NEWS UPDATE.
22nd January 2010.
Number 67.
The Unofficial Shelvoke & Drewry Website.
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NEWS UPDATE. 22nd January 2010. |
Number 67. |
This page is updated approximately every month to carry all the latest news about Shelvoke & Drewry - its products its former employees and those who have an interest in its history.
CLASSIC REFUSE TRUCKS |
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It has been a pleasure to assist Eric Voytko in updating the Shelvoke & Drewry pages on his excellent website Classic Refuse Trucks website. This website is a veritable treasure trove of information, although understandably biased towards the U.S.A. Eric must spend endless hours in providing this resource for anyone interested in the development of specialised vehicles for refuse collection. I was also able to provide information about the London based producer Glover, Webb & Liversidge and Eric has added an album about this company.
Simply go to www.classicrefusetrucks.com and follow the links from the News page.
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Vintage Roadscene Magazine Issue 123 February 2010
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In the first of four articles Malcolm Bates, former Shelvoke & Drewry Publicity Manager, writes about "The Forgotten Public Service Vehicles" in the February 2010 issue of Roadscene (ON SALE NOW).
As we might expect the article has a strong bias towards S&D. Of the ten photographs with the article no less than six relate to the Company, and include one three quarter page photo and one full page one.
Malcolm uses his trademark enthusiastic journalistic style and I think many readers will want to follow this series. Vintage Roadscene is now published by Ian Allen Publishing Ltd. on the third Friday of the month previous to cover date.
For further details go to:- http://www.ianallanmagazines.com/vintage.php
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Vintage Roadscene Magazine Issue 124 March 2010
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In the March issue which is ON SALE NOW Malcolm tells of the arrival of the Pakamatic in response to the need for greater compaction of refuse. The article includes a fine photo of the restored "1922" Freighter alongside a 'TY' Revopak. It's good to see S&D reported in this way.
SD MAGAZINE.
Each Quarter a Magazine section is published on the Website which remains for six months. The Spring 2010 issue will be found by clicking on the links. In the magazine you will find the following and much, much more:-
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World War Two Production at S&D. An account of how S&D won the contract to build tank transporter trailers for use with Diamond T tractor units. And a cointemporary account of the Welfreighter submarine. |
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A Second life for a Revopak. S&D's former Managing Director, Stan Quin, has contributed his thoughts about the Company's Apprenticeship Scheme. And Paul Phillips adds his recollections of those times.
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Those Shelvoke Cabs Part 3 Fibreglass. In the third of the series we look at the development of fibreglass with the advent of the 'T' type cab.
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For this issue have used larger file sizes than customary for the photos. If this causes any difficulties please let me know, but since most people now use broadband I hope you like the larger images. |
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Shelvoke & Drewry Museum |
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Coming Soon? |
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Wouldn't it be great to have a number of preserved Shelvoke & Drewry Vehicles all together in a purpose built modern museum? To see the Bradford Pakamatic alongside the Sheffield Fore & Aft tipper, an example of the 'W' type, a couple of Freighters, a fire appliance and a Revopak? It would be great - but it's a completely unrealistic dream. Even trying to get several vehicles together in one place this summer proved to be almost impossible. But there is a way. A "Virtual Museum". Go to http://www.pan3sixty.co.uk/commercial_portfolio/imperial_war_museum and you'll see what's possible. Imagine a 360° tour round a preserved vehicle - all available at a click of a mouse. The technology is already there. But can we access it and use it? Please let me know what you think about this idea. Is there someone out there who can make this a reality? So that we can say "The Shelvoke & Drewry "Virtual Museum" is coming soon"?
E-mails to me Brian Carpenter at: pinnerboy [at] btinternet.com please.
SHELVOKE & DREWRY SEARCH ENGINE.
Thanks to Google you can search the website. The Search Engine will normally be found on the Home Page. But you can try it out here.
COMING IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2010.
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Oxford Diecast are to launch a 1:76 scale (OO scale) of the Shelvoke & Drewry 'W' type Fore & Aft tipper in the first quarter of 2010. The first model will be in the livery of West Lothian. The model will retail at around £8.00. Further details can be found on : Hattons Model Railways Website http://www.ediecast.co.uk/stocklist/advance.aspx?Manufacturer=119. Go to Forthcoming Releases Oxford Diecast. The reference number is: 76SD001 This is great news for anyone who remembers the 'W' type. |
NEWSLETTER An easily printable 4 page A4 newsletter is available on the website in response to requests by readers. This should open automatically with Adobe Reader. If you have any problems please let me know. I suggest you print page 2 on the back of page 1 and page 4 on the back of page 3. |
MAGAZINE FROM THE INTERNET.
