Showman Lorries

[S10 GTA]

Following on from the Classic Car thread, I'd like to propose a Showman Lorries thread. This is for the benefit of my dad, as he is slightly obsessed with them, and has many model lorries, and takes trips around the south to shows to look at them.

So if any of you have some good pictures, that will make him happy, then post away. I will reciprocate by posting pictures in the Period Classics pictures thread, when I get him to dig them out. There should be some good slides from his trip around the world in the early 60's

[v8250]

here's one for your father. taken at kophill last year. also, see many showman lorries and buses from the bladon bus museum + friends. there's a good field display at the now annual oxford airport show.

[S10 GTA]

Yes, the older the better

[Flunky]

Any help?

[Flunky]

I posted two images. Oh well try again



It was much easier in my day with the new fangled quill pen….

Edited by Flunky on Friday 6th April 19:57

[cazzer]

My mate runs the IT department of "Worlds Fair" magazine.

http://www.worldsfair.co.uk/index.php?option=com_c...


I think he has access to all their archives. But as there's probably thousands of pictures, are there any specifics your dad is after?

[S10 GTA]

Anything is good. I will show him this tomorrow, he will be very excited, older the better

Any pictures you guys might have, then post away!

Edited by S10 GTA on Saturday 7th April 22:54

[ShampooEfficient]

It's a bizarre exemption they have - but I bloody love proper old lorries. Mch more interesting than the latest Scania or DAF multi-auto-shift, plastic-laden bks.
Both have their place though - one imagines the cost for Stobarts to maintain a fleet of old ERFs or Fodens would be rather more...

[S10 GTA]

This kind of stuff is good apparently

http://www.flickr.com/photos/foden_djp/5461468516/...

[daveenty]

Flunky said:

Any help?

In a previous existence (many years ago) I used to drive an S80 tractor unit.
Mine had a 280 Rolls engine in it which was good at the time, no doubt the one pictured will have a Gardner, the preferred choice of the travelling community due to the fuel economy. (As has the Atky pictured below)

The gearboxes however would have probably been the same. Gardner engines were usually married to David Brown 6 speed boxes with a two speed axle, but not on the S80. Referred to by Foden as their own 8 speed box, there were definitely 12 gears in there.
1 - 4 (1 & 2 usually unnecessary), then range change up for 5 - 8 with an overdrive on each of these top four.

The recommendation by the maker(on the little sticker in the quarter-light) was to go 1 - 4, range change up, miss 5th out, and only use overdrive in top, hence the eight. It was soon found out by drivers though, that the overdrive could act like a splitter in the top range, therefore giving you an extra half gear in between all the top range, so once in 5th, split to 5 high, then button and shift down to 6 mid, then 6 high etc.

They took a lot of getting used to, and they were very unforgiving boxes (put it in low range by mistake and it would go), but possibly one of the smoothest and quickest I've ever used.

Incidentally, it also had the same three ratios in reverse (low/mid/overdrive) which was interesting, especially with short trailers.

Sorry to waffle and be boring, just those magnificent goldfish bowl headlamps took me back.

[Lucas CAV]

daveenty said:

Flunky said:

Any help?

In a previous existence (many years ago) I used to drive an S80 tractor unit.
Mine had a 280 Rolls engine in it which was good at the time, no doubt the one pictured will have a Gardner, the preferred choice of the travelling community due to the fuel economy. (As has the Atky pictured below)

The gearboxes however would have probably been the same. Gardner engines were usually married to David Brown 6 speed boxes with a two speed axle, but not on the S80. Referred to by Foden as their own 8 speed box, there were definitely 12 gears in there.
1 - 4 (1 & 2 usually unnecessary), then range change up for 5 - 8 with an overdrive on each of these top four.

The recommendation by the maker(on the little sticker in the quarter-light) was to go 1 - 4, range change up, miss 5th out, and only use overdrive in top, hence the eight. It was soon found out by drivers though, that the overdrive could act like a splitter in the top range, therefore giving you an extra half gear in between all the top range, so once in 5th, split to 5 high, then button and shift down to 6 mid, then 6 high etc.

