Oh, sorry! You wanted it in English? Voila! Robert 
I’ve had those cards for a very long time and I can’t think why I didn’t scan them and post them here earlier. I’d never noticed before I posted them on here this evening that they say:
…in 1973 ERF launched its ‘European’ range consisting of two tractors and two rigid trucks…
Two? 
But yes 
of course! They mean the 5MW and the 7MW, both of which everyone knows as the ‘European’. Maybe, after all, the 5MW & 7MW (both cabs of which started in January 1973) simultaneously launched the ‘European’. Food for thought! Robert
I’ve had those cards for a very long time and I can’t think why I didn’t scan them and post them here earlier. I’d never noticed before I posted them on here this evening that they say:
…in 1973 ERF launched its ‘European’ range consisting of two tractors and two rigid trucks…
Two? But yes of course! They mean the 5MW and the 7MW, both of which everyone knows as the ‘European’. Maybe, after all, the 5MW & 7MW (both cabs of which started in January 1973) simultaneously launched the ‘European’. Food for thought! Robert
And here’s another bit of potential news: I’ve managed to secure an ERF MW Maintenance Manual from ebay (described as ‘rare’). It remains to be seen whether or not this covers the NGC/7MW. When it arrives I’ll share any ‘gems’ (should they occur) with this thread. Robert
I bet you wish you’d started this thread before you finished the book!
I will of course order a copy, I have a wonky table on my deck and a 94 page paperback will definitely sort that out [emoji38]
Just kidding, congratulations Robert, I look forward to receiving my copy.
newmercman:
I bet you wish you’d started this thread before you finished the book!I will of course order a copy, I have a wonky table on my deck and a 94 page paperback will definitely sort that out [emoji38]
Just kidding, congratulations Robert, I look forward to receiving my copy.
Cheers Newmercman! I am aware that you have followed this thread with some interest for a long time now. Well, the work goes on: we have 76-ish out of a possible 91 leaving about 15 more to track down. And we keep finding new material in the archives. Look out for More Lorries of Arabia: ERF NGC in a year or two! 
Robert
For continuing news and updates on the book, follow the new thread: NEW BOOK! LORRIES of ARABIA: ERF NGC.
I thank yor! Robert 
I now have an ERF Maintenance Manual. It was issued in January 1973 (when the 5MW and 7MW were unleashed). This is a very comprehensive workshop manual and it covers ERFs with the LV cab and the MW cab, though the photos only show a 7LV and a 4MW, the NTK 335 is covered, along with the Fuller. There is a labelled diagram of the 3/4/5MW interior. Chassis diagrams show straight frames only.
It is not fully clear whether or not this book just pre-dates the NGC / 7MW (and I rather suspect it does), but most of the componentry would be the same. Robert
robert1952:
0I now have an ERF Maintenance Manual. It was issued in January 1973 (when the 5MW and 7MW were unleashed). This is a very comprehensive workshop manual and it covers ERFs with the LV cab and the MW cab, though the photos only show a 7LV and a 4MW, the NTK 335 is covered, along with the Fuller. There is a labelled diagram of the 3/4/5MW interior. Chassis diagrams show straight frames only.
It is not fully clear whether or not this book just pre-dates the NGC / 7MW (and I rather suspect it does), but most of the componentry would be the same. Robert
You’re building up quite a library of ERF documents. Great stuff; keep it going- the knowledge contained in those books etc. will fuel future decades of discussion on here.
PS A mate of mine near the German border has just emailed me with news of an impending book release- it will be a hefty hardback, running to about 300 glossy pages on the subject of steel-cabbed ERFs. He reckons it will retail at about 50 Euro. I’ll tell more as I hear it.
[zb]
anorak:robert1952:
0I now have an ERF Maintenance Manual. It was issued in January 1973 (when the 5MW and 7MW were unleashed). This is a very comprehensive workshop manual and it covers ERFs with the LV cab and the MW cab, though the photos only show a 7LV and a 4MW, the NTK 335 is covered, along with the Fuller. There is a labelled diagram of the 3/4/5MW interior. Chassis diagrams show straight frames only.
It is not fully clear whether or not this book just pre-dates the NGC / 7MW (and I rather suspect it does), but most of the componentry would be the same. Robert
You’re building up quite a library of ERF documents. Great stuff; keep it going- the knowledge contained in those books etc. will fuel future decades of discussion on here.
PS A mate of mine near the German border has just emailed me with news of an impending book release- it will be a hefty hardback, running to about 300 glossy pages on the subject of steel-cabbed ERFs. He reckons it will retail at about 50 Euro. I’ll tell more as I hear it.
Good heavens! That’s some coincidence isn’t it? We wait with baited breath. a mixture of shock and pleasure! Robert
The publication date was originally going to be this morning, but I have just found out that it has been delayed indefinitely.
[zb]
anorak:
The publication date was originally going to be this morning, but I have just found out that it has been delayed indefinitely.
BUGGER! I’ve been April-fooled! Robert
robert1952:
[zb]
anorak:
The publication date was originally going to be this morning, but I have just found out that it has been delayed indefinitely.BUGGER! I’ve been April-fooled!
You can get your revenge next year- I am very gullible.
