Tram Truck"

Pentre Lane, Buckley

October 2005

3.331 - 334 and 28.403 - 405 and 28.439 - 442 are photos of two tram trucks unearthed at the former Powell's Pottery/ Green Meadows Laundry/Lithgo Saeka site, which in 2005 was being developed by Persimmon for housing. The first four photos were taken with the trucks in situ when just found in the pond at the back of the site and covered in mud. The next three were taken after being transported out of the site. The last sequence shows them spruced up.

I recovered the two trucks subject with my trailer, hosed them down and left them out for the winter to dry out naturally. In the spring of 2006 with some help from Mr. J. R.Thomas from Bagillt the two trucks were dismantled and I set about rebuilding one good one from the two carcasses available. Reclaimed timber was obtained from Ewloe Barn; my friend Morris Jones from Drury heated and straightened the metalwork and piece by piece I rebuilt the truck photographed.

A number of ex brickworkers and colliers have visited to see the truck and none can remember this tipper model operating in their lifetime.The metalwork is forged and thought to date back to Victorian times.

The gauge is 22" and a line of that gauge ran from Buckley South to the Willow very close to Pentre Lane where they were found. It has been suggested that they these trucks ran from Buckley South Colliery and Brickworks to the Willow Colliery.

Author: Davies, Paul

Tram Truck"

Pentre Lane, Buckley

Tags