They took a lot of getting used to, and they were very unforgiving boxes (put it in low range by mistake and it would go), but possibly one of the smoothest and quickest I've ever used.

Incidentally, it also had the same three ratios in reverse (low/mid/overdrive) which was interesting, especially with short trailers.

Sorry to waffle and be boring, just those magnificent goldfish bowl headlamps took me back.

Like this? lots of firms replaced the Foden box with a Fuller 9 speed as it was much easier to use -


The David Brown 6 speed wasn't up to the torque of anything larger than the Cummins 220 or Gardner 180 and the ratios are really widely spaced -- which makes upshifts rather awkward on a big hill!

[daveenty]

Lucas CAV said:

Like this? lots of firms replaced the Foden box with a Fuller 9 speed as it was much easier to use -


The David Brown 6 speed wasn't up to the torque of anything larger than the Cummins 220 or Gardner 180 and the ratios are really widely spaced -- which makes upshifts rather awkward on a big hill!

Exactly like that. memories....

Personally I found the Foden box far better, and as quick if not quicker when you got used to it. Most of our mixed fleet, mainly Leylands, had Fuller boxes (RTO9509?) but the Fodens, mine with the 280 and my mates with a 265 Eagle, both had their own. We eventually got rid and moved onto Marathon IIs. Never the same.

The firm went onto the bigger stuff in the end, ERF mainly, with the 13 speed Fuller in them, but that was about the time I packed it in, probably around 1983-4.

Anyway, off to try to find some pics now for the OP. Sorry for the brief hi-jack.

[Dogwatch]

Maybe I'm a bit unobservant but the fairground stuff around here (Sussex Coast) just seems rather workaday. Short chassis Fodens and the like with gennies on the back but nothing particularly showy about them at all.

[mat777]

Here's one I spotted at Tatton Park last summer. Couldnt tell you if its a petrol or diesel though:



I've always had a spot spot for these big old Pioneer and Explorer 6x6 Scammels.

[S10 GTA]

Off topic isn't an issue, stuff like that interests him.

[Lucas CAV]

mat777 said:

Here's one I spotted at Tatton Park last summer. Couldnt tell you if its a petrol or diesel though:



I've always had a spot spot for these big old Pioneer and Explorer 6x6 Scammels.

It says Leyland Diesel on the side!

[jagracer]

daveenty said:

Lucas CAV said:

Like this? lots of firms replaced the Foden box with a Fuller 9 speed as it was much easier to use -


The David Brown 6 speed wasn't up to the torque of anything larger than the Cummins 220 or Gardner 180 and the ratios are really widely spaced -- which makes upshifts rather awkward on a big hill!

Exactly like that. memories....

Personally I found the Foden box far better, and as quick if not quicker when you got used to it. Most of our mixed fleet, mainly Leylands, had Fuller boxes (RTO9509?) but the Fodens, mine with the 280 and my mates with a 265 Eagle, both had their own. We eventually got rid and moved onto Marathon IIs. Never the same.

The firm went onto the bigger stuff in the end, ERF mainly, with the 13 speed Fuller in them, but that was about the time I packed it in, probably around 1983-4.

Anyway, off to try to find some pics now for the OP. Sorry for the brief hi-jack.

I used to drive stuff with mainly Fuller Roadrangers, Atkinsons, Marathons, Dodge ETC. At one point I was given a Foden as no one else would or more likely could drive it, I never did quite find out how many speed gearbox it had, I reasoned it may have had around 12. It would do 75-80 MPH on the flat but you would be straight done box every time you came to a bump in the road.

[daveenty]

jagracer said:

used to drive stuff with mainly Fuller Roadrangers, Atkinsons, Marathons, Dodge ETC. At one point I was given a Foden as no one else would or more likely could drive it, I never did quite find out how many speed gearbox it had, I reasoned it may have had around 12. It would do 75-80 MPH on the flat but you would be straight done box every time you came to a bump in the road.

Because of the big headlamps, you needed to put big blinkers on them so it couldn't see the hills.