ERF NGC420 of Ets. Thibaut in Strée…tipper-body of Leonet in Graide (B)
Invoice-price (without tipper-body) was BF 940.000,-…compare that to the
invoice for Eyckmans ERF, though it was no drawbar but a tractor…
ERF-Continental:
ERF NGC420 of Ets. Thibaut in Strée…tipper-body of Leonet in Graide (B)Invoice-price (without tipper-body) was BF 940.000,-…compare that to the
invoice for Eyckmans ERF, though it was no drawbar but a tractor…
Perhaps CDB fitted the 13-speed Fuller after all. That might account for the additional cost. Robert
Fair enough though the ‘costs’ of a GF (No York Big D) and a 13-speed were ‘discussed’ with
several plates and drinks somewhere in Brussels, with or without the De Jong…I was very
much surprised and disappointed on the content of Dai’s book though, so many failures!!!
ERF-Continental:
Fair enough though the ‘costs’ of a GF (No York Big D) and a 13-speed were ‘discussed’ with
several plates and drinks somewhere in Brussels, with or without the De Jong…I was very
much surprised and disappointed on the content of Dai’s book though, so many failures!!!
Yes! The book isn’t very upbeat about the continental ventures is it! Mind you, I suppose that’s better than rewriting history and sweeping the skeletons under the carpet!
By the way, another reason for the Thibaut wagon being cheaper might simply be because it had been a show exhibit / demo lorry. Robert 
dSure…that rigid was a strange duck on the continent…good however it was captured well!
Alexander would no doubt confirm (as well as Bollinger-Saviem) that doing business in Belgium
is a bit of surviving from dinners…
To my humble opinion…the majority of ERF-vehicles concerned tractors…and some tippers.
Since 1975 (about) many operators ‘discovered’ the advantages of a switch-system when it comes
to cargo loaded and unloaded thus tractors and trailers in stead of drawbars and trailers (waiting
till the trailer was unloaded or ‘risking’ a back-haul) and many activities on their yards.
So …only 3 rigids/drawbars are known for the ERF NGC?
ERF-Continental:
To my humble opinion…the majority of ERF-vehicles concerned tractors…and some tippers.Since 1975 (about) many operators ‘discovered’ the advantages of a switch-system when it comes
to cargo loaded and unloaded thus tractors and trailers in stead of drawbars and trailers (waiting
till the trailer was unloaded or ‘risking’ a back-haul) and many activities on their yards.So …only 3 rigids/drawbars are known for the ERF NGC?
There appear to have been about four rigid /or draw-bar outfits. Thibaut of Belgium’s lorry (JJ 393); a tilt operated by an unknown French operator with the registration 4644FX94; the draw-bar tilt operated by Transports Gentilucci Freres of Villeneuve La Garenne in France; and the breakdown lorry operated on a Q-plate in England by BFI. Robert
The book is now back on track with the new people and we’re looking at about April '15. Robert
@Robert…unacceptable…we all want this book under the 22014 X-mas-tree!
ERF-Continental:
@Robert…unacceptable…we all want this book under the 22014 X-mas-tree!
I share your wish A-J! Never mind, the content of the book has matured, like a Christmas pudding, over the last year so perhaps it will be worth waiting for, insha’allah! Robert 
I’m still rummaging among my old files and books, and I’ve found a 1986 edition of Alan Millar’s ‘Truck Recognition’ books. Under the ERF heading, it mentions the 42-tonner Europeans and shows a well-known picture of Cadwallader’s 5MW. It also shows the Read / Vick four that were supplied together for Middle-East work (KFH 248P to KFH 251P). Robert
Some characteristics on the Thibaut-drawbar:
-
exposed on 1973 Brussels Show (january) next to tractor
-
purchased in june 1974 after Best Truck Import did not manage
to sell this type in Holland -
date of first operation is 3rd of July 1974 after a tipper-body of
Atelier Leonet in Graide (South of Belgium, close to Namen/Namur) -
registration JJ.393
-
chassis #24684 ERF NGC420 with ■■■■■■■ NTC335
-
wheelbase 4800mm
-
overall length 9.20m
-
vehicle weight 9.780kg (with tipper body), nett load-capacity 9.220kg
-
attachment coupling Rockinger 40G150
-
drawbar had MOL-trailer for 14.000kg and later LAG-trailer for 24.000kg
-
date to de-activate operation (transport of agricultural products) was in course of 1985
-
distance-counter was close to 1.600.000km without a word to mention delay or costs!
