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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Hockley Station: gwrhd708

Goods being loaded for distribution to city businesses at the Hockley's old Outward shed circa 1927

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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