Page 2. SD Enthusiasts' Club Magazine - Summer 2010.
A DUSTMAN REMEMBERS. Part 1.
By Trevor Wood.
I worked on the dustcarts from 1972 until about 1976 and worked on most of the common makes but always found the SD to be the best.
It certainly was a job I look back on with fond memories, we did have a lot of fun and at the time I joined the money was good (it was not long
after the big strike and the money had shot up.) I had a friend who was a policeman and my basic was higher than his, plus we got 50% bonus
on top every week and a bit of overtime.
I joined Dorking U.D.C. in Oct 1972 who at that time had three SD TZ Pakamatics, one SD F&A with bulk bin lift and a Bedford TK with Eagle
Crushload body. When I had been there for about a year I decided to try Guildford R.D.C. as I lived halfway between their depot and Dorking's.
They were 100% SD Pakamatics, nine 35yd TZ's, three 20yd TN's and two stretched 25 yd TN's, most were new in 1971/72. They had
introduced the plastic bag system and it was not as good a job as Dorking (who used skeps) so I went back to Dorking a.s.a.p.
Pakamatic with bin lifter. |
The oldest Pakamatic at Dorking U.D.C., a 1964 version with bulk bin attachment was quite a thing. You may
recall that when fitted for Paladin bin handling doors were fitted on the rear, either side of the lifting
mechanism. This vehicle was mainly used for manual loading and it required quite a knack to empty a bin
through those holes without getting cauliflower ears from the bin! A fact most of our crews discovered when
the vehicle was replaced by a Revopak and thus became 'the spare.' The hopper had sloping sides on these
early versions and the driver had to constantly push the refuse in with a shovel since we were loading in the
corners of the hopper. Because of the extra weight on the rear end the vehicle would easily stand on its back
legs when tipping! Something I found out when taking a drink in the cab while emptying the body. It nearly
choked me! It also had the habit of breaking half shafts fairly often.
On one occasion we were travelling on the rear steps on one of the later Pakamatics, we were going down
this bumpy track and the driver was a mad sod. There were two of us on each step and suddenly the step that
the other two were on came off, one chap jumped off but the other, a poor old fella who could hardly walk
anyway tried keeping up with the wagon whilst still hanging on to the handrail. We told him to jump but he
wouldn't and he ended up almost horizontal as if flying! -- I can see why steps were discontinued. |
Revopak with bin lifter. |
The Revopak which replaced the Pakamatic was like a Rolls-Royce
even though we still loaded through the doors either side of the
slimmer rack & pinion bin lift we could not block it up no matter how
quickly we loaded. The door to gain access to the ejection barrier
was also useful as an emergency toilet, no doubt health & safety
would not approve! On one occasion I was operating the bin lift when
a wheel came off the raised Paladin bin and hit me on the head - no
hard hats then - I saw stars for a while then carried on working.
In April 1974 amalgamations took place between Dorking U.D.C.,
Leatherhead U.D.C. and the rural part of Dorking & Horley R.D.C. to
form Mole Valley District Council. From Dorking & Horley Rural
District Council came some Glover, Webb & Liversidge [GWL]
vehicles plus a 15 cu yd SD F&A and a 35 cu yd SD F&A - the big
one with the pneumatic operated rear door. From Leatherhead
came one SD F&A several Dennis Paxits and a couple of Dennis
Bulkmasters. |
I left Mole Valley in 1976 and went off to do other things. In the next article I will tell of my memories of the Fore & Aft tippers and then go on to
the Eagle Crushload and in my final article the GWL Musketeers, and a prototype Grenadier.