The history of B Cronin & Co Ltd – Part Two
Article published as part of a series between November 2013 and April 2014
During the 60s, 70s and 80s, the premier fleet in the Waikato had to be the Tamahere-based trucks of B Cronin & Co Ltd. With red cabs and black mudguards, red tipping bodies and green stock crates, these rigs really stood out. Dave Hall looks back at the history of this stand out fleet. He was assisted by Barry Blackford, Barry Blade, Norm Boyle, Gary Chesterman, Marty Greaves, Kelvin Hayward, Kevin Healey, Jim McClunie, Hughie Padlie, Graeme Phillips, Ces Steele, Mike Sullivan, Alf Williamson and Dave Wood. This is the first of several parts of the Cronins story.
In 1962,Cronins took over the business of W H Blade Ltd. Blades were based in Balloch St, Hamilton and ran three International artics mainly doing stock. For Cronins, this meant a big increase in the livestock cartage side of the company. The trucks that went into the growing Cronin fleet were two AA models and an AR (becoming numbers 7, 8 and 9). Also at this time, two more shareholders, John Mosen who had driven for Blades and Frank Bartrum joined the Cronin team.
W H (Bill) Blade’s son Barry was driving one of the Blade artics, having passed his heavy traffic and trailer licence at 16. (Barry was the youngest person in NZ to have held a heavy trailer licence up till then.) He had just turned 18 at the time of the takeover and Cronins did not require the young bloke then but in 1964, Barry did join them to start a long association with the outfit. He worked his way up from picking up bobby calves to general manager of the bulk side before resigning in 1984. Barry was back working for Cronins as an owner driver in 1986-87.
From the early days, it was known that Cronins had good gear and were a good firm to work for. It was hard to get a job there as staff turnover was low and the waiting list was at least two years with the vacancies generally coinciding with increasing fleet numbers.
In 1963, the bulk coal cartage side of the business took a significant step forward with the introduction of the first truck named ‘Coal Scuttle’ (#2). The concept of towing two trailers and carrying 25 tons was way ahead at the time. Also from then more Internationals were purchased, new and second hand, and as the petrol engines wore out, they were replaced with mainly Detroit GMs by Ross-Todd Motors. The repowering programme was driven by Frank Bartrum and Mike Souter (a key man at Ross-Todd Motors of Cambridge).
Three other standout rigs which were set up in 1963 were numbers 4, 9 and 10. All were AACO 180/182 four wheelers with V8 petrol engines. They towed 3-axle trailers with single rear wheels and two were dedicated stock units. About 1966, they were rebuilt with GM Detroit Diesel in line 671motors out of Valentine tanks, lazy axles were fitted, decks and crates were lengthened and the trailers were converted to dual wheels all round. The stock only trucks had the names “The Bull Shipper” (#10) and “Big Bertha” (#9). Number 4 was set up the same way but with a hoist and Jim McClunie, who drove this truck through the 60s, said it was always busy due its versatility.
Another truck set up with a tank motor was ‘Atom Ant’ (#5). This was bought in 1966 and was also an AACO 180 four wheeler ex Bayview Transport of Napier. It was a short wheel base tipper with a two axle tip trailer and kept in this configuration. Toby Boston drove it for a few years. Cronins had a great run out of ‘Atom Ant’ as it was still earning it’s keep as late as 1977.
One of Cronin’s personalities was Dave Wood’s stock dog, Tim. At the Te Kuiti pie cart, he set a record that was never beaten of eating twenty two freezer burnt pies in one sitting. Tim was not feeling the best when needed for unloading stock at Waitara, but eventually did the job. He had to travel home in the crate instead of his usual position on the floor of the cab though.
The period from 1967-75 was a time of rapid growth. Five Mercedes Benz trucks were purchased and more Internationals – new and used – were also bought. With special licences, bigger loads were carried greater distances and the new trucks needed to be more powerful to be economic.
Beginning in 1968, Cronins secured the contract to cart coal from the Glen Afton Collieries opencast mine at Te Rau a Moa, between Pirongia and Kawhia, to the New Zealand Co-op Dairy Co factories at Te Awamutu and Otorohanga (closed 1973). Two brand new V8 petrol AACO 184 bulk tippers fitted with lazy axles, (#3 and #6) towing new matching two axle trailers were purchased for the work. However #6, driven by Tom Ross, was written off in an accident on the Kawhia Rd within 12 months and was replaced with a Mercedes 1418, also #6. This contract went on until about 1981 and initially one, then two, trucks were based at Te Awamutu for the work. Reg Dockery had been driving on this run for Reg Parker (a carrier at Oparau) and came over to Cronins to do the job. Reg was involved for many years as was Eric Ormsby.
Having trucks based at Te Awamutu led to more work in the Waipa district. The coal generally took the mornings and in the afternoons the trucks would be involved in local jobs, particularly lime and grain cartage. These Te Awamutu rigs also carted coal from Rotowaro to Tokanui Hospital and the Waikeria Prison for the heating boilers. Occasionally loads were taken to Te Kuiti Hospital as well.
From the early 1970s, Cronins were pioneers in bulk grain cartage. Jockey bin trucks were set up for more storage in the maize paddocks. They were an ex-WWII GMC tandem drive named ‘Corn Binder’ (#25) and an A5 Bedford four wheeler named ‘Bo Weevil’ (#12) ex Nasey Bricklayers of Hamilton.
