The Mighty TK

Ian has sent me some beaut photos of the TK Bedford has father drove for Transport North Canterbury.

This was in the 70s when drivers worked from daylight till dusk  (and longer)  and most items were loaded on and off by hand. Here the TK with its 400 Leyland diesel has a tipper mounted on the flat semi-trailer for carting grain, although Ian tells me in this instance it was unloading some firewood at home.

I don't think the guys at Bedford ever thought a TK would be used to move a house, even though this only happened once apparently.

This A-train set up was a common task for this TK. Photos like this must have made the Bedford engineers groan. It's a pity the front of the TK got cut out of the frame, but a magnificent shot all the same.
I'm not sure what the GCM would be, but the Leyland would have had about 125 horses and I guess a 4 speed box and two speed diff and I'll bet every one of those ratios got used to the max.
Incidentally Ian tells me his father still drives on a casual basis in his late 70s.