TL 3513
1934 AEC Monarch Lorry
Fitted with an 80bhp 4 cylinder petrol engine, this tipper was supplied new to the Bracebridge Heath Mental Hospital, who used it to carry coke and coal supplies to the hospital, replacing a steam wagon on these duties.
After being stored for five years, it was sold in 1955 to a contractor and tree feller before being consigned to a scrap yard with engine failure.
Rescued by the Society in 1968, the restoration of this tipper was completed in 1975. The engine has continued to prove problematic over the years but is now in working condition.
FTL 138
1955 Albion HD55 6-wheel lorry
This vehicle was originally operated by Smiths Crisps. As a flat bed, the vehicle was operated by Smiths Potato Estates and did not have ‘the gold leaf diamond trade mark’.
The lorry utilises Albion’s own 6-cylinder diesel engine and is one of two such vehicles acquired by the Society. The box van body it now carries has come from sister vehicle FTL 277, an invaluable source of spare parts in the restoration of this vehicle.
There is still work to do but good progress has been made.
FUT 947C
1954 Austin Champ Military Version
This vehicle was procured under contract no 6/VEH/5531 in August 1951 and is one of 11,732 such vehicles produced between September 1951 and January 1956. It has a 3 litre petrol engine, which does some 15mpg and cost about £2500 new, the equivalent of four Land Rovers at the time.
This particular example entered service in November 1954 and was sold off at Ruddington in October 1965. Unfortunately, no record of its service life exists.
SVL 185
1961 Austin Gypsy Fire Tender
This factory fire tender with a 2.2 litre petrol engine and Moulton rubber suspension was owned by Ruston and Hornsby and used at its Waterside factory in the city.
It was donated to the Society at the end of its working life. It has now been fully restored.
HTL 913
1954 Bedford CA Van
New in 1954 to Kesteven Fire Brigade, Sleaford, for non-emergency duties, e.g transporting supplies, fire hydrant maintenance and repairs. It shows the early styling of the CA model – a single piece windscreen and revised front grille were introduced in the late 1950s.
Kesteven County Council, along with Lindsey and Holland, was one of the three administrative counties that were merged to form the post-1974 county of Lincolnshire.
Preserved for over 35 years by Peter Holland, the LVVS is very grateful for the generous donation of this most delightful and once popular type of van.
YU 5455
1927 Dennis 4 Ton Lorry
This 4 ton lorry was supplied new to Higgs & Hill Ltd, the body being built in their own workshops. Used continuously in the building trade, it travelled in the region of 250,000 miles before being sold off for £35 in 1942.
The Society obtained the vehicle from Smith Clayton Forge in Lincoln in 1967, where it had been used to move castings around the works – its rear springs having been replaced by one piece steel beams!
Acquired in a very poor state and missing some of its original fittings, it was presented to its original owners in 1972, who restored it to ‘as new’ condition for their centenary celebrations in 1974.
UH 1773
1296 Ford Model TT Truck
This truck version of Henry Ford’s motoring classic was built in Manchester and has a top speed of 18mph. It was restored to its present condition for the A T Mays Transport Company’s centenary celebrations and then appeared at many rallies in Southern England before being laid up for many years when that company was bought out.
It was purchased by Society member, Larry Riches in 2002 and subsequently kindly donated to the LVVS in June 2008.
Its arrival at the museum led to a hasty driver familiarisation programme. The vehicle has two pedals, one of which is the brake and the other controls the forward and reverse gears, the accelerator being located on the steering column!
GLW 419
1942 Leyland Merryweather 100 Turntable Escape
Early in 1942, all new and uncompleted vehicles were ‘frozen’ by the Ministry of Supply. This one, a Leyland TD7 double deck bus chassis was released by the Ministry later that year, fitted with a petrol engine and a Merryweather fire engine body incorporating a 100ft turntable escape ladder.
It was delivered to the National Fire Service in Lincoln and was handed over to the Lincoln Fire Brigade in 1947 who presented it to the Society in 1968.
It has a 5 litre 33hp petrol engine and a four speed crash gearbox with a splitter unit which effectively gives it eight gears. It weighs 9.5 tons, has a top speed of 55mph and a petrol consumption of 6mpg.
MFE 454J
1971 Morris 1000 / LCV Van
Fitted with a 1098 cc overhead valve engine and a 4-speed synchromesh gearbox, this was presented to the Society by the Lincoln Co-operative Society Ltd.
Designed by Alec Issigonis, who was later responsible for the Mini, the car variant of this model was introduced at the 1948 Motor Show and was the first British vehicle to have a production run in excess of one million.
This van was one of the last to be built and has been restored by the Co-op’s transport department in their 1960s fleet livery.
WBK 390
1960 Morris JB Type Van
This van has a BMC ‘B’ series 1489cc engine, was purchased by the Lincoln Co-operative Society Ltd in 1994 and has been restored by their transport department. It is similar to vehicles operated by the company during the 1950s and 60s.
MM 470
1926 Morris Commercial One Ton Light Van
Acquired by the Lincoln Co-operative Society Ltd for use as a promotional vehicle, very little is known about its history beyond the Middlesex registration it carries.
VFF 631
1953 Reliant 'Regent' 748cc goods tricycle
This vehicle was donated to the Society in 2006 by Simons Group Ltd, who had acquired it in 1989 as a replica of the very first vehicle they owned.
The origins of Reliant vehicles can be traced back to 1935, when a Mr T.L. Williams took over the design of the Raleigh 3-wheeler van with a single front wheel. From 1939, the Reliant was powered by the company’s own version of the Austin Seven engine , which was used up until 1963.
Since arriving at the museum, this unusual vehicle has been treated to a comprehensive restoration.