The trucks were nearly always given names by the drivers. Early names included ‘The Enterprise’, ‘Whispering Breeze’, ‘Al Capone’, ‘Daktari’, ‘Lancer’, ‘The Fast Lady’, ‘Lindy Lou’, ‘Easyrider’, ‘Animal’, ‘Sweet Sixteen’ and ‘Dream Weaver’. From later years there were ‘Flat Nakka’, ‘Knight Rider’, ‘Madame X’, ‘King Louie’, ‘Super Hauler’, ‘Delightful Lady’, ‘Costa Lotta’, ‘John Boy’, ‘Thunder Road’, ‘Elsie’, another ‘Bo Weevil’, ‘Gofer Gold’, ‘The Gogetter’, ‘Grizzly’, ‘The Black Bitch’, ‘The Bear’, ‘Midnight Express’, ‘Phantom 903’ and ‘Grain Grunter’. Other nicknames are long forgotten and sometimes the names were changed when the trucks had a paint job.
In 1970 two young mechanics from International Harvester in Hamilton, Ian Willetts and Fred Landon, were seconded to the International workshop in Auckland. There they did a series of modifications to two new Fleetstar 2010s which Cronins had purchased. The petrol engines (one a 6-cylinder, the other a V8) were removed and Cummins NH250 diesels were installed along with Roadranger 13-speed gearboxes. The chassis were lengthened as well. These trucks then became numbers 9 and 10 in the fleet pulling new two axle trailers on stock haulage. Ian and Fred lived in a motel and dined very well for the three months that the job took.
By 1971, there were seven stock trucks, six of which were Internationals. These were the two Fleetstar 2010s (#9 and #10), two AACOs, one a 671GM re-powered six wheeler with a lazy axle (the only tipper in the fleet used on stock, #4) and the other a 4-wheeler C1800 with a 471GM (#11). There was an AB with 6-354 Perkins towing a single axle semi (#7) and a C Line with a 6V53 towing a 38ft Walker self steering two-axle semi (#8). A Mercedes 1418 towing a 40ft T&G spaced axle semi was the only outsider (#15). All sported two deck sheep/single deck cattle crates.
Most of the work was carting to the freezing works at Horotiu, Waitara, Patea, Gisborne, Feilding, Napier, Southdown, Hellabys and Westfield (these last three works were just north of Otahuhu in South Auckland), Tomoana at Hastings, Imlay at Wanganui, Swifts at Wairoa, Longburn near Palmerston North, Lowe Walker at Hawera and Gear Meats at Petone.
Local work to and from sales, and between farms was also done.
All new stock crates were made for Cronins by Jensen Engineering of Tahuna.
Also in 1971, part of the business of George Sullivan was taken over. An International F1800C (becoming #19) came with the deal but more importantly, access to Sullivan’s sand pit at Horotiu and a contract to cart sand to the Firth Readymix and concrete plant at Te Rapa was gained. The F1800C was painted in Firth colours, and replaced by an R195 in 1974.
By the end of 1971, there were six shareholders in B. Cronin & Co: Barry Cronin, Dave Wood, John Mosen, Frank Bartrum, Gary Chesterman (who had purchased Cedric Brown’s shares) and the company accountant, Ian Campbell.
George V Sullivan Ltd. 1946-71
This business, based at Sullivan Rd, Horotiu, was set up by George after he returned from the war. The firm had three general goods licences and carted pumice and sand (from their own pit at River Rd, Horotiu). A general freight run was operated between Hamilton and Taupiri. The trucks were the same shade of red as Cronins. An AA International artic and an Austin J2 van were the main vehicles of the freight side through the 1960s. Billy McManus drove the van and Barry Sullivan (George’s nephew) drove the artic.
Barry bought the freight run in 1965 and it was eventually sold to R.E. Johnson Ltd. of Ngaruawahia in 1978. Kevin Healey (TRUCK Journal correspondent) later worked as an owner driver on this run. The Sullivan’s tip truck was an International F1800C V8 petrol automatic which went over to Cronins. Mike Sullivan (George’s son) drove the F1800 and then worked at Cronins for many years mainly carting metal and sand to Firth Industries at Te Rapa.
Thanks to Mike and Barry Sullivan.
W H Blade Ltd. 1950-62
Bill Blade started this firm and stock haulage was the mainstay with some hay cartage. Blades carried all the stock for the Bryant Trust which owned a number of farms in the Waikato, and also did a lot of work for stock agents Wright Stephensons. Many loads of cattle were brought back from the Gisborne region to holding paddocks at Hamilton, and were then forwarded to various sales in the area. The colour scheme was red and black. Over the years other drivers were Duke Keen, Jim Charleston and Hersey Collingwood.
Thanks to Barry Blade.
Photos: Allan Adsett, Ben Uncles, Brent Knowles, Dave Lowe, Ed Mansell Big Rig Fotos, Richard Freeman Collection, Gordon O'Riley Collection, Grant Willis Collection, Kerry Hill Collection, Mark Henderson Collection, Marty Greaves Collection, Mike Hosking Collection, Rod Simmonds, Rufus Carr, Stu Barnes Collection and the Stu Mitchell Collection.