Old Trucking Reminicences

Osgood

Western Thunderer
how much waft?

I’d need a pair and they wouldn’t fit the boat anyway...
Atb
Simon

You want a pair of smaller V8 oilers for a boat?
How about a pair of Cummins V555 non-turbo 220 odd hp each with low hours since manufacturer rebuild, currently in loading shovels.
7mm p/x always a possibility :D

If you want a boy racer boat just go for a Cummins 5.9 litre 6B - over 300hop possible in marine application :eek: (cooling is the key).
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Twin 306 HP volvos at present.

They’re 29 years old, and definitely warrant new / refurb injectors, but otherwise seem sound. If I were going to pull them out (and the cab doesn’t tilt!) I’d be looking for 400 plus.

there is a substitute for cubes. Go two stroke, and double the amount of bangs per rev... but not really an option.

atb
Simon
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Here's an old bruiser for you, an Antar wrecker. She sat at Rayleigh Weir on the old A127 for what seemed like donkeys years.

Parked up in front of her is my old Norton Interstate. Shot taken in '84. what you can see in this photo is mostly swept away when they built the underpass.

Antar. Rayleigh Weir '84..png
 

Rob R

Western Thunderer
Here's an old bruiser for you, an Antar wrecker. She sat at Rayleigh Weir on the old A127 for what seemed like donkeys years.

Parked up in front of her is my old Norton Interstate. Shot taken in '84. what you can see in this photo is mostly swept away when they built the underpass.

View attachment 128027
Was that the garage that had a loco (Hudswell?) tucked down the side?
Rob
 

farnetti

Western Thunderer
My first drive after passing my HGV Class 1 in 1976 was in a much older Foden. It was a real handful, the gear stick was behind the drivers seat and I was never sure what gear I was in.

Thankfully moved on to Volvo F88's afterwards, wonderful in comparison.

Ken
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
While you're showing wreckers - the dieselisation work finally started yesterday (I’ve entrusted this one to a friend).
She's only been waiting patiently for 16 years plus a fair few (guessing 18) before I took her in, but will be able to reminisce on her sojourn when back up and running with a Cummins.
I wonder what tales she could tell?
A 24T refuse truck was the donor.

WLF.jpeg
WLF resto 1.jpeg
 
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Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
My first drive after passing my HGV Class 1 in 1976 was in a much older Foden. It was a real handful, the gear stick was behind the drivers seat and I was never sure what gear I was in.

Thankfully moved on to Volvo F88's afterwards, wonderful in comparison.

Ken

Hope it wasn't like this old wreck of an F88, Spectrans yard shunter at the Wallasea Wharf on the R.Crouch.

Volvo Yard Shunter.png

Col.
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Well we've had a bit of a bashing here in Suffolk with the snow but never as bad as during my driving spell back and forth to Italy, I did have a few hairy moments on the old road down into Torino from Tunnel Frejus but never as bad as these poor buggers in Norway :eek:

Col.
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Nooooo.......:eek:

(That’s an alternative to hitting the like button which has never seemed so inappropriate)

Yes I don't expect anyone to like it, it does say the driver of the artic did survive and the driver of the wrecker did jump out as you can see in the film.
 

Boyblunder

Western Thunderer
Its amazing the driver survived that. When I was a wee apprentice in the '60s my firm were just starting to replace ancient Albions and Fodens with Guy Big Js and other "exotics". The old mechanics decided the truck accident rate was shooting up not because of the increased speed and power but because of the introduction of power steering. Their point was if you drove something like a fully loaded Albion Reiver into a roundabout much faster than walking pace you had to be Charles Atlas to turn the steering wheel fast enough to get round it. As I only weighed about 9 st at the time I can vouch for that. Maybe why the towed driver in the video didn't appear to realise his wheels were pointing at the cliff rather than the road.
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Power steering?
My dad once had an applicant for a dumper driver vacancy at the quarry.
He was a very small slightly-built chap who claimed he had driven the very same AEC Matadors in the army.
He was sent off for a trial round with Terry the fitter riding shotgun.
The run empty to the dragline at the face wasn't too bad, but once fully freighted the front wheels would track the 12" deep ruts all the way to the plant.
This chap was determined to show he was in control so held on to the steering wheel like superglue.
At one point descending a long steep incline Terry said he left the seat completely and he was wrapped 1/2 way round the front screen before the wheels lowered him back gently......

I was too young to drive at the time but years later after hey'd all been scrapped I acquired a lovely example.
And after its first run I replaced the steering box with one from an eight-wheeler - you could almost steer it with one hand!
One old girl I really did regret letting go....
9F77D9F4-C864-4D7D-83A2-FDB79F248CAA.jpeg
 
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