Dennison tractive units

[robert1952]

I just thought that this 1970s Irish-built marque should get a bit more of an airing, especially as it had the kind of drive-line I enjoyed in the day (though I never drove a Dennison): ie a Rolls Royce 265, or even 290 with a 9-speed Fuller RT9509C 'box. They were all built, I believe with right-hand drive. The cab was a Sisu design, but had rather a lot of glass. I’ll start the ball rolling with some pictures and information.

Perhaps some of you who drove them will give us an idea of how they performed. Robert

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

A piece in Commercial Motor on 20th July 1979, page 24 read as follows:

DUBLIN’S DENNISON Truck Manufacturing has sold its first tractive unit for operation in Britain after two years of production.

John Marsh and Son — Blackpool Van Transport — haulage contractors of Blackpool recently took delivery of a 4 X2 tractive unit powered by a Rolls Royce Eagle 265L turbocharged diesel engine from the Black Church, Rathcoole builder.

All Rolls-Royce L designated engines are designed for slower-speed operation than the standard Eagle engine — at 1900-1950 maximum rpm, compared with the standard Eagle’s 210Orpm.

The Dennison has a 3.2m (10ft 6in) wheelbase and uses a Fuller nine-speed RT 9509C gearbox with widespread ratios, giving an extra-low bottom gear and a direct-drive top gear.

An Eaton 2500-Series single-reduction axle is rated at 11.5 tons and has a ratio of 4.11 to 1.

The frame employs a bolted ladder-type construction with high-grade carbon manganese rails.

The all-steel cab shell is manufactured by Sisa, the Finnish commercial vehicle manufacturer, and shipped to Ireland where it is fitted out by Dennison, but still conforms to the Scandinvian crashresisting standards.

Standard are 10.00 x 20 tubed radial tyres on 7.5in rims, but 11.00 x 20 is optional. A triple-line compressedair brake system includes spring brake actuators and load sensing on the rear axle.

BVT operates 17 vehicles on general haulage with 40ft box trailers, running mainly between London and Scotland. This is its first Rolls Royceengined vehicle, but it is returning 9.2 mpg.

Dennison’s only United Kingdom dealer is based at Ballyclare, Co Antrim, but as many of the components used are of proprietary manufacture, BVT expects little difficulty with servicing and maintenance.

The list price is said to be below £22,000, to include such items as the York Big D fifthwheel assembly and mudguards, components often considered as extras by other manufacturers.

Dennison claims that its range of 6 x4 and 8 x 4 rigids and 4 x 2 tractive units is built to comply with British Construction and Use standards.

Robert

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

A great, and highly informative, article by Peter Davies in Classic Truck magazine, March 2017 issue. Robert

[retired_old_fart]

Trent Wharfage ran a fleet of the Sisu-cabbed Dennison artics. I spoke to one of the drivers not long after our local depot was equipped with them and he said that the amount of glass in the cab made it seem very light and airy although it meant that they were cold in winter.

[robert1952]

Retired Old ■■■■:
Trent Wharfage ran a fleet of the Sisu-cabbed Dennison artics. I spoke to one of the drivers not long after our local depot was equipped with them and he said that the amount of glass in the cab made it seem very light and airy although it meant that they were cold in winter.

I wondered about that. I notice that in some pics they’ve been blanked out or boarded up! Robert

[retired_old_fart]

30mm sheets of aluminium-backed insulation would have done the trick! Or double glazing like the Daf’s.

[jmc_jnr]

I cadged a lift in one from Dublin docks back to Custom House. The road at that time was cobbled so I cannot tell you what the ride would have been like, but the windows were too big to feel safe and in the sun I bet she was a sweaty box to be in. Jim.

[marky]

robert1952:
0

Err…

No, no, NO.

For the umpteenth time on God-knows how many different forms of online media - that is NOT a Dennison. It’s a Barreiros (sold as a Dodge in the UK) which had a pusher axle fitted along with the locally-built cab.

[erf-continental]

Glad you correct the phenomeen!

[robert1952]

marky:

robert1952:

Err…

No, no, NO.

For the umpteenth time on God-knows how many different forms of online media - that is NOT a Dennison. It’s a Barreiros (sold as a Dodge in the UK) which had a pusher axle fitted along with the locally-built cab.

So the picture to which you refer, Marky, would be this one then (pic below). News to me that it was not what it appears to be; so please elaborate and please be patient. These threads go round in circles and much is repeated over time because people enter the fray at different times! If this model is not a Dennison, just dish the dirt and we can all sleep easy in our beds and be better educated and satisfied! Robert

[zb_anorak]

marky:

robert1952:
0

Err…

No, no, NO.

For the umpteenth time on God-knows how many different forms of online media - that is NOT a Dennison. It’s a Barreiros (sold as a Dodge in the UK) which had a pusher axle fitted along with the locally-built cab.

The same fleet owned at least one Dennison though- it is pictured above, in preservation. It looks as if the cab was based on a Sisu or Dennison one.

[lespullan]

1981 nice preservation. Les.

[robert1952]

ERF-Continental:
Glad you correct the phenomeen!

Correction: ‘Glad you corrected the phenomenon’

[240_gardner]

The sad-looking black-and-red tractor is a photo I took (and has presumably been extracted from another website) in the yard of Dennison Trailers near Lancaster in, I think 2005. I gather it belonged to them and that they had plans to restore it.

When the Dennison tractor was introduced, I recall press comment by (I think) John Dickson-SImpson, to the effect that this was the Atkinson Borderer replacement for those disaffected Atkinson operators who wanted nothing to do with the Seddon Atkinson 400 and which, although Atkinson-derived, had Seddon axles amongst other Oldham tinkering.