Do you have a passing interest in trucks/HGVs?

[Sun Chariot]

I saw a wonderfully menacing Scania XT R500 last night, above the Arctic Circle in Norway. I've created a virtual AI version of it.

 

[Amos]

The British Commercial Vehicle Museum is in Leyland.I am hopefully going next weekend so will let you know if it’s any good.

Managed to get to the museum on the weekend and found it quite an interesting afternoon.There were quite a few exhibits and as you would expect most of them had some link with the leyland company.Not just lorries, but buses and a traction engine too.Personally I would have liked more information about the company. It was around 15 minutes walk from the station, and entrance cost £12.I had a voucher for half price entry, and am glad of it as I thought that £12 was a bit steep ( maybe I’m just tight though ).If you are in the area it is worth a visit, but in all honesty I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

 

[birchesgreen]

Thanks for that, as i am doing one of those "visit all the stations" quests (though this will take me a very long time) i will eventually get to Leyland so i'll probably visit the museum then.

 

[Mag_seven]

I've been following Bruce's journey with his Scania and it seems to be making quite a good impression. I'm surprised that the company doesn't already have a presence in the US; Volvo does by virtue of the fact that it owns Mack.

Another YouTube channel I've been following is Edison Motors. It's a Canadian company that builds trucks with electric drive lines, but they use diesel generators to keep the batteries charged. It's early days for them at the moment, but it's interesting to see how they're developing.

Thread reopened.

 

[GusB]

Thanks @Mag_seven

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been following the progress of Edison Motors, a Canadian company building electric/hybrid trucks.

The major stumbling block that they came across was that the engine they wanted to use was certified for use with conventional mechanical transmissions, but it didn't have approval to be used as a generator in a truck with an electric driveline! After much lobbying, the company has now had approval to build hybrids, albeit with the larger Cummins X15 in place of the intended 9-litre Scania unit.

Video update is here:

.

 

[Egg Centric]

Thanks @Mag_seven

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been following the progress of Edison Motors, a Canadian company building electric/hybrid trucks.

The major stumbling block that they came across was that the engine they wanted to use was certified for use with conventional mechanical transmissions, but it didn't have approval to be used as a generator in a truck with an electric driveline! After much lobbying, the company has now had approval to build hybrids, albeit with the larger Cummins X15 in place of the intended 9-litre Scania unit.

Video update is here:

.

In the medium-long term what's the point of a hybrid truck? It seems to me something useful only for a very particular stage on the way to de-carbonisation (and a stage that's getting shorter and shorter with the increasing progress in batteries and renewables especially solar). Clearly there's a use case, just not seeing that it's something most investors would want to back.

 

[GusB]

In the medium-long term what's the point of a hybrid truck? It seems to me something useful only for a very particular stage on the way to de-carbonisation (and a stage that's getting shorter and shorter with the increasing progress in batteries and renewables especially solar). Clearly there's a use case, just not seeing that it's something most investors would want to back.

Are you commenting without doing any research?

The point is that these trucks are essentially working out in the wilderness where there are no charging points. With the best will in the world, having a pure EV driveline isn't any good if there isn't anywhere to plug in.

 

[90019]

To answer the thread title, yes I do, but that's partially because I drive the things.
I did used to think it would be nice to have a fancy truck, and to an extent I still do, but having gone from tramping with my own unit to doing agency work driving whatever is available, there's definitely something quite nice not having to worry about the state of what I'm driving beyond not making a mess inside (which I wouldn't do anyway).

We can go surprisingly fast. It is the car/van drivers that pee us off. The standard of driving these days is just shocking.

What, do you not enjoy car drivers going 50 on the motorway who speed up as soon as you move out to overtake? Or the ones who pull in front then slow down? Or drivers who think the gap you've left for braking is for them to squeeze into? Or people who try to squeeze past when you're manoeuvring and get surprised and/or angry when there isn't space?
It's all fun and games.

I think handling a large vehicle is the most satisfactory driving experience of all. It really makes you feel good.

100% this.

 

[Egg Centric]

Are you commenting without doing any research?

The point is that these trucks are essentially working out in the wilderness where there are no charging points. With the best will in the world, having a pure EV driveline isn't any good if there isn't anywhere to plug in.

Sure, now. Hence medium term. With the state solar is getting to it'll be relatively little trouble in a couple of decades to install central charging points in the kinds of places where logging trucks operate. I'm not disputing that there's a use case now, just saying it's pretty transient imo.

