Blaw Knox Pavers

[jcbjs220]

Just a little fact, which im sure most of you guys probably knew, but incase you didnt, blaw knox factory used to be here in rochester, kent. Im not sure what year it closed, but remember the demolition starting around 1996, as used to go down every day after school and watch the tearing the place down. Its now flats and appartments. And just accross the river used to be (many many moons ago) averling barford. Thats long gone now, it was turned into council offices, and now those have recently been levelled. Its a shame, that where I live used to play a big role in manufactiring, and like so many other places, the factories are now shut, demolished, and long gone.

[XS650]

from t'net the olden days ;-

BLAW KNOX.jpg

[XS650]

from t'net the olden days ;-

BLAW KNOX.jpg

[mick h]

hi
the roller in the picture as still got the brass horse on,very rare as all us tarmacers used to prize them off.

[XS650]

Must have been new !

[modelman093]

Just a little fact, which im sure most of you guys probably knew, but incase you didnt, blaw knox factory used to be here in rochester, kent. Im not sure what year it closed, but remember the demolition starting around 1996, as used to go down every day after school and watch the tearing the place down. Its now flats and appartments. And just accross the river used to be (many many moons ago) averling barford. Thats long gone now, it was turned into council offices, and now those have recently been levelled. Its a shame, that where I live used to play a big role in manufactiring, and like so many other places, the factories are now shut, demolished, and long gone.

And down the road in Maidstone used to be Tilling Stevens the designers and builders of that fabulously noisy but rather complicated TS3 opposed piston diesel engine used in Commer (and other ) lorries!
Angus

[XS650]

They also built reliable and economical petrol/ electric drive medium sized trucks into the 1940s. Hybrids in the current vernacular

[mick h]

got some pictures to put on but don't know how to do it. can anybody help.

[38RBSII]

hi all,
some of you maybe interested in this youtube film , "road resurfacing in 1970's britain " very good film footage of a b/k pf 90 in think , with rollers ,
enjoy ! lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4hZFb7BGjQ

Interesting footage, Steve.

That 3 pointer looks like a Wallis & Stevens. I did a BK 191 operator's course at the Blaw Knox factory in early 1995. I believe the factory closed not long afterwards.

Matt.

[Hutch]

This is my first post on the forum so I must say hello to everyone.After a brief spell with Tilcon I completed my fitting apprenticeship with Tarmac in their workshops at Ditton and Snodland in Kent. Some of the plant shown in the photos I have worked on, the Bristowes chip spreader was on hire to Alfred Mcalpine on the Ham Street bypass and is one of two 15 foot machines that Tarmac owned in the early 90s.In the Pathe film the roller is a Wallis and Stevens Advance 8/10 ton with rear steering rolls that were popular with London surfacing crews due to their ability to follow tight curb lines at bellmouths. After more than 20 years with Tarmac I decided to go freelance and the Beach BK191 was one of my first callouts for Ringway.The paver was a split drive auger conveyor 191 and the cummins engine had done what all of these overworked engines in this model did when the injection pump wore and that was to overheat and cut out not to restart but just turn over ,the only thing to do was let it cool down.The Beach Hamm roller recently caught fire on the Stoke Road Grain and I had to recover it onto a low loader, it probably will be scrapped.The last photo of the PF90 and roller is I believe Anglo Americans first foray into surfacing in the UK may be wrong though.Hope the above is of interest

Regards
Hutch