Dave the Renegade:
One of A E Gough & Sons loading at Tower Colliery.
That would’nt be an ex K & M,from Hucknall lorry by any chance,ran quiet a few of these Artics from the mid eighties.As you will know big Foden 8 wheeler user until the demise of Coal.May not be but Derbyshire reg so from over this way originally I would have thought someone will possibly know.Good working pic Dave.Regards Mike.
Dave the Renegade:
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
One of A E Gough & Sons loading at Tower Colliery.If I had a pound for every load I’ve got from under that belt Dave, I’d be a rich man.
cheers
John.Only drove up by there John,then on up over the Black Rock and over the top down into Treherbert in the Rhonda Valley.
Cheers Dave.
Sometimes we would have 4 nights out a week parked there, in the winter months ready to load first thing in the morning. Always liked Tower some good lads there.
cheers
John,
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
One of A E Gough & Sons loading at Tower Colliery.If I had a pound for every load I’ve got from under that belt Dave, I’d be a rich man.
cheers
John.Only drove up by there John,then on up over the Black Rock and over the top down into Treherbert in the Rhonda Valley.
Cheers Dave.Sometimes we would have 4 nights out a week parked there, in the winter months ready to load first thing in the morning. Always liked Tower some good lads there.
cheers
John,
A bit bleak up there this time of year John.You would need the night heater working well for a night in the cab.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
One of A E Gough & Sons loading at Tower Colliery.If I had a pound for every load I’ve got from under that belt Dave, I’d be a rich man.
cheers
John.Only drove up by there John,then on up over the Black Rock and over the top down into Treherbert in the Rhonda Valley.
Cheers Dave.Sometimes we would have 4 nights out a week parked there, in the winter months ready to load first thing in the morning. Always liked Tower some good lads there.
cheers
Yeah your right there Dave. We normally had a drop of something in the cab to warm us up, ( not what your thinking it was in a bottle )
Cheers
John.John,
A bit bleak up there this time of year John.You would need the night heater working well for a night in the cab.
Cheers Dave.
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
altitude:
Dave the Renegade:
One of A E Gough & Sons loading at Tower Colliery.If I had a pound for every load I’ve got from under that belt Dave, I’d be a rich man.
cheers
John.Only drove up by there John,then on up over the Black Rock and over the top down into Treherbert in the Rhonda Valley.
Cheers Dave.Sometimes we would have 4 nights out a week parked there, in the winter months ready to load first thing in the morning. Always liked Tower some good lads there.
cheers
Yeah your right there Dave. We normally had a drop of something in the cab to warm us up, ( not what your thinking it was in a bottle )
Cheers
John.John,
A bit bleak up there this time of year John.You would need the night heater working well for a night in the cab.
Cheers Dave.
Hot water bottle was it John …
Cheers Dave.
Of Course
Cheers
John.
we used to load from onllwn opencast , it was raw cold up there in winter . the nightwatchman kept a stack of old firebricks behind his stove . a couple of those red hot on the cab floor was as good as any night heater , dave
I’ve driven a fair few 3000 4000 and alphas both 8 wheelers and 6x4 tractors and as a driving machine they were top notch unless the cable gearshift was really worn. I think it was just the cabs that let them down in the end they just felt to kit car. But I bet a foden tractor with the xf daf cab and the option of a big cat or ■■■■■■■ would have been a tool.
Evening all, ah, les Fodens, you know I never really rated them, untill now in my declining years I look back. I did many a happy mile in my families S20 Gardner 4cyl, 5sp, with that little speedo in the centre of the steering column showing a heady 38/42mph. (on a good day) the little Gardner purring away under its blankets and Tartan Travel Rug! Like travelling through Europe in an Edwardian railway carridge. It only broke down once, just in Paris, easily fixed, at reasonable cost by the blue overalled professionals of Transport G Borca et Fils, where I fell in love with those magnificent Pepel cabbed, Gardner engined Bernards. Later I graduated to an S21 Micky Mouse" (not good for the knees)! 150 Gardner 12sp. I went all over Europe in that lorry, No mountain held any fear, going up, a gear was always there, going down, good brakes and steering , only a twin stick Bernard could match me in the climbs.She was as good as the best that Europe could offer. What went wrong? Mid 70s, the European lorry industry was in crisis, stagnant economies, no sales. The UK was the only market with potential,those of a similar age to myself will remember just how cheaply a Fiat, Magirus, Volvo, Scania, or Mercedes could be acquired, and their prices bore little relation to cost of production. (And I generalise by ignoring the more market aware attitude of the importers dealers, mainly refugees from the lathargic home manufacturers networks)! What did Foden do? A highly leveraged development at Elworth, of a production facility capable of 6000units pa, and a staff of 3000! For a market that was being invaded, and cost/ price was critical! The products were good, take the Haulmaster/ Fleetmaster, Rolls, Gardner, ■■■■■■■■ Eaton, Rockwell, 6/6.5tons wet weight. Legal coupling to a 40ft, inside15m, few could