For anyone thinking of getting a copy of Lorries of Arabia: ERF NGC, here is a single sheet you can print off and tuck in the back! As with all history books, new things come to light as soon as they’re written. This sheet should bring you up to date. Robert
Good initiative! The Thibaut’s ERF (point 12) replaced a MAN 19.210 (Pausbacke) in 1974 and did service
till mid of1985 when it was replaced by a Scania 112. Atelier Leonet was located in Graide-Bièvre in the
south of Belgium, close to the border and not far from Charleville in France. The choice for Scania was a
loyal one to Denonville (CDB) as ERF was not longer in the range of products and a grandson continued a
Scania-garage in that region.
ERF-Continental:
Good initiative! The Thibaut’s ERF (point 12) replaced a MAN 19.210 (Pausbacke) in 1974 and did service
till mid of1985 when it was replaced by a Scania 112. Atelier Leonet was located in Graide-Bièvre in the
south of Belgium, close to the border and not far from Charleville in France. The choice for Scania was a
loyal one to Denonville (CDB) as ERF was not longer in the range of products and a grandson continued a
Scania-garage in that region.
Thank you A-J. Robert
NGCs Post-Publication Fact Sheet by Robert
Since the publication of Lorries of Arabia: ERF NGC by me in April 2015, a number of new things have come to light about these lorries; some of it from privately held archives. Here is a summary of new NGC discoveries. I have numbered them for reference purposes.
- It is now known that 91 NGCs with 7MW cabs were built by ERF.
- A picture came to light of HMO 220N, an NGC operated by Calor Transport under tanker regulations. This is recorded as No. 073 in my register of NGCs.
- Five more Falcon Freight NGCs have come to light. However, these operated in Jeddah (rather than Dubai like the first five). They had unusually long wheel-bases at 5.34m and were used for transporting cement using flat-bed trailers. These now appear as 074-078 in my register.
- The last Falcon Freight vehicle, chassis number 31927, was also the last ERF MW to be built, being dispatched on 22nd December 1977. Unusually, it had a ■■■■■■■ NT E290 matched to a Fuller RT 9509A gearbox.
- Nos. 58-62 in my register show the first batch of five units that went to Falcon Freight. It now emerges that they were delivered during 1975/6 (not 1974/5 as stated).
- My references to 5MW ‘Europeans’ should now extend to 3MW ‘Europeans’, the 5MW cab having superceded the 3MW on 18th January 1973.
- My suspicion, as stated in the book, that KCH 95N (010 on my register) actually left ERF with a 9-speed Fuller ‘box has turned out to be well-founded. Despite having entered service (as 7DF 44) with Eyckmans new, with a 13-speed Fuller ‘box, it is now known to have left the factory on 24th May 1974 with a Fuller RT 9508A gearbox.
- AFU 615, Van Steenbergen’s fleet no. 28, later 31, is now known to have had Fuller RTO 9509A ‘box. Also, its chassis no. was 22993 and it was the first NGC built.
- NGC no. 064 in my register was not after all, as stated in the little table at the back of the book, in the service of Thibault; nor did it carry that registration number. (There is a picture of this vehicle with a Trailor Savoyarde trailer in Dai Davies’s book).
- The French unit 8814GV59 (no. 049 in my register) in the service of Loste in France is now known to have had an NTC 335 coupled to a 9-speed Fuller.
- No. 069 in my register is UGE 852R. It is now known that this was an MDC852 (not an NGC852 as stated). It is also now known that its previous cab was a 6MW (not a 4MW as stated, or a 5MW as stated in one of the captions).
- I now have more information about JJ393 in the service of Thibault of Stree, Belgium (043 in my register) as follows: NTC 335 with Fuller RTO 9095A; drawbar outfit chassis number 24684; engine number 51900. Also, it is now known that it was the second NGC built. It acquired an Atelier Leonet tipper body and initially pulled a MOL trailer, after which it pulled a LAG trailer.
- Ken Broster, formerly Director and General Manager of Trans Arabia, has stated that although Trans Arabia’s NGCs were generally reliable, they were prone to water pump failures. ‘A-J’ reports that the chief Mechanic at Van Steenbergen has said much the same thing.
- The picture of Q691 NTR in a yard was taken in Asher Lane, Ripley, Derbyshire in 1990, by Les Simpson.
- Here is a more precise version of ERF’s coding system to describe the NGC 420: N = MW ‘7MW European’ steel cab; G = Export special specification cab; C = ■■■■■■■■ 42 = 42 ton GTW; 0 = 4x2 two-axle rigid or artic.
- With regard to Trans Arabia’s considerable operations in which luxury boats were transported (involving NGCs) on the Arabian Peninsula, Ken Broster has revealed that the local agent for this was al Quarashi.
- It is now known that no NGCs were ever built with Gardner engines, even though they were offered in 1970s ERF brochures.
- Lorries of Arabia states that Cunard Arabian Middle East Lines (CAMEL) operated two NGCs in Jeddah, but a Motor Transport article of 07/07/78 states that, ‘Cunard operates a number of steel-cabbed ERF export-model tractors with ■■■■■■■ NTC 335 engines for such work,’ so clearly there were more than two.
Tremendous found! I’ll bet Robert made up his mind on with which one he will drive some time
newmercman:
Saw this on a Facebook page.
BRILLIANT FIND, Newmercman! And I do believe that this is Mr ER Foden himself, because that’s his car down there. Can anyone verify this for me? Robert