Left-Hand Drive B-series ERFs

[robert1952]

[robert1952]

adr:
Commercial Motor Mag’.

Love that CM Geneva motor show pic! Oh to wheel that brand-new out of the exhibition haul, hook up to a tidy tilt and head south down the ‘nationals’… Robert

[robert1952]

Jerry Cooke, driver and mechanic for Trans Arabia in Jeddah in the early '70s and early '80s has given me the ‘go-ahead’ to post some of the pictures he took of their B-series left-hookers working on ‘internals’ in Saudi. I have already described these in more detail in a piece I wrote earlier in this thread. All my Trans Arabia pictures and information have come directly from Jerry, who has been of fantastic assistance in writing my book about ERF NGC 420s (see ERF Europeans thread). So here are some of Jerry’s pics. Robert

[robert1952]

[michel]

It was to sell some years ago , where is it now ?

[robert1952]

michel:
It was to sell some years ago , where is it now ?

You’ll find more about this NGC 420 on the ‘ERF European’ thread, Michel. A contributor in France sent me pics of it when I was writing my book about this model (not out yet) but news of it has gone quiet. Robert

[jelliot]

gazsa401:
Both were big Gardner men

Both of them were very proud that they owned the fastest Gardner powered truck in the world, and I often used to get a bit of ribbing form them. I never said a word when I towed them of the motorway in France with my Volvo on the way back for the truck racing at Paul Ricard.

Jeff…

[erf-continental]

Good initiative to split the threads into European- and B-series Robert!!!
Also very good input of nice pictures to proceed on.

Here some pictures I borrow from the European-brochure of May 1979

Have a good start of this week, regards,

A-J

[robert1952]

ERF-Continental:
Good initiative to split the threads into European- and B-series Robert!!!
Also very good input of nice pictures to proceed on.

Here some pictures I borrow from the European-brochure of May 1979

Have a good start of this week, regards,

A-J

Thanks ERF-Continental! Great pictures: loved the Greek tilt. Robert

[erf-continental]

@Robert…it’s a real pleasure to input so that all might enjoy the rich history of this nice company!

Hint…I had frequent contact with Paul Bestebreurtje (director of BESTebreurtjeTRUCK) and you
might try via Wobbe to conatct him again as he had a lot of info, documentation and pictures.

[gazsa401]

Jelliot:

gazsa401:
Both were big Gardner men

Both of them were very proud that they owned the fastest Gardner powered truck in the world, and I often used to get a bit of ribbing form them. I never said a word when I towed them of the motorway in France with my Volvo on the way back for the truck racing at Paul Ricard.

Jeff…

Well you must have had a good Volvo because the ones we ran were the most unreliable lorries ever to grace our fleet.
We returned back to ERF and ran EC12s which were a lot more reliable just my own experience

[robert1952]

ERF-Continental:
@Robert…it’s a real pleasure to input so that all might enjoy the rich history of this nice company!

Hint…I had frequent contact with Paul Bestebreurtje (director of BESTebreurtjeTRUCK) and you
might try via Wobbe to conatct him again as he had a lot of info, documentation and pictures.

Thanks for the tip! Some wonderful pics there (though I notice you slipped a RHD one in!); all Van Steenbergen’s ERFs were highly photogenic in that rather striking livery weren’t they. Robert

[erf-continental]

@Robert

Messrs ERF respectively Denonville planned a whole day for pictures during European-days!

Hence some pictures were made for “Chassis” as well as promotional on E34 and on court.

Van Steenbergen was never active with regard to pictures (nor during KRUPP and WHITE)
but focussed on hauling and maintaining their fleet, with bul carriers, coil-carriers, open
trailers (to immitate sheets and ropes) and later on emphasized on steel and automotive.

Mind that they were ERF-dealers (referring to their facades with ERF-light) and quite some
hauliers called upon service and help…being close to one of most major routes…

Will try to dive into my extensive ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ for NTC335 etc

[erf-continental]

By the way…during some contacts (in my best French) I overheard that Thibaut of Stree (Charleroi) has also
a NGC-tractor which they also utilized till the last bit of energy…there were strong ideas to purchase Foden
as by then CDB was also a dealer for Foden…represented by a (grand)son of Denonville

Foden by then was not ‘ready’ to do continental business, their first chassis didn’t have a spare…and when they
were asked for a reason…their explanation was that it was not needed for, as in UK you can ‘buy’ a tire in every
village…absolutely without no idea about being INTERNATIONAL…just a spar, let’s forget about clutch…etc

So Foden did proceed in the row…that their is the rest of the world…adjusting to UK I guess?

[michel]

ERF in Swiss :

[jelliot]

gazsa401:

Jelliot:

gazsa401:
Both were big Gardner men

Both of them were very proud that they owned the fastest Gardner powered truck in the world, and I often used to get a bit of ribbing form them. I never said a word when I towed them of the motorway in France with my Volvo on the way back for the truck racing at Paul Ricard.

Jeff…

Well you must have had a good Volvo because the ones we ran were the most unreliable lorries ever to grace our fleet.
We returned back to ERF and ran EC12s which were a lot more reliable just my own experience

Both my dad and I operated and drove various Volvos for many years and had good and reliable service from them.
The Millfield ERF was experiencing an accelerator linkage problem, and I was in a position to offer some mates assistance.

Robert’s started a great thread here, lets get it back on course.

Jeff…

[robert1952]

michel:
ERF in Swiss :

Hi Michel. I notice your Swiss ERF has a Jost-type coupling mounted on the front tow-pin position, presumably for shunting drawbar trailers into place. Was this a showman’s vehicle by any chance? Robert

[robert1952]

A WORD ABOUT THE C-SERIES:
I have started a new, parallel thread before the ‘Left-Hand Drive B-series’ thread gets contaminated with LHD C-series. I’m doing this for two reasons:

1. It makes it easier for future transport historians to use TruckNet UK as a resourse
2. The C-series ERF was rather more than just a ‘face-lift’ B-series
   End of newsflash! Robert:)

[michel]

Yes,Robert;it was in use by a showman,but before in transport haulage.

[robert1952]