Bedford

A South Westland scene. An S model Bedford tipper, possibly belonging to B.H. Cowan, carrier from Haast appears to have had a lie down while spreading. The Leyland Comet tipper is probably one of Ferguson's Earthmoving from Greymouth.

A line up of trucks belonging to McSkimming Industries, Waikiwi, Invercargill. There are 4 Mk.1 Thames Traders and a Bedford D6 in this shot.

H. Mitchell, Invercargill, agent for Newvale-Waimumu Lignite with a good load of coal on his Bedford SLC 7 tonner.

An Ohai Coal Co. Bedford SSC tipper has just been loaded by an NCH face shovel in a Southland coal mine. NCH excavators were built in England by Newton Chambers & Co. of Sheffield to the designs of the U.S. P & H Company (Pauling & Harnischfeger) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hence the NC for Newton Chambers and H for Harnischfeger. The agreement with P & H ran from the late 1930s to some time in the 1940s. In 1947 Newton Chambers entered into a similar agreement with the Koehring Company, also of Milwaukee to build their machines under license. The Koehring based cranes and excavators were badged as NCK machines and were popular machines here. New Zealand representatives of the brand were Dalhoff & King.

Old established Dunedin carriers, Crust & Crust, Bedford ML with van body advertising National Airways Freightair City-Airport service.

The signage on the side of these trucks proclaims that these five 'Pantechnicons' are transporting furniture from Christchurch to the Milford Sound Hotel. In the days of rail protecting its business - this trip was a big deal for a driver, who got to travel more than the 30 mile limit of the day. The trucks all belong to the N.Z. Express Co. with the first one, a long wheelbase Bonus Built Ford V8 from the Oamaru branch, followed by a Bedford OLB, Dennis Pax COE, 5 ton Austin Loadstar and another Dennis COE. The N.Z. Express Company was founded in the 19th century with its head office in Dunedin, and at at one stage, (I guess in the horse and cart days), claimed to be N.Z.'s largest employer. They had branches from Invercargill to Auckland. The company managed to over extend itself financially and by the time of the Great Depression were forced to all their North Island branches and the Invercargill branch leaving them 5 branches in the South Island-Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin and Gore.

Caltex Oil (N.Z.) Bedford SSC with fuel tanker semi trailer.

G.E. Tregenza, Timaru, tippers posing for a fleet shot in front of a dragline and what appears to be a screening plant. From the left-2 1947-49 Chevrolet Loadmasters, 2 OLB Bedfords and a 1941-46 type Chevrolet.

W.A. Habgood based at Lincoln and Leeston Bedford SSC artic with topdressing or crop dusting aeroplane on semi trailer.

Bedford-A Truck For Every Load advertisement c.1958-59 showing the range from the 1/2 ton CA van, 1 1/4 ton D1 with 214 petrol, 3 ton D3 with 214 petrol, 5-6 ton D62 with 214 petrol and D63 with 300 petrol, 6 ton C6 with 214 or 300 petrol, 7 ton SS with 300 petrol or Leyland 350 diesel and 10 ton SA tractor unit with Scammell automatic coupling and 300 petrol or Leyland 350 diesel engines.

Tapper tipulator manufactured by Steel Bros. (Addington) attached to a Bedford SSC tractor unit. Also a Bedford S model rigid with tipping deck. Appears to be at the Christchurch A. & P. Show in the 1950s.

A 1958 advertisement for T.M.C.-Trailer Manufacturing Company of Christchurch showing a Bedford SL with TMC tipping deck and EdBro twin ram underbody hoist of J. Mulholland & Sons, Contractors, Dunedin.

Sollys were obviously loyal Bedford buyers with 7 TK types, 2 S models and an RL, a J model, 2 OLBs and an ML or K model in this fleet photo.

A good load of wool on one of Solly's KG or KH series Bedfords. It would be a good workout for this truck as it faced the Takaka hill on its run through to a Nelson woolstore.

Solly's Freight diesel Bedford SLC8 with large tanks on truck and trailer.

Solly's Freight Bedford SLC3 with bulk spreader bin.

2 of Solly's TK Bedfords with trailers loaded with what appear to be pig houses.

Solly's Freight, Collingwood, Golden Bay, Bedford KG or KH series.

Cook's Roadmakers, Hokitika, Bedford KM 6x4 loaded with gravel by an International TD6 or TD9 tractor with Hamilton Overloader in a West Coast riverbed.

