I can add a little more regarding the trio of ‘Truckmaster’ Fodens from my Foden book other text in brackets is from me ;
’ On 3rd November 1977 at the Europa Hotel in London, a new range of Foden tractor units was introduced to the press and selected customers. Codenamed ‘Fleetmaster’ and ‘Haulmaster’ (Super Haulmaster too although not in text) there were significant variations in the vehicle specifications to suit the particular market for which it was intended.
Vehicles in the Fleetmaster range, easily identified by the curved single piece windscreen, were built primarily from well chosen proprietary components so that the production rate could be varied without resultant problems in our own unit manufacturing areas. The Fleetmaster tractor unit designed for both UK and international haulage up to gross vehicle weights of 38 tonnes, was offered with either day or sleeper composite cab, ■■■■■■■ or Rolls Royce 290 bhp engines, Fuller nine-speed RT 9509A gearboxes and Rockwell hypoid bevel drive rear axles.
The Haulmaster range, identified by the flat two piece windscreen and initially, large diameter single lights, was intended primarily for the UK market. The specification included an all steel tilt cab somewhat similar in shape to that of the Fleetmaster tractor, but the specified engine was a ■■■■■■■ 250 bhp unit with Foden eight-speed gearbox and Foden front and rear axles.
The Super Haulmaster vehicles built either as rigid six wheelers or as three-axle tractor units were normally produced in left-hand drive form with ■■■■■■■ 290 bhp engines and S.90 day or sleeper steel cabs, Foden eight-speed gearbox and Foden axles.’
So unfortunately no mention of a cab designation for the first two tractors only the S.90 steel cab for the Super Haulmaster although I believe the Fleetmaster had a S.95 composite cab (but I could be wrong here!) as the S.10 cab did not come out until October 1978 introduced at the NEC show. Foden seemed to use quite a complicated system of cab numbers in particular, although most cabs were derivatives of a main type with sometimes slight or many detail changes resulting in a different number. One thing for certain reading quickly through my book is Foden almost always introduced something new at the vehicle shows it attended whether Earls Court, the NEC or shows such as Harrogate and offered customers quite a variation. Hope this adds a bit more to the mix, Franky.
Frankydobo:
…although I believe the Fleetmaster had a S.95 composite cab (but I could be wrong here!) as the S.10 cab did not come out until October 1978 introduced at the NEC show…
Both the S90 and S95 are Motor Panels steel cabs Franky, and both share a very similar structure.
The only actual difference between the two (basic structure wise) is the windscreen surround panel.
The S10 is a fibreglass composite cab launched, as you say, in October 1978 for the 1979 model year, and Fleetmaster’s could be specified with both cab types through 1979 and into 1980, when the S95 was discontinued.
Cheers ERF, therefore the Haulmaster had the steel S.95 and the Super Haulmaster the steel S.90 so what S number was the Fleetmaster composite cab was it also S.95 as you mentioned earlier about the ID plates even though they had different screens and cab material and I presume it was a Foden designed/built cab rather than the all steel cabs by Motor Panels. Blimey gives you a headache all these numbers! Cheers Franky.
Frankydobo:
…therefore the Haulmaster had the steel S.95 and the Super Haulmaster the steel S.90 so what S number was the Fleetmaster composite cab was it also S.90 as you mentioned earlier about the ID plates even though they had different screens and cab material and I presume it was a Foden designed/built cab rather than the all steel cabs by Motor Panels…
Not quite Franky.
It took me a while to get my head around it too!.
The early Haulmaster (including the Super) had the steel S90 cab, the early Fleetmaster had the steel S95 cab. Both made by Motor Panels.
The Foden designed and built fibreglass composite cab was the S10, and it kept this designation right through it’s life, including in Mk4 form on the 4000 series trucks.
To tell an early S10 apart from the very similar looking S95, look for the two rectangular vents (one each side) just above the windscreen of the S95. These vents were only found on the S95 and S90 cabs.
Bewick:
You have no chance of assuming the mantle of “Thread Nutter” Anorak as this trophy was won outright, hands down, many years ago by The Leatherhead Leper and it appears only now that a credible Challenger, in the form of Valkyrie, has come forward to challenge for the trophy and that’s if “CF” hasn’t pawned it for the price of a few bevvy’s ! Cheers Dennis.
To be fair I also threw in the engine and chassis number of the JAL 1628 incident UFO and the location of Flight 19 and the missing search aircraft. But the only Sabrina I knew was the 1980’s Italian pop star.Who in typical form ironically didn’t seem to rely on,or need,the ‘wardrobe enhancements’,that the earlier version seems to have done to meet the required specification,going by her appearance in the Arthur Askey This Is Your Life episode.
I can also confirm that references to Mickey Mouse,or the Sabrina of either era,let alone space craft weren’t applied to the S85 at least.On that note you barmy old ■■■■■ have got the nerve to call me bleedin mad.
CF,
That Sabrina from the 1980’s could have fed a creche with what she was packing up top and also the ERF nickname came from a similar built girl from the 60’s I believe, never heard a Foden called Sabrina either?
I’d never heard of any truck being called a Sabrina although a 1955 Cadillac seems like the best candidate for the name not that ERF which looked like a cross between an Atki and a Bedford TJ. But that was all way before my time so what do I know.
