Buzzer
Buzzer:
Buzzer
Would loved to have had that 6x2 double drive truck at Trans Arabia
Ken b
Kenb:
Buzzer:
BuzzerWould loved to have had that 6x2 double drive truck at Trans Arabia
Ken b
It was a 6x4 Ken, but it wasn’t an NGC like the 12 Trans Arabia had. It was 6MW-cabbed RHD ERF MDC 852 that had been re-cabbed after an accident. The picture below (by Ashley Coghill) shows how had it originally looked.
ERF-NGC-European:
Kenb:
Buzzer:
BuzzerWould loved to have had that 6x2 double drive truck at Trans Arabia
Ken b
It was a 6x4 Ken, but it wasn’t an NGC like the 12 Trans Arabia had. It was 6MW-cabbed RHD ERF MDC 852 that had been re-cabbed after an accident. The picture below (by Ashley Coghill) shows how had it originally looked.
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Interesting x the 6x4 double drive would have been so more useful with the wrights we were carrying and the kneddle bearings going in the kirkstall axle hubs.
But hey - that was a long time ago but really interesting times, most of the Trans Arabia crew have passed on, only the younger ones left to reminisce !!
Kenb:
ERF-NGC-European:
Kenb:
Buzzer:
BuzzerWould loved to have had that 6x2 double drive truck at Trans Arabia
Ken b
It was a 6x4 Ken, but it wasn’t an NGC like the 12 Trans Arabia had. It was 6MW-cabbed RHD ERF MDC 852 that had been re-cabbed after an accident. The picture below (by Ashley Coghill) shows how had it originally looked.
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Interesting x the 6x4 double drive would have been so more useful with the wrights we were carrying and the kneddle bearings going in the kirkstall axle hubs.
But hey - that was a long time ago but really interesting times, most of the Trans Arabia crew have passed on, only the younger ones left to reminisce !!
TBH Ken, if S Jones / Trans Arabia could have rounded up a few LHD 6x4 ERFs when they were starting up in Jeddah, you might have got your double-drive ERFs, but they probably just weren’t available 2nd hand at that time. They had enough trouble trying to source 4x2 NGCs as it was!
At that time the 5MW was fairly sold on the continent…think of Hydrocar with 4 chassis 6x4 and Delsaert with 3 chassis 6x4 and
the famous 6x4 from Lecocq that was in several documents to wake-up several transporters and more, so ERF had chances to…?
ERF-Continental:
At that time the 5MW was fairly sold on the continent…think of Hydrocar with 4 chassis 6x4 and Delsaert with 3 chassis 6x4 and
the famous 6x4 from Lecocq that was in several documents to wake-up several transporters and more, so ERF had chances to…?
Yes, they were precisely the examples I was thinking of. As I said, they would have been hard-pushed to find 2nd-hand LHD examples; and may have had a long wait for brand new ones!
ERF-NGC-European:
ERF-Continental:
At that time the 5MW was fairly sold on the continent…think of Hydrocar with 4 chassis 6x4 and Delsaert with 3 chassis 6x4 and
the famous 6x4 from Lecocq that was in several documents to wake-up several transporters and more, so ERF had chances to…?Yes, they were precisely the examples I was thinking of. As I said, they would have been hard-pushed to find 2nd-hand LHD examples; and may have had a long wait for brand new ones!
… and on cue! If you look at the ERF '75 thread this evening the former General Manager of Trans Arabia bears out this argument by saying that when he wanted 2nd-hand LHD ERFs from Best Truck Imports in Holland and CDB in Belgium they refused to sell them to him. Couldn’t make it up! 
In all fairness…Only in Belgium gross 10 4x2 chassis (tractors) and gross 10 6x4 chassis (tarsprayers/tippers) were operational and
then I speak of 3- or 5-MW-chassis and I strongly doubt if those were traded in at CDB…after mostly having a hard life on the road
and in quarries. Perhaps slaes management (perhaps Ken remembers their sales manager Mr. Deleers) of CDB was more worried to
affect their own sales (of Autocar- and White-chassis, mainly tippers and mixers) towards the ME? On the gross 10 4x2 tractors (NGC)
the majority ended life at the back of the relevant yards of the operators and were scrapped so not available for export.
What CDB did do is to collect ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ on a regular base to rework and dismantle for parts.
