As far as I can tell from my archives, the default 'box on the Marathon was the 9-speed Fuller, especially on the LHD drive examples. (The later Roadtrain’s UK examples defaulted to Spicer whilst the exports to the Continent had Fullers).
Nowt wrong with 10 spd spicers. Like any box you just needed to know how to get the best out them - quietly!
Yeah the Marathons were supplied with Fuller 9 speed boxes.
Just a 10 speed in the Leylands. 5 speed with a splitter. Gears could be pre-selected with the switch on the gear lever, there was a switch activated when the clutch pedal was pressed.
The 1010 model was the lighter option. Fitted in Constructors and the Cruiser etc. The Roadtrain had the heavier 1410 box.
Thanks for the repIy.
I never saw a 10 speed, maybe they weren’t offered here. Typically we had 14 or 20 speed Spicers but RoadRangers were considerably more popular. Almost by default coaches were fitted with a 7 speed Spicer, a 14 speed minus the range change.
I inherited a T45 when I took over as TM at Courtaulds, Nottingham (later Toray), it, with a SedAK did regular daily (and later night) runs to Hyde and back. I had no problems with either but when I did away with both artics and light rigids and converted the whole fleet (so everything could do everything) to wagon and drags I first went with Fodens but then, because Fodens couldn’t give me air suspension all round (for demounting bodies) I turned next to Mercedes (uprated with a 3rd axle) and finally to Volvo. Some years after I left, and emigrated to France, they turned the whole fleet over to outside contractors so no idea what happens there now.
Is this Australia or NZ?
The numberplate looks Un Zud, its not too clear so could be NSW.
Depends on where your bar is set. Especially on the weather. I guarantee after they’ve been here a couple of years they’ll be complaining about the cold, every time the thermometer drops below 20⁰C.
If they haven’t seen a pothole, they haven’t ventured far.
Can’t argue with the fact that in the main, we’re a friendly mob, in Queensland.
Photo is too blurry to tell, but something says not NSW. @star_down_under WA also had black-on-yellow rego plates but it doesn’t look right for WA either.
I don’t know what the Leylands were like but the Albions were bloody noisey drafty things. My dad drove a four wheeler for a short time he nearly froze to death in it broken down at the top of Scammonden on the M62 in the winter of 76/77
I asked a Kiwi mate (don’t tell anyone I’ve got a K1W1 mate. ), he said the fleet name coincides with an old New Zealand heavy haulage outfit, but can’t remember if there were any yellow 'plates there. He did say all heavy vehicles had to display an H in an oval, similar but slightly larger than a GB sign.
Not the first time he’s used that box.
Aye, he’s a pro.
The Crusader looks Oz-spec to me, as it has Leyland instead of Scammell on it. So it’ll probably have a Detroit / Fuller driveline. Anyone know what those thin boxes are, attached to the recesses above the lamps on either side of the grille. They can’t be to keep the tinnies cool, surely?
An interesting picture. Definitely Australian, Horsham is just west of Melbourne.
The twin stacks suggest the presence of an V8 or 6-71 but could be a 53 considering the age. Going by the phone number on the trailer, it is no later than late '60s~early '70s. In that era single drive was not uncommon, even today single drive is the preferred spec for furniture removal trucks. A trailer of that cubic capacity would carry a minimum of four households, suggesting the combination was utilised on interstate transfers. Perhaps they had regular return loading, necessitating the bogie/bogie combination, which would have allowed a GCM of 35 ton.
The odd boxes above the headlights may be air vents, as pictured below.
Similar vents were generic, supplied and fitted to many makes in the day. They could be opened in either direction and usually fitted vertically to the sides of the cab and/or sleeper.
Thanks SDU, I knew you’d know.
All replies, subject to correction.