compete. But it was not enough, 82, Recevership, the world and his wife picking over the bones. Cash rich Paccar got it, (if the RVI/Mack bid had succeded, then the end would have been sooner! It was painful, staff down to 450 mid 80s,but the product was good. But the industrial cracks were there, take the chassis, German steel, British steel could not produce the complex double fold, the Germans could. Then Gentlemen, a little detour! The logical, and oh prefered merger between our Leyland, and General Motors Bedford, was to founder on the "gingoistic" false nostalgia for that reprobate of the British Leyland Group, Land Rover. Whose exclusion from the deal caused the whole transaction to collapse, Bedford to close, and that incompetent Tory Paul Channon, to push Leyland and DAF closer together, eventually "giving" Leyland to Daf. Which, following the inevitable "gin and tonic" honeymoon collapsed! To be rescued deary deary me, by cash rich Paccar. (here ends our diversion). At this juncture Foden as a brand, was time expired, despite the quality of its products, it`s production facility was not required, and so it came to an end. Complex, and convoluted is the UK/World truck market. Finally, windrush, I know the Knowles family well, thank you for highlighting a critical example of the UK manufacturers “head in the sand” attitude, Dave R, your photographs highlight just how well regarded Foden were in the market place by all users. Although I have no direct experience of Foden the company, I have always been impressed with the “Foden” people I have met, non more so than the late Barry Gibson, although not working with him I have some idea how strongly he compensated, and held together the UK Renault Truck operation in the field, when we in France could just not get the quality right!! (Our Leyland moment). Foden, I remember them with pride, and oh the delight of that 12speed!! Cheerio for now.
I could never understand why the fibreglass cab wasn’t modernised by Daf, especially when you consider how heavy everything seems to be nowadays. Health and Safety/driver pleasing etc has a lot to answer for ie; Automatic tailgates, AdBlue systems, automatic sheeting, engine management systems to tell you a bulb has blown…Not to mention all the storage a driver needs for his PPE, maps (are they still used or is that just me?), health and safety/company rules folder, safety deposit box (for when Altitude drives my lorry; can’t have all his gold jewellery on display, )
Muckaway:
I could never understand why the fibreglass cab wasn’t modernised by Daf, especially when you consider how heavy everything seems to be nowadays. Health and Safety/driver pleasing etc has a lot to answer for ie; Automatic tailgates, AdBlue systems, automatic sheeting, engine management systems to tell you a bulb has blown…Not to mention all the storage a driver needs for his PPE, maps (are they still used or is that just me?), health and safety/company rules folder, safety deposit box (for when Altitude drives my lorry; can’t have all his gold jewellery on display,
Don’t worry about that mate, what gold I’ve got will go in the ash tray, and still leave room for my flask.
Muckaway:
I could never understand why the fibreglass cab wasn’t modernised by Daf, especially when you consider how heavy everything seems to be nowadays. Health and Safety/driver pleasing etc has a lot to answer for ie; Automatic tailgates, AdBlue systems, automatic sheeting, engine management systems to tell you a bulb has blown…Not to mention all the storage a driver needs for his PPE, maps (are they still used or is that just me?), health and safety/company rules folder, safety deposit box (for when Altitude drives my lorry; can’t have all his gold jewellery on display,
It’s strange to think there probaly isn’t an 8. Wheeler with a steel body that can give a 20 ton Payload at 32 ton but a scammell routeman could at the old 30 ton limit.
Smiths had 4 Charrold steel bodied 8w 3000series that could carry 20t and still be ubder 32t mgw.
This 3000 series of Ivor Duggan’s could carry over 21 ton.
thelongdrag:
Dave the Renegade:
One of A E Gough & Sons loading at Tower Colliery.That would’nt be an ex K & M,from Hucknall lorry by any chance,ran quiet a few of these Artics from the mid eighties.As you will know big Foden 8 wheeler user until the demise of Coal.May not be but Derbyshire reg so from over this way originally I would have thought someone will possibly know.Good working pic Dave.Regards Mike.
I was just thinking the same thing!!
Derby reg. and the overall ‘look’ and spec of it seem right… a few of their old motor still on the fairground circuit too.
were still running 3 alpha,s had them from new,been brillant for us had a few electrical gremlins but nothing serious,i did nearley 800,000kms from new with a 53 reg and still drives mint,the london job will kill it for a lot,not bein able to go in the lez zone with them.
Nice, Hailwood; A blinged motor I COULD live with 
My Dads’ favourite lorry in over 33 years on Smiths was his B reg 8wheeler B501 AUD.
One of only 2 bought with the turbocharged Gardner 270 and Eaton Twin Splitter. As a 10/11 year old I could never understand that gearbox I just remember Dad pointing out the lack of effort in changing gear when moving She carried well over 20t at 30.400mgw with alloy Wilcox body. It never had a major breakdown until the day it was returning to the yard to be sold in '94ish when a piston decided to depart early…
hailwood:
Just put this Classy old girl back on the road
■■■■■■■ 14 ltr 525 in her, pull a house down
Can these be run at 44 tonnes ?
