Old Trucks

In 1951, when I first started work, I was an apprentice automotive electrician at Wooff & Salvesen (Dn) Ltd. One of the first things I learned there, apart from making the tea, was to drive their old 1928 Chev truck so I would be able to take the rubbish to the tip.

This vehicle had no door on the passenger side and the driver side door was fixed shut - you simply got in from the passenger side and slid across the bench seat.
The pedals were in the old format - clutch on left, accelerator in the centre and brake on the right. To signal a right turn you either put your arm out through the side curtain or used the electric 'trafficator' which can be seen behind the driver's side curtain in the photograph below.


1928 Chevrolet truck dumping rubbish at the Maia tip c1950-1955.
Timeline obtained through registration plate style which was used 1950-1955.

Whilst collecting information and photos for this project there have been a number of photographs of old trucks.   Some of these were owned by Ellis & Co, Coal Merchants and some by Mowat Contractors.   Then there was the Sentinal motor wagon, the new vehicle to carry wool bales to the Roslyn Woollen Mills in 1908. There were of course a number of other trucks and modes of transport and these may be added as they come to hand.   J.J.Purdie (Roslyn Depot) for coal delivery also did furniture removals - see photograph of their Leyland furniture van. (Photo K299).
Also see Laurensons Bakery delivery vehicles and other information.