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Thank You!

A special thank you to the late Thomas William Riding, former managing director and chief executive of W & J Riding for 25 years, to whom this website is dedicated.

Over the years Tom was kind enough to supply a vast amount of detailed historical information along with many of the superb rare photographs featured and without his invaluable help and dedication this website would not have been possible.

The site now contains over 2500 images, complete with in depth details, all of which are accessible via the main menu & side menu (marked with the mobile menu icon of 3 lines on a mobile & tablet).

Leyland Steer Reg No 880 FTF

Originally built by Leyland Motors as a Leyland Steer Reg No 880 FTF Fleet No 45 was registered new on the 1st of August 1958 and had a long and varied life while in the W & J Riding fleet.

During it’s 35 years with the company it was chopped down and converted into a Leyland Beaver tractor unit, was involved in a roll over accident, was used as a ballast tractor/recovery truck and was eventually saved for preservation after being parked up in a corner of the depot for many years.

Below are a selection of images, along with detailed information, documenting it’s working life at W & J Riding.

Originally purchased brand new as a Leyland Steer Reg No 880 FTF Fleet No 45 is seen here not long after entering service with the fleet in August 1958.

Parked in the yard at Longridge and driven at that time by Albert Brown aka ‘Big Albert’, it is waiting to head back to Accrington, were it was based along with another Leyland Steer in the fleet at that time Reg No 868 LTJ.

With articulation rapidly becoming popular in the early 1960’s there was a major shortage of brand new tractor unit’s being built by manufactures at that time.

This being the case in 1963 it was decided to cut down Reg No 880 FTF Fleet No 45 and turn it into this smart looking Leyland Beaver 4×2 tractor unit.

Pictured above fresh out of the paint shop it went on to serve the company well until 1967 when it was unfortunately involved in a rollover accident near Preston pictured below.

Another picture taken by the late Jim Riding in 1963 after 880 FTF had just emerged from the workshops after it had been gut down into this Leyland Beaver 4×2 tractor unit.

Converted Leyland Beaver 4×2 tractor unit Reg No 880 FTF Fleet No 45 is pictured here in 1967 after rolling over on the roundabout adjacent to Junction 31 of the M6 near Preston known locally as the ‘Tickled Trout’.

After this accident this vehicle later became the yard shunter and recovery tug.

880 FTF back at Longridge depot after being recovered from the scene of the accident adjacent to Junction 31 of the M6 near Preston

It was soon up and running again after undergoing repairs in Riding’s own workshops and renumbered Fleet No 47.

After being involved in the roll over accident on the roundabout beneath Junction 31 of the M6 near Preston Leyland Beaver 4×2 tractor unit Reg No 880 FTF was fully repaired and renumbered Fleet No 47.

Over the following years, as the fleet was gradually replaced with Atkinson’s and later Seddon Atkinson’s, 880 FTF was fortunate in being the last Leyland to survive in the fleet and was used for a number of years by the workshops for running trailers to Kirkham for MOT testing and also as a yard shunter.

Apart from being a yard shunter and running trailers over to Kirkham for their MOT tests Tom Riding also adapted it into a ballast tractor able to carry six tons of weights for towing in fully loaded broken down vehicles.

Another nice colour shot of Reg No 880 FTF after being adapted into a ballast tractor able to carry six tons of weights for towing in fully loaded broken down vehicles.

Pictured here on the 21st of November 1992, when 34 years old, Leyland Beaver 4×2 tractor unit Reg No 880 FTF stands in the yard at Longridge shortly before being remove and saved for preservation.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Richards.

Another shot of Leyland Beaver 4×2 tractor unit Reg No 880 FTF taken a couple of months later on the 13th of January 1993 while parked in the yard at Longridge shortly before being removed and sold on to the Pyatt Brothers of Cheadle.

As of August 2024 Rob Pyatt said it was half restored with all the cab done and most of the chassis rebuilt.

To be continued………