Which just leaves the more important question was the earlier 1950’s Sabrina really a match for the 1980’s version,or was she using dodgy artificial ‘enhancements’ to cheat the viewing public.
Still running a Foden 4375 double drive, rockwell axles, 13 speed eaton and a 410hp eagle TX. Ex AJ Bull reg No L4 AJB and to the best of my knowledge has covered 1.6 million miles. AJ Bull was partial to an AJB numberplate flickr.com/photos/8242016■■ … 650316834/
Not used for haulage but for our own use within the forestry industry, its been the most reliable truck I have ever owned. Currently being freshened up and given another coat of paint along with a service.
Cant use lowloaders because of ground clearance issues. The truck spends a lot of time down boggin forest tracks, no steering with the locks in but always pulls through
8ob:
Still running a Foden 4375 double drive, rockwell axles, 13 speed eaton and a 410hp eagle TX. Ex AJ Bull reg No L4 AJB and to the best of my knowledge has covered 1.6 million miles. AJ Bull was partial to an AJB numberplate flickr.com/photos/8242016■■ … 650316834/
Not used for haulage but for our own use within the forestry industry, its been the most reliable truck I have ever owned. Currently being freshened up and given another coat of paint along with a service.
Cant use lowloaders because of ground clearance issues. The truck spends a lot of time down boggin forest tracks, no steering with the locks in but always pulls through
AJ Bull always knew how to spec a decent wagon and their Fodens were the kings of the landfill sites around here.It was one of the only local running jobs that were ( rightly ) as coveted among drivers as long haul international work and just as difficult to get on being a case of dead man’s shoes.
ERF Wrote;
Not quite Franky.
It took me a while to get my head around it too!.
The early Haulmaster (including the Super) had the steel S90 cab, the early Fleetmaster had the steel S95 cab. Both made by Motor Panels.
The Foden designed and built fibreglass composite cab was the S10, and it kept this designation right through it’s life, including in Mk4 form on the 4000 series trucks.
To tell an early S10 apart from the very similar looking S95, look for the two rectangular vents (one each side) just above the windscreen of the S95. These vents were only found on the S95 and S90 cabs.
Thanks again ERF and I think I’ve got my head round it now I was going off the trio line up pic and info in my book but it seems the Foden ad of the ‘Truckmaster’ range must have came out maybe a year or more later than 1977 when the range was introduced, hence the change in cab styles from the original 77 range that Nancollis spoke about in the text. I’ve sorted out some photo’s and possibly the 77 line up should have looked like below compared to the ‘trio’ advert pic.
Clearly in the advert trio pic the centre Haulmaster has now got the S.10 cab, it was this that had me baffled and it seems the grille detail altered along with fitting of the Foden Kite badge on the Super. It also seems there was only a gap of a year or so after the 77 range release that these changes took place and the S.10 was used on the Haulmaster. I took it that the text next to the trio photo in the book meant the photo was from 1977, which it wasn’t, does this make sense, sorry to drag this out but it had me niggled. Hopefully we can move on now! Early Fleetmaster pic is interesting too, Cheers Franky.
I had a conversation with an old workmate a while ago and he was telling me about when he drove for Edwards of Stoke, they had Fodens and he mentioned to me that he drove a ‘Sabrina’ (S21) for a while. I had forgotten that conversation until this topic raised its head again, maybe Potteries lads did call them by that name?
[zb]
anorak:
The bottom pic is a Universal, if I am not mistaken. The later SH had a kite emblem and a black grill, like those in the trio phot above.
I don’t know whether we dare just go by the grille!.
The earlier ‘Universal’ was certainly publiciced with the plastic Foden badge (and a single screen though), while the Super Haulmaster had the split screen, black grille & kite badge! Both were fitted with the S90 steel cab.
I’ve had all my Foden bumf out, and the scanner, so if anyone’s interested I’ll post yet more useless information on this subject before we move on!
Here is the first lot…
Fleetmaster cab detail - showing the S10 as the day cab, and S95 as the sleeper. Ironic as the last steel S95’s supplied in 1980 were day cabs! Printed 1978
Good stuff ERF, I’ll have good read through, I didn’t have much to do with the Foden apart from we had a V Reg Fleetmaster at Van Hee that was used as a trailer MoT test vehicle and yard shunter, it was originally one of Ritchies of Hetton-le-Hole so a little worn when we got it but it could still shift. Just to answer zbanoraks post the photo I added of the Super Haulmaster was actually the predecessor, a model that was part of a Saudi order in 1977 and would become the Super Haulmaster as in the trio pic. The Universal range came out in 1974 and the six wheeler of 26 tonnes GVW was a single screen cab with large diameter headlights although it did have the Foden kite badge. What a confusing range of models produced by Foden during the 70’s for the enthusiast to follow but I would hope they knew what was what! On the subject of cabs the first Foden Diesel built in 1931 is shown below however the cab was replaced in the 30’s for a slightly modified S.10 (the original S.10 I may add) to become the vehicle most people are familiar with and sold in the 80’s to the Science Museum by the author of my Foden book. You can still see the original stubby rad cowl and grille on the rebuilt version. All good stuff! Cheers Franky.
Cheers Franky.
not that ERF which looked like a cross between an Atki and a Bedford TJ. 