On Best Truck Import no 3- or 5-MW-chassis are known and from the gross 10 4x2 chassis (hence NGC-series) 3/4 ended at the yard too.
So no big deal on a great number of ‘lost’ export-possibilities to my humble opinion.
Big question…when was Ken’s research/trip towards the BeNeLux as that could indicate more clearly how the ERF-market was then.
Ken was General Manager from 1976 to 1982, so that spans the end of NGC production and the end of European engagement. He still managed to obtain some ex-NL units because one of them (ex-Slappendel) was bought in Jeddah (I think it had been driven out on an overland trip and left there as a ‘seller’). It was returned to Aldridge for refurbishing as TA 139. Also returned to Aldridge for refurbishing were TA 124 (ex-NL) and TA 126 (ex-Schaap) which must have been bought direct from the owners. We still don’t know who TA 124 belonged to.
I’m posting this on the ERF '75 thread because the conversation is more relevant there.
ERF-Continental:
In all fairness…Only in Belgium gross 10 4x2 chassis (tractors) and gross 10 6x4 chassis (tarsprayers/tippers) were operational and
then I speak of 3- or 5-MW-chassis and I strongly doubt if those were traded in at CDB…after mostly having a hard life on the road
and in quarries. Perhaps slaes management (perhaps Ken remembers their sales manager Mr. Deleers) of CDB was more worried to
affect their own sales (of Autocar- and White-chassis, mainly tippers and mixers) towards the ME? On the gross 10 4x2 tractors (NGC)
the majority ended life at the back of the relevant yards of the operators and were scrapped so not available for export.What CDB did do is to collect ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ on a regular base to rework and dismantle for parts.
On Best Truck Import no 3- or 5-MW-chassis are known and from the gross 10 4x2 chassis (hence NGC-series) 3/4 ended at the yard too.
So no big deal on a great number of ‘lost’ export-possibilities to my humble opinion.
Big question…when was Ken’s research/trip towards the BeNeLux as that could indicate more clearly how the ERF-market was then.
Morning
My trip to Holland and Belgium was whilst I was on summer leave, as I remember it was Aug/Sept 1977, I also remember the Belgium trucks being in very good condition and were 5MWs where the Dutch were 7 series. Couldn’t understand there attitude at the time, I came back and bought a 5MW off Beresfords Stoke.
We then went on to buy Mack!! What a mistake! Should have insisted on ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ with Jake Brake and no plastic sleeper pods.
Interesting times learning very quickly.
Cheers
Ken b
Dear Ken,
Nice that you feel good to add your dearest memories to this thread and it was not my intention to judge your
opinion but being more or les an insider on the BeNeLux…I had to state the situation as I doubt that Best Truck
import (curious which who you speak…Jan Bestebreurtje?) nor ■■■■■■■ Distributor Belgium (Mr. Deleers or even
Jean-Gilbert Denonville, grandson of the founder Arthur Denonville) were not that active to make a deal, in the
seventies it was a weird time as most marques had to refresh their types after being succesful…I however think
that ERF (aka Peter Foden…) was dedicated to put their money on the future, despite the potential succes of NGC.
Take care, best regards,
A-J
Note: I miss the input of Ronald F. Hawkins with the golden ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Oily, to me that ERF was significant for road-transport, South, North, West or East…clear vision with the windshield,
I assume a nice radius to turn and overall a sturdy and reliable vehicle!
Stay safe, sound, happy and active
Buzzer
Buzzer:
Buzzer
That 5MW started life as a left-■■■■■■ but was converted to RHD after a fire. 
By the way…was it assembled in Brussels at CDB or was ERF (for foreign markets) used to make LHD?
ERF-Continental:
By the way…was it assembled in Brussels at CDB or was ERF (for foreign markets) used to make LHD?
It would almost certainly have been one of the many LHD 5MW-cabbed units to have been built for UK hauliers operating across the Channel. It had a 240 Gardner for a start. Beresford, Richard Read and others ran LHD 5MWs over the water too. CKD kits sent to Belgium would have been strictly for the low countries market as the cost of re-importing them would have been prohibitive.
DEANB:
Ro, A couple of clippings that may intrest you from 1969.CDB Belgium.
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It serves as a reminder of how far ahead of the game ERF was in the late '60s. That was Five years before the NGC came out. And look at the UK opposition in the late '60s.