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BUSES EXTRA 49 October-November 1987. I'd been looking for this magazine for a very long time then at last I found a copy on E-bay for a very reasonable £2.50 plus postage and packing. Over fourteen pages David Kaye gives an exhaustive account of the fifty or so Freighter chassis that were fitted with bus type bodies. He gives an account of all the undertakings that employed SD Freighters and reports on their use when they were sold on. The article also features the low entry bus chassis from the SPV Division that appeared at the 1980 motor show. Subsequently it was bodied by Reeve Burgess with a centre entrance either side. At first used at Gatwick Airport as a car park bus by 1983 it had been reallocated to Heathrow for internal staff transport. Regrettably no further orders followed. For anyone interested in this aspect of the history of Shelvoke & Drewry this article is a mine of information. So I hope you have as successful a search as I have. |
INTERNET MATTERS.
CHANGED YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS?
If you have been in touch with me by e-mail and have changed your address will you please let me know. Each quarter I send reminders that the latest magazine is on this website and a number fail to deliver because the address is no longer in use. Please let me have your up to date e-mail address.
THIS WEBSITE's LINKS PAGE.
I try to check the links given on this website monthly, and have recently removed a few as the websites no longer appear to be operational. It is difficult to ensure that links remain valid as websites are withdrawn from time to time. I hope visitors will find the information they're seeking by following these links. If not please e-mail me at the address given below.
THE GROWTH OF THE INTERNET.
When I started this website in 2002 a Google search for Shelvoke & Drewry produced just twenty or so references to the Company. Over the years the Internet has expanded to such an extent that a Google search today produces around 400 references from the U.K. alone and over 2,400 from the world-wide web. It is no longer possible for this site to attempt to give links to all these websites. Many have items of great interest, whilst others contain considerable inaccuracies. I have attempted to have these inaccuracies corrected where a contact address is given. I also give links to the more interesting sites.
Photographs of Shelvoke & Drewry vehicles are now numerous on the Internet, and it is not the purpose of this website to carry too many photos especially out of sympathy for those accessing the Internet via the slower dial-up process.
I do hope that readers will join me in trying to get inaccuracies eliminated from the Internet. After all it's intended as a source of information not misinformation.
SOME LINKED WEBSITES WHICH COULD BE OF INTEREST.
JAMES DREWRY.
Tony Drewry, whose grandfather was the brother of James Drewry, co-founder of S&D has a Website http://www.drewry.net/TreeMill/indiI066.html where a whole host of material has been posted recently. This adds considerably to our knowledge of this talented engineering designer, and is well worth visiting.
WELFREIGHTER WEBSITE.
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Towards the end of World War Shelvoke & Drewry were commissioned to build 37 ft submersible craft for clandestine operations, despite having no previous experience of ship building. After over twenty years research Tom Colville has put the results of his search onto the Internet. Tom's late father Capt. Archibald Colville MOIsp KOSB was involved in sea trials of the Welfreighter based in Australia in 1945. The Welfreighter was a miniature submarine built at S&D's Icknield Way works from 1944 onwards. For many years the history of these vessels was covered by the Official Secrets Act, and Tom's father destroyed any papers he had about his war time experiences prior to his death. The story told on the website makes fascinating reading, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this phase of the history of S&D. It can be found at www.welfreighter.info |
PHOTOS OF SHELVOKE & DREWRY VEHICLES ON THE INTERNET.
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Shaun Taylor, from Howden, East Yorkshire, started a website featuring photographs of Shelvoke & Drewry vehicles in the autumn of 2003. His website, which is an excellent addition to this website, carries a large number of photos of SD vehicles. It's well worth a visit. This is now on:- http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/shaunsshelvokesite/ |
THE LAST REMAINING BEARER OF THE SHELVOKE NAME.
Mark Grace's research into the Shelvoke name has put him in touch with Mrs. [Edythe] Diana Shelvoke, whose name is the last remaining Shelvoke to appear on the Electoral Roll for 2007. Mrs. Shelvoke is the widow of Harry Shelvoke's nephew William George who was the son of Harry's brother George Edwin. Through this contact Mark has been sent photographs of three items which are believed to have come from Harry Shelvoke's Letchworth home 'Melverley'. You can see these objects on:- "Shelvok/Shelvoke/Shilvock One Name Study." http://creativegraces.net/genindex/shelvock/main.html
OLD WARDEN STEAM RALLY - SEPTEMBER 2005
Photos of preserved Shelvoke & Drewry vehicles that appeared at the Old Warden Steam Rally in September 2005 can be found on:- http://www.fleetdata.co.uk/rally2005/bedfordshire.html
For an alternative account of the history of S&D go to:- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelvoke_and_Drewry
A full list of links to other websites can be found on the "Links" page of this Website.
VIDEO on the Internet. Video clips of SD products have been posted on the YouTube Website. I believe that you need Broadband to view these. Go to:-
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ClassicRefuseTrucksRapidAssistant
FOR SALE & WANTED.
Try this website: http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/truckads/shelvoke_and_drewry_refuse_collector.htm
Over 16,000 visits have been made to the website since we began counting in August 2002. With 2,710 visits in 2009. Your comments, news and views are always appreciated. If you have enjoyed this website please e-mail me at :-
pinnerboy [at] btinternet.com and let me know. I try to reply to all e-mails within 48 hours.
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Brian Carpenter 22nd January 2010.
