Suedehead:
Interesting clip. Fuller 'box as expected. Presumably TL12 lump. I notice the driver reminded his passenger (in Dutch) that Astran ran them ‘to Afghanistan’! It has a modern feel to it but the top-mounted wipers would soon remind you what era you were in!
Ro
I bet he never mentioned how it broke down on that trip…
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Astran ran more than one Marathon down to the Gulf but many more did trouble-free M/E trips (I’m not aware any did Afghanistan mind!). You tend only to hear the bad news. People slag off the Brit motors that did M/E but the well-maintained ones did OK. We’ve heard on recent threads here how ERFs did 5 or 6 years on Baghdad work trouble-free and a Crusader that did exactly the same. The ERF NGC that did Pakistan was still working hard donkeys years later pulling heavy trailers.
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You say that Astran ran more than one Marathon down to the Gulf, would that equate to 2?
In Ashleys book “long haul pioneers”, it shows that they ran a demo, an L reg 6x2/4 ,dont think they kept it and the one featured in Destination Doha was lent to them, as was the Leyland driver ■■■■ Rivers.
[/quote] Well I make it three, but I think they were all demonstrators. There was WTJ 120L, NCW 732P & SLO 707R.
Suedehead:
Sorry, my mistake. Thought it was 2,all 3 were demos though
Actually, you may not be mistaken at all! I’ve just looked at the fleet list in the back of Ash’s book and it lists NCW 732P as an unsignwritten Astran Marathon that only appears in the Marathon brochure (with an Astran tilt). It appears that Ash found no evidence it actually went down the TIR-trail (though it could have, of course). So it might have been a publicity stunt by BL to advertise it’s Middle-East spec Marathon 2 which it produced as a ‘special’. Ro
Apologies if this has been put on before. The film featuring ■■■■ Rivers and George Layton is a bit cheesy
Looks like the same motor Astran had on trial ?
Suedehead:
Sorry, my mistake. Thought it was 2,all 3 were demos though
Actually, you may not be mistaken at all! I’ve just looked at the fleet list in the back of Ash’s book and it lists NCW 732P as an unsignwritten Astran Marathon that only appears in the Marathon brochure (with an Astran tilt). It appears that Ash found no evidence it actually went down the TIR-trail (though it could have, of course). So it might have been a publicity stunt by BL to advertise it’s Middle-East spec Marathon 2 which it produced as a ‘special’. Ro
It’s a 1, isn’t it? Did they do long cab 2’s? I know there is an A plate in existence, but was not aware of any others.
All the 3 mentioned above and the middle east specials the likes of brs overland used were marathon 1’s as the marathon 2 arrived on “S” registration
Interesting question about the biggest cab on the marathon 2, the brochure only showed day and short sleeper versions.
The A reg one with a big sleeper was recabbed as the big cab is a mk1 type interior, there are photos somewhere on trucknet of it with its original short sleeper cab.
The windscreen is split on some to facilitate replacement of only half to save cost, the angle on the door is something I’ve wondered about, would it prevent snow and ice build up?
I once read back when it was launched that the original idea of the angled metal on the door of the Middle East spec Marathon was to make it harder /deter undesirables from gaining access /hanging on to the door, but I could be wrong.
vwvanman0:
All the 3 mentioned above and the middle east specials the likes of brs overland used were marathon 1’s as the marathon 2 arrived on “S” registration
Interesting question about the biggest cab on the marathon 2, the brochure only showed day and short sleeper versions.
The A reg one with a big sleeper was recabbed as the big cab is a mk1 type interior, there are photos somewhere on trucknet of it with its original short sleeper cab.
The windscreen is split on some to facilitate replacement of only half to save cost, the angle on the door is something I’ve wondered about, would it prevent snow and ice build up?
Is that A-plater in preservation?
I wonder if any Marathon 2’s were supplied from new with the long cab? It was only after about 1978 that the short sleeper was available. The long cab was launched in 1965, according to the brochure.
ERF-NGC-European:
Interesting clip. Fuller 'box as expected. Presumably TL12 lump. I notice the driver reminded his passenger (in Dutch) that Astran ran them ‘to Afghanistan’! It has a modern feel to it but the top-mounted wipers would soon remind you what era you were in!
Ro
I bet he never mentioned how it broke down on that trip…
When the camera pans to the LH door mirror, you see one of these following, full of Leyland parts :
0
Anorak, this is the A reg one, it has been for sale a number of times and never seems to make it back on the road as far as I’m aware, last photo i saw it was parked up outside looking a bit sad.
The first one looks suspiciously like the A-plated one, but with a different number plate- it has similar plating over the rear side window apertures, which seems to taper into the gutter. That is also, by the look of it, an add-on tag axle. Maybe the cab off that one ended up on the A-reg chassis?
The second one is a Marathon 1, according to the badge.
The larger sleeper had the square windows. Not sure what year this was released,probably have something on it but dont
have time to try and find it.There was obviously an options list when you wanted a larger sleeper.
Does anyone know if the ones fitted with the strip down the centre of the windscreen was just a strengthening strip or
was it infact 2 seperate screens ?
This beauty is marathon 2 era and a large sleeper so guess they did make them.
Although i thought they moved the mirrors to the doors around the time of the changeover?
(Again not my photo)
Steve
Maybe they carried on as a special order? Note that that one has similar panelling over the rear windows. It isn’t just a metal false window, nor does it look like the panel has been left blank in the press shop- it looks like an extra bit tacked and/or glued on. Wierd.
Dean’s advert, just a few posts up, shows them on the A posts, but V-platers had them on the doors, looking at some of the others. Maybe your photo shows another re-cabbed one?
