Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Classic & Vintage Commercials

Well-known classic lorry enthusiast John Weaver passed away peacefully in hospital on May 4 writes Bob Weir. John was born and raised in Herefordshire. He was a driver’s mate by the age of sixteen, and as soon as he passed his test became a full-time driver for the Forestry Commission. This was the beginning of a memorable career, which included running his own haulage business. In later life he saved and helped restore old lorries and was an enthusiastic supporter of the classic lorry show circuit. He was a frequent visitor to rallies during the summer months and was driving his Dodge lorries into his eighties. His lorries were always well turned-out, and he clearly took a pride in them. John is survived by his wife Marion, and sons Alan…

Continuing the ERF EC story, we can take a closer look at more of the technical features as well as the cab details. While the Eaton ‘Twin Splitter’ was the most widely fitted gearbox on heavy-duty tractor units, other transmissions from ZF and Eaton could be specified according to model. Lighter four-wheelers took the Eaton 4106 six-speed or 6109 nine speed synchromesh unit while heavier models had the nine-speed ‘range change’ or the Twin Splitter. A further option was the Twin Splitter with SAMT (Semi Automated Mechanical Transmission). At an additional cost of around £3200 SAMT, which first appeared in the mid-to-late 1980s, took over the task of gear-changing by the use of air cylinders operated by a microprocessor, and was a foretaste of a system that’s now commonplace. Such…

There’s no getting away from it; sourcing parts for older British lorries from the 1980s back can be tricky and gets harder with each passing year. They aren’t making them any more, so what we have now is all that we will ever have. What’s more, because the whole business of commercial vehicle preservation is somewhat specialist, it can take an expert eye to distinguish sought-after spare parts from stuff that’s simply scrap. The other issue is that much of what is left is in the hands of people who have had it a long time, are getting on a bit in years and, not to put too fine a point on it, will not be with us forever. Then, when they do pass on, the risk is that other…

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First this month, two apologies. Sorry, but for various health-related reasons, I was unable to make it to the HCVS London to Brighton run this year. I was very disappointed not to be there, as this is still in my view the premier lorry run in the UK, and I was really looking forward to it, and seeing how the new start, new route and so on worked. Thanks, though, to Mike Neale for stepping in at a late stage and producing the coverage that is on pages 46-50 of this issue. I’ve heard from several sources that it was a good day for all involved, despite the M25 being closed between Junction 9 and 10 that weekend, a section which though not part of the actual run route was…

In recent months, a number of readers have raised queries regarding nationalisation of the road haulage industry in 1948, the consequent formation of British Road Services, privatisation in 1951 and the ongoing role of BRS as a state controlled business that operated in competition with private enterprise. We are going to be running a feature on this subject later this year; in fact it’ll probably finish up as a two or three-parter as it’s a pretty complex story. But if you want to know more in the meantime, there’s an excellent book on the subject. What’s more, it costs just £12.99. Published by and available from Amazon, The BRS Reference Book is written by John Mollett, with support and additional material by our own Peter Davies. It’s the most comprehensive…

Sixty years is a long time but that’s how long it is since Leyland announced its ground-breaking new ‘Freightline’ range with the Ergomatic tilt cab. Designed by Italian Giovanni Michelotti of Turin, the concept cab underwent many revisions before evolving into its final production form. Early sketches showed a number of unorthodox ideas such as a forward-sloping flat windscreen and heavily ribbed paneling reminiscent of Michelotti’s earlier design for the Scammell Routeman 2. Once the design had been finally approved, production of the all-steel cab was entrusted to Sankey of Wellington, later GKN Sankey, and it went on not just Leylands but AECs and many Albions too. It marked a big step forward in Leyland’s efforts to standardise on certain components and bring about a new corporate group image. In…

New to the rally scene last year was Mark Dale’s 1989 Scania 143M 450, a vehicle that his father used to drive on a regular basis. It is one of those vehicles that would not look out of place pounding up and down the motorways today, and it’s difficult to believe that it is 35 years old! There is no doubt that the Scania put in a lot of miles during its working life. Hull registered, it started life with Dave Walker of D & S Walker of Pickering, and was supplied with a flat roofed cab. So with aerodynamics and fuel economy in mind, the vehicle was shipped to Holland where it was fitted with a high-roof conversion by Estepe. On its return, the Scania was ‘personalised’ with Dave…

