 ton gross weight, and I seemed to remember some of the later trucks had wooden bodies too, but the later dodges to come home were metal bodied. All the best, Sid

[homeguard]

Originally Posted by Sid Langran Hi, thanks for the remarks about the rear view mirrors under the floor of Streeters Tippers, It worried me that I might have either imaged it or I had seen the Film you talk about,

Sorry Sid. Didn't mean to cast 'nasturtions' on your anectdote. You sound the same age as me, and obviously grew up in the cab as we did as kids. On the subject of wooden bodies (which Hawletts weren't of course), I can remember one on fire going like a mad thing along Hounslow High Street heading for the pit on the Heath. We were heading the other way with a load of gravel so never did see if he made it or not, but I'm sure that was a Streeters truck. Perhaps your brother might know. Ours was a wooden body, with a chain linking the two sides. A pain in the proverbial when the return load was rubbish. It was my job in the holidays to get up and undo it. One thing the old man wasn't was light on his feet. I've posted a bit of a history a few pages ago. If you have the time you might recognise some of the places and names.
Regards,
HG
PS Funny that you've ended up in Cambs. Not a million miles away.

[Automotivehistorian]

Passed by the Hounslow Heath site the other day on the way back home from seeing my parents. The municipal golf course was I think built on the rubbish dump that filled in the gravel pits. I believe that the Isleworth Greenhams pit became Thornbury Park, after being filled in.

A series of photogaphs of similar tippers will feature in a forthcoming issue of ROADSCENE magazine. I have a wide selection to choose from including Kew Dodge tippers!

[Sid Langran]

Hi, Reading your earlier posting as suggested I realised how many different company liveries there was on the Tipper Trucks in the 50's, and also the amount of owner drivers who usually had no liveries anyway. Now the site work and the off road work all the tippers had to do day in and day out would soon change a Brand new lorry into wreck, well at least visually anyway! and all the tipper yards had their machanics and Service vans etc, and kept them very busy with punctures, half-shafts, etc. But what I could never make out was how some of the "One Man Bands" kept their trucks on the road, working them from dawn to dusk, six days a week. On Sunday in any local lorry park, usually old bomb sites, you could find the drivers of these trucks using them as a service area, sometimes just picking the best of any tyres on wheels that they had at the time, or a bit of hammering to the wings and bodywork, but sometimes some quite large mechanical jobs were carried out in these "open air workshops".
Anyway the Dodges used in Hell Drivers and the then, newer types of trucks like the Ford Thames Trader, Bedfords S-Types and the Leyland Comet etc. were often seen on the road, but George Sands of South Croydon, still had very old Albions and ERF's with hand built cabs, Hall and Co of Croydon had OB Bedfords and some "Birmingham Bedfords" the Austin K3's, Marco's of Croydon also had OB Bedfords, Standard Brick Company had OB Bedfords, mostly long wheel based flat-beds for the white bricks out of Redhill, but a few Tippers, also OB Bedfords to carry the White sand from Redhill to Key Glass Works in Harlow, Essex.
Anyway My "Old Man" retired from driving in 1956, and went as a foreman in a paint factory. That took some getting used to,
Like many other kids at that time I wanted to drive a tipper when I was old enough, When I actually got a Tipper Driving Job, c 1963/4 I had had enough after a couple of weeks and told them what they could do with their truck, A very old 8 ton Commer, and went onto a flatbed, A Commer Maxiload. running peas up to Norwich (Colemans) from Kent, and bringing Sugar Beet Pulp (PIG Food) back into Sussex, from Bishops Stortford.
These replies can go on a bit, but thanks again for giving me the chance to ramble on. Sid

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by Sid Langran These replies can go on a bit, but thanks again for giving me the chance to ramble on.

I'm enjoying the walk!.....

Any of you ramblers got the Carlton dvd of this movie, with the 'contemporary interview' with a group of 'Truckers'. Having 'real' memories of those times you might have an insight. They all seemed to be on their best behaviour but looked to me to be metaphorically laughing their heads off behind the interviewers back! Or am I misjudging the manners of the time?

[Automotivehistorian]

Hall & Co apparently had AEC and other makes according to photos I have found.

[homeguard]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin I'm enjoying the walk!..... Any of you ramblers got the Carlton dvd of this movie, with the 'contemporary interview' with a group of 'Truckers'. Having 'real' memories of those times you might have an insight. They all seemed to be on their best behaviour but looked to me to be metaphorically laughing their heads off behind the interviewers back! Or am I misjudging the manners of the time?

