Burrell engine The Scout and the trailer bus at Duncombe Park Steam Rally 2009
Prestons of Potto (Richard Preston & Son Ltd) are a old established haulage contractor based in the village of Potto in North Yorkshire. The company is best known for hauling Steel from the Teesside steelworks on extending trailers and the fleet of Yellow Curtain sided trailers. The Preston family are well known in the steam preservation world with a collection of several engines and fairground organs.
History[]
Prestons of Potto was founded in 1936 as an agricultural contracting business by Richard Preston Snr, using steam engines for threshing and wood-sawing duties in the area around Potto.
The transport side was started during the Suez Crisis in 1957 when a local brick manufacturer, who was running very short of diesel for his fleet of lorries asked Richard Preston if he would haul their bricks to keep the contracts supplied. Richard Preston bought two 10 ton trailers and used his Burrell engine, Lightning II to haul 20 tons of bricks from Darlington to Ampleforth for four months.
Reaslising there was money in haulage he bought a lorry and latter gained contracts to move steel from the local steelworks on the Cleveland coast. The company has a specialist fleet of extending trailers for moving oversize steel beams by road. They can move beams and any long loads 60 m plus and 100 tons They have a fleet of self steering trailers and 150 ton tractors largest of witch is truck named Isambard Kingdom Brunel a 9 axle DAF Nooteboom outfit
Operations today include;
- Extending flatbeds for steel haulage
- Curtain side bulk and pallet loads
- Storage and distribution
- Heavy haulage
Transport fleet[]
A few of the Prestons fleet are listed below;
| reg no. | Model no. | Type | Photo | Seen at / misc info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V852 DHN+ | Volvo FH12 | Tractor unit |  |
Duncombe Park Steam Rally 2009 |
| NJ08 OCH+ | Scania R 480 | tractor unit |  |
Duncombe Park Steam Rally 2009 |
Steam and Organ collection[]
| Engine no. | Name | reg no. | Built | type | Photo | notes/ seen at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burrell no. 3618 | The Scout | TD 4276 | 1914 | TE | To add | Duncombe Park 2009 |
| Burrell no. 3526 | Lighting II | AO 6302 | 1913 | Showmans | 
|
On traction talk |
Models[]
Prestons vehicles have been modeled by Corgi for their transport fleet models in the Hauliers of Renown series and the Vintage Glory of Steam series of collectors models and other manufacturers.
- Models of Prestons vehicles include
- CC20507 - Corgi Burrell Lightning II Limited edition model.
- Various Haulage fleet models
Gallery[]
Add more photos here
See also[]
References / sources[]
- show guides
- The Traction Engine Register
- Traction Talk Forum
External links[]
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