This diary has been compiled from information supplied by event organisers, and while every effort is made to ensure that it is accurate and correct at the time of going to press, neither Kelsey Media or Station House Publishing can accept responsibility for changes, cancellations or errors. We strongly recommend that readers check details, and the type of vehicle expected, with organisers before travelling long distances to events. June 22 – 23 KELSALL STEAM & VINTAGE RALLY Churches View Farm, Kelsall Road, Ashton, Chester CH3 8BH Email: kelsallsteamrally@hotmail.co.uk www.kelsallsteamrally.co.uk 9.30am ASHBY STEAM Scamhazel Farm, Boundary, Nr. Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leics DE11 7BA Email: info@ashbysteam.co.uk www.ashbysteam.co.uk 10am-5pm June 23 SUMMER FESTIVAL Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Drive, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0SL Tel: 01932 857381 Email: info@brooklandsmuseum.com www.brooklandsmuseum.com/whats-on 10am-5pm COMMERCIAL, EMERGENCY & SERVICE VEHICLE day East…

The National motor Museum at Beaulieu have a replica LGOC ‘B Type’ bus that is used to transport visitors around the site, and has done so since it was bult, on a then-new, 1972 Ford K-Series tipper chassis. Now, though, that chassis is of itself historic, and this is giving a few issues with obtaining parts. The museum have told us that they are currently having “gearbox problems” and are in need of a replacement mainshaft for a Turner 68D8 gearbox; theirs has worn splines and is, they’ve been told, beyond viable repair. If anyone can help directly, or suggest a source, please email National. MotorMuseumTrust@beaulieu.co.uk…

The 45th Enfield Pageant of Motoring was held on its traditional end of May Bank Holiday weekend at the usual venue of Enfield Playing Fields, writes Mike Neale. Fortunately, this site being within the newly-extended ULEZ didn’t seem to impact things. There were around 9000 public visitors over the two days, with approximately 1000 display vehicles. Attendance on the Sunday was impacted slightly by poor weather forecasts and by two nearby railway stations being closed. While classic cars were the mainstay of the displays, there was a decent turnout of classic commercials, Bedfords in particular. Many of these were, as ever, brought along by Bob Alderman, including his traditional line up of Bedford CA vans and pickups, two of the pickups having recently appeared on TV as rival bakers’ trucks…

HARD ACT TO FOLLOW… Volvo’s F7 tractor unit featured on your June front cover and in Pip Dunn’s leading feature article was relatively successful in the UK. But it was never regarded in the same, dare I say affectionate, way as its F86 predecessor. That was the vehicle which opened British eyes to the fact that a 32-tonner could be lighter, with a perceptibly lower-profile cab and smaller-capacity engine than any of its established competitors, most of them, as it happens, British built. Furthermore, it soon proved it could pretty well match them on reliability and fuel efficiency. One could almost say the F86 had novelty value, and as such was initially somewhat scorned by much of the dyed-in-the-wool UK haulage industry as well as by rival manufacturers. However, by…

Austin Crompton Parkinson Electric Vehicles of Hall Green, Birmingham produced a range of battery electric vehicles with the brand name Morrison Electricar. The smallest was the BM 10cwt, then the CM 20cwt, the EM 40cwt and finally, the biggest in the range, the GM 60cwt. The Co-operative Wholesale Society in Ipswich purchased a pair of the latter in 1951 to use for local coal deliveries, registered APV94 and APV95. Both, amazingly, remained in service until 1983, always retaining the red Co-Operative livery, rather than the newer turquoise and white colours adopted for Co-Op grocery vehicles in the 1960s. They were, however, extensively rebuilt during their working lives. Originally the bodywork had flat, faired-in side panels and more rectangular windscreens. Ipswich Co-Op operated a fleet of around a dozen such vehicles…

March 2023 Seddon Mk5L • Maltese Bedford J5 • Mini Mailvan • Spanish Dodge • Load-lugging Landcrab • Ergomatic Models April 2023 Ford D-Series • Ford Cargo • AEC Marshal • Magirus Deutz • Sunter Scania • Vans to beat the ULEZ! May 2023 Magirus Deitz story • Scammell MU Collection • Bedford CA van & pick-up • Ford Thames Trader models • Beer Lorries June 2023 Leyland Heavyweight Collection • Morrison Milkfloat Restored • Seddon Atkinson 400 Profile • Original Austin A40 van • Thames Trader Models July 2023 Bedford TL brewery dray • ERF LV & EC12 Compared • Seddon Atkinson 400 • Morris JB Mailvan • Baldwin on Beer August 2023 • Commer Commando analysis • Bedford TJ Twins • BT Ford Escort Van • Greater Manchester…