Cook's Roadmakers, Hokitika, Bedford KM 6x4 with a good load of river gravel.

Chaffey's Transport of Tokomaru Bay were loyal General Motors/Vauxhall-Bedford users as this fleet photo shows. From the foreground we have a c.1957 Vauxhall Velox car, Bedford D series, A series, 3 S models, OLB ans 2 K or M series trucks.

Mossburn Transport Bedford SSC artic with single axle tipulator tipping off gravel for a roading job. Mossburn Transport along with Lumsden Transport and Te Anau Transport were the 3 original carriers that joined to form Northern Southland Transport Holdings in the mid-1960s.

2 S model Bedford tippers on hire from Kenning & Horlor of Nelson on a roading job.

R.A. McLennan's International D30 or D35 and S model Bedford tar tankers.

R.A. McLennan Chevrolet Loadmaster 5 ton and S model Bedford 7 ton tippers.

R.A. McLennan Bedford SSC model with Caterpillar HT4 Traxcavator track loader. The HT4 was Caterpillar's first hydraulic track loader based on the D4-7U series tractor. The HT4 had been a product of the Trackson Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trackson was established in 1922 and from 1937 had offered cable operated shovels to fit Caterpillar tractors. Trackson had coined the term Traxcavator for its crawler tractor mounted loaders. Caterpillar purchased the Trackson Company and its designs in 1951.

R.A. McLennan's Bedfords-from the left-A5 and 3 S models. The wheel loader appears to be a Tractomotive/Allis-Chalmers TL10 and the track loader on the S Bedford is a Caterpillar Traxcavator.

R.A. McLennan's Bedfords-from the left-A5, 3 S models.

Brand new Bedford SLC3 tipper with single axle tipping trailer.

R.A. McLennan's S model Bedford tipper loaded by a Caterpillar 955 track loader.

R.A. McLennan, Paving & Cartage Contractors, Nelson & Blenheim Bedford SSC artic with tanker trailer.

R.A. McLennan's Bedford SSC artic with TMC single axle tipulator loaded by a Caterpillar 955 track loader.

R.A. McLennan's International AA164 loaded with logs waiting while a fairly rough S model Bedford is being unloaded by a crane. The AA164 was a slightly heavier truck than the similar AA162 model. Both trucks used the same engine, a 142 horsepower Australian Blue Diamond ABD264 petrol, the 164 had a 5 speed gearbox, while the 162 had a 4 speed, the 164 had a slightly heavier Eaton 2 speed rear axle and the bigger truck rode on 6 stud Budd wheels as opposed to 5 stud for the 162.

R.A. McLennan Bedford SSC tipper tipping into a road paver attached to a Caterpillar track loader.

R.A. McLennan, Nelson Bedford S model tar sprayer.

An S model Bedford at a 44 gallon drum dump. The truck crossing the bridge with Motor Panels type cab could be either a Thornycroft or a Guy.

Bedford OLB 5 tonner.

Southland Frozen Meat Co., Makarewa Bedford A3.

Ellesmere Transport, Leeston, Canterbury Bedford TK series-likely to be a KF 7 ton or KG 7 1/2 ton model. Bedford's TK series was introduced in 1960 and replaced the previous C series-4-6 ton and S series-7 ton models. The TK was a very modern design when introduced with much improved cab access with set back front axle and low step ahead of the axle. The C and S models by contrast had a set forward front axle with a step ring on the front wheel to assist cab entry. The truck is loaded with sacks of grain or seed with a Cuddon or similar sack loader. The 4 wheel trailer has grass seed boxes on it.

Wright Stephenson & Co. Bedford SL loaded with wool bales.

2 of Winstone's Bedfords engaged in a house moving job. The first truck with the main part of the house is an RL 4x4 model, while the other truck is an S model.

Winstone's S model Bedford moving an old house.

Winstone Auckland Bedford TK 6 wheeler-probably a KH14 model with Leyland 400 Power Plus diesel engine carting a long steel lattice structure. Note the 4 wheel trailer used as a jinker.

Winstone Bedford RL recovery truck and tilt deck trailer loading a 6 wheel Commer concrete block truck. It would have been a good workout for the 300 petrol shifting this lot.

Bedford RLHC3 concrete mixer truck of Winstone Concrete, Hamilton. The RL Bedford 4x4 was one of the first postwar factory 4 wheel drive trucks available new in New Zealand.

