Timber Lorry at Bin Forest circa 1980
The image is courtesy of John Thomson, formerly Forest District Manager of Aberdeenshire and Moray Forest District. This black and white image was taken on the same occasion as that shown in Image No 252 on this website by a photographer from Westland of Inverurie, Photographic Artists.
The AEC Militant 6 x 6 lorry is parked at the entrance to the Bin Forest at Pirrie’s Road leading up towards Cleanbrae and is loaded with Norway and Sitka spruce trees in long lengths from the clear felling operations in the forest behind. The trees would have been planted around 1926.
A comment from Lewis MacAskill in 2014 explains much of the detail: ‘my Dad (Bill MacAskill, ex MD of Riddochs) went down to England and bought it, plus another similar 6x6 Militant from an ex military vehicle seller in Bedfordshire c 1980/81.They were driven home to Mosstodloch (at max speed of 23mph!) and then fitted with 5th wheels/HIAB loaders and put straight to work, picking up empty trailers at the forest road end, taking them in, loading and returning the loaded trailer for haulage by the road going trucks to the mills at Mosstodloch and Kinnoir (Huntly).Robbie was the driver of this one, and he worked all over the north east, Moray and Inverness-shire - the other Militant was based over in the west, at Riddochs Kilmallie mill (F. William). This truck was nicknamed "Hissing Sid", because of the constant hissing from the air brake system.I only drove it once, around the sawmill yard at Mosstodloch - it wasn't for the faint hearted...I remember Jock Copeland (Mosstodloch mill manager) showing me the original Army log book for the truck, which showed that it had seen service at Aden (the African desert) in the mid 1950s! This truck was retired and bought by Johnny Bichan, Findhorn, Moray, farmer and military vehicle collector. I believe he restored it to military spec.’
As chance would have it the replacement crop in the forest has been clear felled yet again in 2024/25 following windblow from several storms over the previous two years.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Timber lorries and loaders