Page SD Enthusiasts' Club Newsletter - Spring 2019.
Fifteen Years Ago in the Magazine Spring 2004
I've
selected two items from the SD Enthusiasts' Club Magazine
from its fifth issue from 2004 which I thought would be of
interest.
FORMER EMPLOYEES REMEMBER
1. THE SUIT CASE MAN.
by Dennis Nelson.
For
many years I was a Shelvoke Suit Case Man. I was a Demonstrator Driver
and for most of the week I lived out of a suitcase. My job was to show
how superior Shelvoke’s products were to those the Council were using,
to our competitor’s vehicles, and even earlier SD types. A typical week
was:-
Monday. Take
my vehicle to a Council Depot and introduce myself to the Head of
Refuse Collection. Sort out with him a programme of demonstration for
the week. Park up the vehicle and head for digs.
I
carried out demonstrations from Lands End to Dingwall in Scotland, to
Wales and even Northern Ireland – and all places in between.
Tuesday.
An early start. Off out with the Council crew on one of their rounds,
perhaps from houses or maybe shops, offices or factories. As the bins
are tipped into the vehicle I keep a careful count as we go along.
Then, when full, it’s off to the tip via the weighbridge. Council tips
are usually out in the country. Why was it they were always such windy
places? You could be sure that when tipping the wind would be blowing
against you, and nine times out of ten you’d be covered in ash. Or on a
wet day, covered in ash and soaking wet!
At
the end of the day the vehicle was parked up, and it was time for the
digs again, and the necessary paperwork to be filled in – there was
quite a lot of that!
Wednesday & Thursday followed a similar pattern, until the rounds were finished.
Then
depending on the time I’d finished and how far from home I was, I
returned to Letchworth either on Thursday evening or Friday.
Friday and Saturday were spent cleaning and servicing the vehicle, and reported back on how the demonstration had gone.
That
was the life of a “Suitcase Man.” I’d started at S&D as a delivery
driver. Steve Pearce is my brother in law. It was in 1960 that his
father, who was in charge of S&D’s Finnish Stores, arranged
for me to be interviewed by Basil Barber, who was then the Assistant
Sales Manager. My application to join the Company was successful and I
began fifteen happy years at S&D. Charlie Highfield, the Chief
Delivery Driver, taught me the ropes about preparing and delivering
vehicles, and how to give tuition to the customer.
The
company were still producing the ‘W’ type Fore & Aft tippers at
that time, but the new ‘TY’ Pakamatic and the ‘TW’ F & A were being
demonstrated. Jack Hubbard, who had joined S&D in 1936, was the
Chief Demonstrator, and he was demonstrating the Pakamatic. Des Walsh
had a Fore & Aft tipper with the double hygienic shutters at the
rear. These opened by pneumatic pressure when the operator pressed a
bar that ran across the rear of the vehicle. Jack Bailey had a narrow
bodied ‘TW’ F & A, whilst Len Breed demonstrated the gully emptier.
Wally Skeggs drove the low loader, and carried out the Freightlifter
fork lift demonstrations.
A TW Fore & Aft Tipper.
When
my turn came for demonstrating I was given a ‘TW’ Fore & Aft tipper
before moving on to the Pakamatic. Then when the Revopak was introduced
in 1971 I demonstrated that. We were part of the Sales Department, an
essential element in ensuring sales for S&D. I remember many names
from those days, and still see some of my former workmates. Others
sadly have died, people who “showed me the ropes” and started me on the
life of a “Suitcase Man.”
Dennis Nelson. 2004.
2. Memories of S&D from Canada.
by Tony Amer, Alberta, Western Canada.
When
I started at S & D my first posting was the Tool Stores, which was
between the Tool Room and the Inspection Department, opposite the
drilling section. I worked there for about 3 to 4 months ,,,,,,,to
familiarise myself with all the tools and jigs used in the Machine
Shop. I worked under Doug Ryde and Les Ponds. Being an apprentice I had
to brew the tea for the three of us. Tea break was in the basement
(under the Drawing Office) with the entry door at the top of the slope
and to the right. It was very interesting down there, as not only did
we stock extra drills, reamers etc. but in one section,...which was by
the collection of dust, all unused jigs and many drills and reamers
that were all metric. I asked about them,,,,,,,and I believe they had
been used during the war ( maybe on the submarines).
I
think that in 1958 the fellow who operated the gear cutting
machines,,,, was Harry Boonan, and Tommy Castle operated that long bed
lathe which machined the hoist cylinders for the forklifts. I had the
good fortune to operate the broaching machine for a short time. It
fascinated me how you started with a round hole and after the shaft,
with hundreds of teeth had passed through ......Voila.....a splined
hole !!!
Although
at the end of my apprenticeship, and after, I worked in the Service
Department, I actually spent about half of my apprenticeship in the
Machine Shop. I remember a lot of the OLD hands... Arthur Chapman,
Arthur Dunham, Eddie Carpenter, Charlie Cornish, Charlie James, Freddie
Castle, Frank Grimes and probably a few I have missed. It was a great
education for my future.
I
worked under a lot of the OLD hands in the Service
Department......including Jim Morley, Jack Fitch, Eric Kilfoyle,
“Charlie” Lawton, and last but not least, Frank Hopgood (who was also
Arthur Chapman’s brother-in-law), who was chief engine man in the unit
shop. Frank taught me a lot about engines (both petrol and diesel). He
was also a very gifted trouble- shooter on engines.
I
think back to those days with great nostalgia working on the MARK ll
and “ W” type petrol engines, and the P-6 Perkins. Now I get to
overhaul Cummins 60 litre V-16.8 turbocharger 2,800 HP engines in
Alberta, for the Cummins distributor in Western Canada. And to think it
all started with those S & D engines more than 40 years ago.
SD engine and gearbox as used in the 'W'type
When
I left SHELVOKES in 1971........I never thought I would ever find
another company that I felt so attached to. Low and behold ...I have
worked for Cummins for over 30 years now and some of my workmates have
been there all those years, so I consider myself very fortunate indeed
that I really only have worked for two companies in 45 years.
Tony Amer. 2004