Remember Some Of The Funny Old Vehicles?

[diksey]

Ever since the early 60s I drove diesel engined lorries as a part of my job starting off with ex-army Bedfords with balloon tyres,now these were death traps in the rain,the wheels wood lock up at 30mph when you braked,very scary and then the noise from the engine horrendous!.Next Ford Thames 4D 3tonners a lot better handling but noisy screaming engines onto BMC 3tonners still with severe noise in the cabs also.Ending up in the 21st century driving 48ton Volvo,Daf,Scania artics,you could not but be amazed at the difference from the old lorries to nowadays.They are luxurious quiet,comfortable air suspension seats,adjustable steering wheel,automatic gearboxes,night heaters I used to find driving the artics of today was as comfortable as my car which is a Merc thats how far diesel lorries of today have evolved in my opinion anyway!

 

One of the first lorries I drove in the late sixties was a Mickey Mouse Foden, so called because of the indicator lenses on either side of the cab, they were stuck out like a pair of ears. You had to almost stand on the clutch pedal to press it down, it was that heavy. wear you out before you wore it out. dont think it had power steering either. Then went on to an Atkinson, not much better, noisy engine even with about three layers of carpet on the cover. Then was given an almost new E R F. The difference was amazing, air assisted clutch, range change gear box and much quieter you could actually hear the radio. This was late seventies, but like you say theyve come on in leaps and bounds since then.

[bullerboY]

Ever since the early 60s I drove diesel engined lorries as a part of my job starting off with ex-army Bedfords with balloon tyres,now these were death traps in the rain,the wheels wood lock up at 30mph when you braked,very scary and then the noise from the engine horrendous!.Next Ford Thames 4D 3tonners a lot better handling but noisy screaming engines onto BMC 3tonners still with severe noise in the cabs also.Ending up in the 21st century driving 48ton Volvo,Daf,Scania artics,you could not but be amazed at the difference from the old lorries to nowadays.They are luxurious quiet,comfortable air suspension seats,adjustable steering wheel,automatic gearboxes,night heaters I used to find driving the artics of today was as comfortable as my car which is a Merc thats how far diesel lorries of today have evolved in my opinion anyway!

do you remember when it was cold that you had to start them with the old paraffin rag trick.Hell you were a proper driver in those days no power steering or synchro boxes then or heaters,

[bullerboY]

The Bond Bugs were lethal,you laid more than sat in them and the non collapsible steering column pointed at your chest,I drove the first one ever to be delivered to Europe cars and did the P.D.I on it.

[david weston]

Yes, 'Old Tup', but some of us look back on the old wagons with great nostalgia; their disadvantages didn't seem disadvatageous at the time and no Tachographs and no over-regulation ( which some employers took unfair advantage of, I have to admit ), but once you set off, you were in blissful solitude with the roadside phone being your only connection with your base, if required! You had to drive them, in the true sense, and had a feeling of achievement when you had mastered their quirks. Today's lot have missed all that, newspapers stuffed in the cracks in winter, queuing at the docks ( now containerised), the old canteens and transport caffs and the rest. Lorries today have become faminine rather than masculine. Other odd vehicles were the big, electric bin carts, the pre-war style, 3-wheel Reliant vans and Brown Bailey's steam lorries. Bus and coach design was also far more varied back then. Curvaceous coaches like the classic 'Burlingham Seagull' were stunning and, after 40 years of shoe-box buses and coaches, stylish curves are only now re-appearing. "You should stop living in the past, Dave." No thanks !

[Firparnian]

Not a road vehicle but does anyone remember the Lister truck, basically an engine sat on top of a wheel with the diver stood behind and a small trailer.

We had them at Brown Bayleys in the maintenance dept for luugging spare parts around

[Falls]

Hi,

 

Does anybody remember the battery-driven bin lorries, with bodies made of wood and solid rubber tyres ?

 

They were still running around in the late 1940's -early 50's: usually on routes that weren't too far from their depot at the bottom of Bernard Road.

 

Regards

[hillsbro]

Not a road vehicle but does anyone remember the Lister truck, basically an engine sat on top of a wheel with the diver stood behind and a small trailer....

Yes - and here's a photo.

[Kidorry]

My first car was a Frisky Sports(I kid you not) and that had a 750 JAP engine in it with a fibre glass body and it could beat anything on the road from standstill.

[chrishall]

When we were kids, my dad had one of these. There was enough room in the back for my brother and I as nippers. My poor mom always said that she spent more time pushing it than she did riding in it.

 

A Bond Minicar, I remember a race being organised between one of one of these and a souped up Mini, route was up to the end of the works car park and back. No contest, while the Mini was busy trying to turn round at the other end the Bond with it's weird turning circle (front wheel complete with engine could turn through 180 deg!) beat the Mini easily.

[beezerboy]

If my memory serves me right wasn't there a 3 wheel van by Jowett called the Bradford in the early 50's. Also a sporty!!!!! Berkley that you had to lift the hood,pardon me, bonnet to kick start the Villiers motorcycle engine.