LB76:
hi jamie, the unladen weight of that lorry was 24 tons (with trailer) not bad when you consider that it was only 32 tons max in UK at the time.i have the build sheet for the lorry somewhere i will dig it out and post it for you , it was a 760 in that one and originally had been fitted with an exhaust brake which wasnt a success, the fitters at Wyatts were far and away the best i have ever come across and they made those AEC’s sing!
Very interesting tell us more
Ashworths from Bradford made their own trailers and they were heavy,i heard he could make AECs better than AEC could there`s also a tale about putting a turbo on a Gardner well before Gardner did dont know how true that was
The last batch of MkV’s we recieved for 32t Gross at BRS Hampstead Depot had the AV760 in as did the Ergo’s that followed on, we also recieved 3 Leyland Beavers with the ergo cab and Power Plus 680 and the AEC’s would out pull them, but both could not live with the ■■■■■■■ 220 in the Guy Big J with AEC/Thornycroft 6 speed gear box…Tony.
Great info and pics again LB76 mate. 24 ton empty didn’t leave you much mate if you could only run legaly at 32! What were the permited weights on the continent?,surely they must have been close to 40 ton if not more.
Interesting that you talk about a AV760 with an exhaust brake I didn’t know that they were fitted. A mate of mine has a '67 Marshal with a AV505 fitted with an exhaust brake and it works well if your in the right gear on a down hill.
I was talking to a bloke a while ago who used to drive a MM8 with a three axle fridge van and he reckoned they were always running heavy between 40 and 45 ton. They were fitted with 13 speed Road Rangers and he said that you didn’t often hook top cog and when you did it wasn’t for long. He went onto say that the fridge vans were insulated with cork that absorbed water and this could be up to an extra ton of weight. I’m trying to get some pics from him,if I get them I’ll stick them up.
In the mean time here’s a cracker of a photo that a mate sent me a few weeks ago of a Kiwi Leyland Octopus.
Heaton’s were famous for these big combinations of an 8X4 with a drom box pulling an ‘A’ train. There was a loop hole in the law that you could compete with the railways if you opperated this combination. Other wise you could only carry non perishables within a fourty mile radius of your yard.
I think this one has been re-powerd with a turbo Leyland 690 as it has the exhaust sack up the back.
And about time you got the hang of posting pictures Bill ! This is your thread, but I can’t resist putting a couple more pics on. I’m sure you won’t mind…
In the yard mid 1960’s. Check out all those AEC’s! And what about the service van? Top quality image captures the era perfectly.
Check out that “top sleeper”. Hope he didn’t suffer with virtigo!
harry:
My mate started with FF . He picked the loaded truck up from Diss, drove as far as the docks to ship out & left the job & the motor there. He said the weight was unbelievable & the rig was lucky to make it to the docks. There was no power steering. I think they used to crane them on to the boat in those days.
One of the AEC’s waiting under the crane - dockside Felixstowe.
And here’s an old Scammel and it’s fridge trailer being craned onto the boat; mid 1950’s. On route to Germany!
Hiya …my 1964 mm6 is plated for 23 ton gross and 32 ton train weight but the design weight is 24 tons gross and 40 tons train weight
thats the reading on the plate certificate…was the artic 4 axel weight at 28 tons in 1964■■?
John
Never had one on a rolling road to be 100% accurate but they were very fast and would pull like crazy. The downside was they tended to get very warm hence them being christened “Sommer Scania’s” by the Swedes.
Obviously more than the 6 speed box AEC were offering,never understood why they didnt put a bigger box in as standard i know some were fitted with the fuller as an option which would have probably enhanced their performance no doubt
IIRC the DS11 turbo in the LB76 was 272bhp. The turbo sat at the top of the engine, right underneath the metal bonnet on the drivers side, there was insulation and the bonnet sealed really well but they did get hot in the summer.
Those AEC’s may make pretty pictures but you wouldn’t want to reverse those 8 leggers with those short assed trailers -pull yer arms off just getting on the bay.The Scania Vabees - did they have 2 gearsticks?- ruled from day one & GB trucking never looked back.
I drove an early 110 with the 2 gearstick job -sweet as a nut.
those drawbar trailers were as long as any that were being used in England Harry and as for reversing them i learnt from a master and used to consider it a failure to have to nose a trailer in - in fact i never did , i used to keep my front bumper pin freshly painted as an advert to say that i could reverse properly. Nosing in or onto a bay was not an option either do it right or get another lorry that is easier to reverse (like an artic)
This is your thread, but I can’t resist putting a couple more pics on. I’m sure you won’t mind…