A Bedford SL with rock body tipping into a gravel crusher. Notice that the truck has no hydraulics and a winch, gantry and hook setup is being used to raise the body. The 3 cab over engine cab and chassis in the background appear to be ex-W.W.II Dodge WK60 6x4s.

Winstone's Bedfords in a quarry scene. In the foreground is an OLB that appears to have been relegated to pit truck duty, also 2 A5Ls and an SSC model with trailer being loaded by an NCK face shovel.

Hogg & Co., sawmillers based in Ranfurly, Maniototo, Bedford TK unloading logs with a hydraulic truck mounted crane with log grapple.

Whangarei Transport short wheelbase Bedford J series with a jinker trailer set to cart what appears to be a factory chimney.

Winstone Ltd. Bedford S model furniture van with Certified Concrete Commer ready mix trucks and a Winstone's Bedford J2 in the background.

2 S model Bedfords and a Leyland Comet of Hardie Bros., carriers from Whangarei. The Bedford artic is hitched to an insulated meat trailer lettered for the Borthwick's meat company.

A line up of trucks loaded with sawn timber belonging to the Fletcher Timber Co. at Tuck Bros. sawmill at Taupo. In the lead is a Leyland Hippo with trailer followed by an A5 or D6 Bedford, a "parrot nose" Dodge, Fargo or De Soto and another Bedford D6.

Burnett's Motors trucks loaded on one of the barges used as transport on Lake Manapouri during the power project. Pictured are their Kenworth L924R, Dodge T310 with Bedford J1 on the deck. The truck behind the Dodge on the transporter appears to be the LAD cab Leyland Octopus.

A great picture from the Manapouri Power Project days. Burnett's Motors' Bedford J1 pilot vehicle leading Burnett's 1967 International F230D and 1966 Kenworth L924R. The heavy haulage trucks are hitched to a transporter loaded with a heavy piece of power generation gear and have pulled over to allow 2 other Burnett's trucks, a Dodge T310 6x4 and a Leyland Octopus loaded with large cable drums to pass.

A large piece of electrical equipment on a 4 axle low bed transporter for the Manapouri Power Project has been hauled by the ex-Burnett's Motors International RDF210-H, now with joint venture company, Utah Williamson Burnett and Burnett's Motors 1966 Canadian Kenworth L924R hitched together. Burnett's J1 Bedford has done duty as a pilot vehicle.

Old established Dunedin carriers, Crust & Crust, Bedford ML with van body advertising National Airways Freightair City-Airport service.

Bedford RL fording a stream in the high country.

Bedford RL flatdeck being loaded with gravel by a topdressing aircraft loader mounted on a Canadian Military Pattern Chevrolet or Ford 4x4 in a high country setting.

Bedford RL 4x4 on a high country station.

Bruce Jordan & Son Bedford SL model with a good load of wool bales at a Christchurch woolstore.

Norrie Transport of Putararu had a nice fleet of Bedfords-from the left-A model, J model, D model, S model and 5 TKs-probably KG 7 1/2 ton and KH 8 ton models.

Bedford SSC3 tipper with 300 petrol engine belonging to the North Canterbury Catchment Board being loaded by a Ruston Bucyrus 19RB face shovel.

Bedford SSC8 tractor unit with Leyland 350 diesel engine hitched to a TMC bottom dumper belonging to the large Christchurch based roading and contracting company, British Pavements (Canterbury).

Two Bedford RL 4x4s. pictured in a high country setting. The truck on the left is a later model-this style of grille was fitted to the last S models from c.1958.

N.Z. Army Bedford D6 truck. D series Bedfords were built from 1957-58 and were replaced by the new J series in 1959. D series engine choices were 214 and 300 petrol-(in the earlier A series the only petrol engine offered was the 214). Previously the big 300 petrol was only fitted to S and R model trucks. The diesel engine option in the largest model D6 was Bedford's new 300 at 97 horsepower. A5 diesels had the 83 horsepower Perkins P6.

N.Z. Army Bedford RL 4x4 truck.

Bedford RL 4x4 with N.Z. Forest Service ex-World War II CMP-(Canadian Military Pattern) Chevrolet or Ford 4x4.

3 of North Otago Road Metal Co.'s tippers-a Bedford SLC3, Thames Trader 75 and British Dodge 300 series.

North Otago Road Metal Co., Oamaru Thames Trader 75 and Bedford SLC3 gravelling a street in Oamaru. It would take some skill to achieve even spreads with those small single axle trailers.