 

[StoneRoad]

To actually answer the question posed in the thread title ---
Yes, I do have an interest.
Mostly in the older types that end up shown at steam rallies, but also in the more modern beasts that bring me my new projects and take away the finished ones.
Most recent was a "wafer" low loader bringing me the remains of a double deck tram ...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I used to be an Eddie spotter! Does that count? Sad when that company changed.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Had a liking for Bedford TK's as a nipper, as one delivered our house coal back in the day, but also the Ford (square type cab - prob 1970' design? Matchbox Kingsize did a model of same with an articulated flatbed trailer IIRC?). A guy round the corner from me had one of these (the real thing) as a rigid flatbed until about a year or so ago.

Had some involvement with HGV's in association with my railway career, with Seddon Atkinson's (one of being a Dreadnought) the other more modern, and an ERF which afforded me a few rides over the solent.

As someone up thread mentioned, when on a lorry, car drivers etc can be a real menace, and with regard to my images (attached) the one of the SA entering Fratton Yard demonstrates how tight the turn was, and having been on the ERF that entered the yard first on that occasion, in making our turn in from Goldsmith Ave we had to cross to the wrong (Eastbound Westbound) carriageway, and with all left hand indicators and roof warning light flashing, me hanging out left side cab window with my arm outstretched in 'stop' mode (for any one behind), we still had one moron come past us on the near side. My driver having stamped on the stop pedal to avoid this idiot, one could only be thankful our load was well tied down!

(For ref these images and all my others associated with same are now with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway archive for posterity).

 

[Cowley]

Had a liking for Bedford TK's as a nipper, as one delivered our house coal back in the day, but also the Ford (square type cab - prob 1970' design? Matchbox Kingsize did a model of same with an articulated flatbed trailer IIRC?). A guy round the corner from me had one of these (the real thing) as a rigid flatbed until about a year or so ago.

Had some involvement with HGV's in association with my railway career, with Sedden Atkinson's (one of being a Dreadnought) the other more modern, and an ERF which afforded me a few rides over the solent.

As someone up thread mentioned, when on a lorry, car drivers etc can be a real menace, and with regard to my images (attached) the one of the SA entering Fratton Yard demonstrates how tight the turn was, and having been on the ERF that entered the yard first on that occasion, in making our turn in from Goldsmith Ave we had to cross to the wrong (Eastbound) carriageway, and with all left hand indicators and roof warning light flashing, me hanging out left side cab window with my arm outstretched in 'stop' mode (for any one behind), we still had one moron come past us on the near side. My driver having stamped on the stop pedal to avoid this idiot, one could only be thankful our load was well tied down!

(For ref these images and all my others associated with same are now with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway archive for posterity).

Lovely stuff. An old boss of mine at a haulage firm I worked at bought one of those old Seddon Atkinsons (an 8 wheeler) as a doing up project. I got to do a couple of circuits of the yard in it and it was incredibly hard work to drive.

A friend of mine bought an AEC Mandator tractor unit to restore (the one with the tilting ergonomic cab), that was a nice machine and the AEC engine sounded lovely.

In the 1990s I briefly owned a Bedford TK based Angus fire engine. But I also worked on quite a few TK’s as an apprentice. Trying to work on the engine through those little flaps was no joke. For anyone that doesn’t know those lorries, the cab didn’t tilt and you accessed the engine via flaps behind the cab doors.

To change the engine you had to disconnect the cab and crane it off!

 

[Darandio]

Only just noticed this thread!

I'm not interested so much now but I worked for a local haulage firm for four years from 1996 to 2000, a typical family owned company that even in the mid to late 90s were still running Bedford's and the later AWD variant, 7.5 to 13 ton. About six months in i'd start working the late backshift where all the vehicles had to be put inside overnight as they were loaded with cigarettes and booze for the next day. The old hand I worked with taught me how to drive and even at 16 I helped drive the trucks in and parked them ready to sit overnight. If I was on early shift i'd help drive them out and park them up ready for the driver to do his run, wouldn't happen these days! They later got a couple of 17 ton Mercedes, wouldn't let me near them! During that time I had a mate who's dad was a driver, he used to get a couple of the truck magazines monthly so used to read them and went to a few truck shows as well so I was really into it.

In 2000 the company went bust during the fuel crisis and I didn't go back into similar work. They did pay for all of my lessons and test when I turned 17 though, forever grateful to them for that.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

For anyone that doesn’t know those lorries, the cab didn’t tilt and you accessed the engine via flaps behind the cab doors.

Sometimes it does seem that we (Brits) use to design things to be a challenge..

