I have been thinking about the LHD export B-series model ERFs. It seems to me that they fall into three distinct categories:
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The early 1974 to 1977 models with modest power (Gardner 240, ■■■■■■■ NH 220, Rolls Royce 220) and day cabs, or at best Jennings sleeper cab flat-top conversions.
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1977 or thereafter full-height sleeper-cabbed Euro-spec 4x2 units with big-cam 290 ■■■■■■■ and always 13-speed Fuller gearboxes.
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Arabia-spec 6x4 full-height sleeper (or day-cab version) with ■■■■■■■ 290 or 350, and always 9-speed Fuller gearboxes.
Robert
I have just received an excellent register of the European examples of the LHD B-series ERFs on an excel document compiled from our notes by ERF-Continental (A-J). I do hope he posts it on this thread, as it is most useful. Robert
@Robert: thank you for the compliments and announcement, excellent however? There are a lot of cells to
be filled with names and technical data…however perhaps we all manage to add and/or correct.
For the participants/visitors not familiar with the excel-listing…in yellow the relevant total per country
to avoid doubles and even triples in counting. The year 1976 is given there where the Jennings-cab was the
case, before the ERF-cab came and 1978 because of the change with the headlights from then not in a box
anymore. However, for the UK, that does not correspond most of the time according to the registration.
No attention has been paid till now to the KSA and UAE but according to Robert’s earlier post (page 1 on this
thread) some twenty need to be counted in, at the least. So pretty according the predecessor NGC in LHD’s.
Perhaps Robert and Jerry (but also Ken, John and Ron) will verify on the KSA and UAE?
Happy research! Sunny weekend! A-J
ERF-Continental:
@Robert: thank you for the compliments and announcement, excellent however? There are a lot of cells to
be filled with names and technical data…however perhaps we all manage to add and/or correct.
For the participants/visitors not familiar with the excel-listing…in yellow the relevant total per country
to avoid doubles and even triples in counting. The year 1976 is given there where the Jennings-cab was the
case, before the ERF-cab came and 1978 because of the change with the headlights from then not in a box
anymore. However, for the UK, that does not correspond most of the time according to the registration.
No attention has been paid till now to the KSA and UAE but according to Robert’s earlier post (page 1 on this
thread) some twenty need to be counted in, at the least. So pretty according the predecessor NGC in LHD’s.
Perhaps Robert and Jerry (but also Ken, John and Ron) will verify on the KSA and UAE?
Happy research! Sunny weekend! A-J
Thanks for this, A-J! Yes, the Saudi Arabian B-series register needs to be started and frankly, I haven’t been counting! Up till now we seem to have:
Trans Arabia with four 6x4s and four 4x2s = 8
Star Commercials with two 6x4s = 2
Caravan Trucking with three 6x4s = 3
CAMEL with six 6x4s and ten 4x2s = 16
Taseco with three hundred and thirty mixed = 330
GRAND TOTAL = 359 (approx)
Well, I hope you all don’t mind I did not sort the more than 300 from Taseco, but attached the register
on LHD-B-series we know of by text or picture. Not a bad harvest and a good start to proceed with…
As the ■■■■■■■ NTE350 pops up frequently in the KSA-register, herewith the specifications
ERF-Continental:
As the ■■■■■■■ NTE350 pops up frequently in the KSA-register, herewith the specifications
Great! That was some engine in its day: pulled like a train! Robert
Here’s a better version of a pic posted earlier on the thread:
Another Trans Arabia gem posted by Ronhawk on the TA thread and taken, I think, by Mick Jones. Robert
And here’s a superb contribution from our TNUK artist, Benkku! Robert
Tenacious to the last, I have found two more examples of LHD B-series wagons on the forum.
The first is a Trans Arabia 6x4 with a 290 and 9-speed box placed on the Trans Arabia thread by Ronhawk.
The second is an Eric Vick Middle-Easter: it is the 2nd from the right in the picture and was placed on a thread by Zzarbean/Ted.
Robert
@Ted…thank you for more highlights on this chassis with an impressive and long history!
For others not familiar with the excel-listings (higher on this page) the number in the first
column is intended to avoid we double or even triple count a chassis, so number 11 will get
in total 5 lines later:
-11/1 for Jones of Sandbach with (possibly) a ■■■■■■■ NTCE290 around 1977,
-11/2 for Eric Vick of Hardwicke with registration YRF823S,
-11/3 for Eric Vick of Hardwicke with Gardner 240 and an extra tag-axle (6x2) around 1981,
-11/4 for Eric Vick of Warwicke with Gardner 300 and registration TAF365,
-11/5 for ? of Bristol till about 1995
Correct me if I am wrong and I will later drop the corrected version of the excel-listings.
A-J
Thanks for input @ Ted and A-J! Robert
Indeed Robert, it was too early when I wrote and perhaps half-awake lol, meanwhile I corrected my post
Eric Vick was from Hardwicke, Gloucester The 240 was fitted around 82 ish and run for a few years before being upgraded when the weight limits increased to 38 tonnes for 5 axle combinations probably in the late 80’s. (I was taking an 8 year break at the time)
In this picture it has retired from Middle East and North African work and yours truly has taken over stewardship from Chris. It is seen boarding the Sally ferry at Dunkerque (I can’t remember if it was the Sky or Star) C1991. It was then being used on Rank Xerox work in conjunction with Frans Mass between Mitcheldean UK and Oostrum NL. The return load would have been picked up at either Oostrum, Venray, Paderborn or any number of supply manufactures dotted around Belgium, Holland and Germany. Actually boarding the ferry and going home was quite an achievement as we used to spend up to a fortnight running in and out of Oostende. On a good day we could shift 3 trailers. Oostende - Oostrum - Oostende - Asten. We were up and down the road so much people thought we had hundreds of trucks rather than the dozen or so in use.
[zb]
anorak:
En-Tour-Age:
In 19 years (from 1933) it would have been a century or is this just a cricket-remark?
Quite a different question…I notice some differences on the head-lights, some vehicles
with plain lenses and (as attached) the ones (export?) in a box or casting. Perhaps just
what was in stock to apply and use? 3300John?
The first B-series had the box around the lamps. After about 1978, they deleted the box, for some reason.
According to the above I assume you were right Robert with the last batch for Falcon and with no boxed hedalights
The lower front panel joints were on the early and later B-series, mainly on the day-cabs.
The moment that the boxed headlamps were replaced should be leading us to the truth.
Even in the last B-series brochures from 1980 the lower front panel joints were valid and
as said mainly on day-cabs where the necessity of a front coupling was minor?