A couple of heavyweights on a mid-1930s Bedford WTL 3 tonner.

3 British trucks of the 1950s-early 1960s era reversed up to ramps at a stockyard or freezing works. From the right a petrol Commer 7 tonner of R.A. Daley, Wairoa, a Mk.2 Thames Trader and just sneaking into the photo an S model Bedford.

A 1951 photo of 2 of Chaffey Transport's Bedford OLBs carting wool.

East Coast Transport Ruatoria. The S Bedford getting a ride is a c.1954 SLCO model with the notoriously unreliable 108 horsepower Perkins R6 diesel engine. Later S Bedford diesels had the much better 105 horsepower Leyland 350 engine.

McKenna's Transport fleet. From the left 1946 Chevrolet, 1940 Chevrolet, 2 Bedford OLBs.

Bedford OLB 5 tonner of D. Haerewa, Te Araroa. A neatly loaded load of wool.

Te Reinga Carrying Company Bedford TK artic.

Te Reinga Carrying Company KH70 model Bedford loaded with hay. The KH70 series were introduced in 1966-67 and had the new 145 horsepower Bedford 466 diesel engine. They were the first TK models to have 10 stud wheels. Although rated at 20 more horsepower than the Leyland 400 Power Plus powered KH14 model that they replaced, the Bedford 466 diesel did have some issues and was a less reliable powerplant than the Leyland 400.

Kiwi Transport, Frasertown Commer C7 and 2 TK type Bedfords.

O'Malley's Transport, Ranfurly c.1936 Bedford WTL 3 tonner carting an elephant. Must have been when the circus came to town.

O'Malley's Transport, Ranfurly Bedford KC or KD loaded with bales of wool. In the background is one of O'Malley's big Fiats. A little truck like this Bedford would have been a really good truck for a young driver to learn on.

Early 1930s Bedford WLG 2 tonner of Ward's Transport, Gisborne.

Ward's Transport, Gisborne S Bedford with wooden double deck stock crate on semi trailer.

Winstone's Bedford RL encountering a bit of trouble from over hanging branches on a house moving job.

Winstones Bedford RL moving part of a house assisted by an Aveling Barford grader.

Winstones Bedford RL shifting part of a house across a narrow bridge.

Winstones carting a yacht on a boat trailer pulled by a Bedford RL.

Bryan Robinson's 1949 Bedford PCZ pickup.

L.W. Moult's S model Bedford transporter with International TD6-Drott Skid Shovel track loader.

S model Bedford tractor unit hitched to a lowbed transporter carting an Allis-Chalmers HD5G track loader.

Allis-Chalmers Tractomotive loaders. The Tractomotive Corporation of Deerfield, Illinois manufactured wheel loaders from 1947 using Allis-Chalmers components and fitted hydraulic loaders to A-C crawler tractors. Tractomotive was purchased by A-C in 1959. The Whale Contractors Supplies Tractoshovel track loader is an A-C HD5G and the nearest wheel loader is a Tractomotive TL12. Duck Bros. loader is a 1950s era Hough Payloader manufactured by the Frank G. Hough Co. of Libertyville, Illinois, a division of International Harvester from 1952. Also in the picture is a Winstone's 1953-54 Bedford A5 tipper.

Allis-Chalmers Tractomotive loaders. The Tractomotive Corporation of Deerfield, Illinois manufactured wheel loaders from 1947 using Allis-Chalmers components and fitted hydraulic loaders to A-C crawler tractors. Tractomotive was purchased by A-C in 1959. The Whale Contractors Supplies Tractoshovel track loader is an A-C HD5G and the nearest wheel loader is a Tractomotive TL12. Duck Bros. loader is a 1950s era Hough Payloader manufactured by the Frank G. Hough Co. of Libertyville, Illinois, a division of International Harvester from 1952. Also in the picture is a Winstone's 1953-54 Bedford A5 tipper.

A.B. Lloyd 1953-54 Bedford A5 logger. Cable Price Ford.

A.B. Lloyd Bedford A5 tractor and single axle jinker loading native logs. Note the configuration.

West Otago Transport no.9 Bedford SLC8 powered by a Leyland 350 diesel engine.

West Otago Transport no.14 Bedford KG model with semi trailer and cattle crate.

West Otago Transport no.3 Bedford SSC8 powered by a Leyland 350 diesel engine.

West Otago Transport no.8 Bedford SSC8 powered by a 105 horsepower Leyland 350 diesel engine.