The Coal Yard & other stories

Page 5
Dairy Farm Invoices
Bill Ellis’s brother Alex had a dairy farm in 1916.             McLeod’s was in the 1920’s
Bill Ellis
Bill Ellis

THE FIRST TRUCKS

Bill Ellis undertook what could have been the longest journey of his life when he took the train to Invercargill to buy his first motor vehicle. After looking over the old Commer truck and hearing it run he agreed on the price and shook hands with the old owner. Can you drive? the man asked. Being told that he had never driven before, the man soon got Bill sorted out. This makes it go fast, this stops it and here are the gears he said. Around the block went Bill, soon pulling up once more beside the sales man.” O.K” the man said as he pointed his finger. “That’s the road to Dunedin”.
The old Commer had been used as a bus in Invercargill and so needed to be converted into a usable truck. This work was undertaken by the local blacksmith and farrier, Mr N. H. Brown. His workshop was on the corner of Kaikorai Valley and Taieri roads, where the Shell Service station is at this time (1st January 1999) he soon had the truck ready for work. The gears were changed by sliding a level around a notched metal bracket that curved around just below the steering wheel. Later a 1920 era “Thornicroft” was added to the fleet. Both of these vehicles had solid rubber tyres. Fred Ellis (Bill’s son) suggested the purchase of a light “Chev” truck for local deliveries and to use the big “Thornicroft”: for heavy work as there was no insurance available for the Commer. One day Fred was given a contract, to shift a church down south on the big Thornicroft.

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