Classic Trucks, Wagons

[Richard A Thackeray]

They also had a Bedford RL (I think it was a converted ex army truck) a pig to drive, 4mpg on the road....2mpg off road ...so they told us at the time. Its chassis was so flexible, off road youd see the cab lean one way, the body lean in the opposite direction, youd swear the chassis was going to snap...but all quite normal.

RLs are very flexible indeed
The 'Green Goddess' was based on the RL chassis-cab


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTa5037_JCg

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Especially after watching Hell Drivers. Rather comic now as the trucks couldn't go that fast so they speeded up the film.

Not like some of the American 'rigs', there used to be quotes in the Phil Llewelyn 'Long Distance Diaries' in Truck magazine of Kenworths, Peterbilts, Freightliners, etc..... geared to reach 95-100MPH!!!!

And of course, with you mentioning 'Hell Drivers', the Snowmans W900 could go fast
@00:45

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqtjMtEkDhY


However, it's curious how it suddenly gains a 'bull-bar' as it crashes through the patrol cars blocking the gates (@ 1:00)

Yes, I know it's meant to be Reynolds driving here;
(but Reed/'Snowman' is singing/playing guitar)
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HrNlWFGfdQ

 

[Beebo]

For the past few years we have watched the Truck racing at Brands Hatch. They always have a parade of trucks at the end.
It’s a great day out for the kids. The noise and smell of the huge trucks is amazing.

 

[steveindenmark]

I was a class 1 driver in the army and started in 1977. I drove Fodens, Seddon Atkinson, Bedford RLs and TKs and Scammel on a daily basis.

Its been years since I have driven trucks, but went for a day refresher last year. I was shocked to find that crash gear boxes are almost a thing of the past and everything is automatic now. The only automatic I ever drove was a Haulomatic tipper and it was awful. They had an old Scammel at the driving centre I went to in Denmark and I asked if I could have a drive. The instructor was shocked to see a sail maker could use a crash box without any problems. He said nobody at the centre liked to drive it because it was a pig to manage.

He asked if I wanted to return to driving as he knew someone who would talk me on straight away.

Not a hope in hell I will stick to making sails until I retire.

 

[Drago]

I remember as a wee kid, none of us knew a thing about lorries but somehow there was a special aura surrounding the Scammell name.

 

[wisdom]

In the early 80's, i took my HGV1 training and test in a 70's Ford D Series tractor unit and flat bed trailer.
My first job afterwards was driving a 1972 Scammell 8 leg tipper truck, with a fiberglass cab. A noisy, hot horrible thing to drive.
It was a POS and i dont have any fond memories of it.
There was a lot of those old 70's Scammell tippers about in the early to mid 80's. But for how crude they were, they could often handle site work offroad better than the modern stuff. More modern stuff would get bogged down and stuck more than the old Scammells did.

The sloping 6 cylinder engine of the d series was a pig to work on until you got used to them.The big screw that held the cab down was unusual.cold start in the grille with a hand lever for the accelerator
Push down the accelerator and pull out the cold start/excess diesel.

 

[Smudge]

The sloping 6 cylinder engine of the d series was a pig to work on until you got used to them.The big screw that held the cab down was unusual.cold start in the grille with a hand lever for the accelerator
Push down the accelerator and pull out the cold start/excess diesel.

It was that long ago now, i cant really remember much about that truck.
I can remember my instructor though like it was yesterday. I can still hear his voice in my head shouting at me 'FFS LEFT MIRROR CHECK'
He would also fine me a cup of tea for a minor mistake and a bacon sandwich for a major. Which i had to pay for when we had a break at a transport cafe.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Re; heavy haulage

Sadly, there's only one UK manufacturer left now, & even that's very small scale production
(if glorious trucks!!)

 

[gbb]

One thing I often noticed when I was young....lorry drivers often talked very loud, nearly shouting...and they often talked a lot .
1960s, 1970s, those trucks were noisy...I suspect many drivers suffered ear damage, hence the loud talking.
Comma 2 strokes for instance, it was like sitting inside a shaking can of marbles.

 

[Nonethewiser]

In the early 80's I worked for Kenneth Wilson (Grain) Ltd at their transport depot in Knottingley and their fleet consisted largely of Foden and ERF rigids and articulated vehicles equipped with Gardner engines - great British trucks that gave excellent service. The firm is gone now I believe but I have seen them mentioned on a classic truck forum (sorry, I can't remember which one), complete with photos of some vehicles that I recognised.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Re; heavy haulage

Sadly, there's only one UK manufacturer left now, & even that's very small scale production
(if glorious trucks!!)

A.L.E & the Trojan


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLAF8jXaFUM


https://www.ale-heavylift.com/knowledge-centre/data-sheets/trojan-truck/



A.L.E also operate a few FAUN Goliaths, now that's a big truck
(the white 8x8s, in this clip)
Don't forget that's a full size MAN cab unit that they use (as per 44ton tractor unit)


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Ck76TDpKo

 

[PeteXXX]

As well as the trucks, the gear shift was a treat! 😂

I had the joy of driving trucks with a Eaton twin split..

 

[lane]

https://www.filmsdocumentaires.com/films/2854-destination-doha

Anyone remember the BBC documentary destination Doha in the 1970s about trucking between the UK and Middle East? Fascinated me at the time. I have put the link above partly in French anything else on line won't work due to copyright issues.

 

[slowmotion]

As a schoolboy, I saw a Foden pulling a huge tree truck up Butser Hill in Hampshire. I was smitten.

 

[topcat1]

This years Historical Lorrie Run Crystal Palace to Brighton




https://www.facebook.com/david.falconer.7311/videos/1411200699032533/