-
purchase (without tipper-body) BF 940.000 (Belgian Francs)
ERF-Continental:
Some characteristics on the Thibaut-drawbar:
exposed on 1973 Brussels Show (january) next to tractor
purchased in june 1974 after Best Truck Import did not manage
to sell this type in Hollanddate of first operation is 3rd of July 1974 after a tipper-body of
Atelier Leonet in Graide (South of Belgium, close to Namen/Namur)registration JJ.393
chassis #24684 ERF NGC420 with ■■■■■■■ NTC335
wheelbase 4800mm
overall length 9.20m
vehicle weight 9.780kg (with tipper body), nett load-capacity 9.220kg
attachment coupling Rockinger 40G150
drawbar had MOL-trailer for 14.000kg and later LAG-trailer for 24.000kg
date to de-activate operation (transport of agricultural products) was in course of 1985
distance-counter was close to 1.600.000km without a word to mention delay or costs!
purchase (without tipper-body) BF 940.000 (Belgian Francs)
Most informative, thank you. I’ve never seen a picture of it with a trailer, but it had a coupling: do you know if was operated with a trailer? Robert
@Robert: indeed this drawbar was operational with repspectively the MOL (Diksmuide, West-Flandres)
and the LAG (Lambert and Arnold Geusens, so LAG of Bree in East-Belgium or Limburg) and both the
trailers had tipping-devices to unload. Will do my utmost to input (separate) pictures of the trailers,
I frequently asked Jean Thibaut for more pictures, even of the other ERF-tractor they operated.
To be continued…
I was clearing out the pockets of an old jacket today and I chanced upon a simple biro drawing on a scrap of notebook paper I made in a Cairo bar when I was still planning to write a book about Arabian ERF NGCs. Just a tiny historical momento really… Robert
John3300 has already kindly informed us that ERF B-series with 13-speed Fullers could be driven without the clutch. I emailed Jerry Cooke, a former fitter/driver for Trans Arabia and a senior member of REVS, about the issue of whether ERF NGCs with 13-speed Fullers had clutchless-change 'boxes or gearboxes that required use of the clutch to activate the splitter mechanism. He replied as follows:
‘Our 7MWs and B Series were all piped for clutchless changes, and every other 13 speed overdrive I have driven has been the same. The only exception is a 13 speed underdrive where the gears in the top range could be split down instead of up. They had a different gearknob where the splitter switch was on the side of the gearknob whereas the overdrive box had the splitter switch on the top next to the high and low position. It would make more sense for the underdrive boxes to be clutch changes because you’ll be changing up to high range but down to underdrive, that’s why the knobs were different.’
This is a clear indication that those ERF NGCs that had 13-speed Fullers could be driven without having to activate the splitter mechanism by using the clutch. This is excellent news! As a 9-speed Fuller lover, my main objection to the 13-speed Fuller has always been the necessity to use the clutch to activate each split-change. However, it now transpires that the ERF installation had what I call the ‘melting gearchange’ version of the Fuller (same as the Twin-splitter). It is equally heartening to note that the B-series enjoyed a similarly enlightened gear-shift arrangement.
I am very happy indeed with this good news! Robert
As I understand, a true underdrive transmission has a direct top gear (1:1) and the split will be a lower ratio (eg 1.2:1)
An overdrive transmission will have direct (1:1) as the low split in the top slot and the high split will be an overdrive ratio (0.85:1)
A double overdrive 13spd will be direct (1:1) in 11th gear and both 12th and 13th will be overdrives at 0.85:1 and 0.73:1 respectively.
I know my 48 turbostar (clutchless splits) wouldn’t allow a change from low range to high range low split (with the split preselected) the splitter switch wouldn’t move until it was in high range.
I take it the ERF used the same principle on the underdrive 13spd?
Nerd fact #875
The splitter switch is colour coded on Eaton Fuller gearsticks, red for a 13, blue for 15 and gray on an 18. It’s invisible on a 9 and 10 
newmercman:
As I understand, a true underdrive transmission has a direct top gear (1:1) and the split will be a lower ratio (eg 1.2:1)An overdrive transmission will have direct (1:1) as the low split in the top slot and the high split will be an overdrive ratio (0.85:1)
A double overdrive 13spd will be direct (1:1) in 11th gear and both 12th and 13th will be overdrives at 0.85:1 and 0.73:1 respectively.
I know my 48 turbostar (clutchless splits) wouldn’t allow a change from low range to high range low split (with the split preselected) the splitter switch wouldn’t move until it was in high range.
I take it the ERF used the same principle on the underdrive 13spd?
Nerd fact #875
The splitter switch is colour coded on Eaton Fuller gearsticks, red for a 13, blue for 15 and gray on an 18. It’s invisible on a 9 and 10
As I read Jerry’s answer, it seems that he is referring to other (than ERF) makes of truck in his comment about underdrive / overdrive. The nice thing is that all this is still pertinent because the only two known remaining NGCs still standing and in preservation, both have 13-speed Fullers. Robert
I notice that the trail on this old girl seems to have gone very quiet. Does anyone know if it actually left its place in the French forests? Did the Dutchmen buy it in the end? Did they take it away? Have they started work on it? What are their plans for it? On this thread, we only have the fortunes of two preserved NGCs to follow. Robert 
