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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton
Hockley Station: gwrhd708
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Goods being loaded for distribution to city businesses at
the Hockley's old Outward shed circa 1927. The company motor lorries in their
brown and cream livery are mostly lightweight to medium capacity. At this time
solid rubber tyres were fitted. The closest vehicle is a 30cwt D-type Burford
forward control flat lorry, while behind is a Thornycroft 4 ton 45hp PB
forward-control flat lorry. In 1927 the Great Western Railway took delivery of
ninety-seven 30 cwt lorries and forty-eight 4/5 ton lorries. The later were
part of an order placed with Thornycroft for fifty lorry chassis with their
latest 45hp engine with automatic ignition and thermostatic control of the
water cooling was placed. The platform body was constructed and fitted at
Swindon. The unusual bonnet shapes resulted from the requirement to maximise
load floor space in the minimum lorry length and also give the driver the best
forward view possible. These requirements were considered important in the
restricted areas of goods yards and trading places. Frank Popplewell describes
in his series of articles how after delivering loads in the morning the drivers
would have predetermined clients to visit for transporting goods to the yard.
Some companies were organised enough to display notices outside their premises
instructing the driver as to call or not.
Robert Ferris
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