Have yet to look in to one more 'truck' theme of interest. My Grandfather was with the Royal Artillery, and drove munition lorries between the stores and the front line guns, well one lorry, as I believe he was allocated one particular vehicle, in the same way fighter pilots had their 'own' aircraft. He was in the thick of it on the push through Caen after D-Day, and was blown out of his lorry, and consequently out of action until '46.
Apparently on coming round in the CCS - Casualty Clearing Station - his first concern was for his 'best' shoes, brogues, which he kept with him at all times and were in the cab with him. Couldn't trust anyone else not to 'arf-inch' them if he left them in his billet.

Need to try and identify type of truck, probably a Bedford I am guessing? Think I need to contact the National Army Museum.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

To answer the OP's question, yes.
When I lived in Leeds I used to enjoy hearing the trucks of Fred Greenwood and Sons, Livestock Transporters, which always had a lovely rasp to their exhausts (although if loaded I always felt a bit sad, as I knew where the cargo were heading).
Now I'm in Lincolnshire I always look out for the transporters of ECM (European Car Movers); indeed I had a model of one for a while.
And I found myself running along a road in Grimsby a couple of weeks back to try to get a video of a very rasping Scania unit towing an aggregates trailer... but unfortunately the traffic lights changed before I could get round it!

 

[StoneRoad]

Was very interested to see a "wafer-deck" low-loader, with steerable rear wheels, just recently ---

Delivering a light but tall load, and due to access issues it had to be reversed, including over a step [about 6"] onto a raised concrete pad before the crane crew could get to work ...

 

[Cowley]

I’m not sure where it’s based but this has happened a couple of times now.
An F reg ERF swooping around the corner next to ours, with a low loader trailer conveying a beautiful traction engine two days ago. Pretty sure it had a little Cummins badge on the front grille.

 

[birchesgreen]

A while ago in this thread i asked for recommendations for museums with decent collections of commercial vehicles. Ironically, a museum half an hour from where i live has an excellent collection, can't believe that i haven't been to the Aldridge Transport Museum until now!

 

[Mikey C]

Managed to get to the museum on the weekend and found it quite an interesting afternoon.There were quite a few exhibits and as you would expect most of them had some link with the leyland company.Not just lorries, but buses and a traction engine too.Personally I would have liked more information about the company. It was around 15 minutes walk from the station, and entrance cost £12.I had a voucher for half price entry, and am glad of it as I thought that £12 was a bit steep ( maybe I’m just tight though ).If you are in the area it is worth a visit, but in all honesty I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

I find it a bit disappointing, not helped by its rather small size. Yes it's an authentic location, an old Leyland Trucks factory, but when compared to its car equivalent at Gaydon, which is modern and way larger, it feels a bit inadequate. And a bit out of the way too.

I'm not massively into trucks, but do maintain an interest in Leyland Trucks, seeing that I had a graduate trainee job interview with Leyland Daf back in 1990, and was offered a job there! Brilliant to walk through the modern Leyland assembly plant, which happily still exists.

 

[Cowley]

I do a bit of work for a friend who has an engineering business in Mid Devon and when I turned up a few weeks ago they were loading a stainless steel pipe run onto an extendable trailer with a fantastic Merc four axle tractor unit on the front.







I got chatting to the driver, his mate and the escort van driver about their truck and they were only too pleased to talk about it and let me grab a few photos.

The box behind the sleeper cab provided extra weight for traction but it was also full of lockers with various bits of equipment contained.

What a machine!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Fab stuff @Cowley
I do like 8x4 tractor units; and I have several (MAN variants) models by Herpa 1:87 scale.
That trailer seems to have a lift non-steering third axle, then five steering axles. I rather imagine its skilled crew can get that lot through some fairly tight spaces!

 

[Cowley]

Fab stuff @Cowley
I do like 8x4 tractor units; and I have several (MAN variants) models by Herpa 1:87 scale.
That trailer seems to have a lift non-steering third axle, then five steering axles. I rather imagine its skilled crew can get that lot through some fairly tight spaces!

Yes, you’re absolutely right about the steered axles because I was given a demonstration.

That was just before I opened my tin of specially mixed paint and saw that for some reason it was white instead of anthracite, came around to the realisation that there was nothing else for it but to drive all the way to Exeter and back to pick up the correct colour, and then consequently got stuck behind the truck I’d been taking photos of for half an hour as it slowly negotiated the roads that I needed to take.

At that point I realised that it was definitely a Monday…

 

[Sun Chariot]

 

[Magrar]

Definitely a passing interest.

