Bedford TM Brimac Recovery Truck
6x4 Powered by a Detroit Engine
Reg No. LNK 984V
The Bedford TM Brimac was purchased by Vauxhall Motors service station at the Ellesmere Port factory in 1974 and used on trade plates to recover broken-down TM's working on the Vauxhall fleet at Ellesmere Port.
The Vauxhall fleet at the Ellesmere Port plant consisted of 46 Bedford TM's units; all were doubled-manned, working a day and night shift delivering and collecting trailers to and from Immingham docks and the Norfolk Line, Great Yarmouth.
The Bedford TM's clocked up considerable mileage; most of the trailers were on a"just in time" basis. A spare TM articulated unit was on standby 24-7 - when a breakdown occurred, the spare unit would be loaded on the back of the Brimac to be exchanged with the broken down artic, returned to the service station and swiftly repaired to be put on the road ready for the next shift.
Vauxhall Motors didn't like the public to observe their in-house fleet TM's towed behind a breakdown truck, as this was seen to be bad publicity.
The Brimac worked from 1974-2006 - the last Bedford TM at Ellesmere Port. In 2006 it was sold off for scrap. The Griffin Trust heard about its fate and quickly cemented a deal with the scrap man and the truck was saved. A number of major repairs were needed to make the TM roadworthy.
