Truck Shite

[New POD]

On Monday I started work at Leyland Trucks in the middle of the summer shut down.  Lights are off in the factory. I'm going to be working in Product Development helping design teams with assessing and improving reliability and quality, of stuff.  

That's a chassis mid build. 

[High Jetter]

14 minutes ago, New POD said:

I'm going to be working in Product Development helping design teams with assessing and improving reliability and quality, of stuff.  

I hope that isn't going to be the same level of difficulty as it would have been with Leyland Cars!

[New POD]

2 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

I hope that isn't going to be the same level of difficulty as it would have been with Leyland Cars!

Or Daf cars 

[warch]

More Aussie trucks….

I think this is a Mitsubishi Canter or similar but a 4x4 version with outback touring body and camping trailer. 
 

Next was this interesting Bedford pickup owned by a newly licensed driver (red P plate).

 

 

[martc]

Attention! Attention!  It's pea vining time in East Yorkshire and the roads are full of flat backs with stainless steel hoppers (often marked 'Birdseye') on them. Although the peas need to be at the freezing plants ASAP they often chose older wagons for the duty, so there could be something of interest out there. This morning, for example, I saw an immaculate J reg Scania on its way to the fields, could have been a 113.

https://swaythorpegrowers.com/

[Rust Collector]

Whilst on my holidays I saw a lorry hammering along the Autostrada in the other direction which I didn't recognise the brand of. Didn't manage to get a pic, but got my mrs to text me the name as a reminder to google it.

'Saurer'

It was very similar to that one, same cab and it was a flatbed/tipper of some sort. Lovely looking thing in amongst the modern* traffic (seemed to be mostly noughties cars making up the traffic in Italy from what I observed).

[martc]

29 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

'Saurer'

Saurer were a Swiss company who regularly appeared in various editions of 'The Observers Book of Commercial Vehicles' they made allsorts - tippers, dustbin lorries, coaches and military vehicles. All looked very tough and purposeful.

They did have a tie up with the Italian OM company (taken over by FIAT, now IVECO) - the one above looks very OMish.

Saurer originally made textile equipment before branching out into lorries. They are still with us, but back to making textile equipment only - https://saurer.com/en

[willswitchengage]

Competition time. What are we looking at here?

[EyesWeldedShut]

3 minutes ago, willswitchengage said:

Competition time. What are we looking at here?

Test rig of some sort in a push me/pull you config? Diesel at far end and Hydrogen at the near end?  Don't see any fuel tanks but the right hand end looks like a condenser setup???

[willswitchengage]

That is the WRONG ANSWER. Keep guessing

[CreepingJesus]

Definitely double headed. Some sort of high maneuverability carrier that needs to be so low it can't have a driveshaft up the middle, but isn't expected to work indoors much, or on public roads? Doesn't look especially heavy duty either, nor extensible, which rules out most 'specialised carriers' I can think of. Maybe carries whatever it carries on the roof? That looks fairly robust.

Definitely intrigued though!

[Volksy]

Wasn't it for use in the Chunnel? Looks like a mad Renault Master when clothed?

 

[willswitchengage]

Correct. The 'STTS' service vehicles used by Eurotunnel.

https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/Special-vehicles-guarantee-safety-in-the-Eurotunnel.xhtml?oid=4912739

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Volksy said:

Wasn't it for use in the Chunnel? Looks like a mad Renault Master when clothed?

 

I thought they used trains...

[Leyland Worldmaster]

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/lorry-towed-destroyed-merstham-community-27452947?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

[warch]

A Sterling truck (defunct US manufacturer) now used by the same learner driver school as the ones previously snapped in this location. 

[MJK 24]

A day to forget 🤦🏼

[warch]

An Aussie fuel truck. 
 

I did see loads of exciting American trucks, including the iconic Peterbilts and Kenworths also loads of Macks (my favourite) but whilst driving, so couldn’t photograph them.

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

A day to forget 🤦🏼

 

Oops! Good attempt tho

[martc]

[martc]

With the collapse of the DDR the IFA factories struggled against western products. Robur was one - here's their attempt at modernisation, as well as the plastic grille and fancy seats the main change was replacing the ancient 3 litre petrol engine with a Deutz diesel. This was made in 1991 but didn't save the company as it was still a design from the '60's and the east was being flooded with cheap Transits etc.

 

[martc]

A Berliet Stradair, these look like a Matchbox 'lorry from the future' but are a real thing, built between 1965 and 1970 in alsorts of body types.

Anyone else think that there's a little bit of Stradair in a Sherpa?

[Asimo]

53 minutes ago, martc said:

Stradair in a Sherpa?

Yes.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, martc said:

With the collapse of the DDR the IFA factories struggled against western products. Robur was one - here's their attempt at modernisation, as well as the plastic grille and fancy seats the main change was replacing the ancient 3 litre petrol engine with a Deutz diesel. This was made in 1991 but didn't save the company as it was still a design from the '60's and the east was being flooded with cheap Transits etc.

 

Love the “step”, no expense spent. Could have doubled up as a starting handle in an older truck.

[martc]

3 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

Love the “step”, no expense spent. Could have doubled up as a starting handle in an older truck.

Earlier Robur's look like they have a starting handle hole in the grille, which is blanked off in later ones. I can't find any pictures of someone starting one with a handle, but the steps look like they not designed for easy removal.

 

[martc]

The DK3 from Ludwigsfelde 1956-58, it has a 652 cc DK2003 diesel engine developing 6 hp, the white handled lever controls the steering.

[sutty2006]

Most expensive engine crane going

 

 

[willswitchengage]

On 8/10/2023 at 8:26 AM, warch said:

A Sterling truck (defunct US manufacturer) now used by the same learner driver school as the ones previously snapped in this location. 

I believe Sterling was once Ford Trucks, spun out under a new brand name, bought by Daimler then quickly closed down.

[quicksilver]

Flitwick car show yesterday had a few trucks in attendance, mostly modern ones from local fleets but also these two oldies. The first is obviously a Bedford KM...

But the second I wasn't sure about other than being an AEC

Luckily the owner appeared while I was looking at it so I asked him what it is. It's a wartime AEC 0854 6x6 that he thinks was either a tanker or crane, one of a pair rebuilt after the war by timber merchants B & J Davies with Gardner engines, new cabs and timber crane bodies. Top speed of 28mph and an unladen weight of about 8.5 tons.

[AnthonyG]

@quicksilver, I followed an early/mid 1990s grey ERF tractor unit pulling some sort of bulk liquid trailer, on my way back from the last FoD event . It pulled out of front of me on the Buckingham to Bicester road, about halfway along, it turned across me very sharpish from the large farm which advertises pick your own asparagus frequently.

Initially I was like ‘WTF’ but then it proceeded to travel at least 70mph for most of the rest of the way, I struggled to keep up with it, it only slowed down (to about 60-65) when it caught up a National Express coach about 3 miles out of Bicester, which it proceeded to tailgate all the way to the roundabout by the Heritage place, where it shot off in the direction of Aylesbury.

Lots of diesel smoke puffing out of the stack. It did not appear to brake at any point in the journey, maybe the trailer lights were disconnected. The trailer had no plate so no idea of the actual year.

It seemed illegal on several fronts, and also absolutely perfect if someone ever wanted to remake Duel but this time set it in Buckinghamshire. 

I assume it is well-known, or perhaps notorious locally?