My ex-Army engineer Dad was latterly a trucker, who took me on a few cross country trips as a nipper. Early supermarlet RDC pioneer, day/shift work, when it fit the ex-Army need to be part of something to be proud of, a national brand. He'd have hated what it became, with agencies and logistics contractors making it all feel a bit naff.

Maybe he'd have gone to another operator, but more likely he'd have done something even cooler. He was very cool, popular in the depot, big reason for me having such a fun and healthy upbringing, all those positive role models, a really tight group who loved a laugh. Definitely the cool one. Tanned, Ray bans, electric smile, Army fit, Army wit, not a typical trucker of that era.

So that's probably where my broad interest in transport and engineering comes from, but somehow, perhaps childhood travel needs, means my main interests are trains and buses. Detailed knowledge there, compared to only conversational trucking.

But I'll pick up the odd truck magazine now and then and read it with interest, even understand quite a bit of it. I know operators, types, makes, even a passable knowledge of operations, despite my dad's truck being the closest I ever got to the industry proper.

I have just two pictures, which I treasure. His rig parked up in our estate for a random (and presumably utterly unauthorised) home visit, and a pic of him at the depot hooking up the airlines taken by who knows, and who knows why.

Back then, even as a depot fleet, you could have your own truck allocated to you, its main or indeed only driver. We knew his truck due to one distinctive addition that was our secret. Made it sound magical, cool, but in reality, was probably a mere practicality to make his day easier when scanning for his truck in a packed yard. He was that guy.

He'd sometimes deliver to literally the nearest supermarket to our house and their depot. A notoriously difficult town centre drop. Wish I'd been old enough to watch him back it in. Mostly it was London multidrop, which makes his spotless driving record even more impressive.

Anything unusual will catch my eye. Love a heavy recovery rig. Love a steel truck. Love a showman's truck. Love a short urban trailer. Love a Volvo. Almost zero interest in heritage though. Albeit my interest begins with my dad's era, some thrity years ago now.

For a while there I was even snapping the things, but not as a spotter. Only the most interesting/photogenic (which is spotting!?!?), with a brief idea I could maybe get the whole set of a local steel carrier, given they occasionally park on the street outside their depot, my regular bike ride route. Not even close in the end.

Had a good few chats with some drivers of interesting looking rigs just randomly parked up. Seems a good life, better than most jobs. Not so good I've ever been tempted though. I think I already know I lack the discipline. Same for buses and trains.

I've been lucky enough to work in places where you could observe and even be quite close to trucks, so I'll often take a look, safely, and remind myself yet again, how bloody big the things are. I feel like I had a better grasp of how big the driving wheels of a Pacific are, well before I could tell someone with confidence, how high a fifth wheel is. You think you know from just being in the world, an adult allowed to drive near trucks even, until you're standing right there looking at one.

I've never been to a truckfest or museum, in contrast to the car museum mentioned above, once, and assorted bus and rail events and museums. But if there's a general motor transport show, I'll be drawn to the trucks after the buses, with almost zero interest in cars.

So yes, passing, definitely.

 

[Sun Chariot]

That was just before I opened my tin of specially mixed paint and saw that for some reason it was white instead of anthracite, came around to the realisation that there was nothing else for it but to drive all the way to Exeter and back to pick up the correct colour, and then consequently got stuck behind the truck I’d been taking photos of for half an hour as it slowly negotiated the roads that I needed to take.

On the other forum I've just created an AI Volvo FH16 780 as homage to you (I've tagged you), towing a class 58 for scrap.

 

[StoneRoad]

Sadly, I'm going to miss an interesting crane / hgv episode later this week as I shall be back at the workshop.

A couple of 5 compartment wooden [NER] carriages are being extracted from a site with very limited access. As the guy said, they got there, I can get them out again.

Hopefully, I might get some images of the action.

 

[Sun Chariot]

A couple of 5 compartment wooden [NER] carriages are being extracted from a site with very limited access. As the guy said, they got there, I can get them out again.

Hopefully, I might get some images of the action.

Oooh - that sounds fascinating. I hope all goes well (I am an ECJS and GN/NE fan!)

 

[StoneRoad]

Oooh - that sounds fascinating. I hope all goes well (I am an ECJS and GN/NE fan!)

You might find some of "my" restoration projects interesting, in that case. You're welcome to have a paddle [or swim] in my Ipernity photostream [see link in signature] - start off with the folders of albums, such as the North Staffordshire one.

The two carriages in question are not in bad condition, overall. Certainly when they are compared to some things I've been involved with putting back together.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Water pipeline's construction in our locality, requires a big entrance for the Tunnel Boring Machine.
This beauty arrived this afternoon, ready to dig out all the obstructing mature trees.