Road squad on the move
The photographs come from the collection of Billy Mackay senior (former FC Vehicle Inspector - Longman) and the images have been sent by his son Billy Mackay (Aberdeen).
The event is the transfer of Road Squad staff to Slattadale Forest at Loch Maree and recorded by Billy senior’s friend Roy McCormack who was a member of one of the Civil Engineering teams before emigrating to Canada in 1969.
Roy had written a laconic comment on the back of the photograph:
‘On the road to Loch Maree. Bob More and Jimmy Munro with the “Sputnik” and our Home from Home.’
The ‘Sputnik’ could well have been a reference to the cramped none to private accommodation in the four single berth caravan with solid fuel stove and sparsely furnished ‘kitchen’ which may have had a gas cooker. Perhaps someone with experience of living in one can give a description of the finer points of this mobile home. The universal toilet was of course the great outdoors and cooking water had to be carried in by bucket or drum.
The lorry KYW83 is that driven by Jimmy Munro on the right and has featured in other images on this site. Can anyone name the make and model?
On the back of the lorry is a Ford tractor fitted with compressor and air tanks for powering rock drills or sometimes known as jack hammers. The under slung air tank can just be seen over Bob More’s head and the top of the power take off driven compressor with some air hoses behind the tractor seat. Another view is available in the attached PDF document and shows the front of lorry.
Roy’s farewell party can be seen in the website link http://www.fortroseandrosemarkiearchive.org/picture/number542.asp and along with Roy a number of other Forestry Commission people named as Bob Maclean (Cherry), Billy (the Drott) Mackintosh, Hugh "Toorie" More, Billy Mackay, Bob Mackeddie and Jimmy Ritchie.
Download Large Version (341kB)
Groups: Buildings in Forests, Forestry Areas, Other Vehicles and Machines, Road and Bridge Engineers and Works
6x4 Type: DG4/6. Comment left on 10 January 2019 at 20:41 by Ian Cameron