Old school

[miller1098]

It's almost 40 years since I passed my hgv test and the DAF artic I drove was pretty basic you had to double clutch and time it just right with the revs for it to even think of getting a gear .had some deja vous this morning going down the road like a steam train lol

 

[Grumps]

Wow an old Foden. I imagine the gearbox your on about would have been an Eton twin split. They were an absolute pig! My first lorry had one so I know the pain you endured Hugh.

 

[t-tony]

Old Foden with a plastic cab, like the old ERF and Scammells.

Tony.

 

[Slam]

It's got a nice patina about it

 

[miller1098]

It's got a nice patina about it

Lol it’s for sale , lovely runaround .i mean you’ll get fit running around it

 

[Grumps]

What year is it Hugh? Do you know the engine size and BHP? Mine today is a 13 litre straight 6 410bhp. I suspect that'll be around a 3 litre 100bhp at best, wouldn't pull your granny out of bed.

 

[Rha]

Drove one of these Hugh with Gardener 180 with splitter box for 3yrs(79-81) then they promoted me to a Dodge with two speed axle, Volvo F7, ERF 350 Cummins, F12 all as bad if not worse than the Bedford and Scammells the army uses. Gave up driving for a living in 94 after last 8yrs as owner driver and sold F7 8wheeler with Atlas crane (now that was a useful tool) no waiting around to get unloaded.

 

[miller1098]

Drove one of these Hugh with Gardener 180 with splitter box for 3yrs(79-81) then they promoted me to a Dodge with two speed axle, Volvo F7, ERF 350 Cummins, F12 all as bad if not worse than the Bedford and Scammells the army uses. Gave up driving for a living in 94 after last 8yrs as owner driver and sold F7 8wheeler with Atlas crane (now that was a useful tool) no waiting around to get unloaded.

There was much more to driving then you really had to plan ahead no brakes and no power ,lol used to hate loosing momentum .Worse job I used to drive an artic load of lambs from here to tumbrige wells at night through the middle of London Vauxhall Bridge no M25 lol.unloading and the ones on the top decks used to do all their business on you ,usually down the back of your neck as you’re crawling around opening the partitions......don’t miss that

 

[Mazza]

Never driven a lorry......or a tractor. Have to start a bucket list

 

[Grumps]

Never driven a lorry......or a tractor. Have to start a bucket list

I wouldn't worry yourself mate.

 

[mwpe]

Never driven a lorry......or a tractor. Have to start a bucket list

The first thing I ever drove was a tractor, classic old David Brown, pulling glider cables back across the airfield when I was an apprentice.

 

[abh29]

One evening last year we were at my sons having a BBQ with his partner and some relatives of hers over from Australia .
He is a driver on the land trains., he current truck was a 18 speed Mack with a 600 HP Cummins engine. I was not aware that Cats had stopped making truck engines a few years back,we had them in Libya.
Some of his experiences in the heat (like changing a wheel in 48 degs) would put me off completely.
The cab was fitted with all mod cons .
His fuel use seemed enough to keep a refinery busy.
He really loved the Welsh roads ------ but only in his hire car , not his truck.

 

[miller1098]

Never driven a lorry......or a tractor. Have to start a bucket list

@Jack Ratt ticked it off his bucket list last month

 

[miller1098]

One evening last year we were at my sons having a BBQ with his partner and some relatives of hers over from Australia .
He is a driver on the land trains., he current truck was a 18 speed Mack with a 600 HP Cummins engine. I was not aware that Cats had stopped making truck engines a few years back,we had them in Libya.
Some of his experiences in the heat (like changing a wheel in 48 degs) would put me off completely.
The cab was fitted with all mod cons .
His fuel use seemed enough to keep a refinery busy.
He really loved the Welsh roads ------ but only in his hire car , not his truck.

That would be an experience

 

[Jack Ratt]

@Jack Ratt ticked it off his bucket list last month View attachment 99834

What a surprise that was when you told me to finish my cuppa and to join you outside. It was a lovely memory from a great week in Wales, the newborn lambs were lovely too

 

[Robert Wiles]

Foden, ERF, Seddon, Atkinson, Scammell, AEC, Commer. Commercial vehicle makes from when I was a lad. Who remembers the 3 cylinder supercharged two stroke Commers? They sounded fantastic at full chat.
AECs were beautifully made. I worked for an engine reconditioning business for a while. One day we had to go on site to a local haulage company to put new liners and pistons into an AEC Mandator. Whilst there, I remember the guv'nor measuring the big end journals for wear. The lorry had done over 400,000 miles but they were still bang on. Happy memories...

 

[t-tony]

There was a company in Gainsborough which had a fleet of those 2 stroke Commers Rob, and yes they had a sound all of their own. Also there were Leyland, Albion and more? Later the Scandinavian makes came in Volvo, Scania and early Saviem (Renault?)

Tony.

ps. I remember helping Reg (Shirl's dad) to pull/press dry liners out of lorry blocks in the evenings, like I did in my day job as an Agric. Apprentice

 

[Robert Wiles]

Yeah, I'd forgotten Albion and Leyland....
You're right, pulling liners wasn't the nicest job. I do remember the guv'nor teaching me to put paint around a dry liner before pressing it in. Whilst wet the paint acted as a lubricant to help pressing the liner in, and then when it dried it would act as a sealant. Tricks of the trade that have been lost down the years....

 

[t-tony]

Shirl's dad built all his own "Wreckers" on Ex Army recovery vehicles. When I first started going out with Shirl he had 3, a Commer 4x4 (complete with canvas gunners turret cover in cab roof), a 6x4 Albion Tractor with winch and a Scammell 6x6 with winch and Crane. I went out with Reg for the first time on a recovery job in the old Albion and he passed me a pair of ear defenders (glad he did too) as the transmission absolutely screamed when you got up to cruising speed (25mph). He said,(shouted) smirking, "You can go a long way in a long time in this thing"

Tony.

 

[Rha]

Now can anyone imagine this, as young tank driver in Germany 1966 my job was to drive the Centurion tank onto the trailer of the Antar tank transporter which on its own was the most scary thing I'd ever done, then ride with the two Polish crew to the exercise area usually a couple of hrs on Autobahn, sitting in the middle of this crew with the co-driver fast asleep and the driver wants to relieve himself, he jestered to me to steer the Antar whist he opened the door to step out behind the cab to do the business. OK I admit it wasn't a drive as such cos the throttle was set to flat out at 26mph but I had no choice but to steer as best I could whilst trying to wake the co-driver who just didn't want to know, it seemed like forever before the driver got back in and my adrenaline was through the roof. Imagine this vehicle at nearly 100tons in the hands of a 18 yr old on the opersite side of the road in a foreign country, shocked is not the word and something that has been etched into my memory untill I die. NO!!!!!! I didn't enjoy it at the time but would love to have another go now.

Two merlin / spitfire engines, one in the Antar the other in the Centurion tank with combined weight of somewhere close to 100tons. Only 330hp pulling all that weight, less than our beloved Z3 "M", the mind boggles.

Rha,Roy.