How right you are. I should think each was given five bob and a promise of fifteen minutes of fame. That whole sequence showed how hard up the film's producers must have been in their endeavours to 'big-up' the movie. And the interview with the "young star of the film". How different from the American way where they would have rolled out all the stars from their stable. Why does this film generate such a pile of nostalgic twaddle?
Regards,
HG

[Sid Langran]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin I'm enjoying the walk!..... Any of you ramblers got the Carlton dvd of this movie, with the 'contemporary interview' with a group of 'Truckers'. Having 'real' memories of those times you might have an insight. They all seemed to be on their best behaviour but looked to me to be metaphorically laughing their heads off behind the interviewers back! Or am I misjudging the manners of the time?

I'm gald your enjoying the ramble, cause here comes some more.
Got to thinking about the film again, and what the whole story was hung on was the fact that the aim of the HELL DRIVERS was to get hold of the Gold Cigarette Case,
There was ofcause enticements to make the drivers get as many loads in as possible each day, but it wasn't in the shape of a cigarette case that would be lost again if someone beat your load score, the insentive was L.S.D. and not much of that! I remember dad telling another driver from another firm that once thay had done three loads in a day they would received 2/6d bonus for each load after that, irrespective of the distance or load, so they got 2/6p even if the forth or fifth load was "Much Away" and just around the corner, Bearing in mind that Streeters Pit was at Wraysbury and most of the loads went into either London or the Croydon area, there's not much hope of earning a fortune.
I have the Film on Video but must try and get the D.V.D. you mentioned. thanks. Sid.

Same time, same channel next week.

[Sid Langran]

Originally Posted by Automotivehistorian Hall & Co apparently had AEC and other makes according to photos I have found.

Hi, your right, Hall and Co, had many different types of vehicle, I assumed that because of the shortage of new trucks after the war, any company needing trucks had to get what they could, Hall and co was a Building Supplies Company in general, so carried Bricks, Timber, Cement and Plaster, they also delivered coal and coke and so had need of flatbeds with and without sideboards, as well as tippers, Their main yard in the 1950's was in and around East Croydon Station and the marshalling yards at the rear, Lansdowne Road, Cherry Orchard Road and Cross Road, they also had other smaller yards situated at outer laying Stations like Coulsdon, these yards would have vehicles based there for local deliveries.
On the subject of Coal and Coke, certain Tipper Companies would have body extentions to make a 6 yd body into a 8 yd body just for shifting Coke from the Gas Works, Bechenham, Croydon etc. to the various bulk users. In later years say 1960/70's one firm in particular ended up concentrating completely on this work and the Sand and Ballast Tipper firms stayed with away.
Clarks of South Norwood were the people that moved all the Coke, The same family as Clarks Coaches.
Another Ramble! Sid

[dannywilde]

Originally Posted by Biffer A major location was the transport yard belonging to the haulage company ('Hawletts'). In the film, this always struck me as somehow being in the middle of nowhere. The reason was because the 'yard' was built on the WWII airfield at Ford, W.Sussex, cobbled together from old MT sheds and various 'temporary' huts.

I'm afraid that this part of your article is incorrect. The Hawletts Yard was actually built on the Pinewood Studios backlot just to the north of 'H' Stage, approximately where the '007 Stage' stands today. I work at the Studio, and having had the opportunity to research this am absolutely sure that this is correct.

[homeguard]

Originally Posted by dannywilde I work at the Studio,

How long have you worked there, Danny? Do you remember Bill Pott who was a plumber there until his retirement?
Regards,
HG

[johnnyanglia]

Absolutely excellent. Well researched peice of work. WELL DONE

[dannywilde]

Originally Posted by homeguard How long have you worked there, Danny? Do you remember Bill Pott who was a plumber there until his retirement? Regards, HG

I'm afraid the name doesn't ring a bell. I've only worked there for the past two years, as I am just starting in the business, so I don't know whether I've been there long enough to have known him.

I've always had a deep interest in the studio though, and it was a real dream come true to get my first proper job in the business there. It's given me a terrific opportunity to do plenty of investigating of films that have used the studio grounds, and finding the 'Helldrivers' one (whether I was the first, I don't know!) gave me great satisfaction, as I had often wondered.

In one particular shot (I'll try and upload a screengrab) you get a great wide shot as one of the trucks drives from left to right across frame towards the exit and you can clearly see the back of the old North Tunnel and a couple of workshops in the background.

[dannywilde]

Originally Posted by johnnyanglia Absolutely excellent. Well researched peice of work. WELL DONE

Thanks very much. Much appreciated!

[homeguard]

Thanks Danny. Worth a try. Obviously you'll be worth your weight in gold now once the Forum find out where you work. Be prepared!!
Regards,
HG