Leylands (and other UK makes) In The Antipodes

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Over the years I have had quite a few photos sent to me by enthusiasts from Australia and New Zealand. Predominantly they have been Leylands and AECs, but I no longer have the AEC photos, but I can post the Leyland photos. With the “bad press” Leyland has had from some contributors on TN some people could be forgiven for thinking that there was never anything any good about British lorries. It’s worth correcting that misunderstanding by reminding some that Leyland was a huge exporter in its time. You will see that many Leylands were adapted for the conditions of the Antipodes. Australia in particular had rather stringent “bridge loading regulations”, which necessitated the addition of trailing, or “lazy” axles to chassis. So here goes.

The late Arthur Murray was an avid Leyland fan in the 1930s and 1940s, running a couple of Leyland Cubs with his brother. In the UK the Cub was a light or medium weight 4-wheeler. Arthur had an artic and a 6-wheeler Cub. The Cat D7 on the 6-wheeler weighed 14 tons and Arthur hauled it from Alice Springs to Hayes Creek.

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Tony Petch supplied many photos, sourced from several photographers of his acquaintance. I will always try to accredit the photographer and copyright holder.

LAD Octopus and trailer operated by mining company D.F.D. Rhodes Pty. in Western Australia. Rhodes ran a large fleet of British lorries and this Octopus was hauling manganese ore from Woodie Woodie mine to Port Headland, taken in 1964. The roads were so poor and rough that hydraulic tipping gear would have disintegrated before journey’s end, so the side boards were removed and the ore pushed off with a loading shovel. (Photo: Joe & Laura Harrison via Tony Petch)

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Rufus Carr, a Kiwi who moved to Australia was a valued supplier, and his “day job” latterly was driving an Aussie road train for Kalari.

This is a Rufus Carr photo, taken in MacKay Queensland in October 1979. LAD Octopus Molasses tanker and trailer operated by Zarb Road Transport. Rather basic specification of Leyland Power Plus O.600 engine and 6-speed 'box. Originally an 8X4, the rearmost diff was blanked off, so running as an 8x2.

This is from Rufus, but taken in New Zealand, at Waioeka Gorge in 1973. Ward’s of Fishbourne operated this LAD Octopus on livestock transport. It had a Power Plus O.680 and 10-speed 'box. Domett deck and trailer with Jensen crates.

[deanb]

Intresting thread Graham and some cracking pics. Heres a bit from 1966 !

Click on page twice to read.

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Rufus Carr photographed this LAD Octopus bitumen tanker and drag at Bombay, near Aukland in 1977. It had a Power Plus O.680 with 6-speed plus crawler 'box. Note the siting of the vertical exhaust stack (bet that sounded nice!) and it was running on super single rear tyres. Rufus also commented “yes it’s a sack of spuds on the fuel tank, probably bought by the driver at the market garden just over the hill.”

And another from Rufus of a Comet 4x4, but sadly no details. Could have been an Aussie lorry I think.

And a Comet 90 with additional third axle, the Swansea on the door is in NSW, Australia.

Another Comet 90, artic with what looks to be a special type of trailer, again sadly no details

And finally for tonight, a Comet 75 artic, with a load of furnace coke. Aussie operator John Davis of Laverton, Victoria was the driver for operator K.L. McKenzie Transport from Melbourne. It had a Leyland O.350 Mk.111 engine, 5-speed box and Eaton 2-speed axle. Rated for 22.5 tons GVW it is claimed that the engine was opened up to 3,400 rpm and “gave a very impressive performance.” This John Davis photo was taken at the top of Connroys Hill en-route from Wollongong to Melbourne.

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A few more from Rufus Carr.
Refrigerated Freight Lines Ltd. Leyland Hippo 6x4 artic. Power Plus O.680 engine with 10-speed 'box. Photo dates from the mid-1960s, taken at New Plymouth, NZ. (copyright unknown)

Leyland Super Comet, Power Plus O.400, working from Invercargill, NZ. (Photo Jim Sharp)

There’s a very good load of NZ apples for export on this Comet 90 and trailer. Operated by a company called Kirby. (Copyright unknown)

This Comet 75 was well over 20 years old and still in service in 1975 when the photo was taken at Roxburgh in the South Island of NZ. Note the 1924 White in the background.

Super Comet and trailer beer tanker operated by New Zealand Breweries, Clinton South Island 1975.

[erf-ngc-european]

Nice idea for a new thread. Pat Kennett had a column in one of the magazines, in which he reminisced about his days trouble-shooting all over the world for Leyland. I’m sure one or more of those was about Kiwi or Oz. Robert

[nz_jamie]

I agree great idea for a new thread. Leylands down under worked hard for their keep. They were expected to pull at lease one trailer and were running at much higher weights than were seen in haulage in the UK,they were also working in much tougher terrain,NZ in particular has some very steep long pulls. Hub reduction hubs and ‘Twin’ stick boxes with a hi/lo splitter were a standard option.

Leyland had a good reputation for tough reliable well engineered trucks that were as Rufus Carr once said to me ‘On top of the job.’ In the 50’s and 60’s there were a premium heavy weight truck.

The red LAD Octopus tanker pictured above survived and was sold and shipped back to the UK and is now in the William Guilder fleet of restored trucks. Interestingly I think it was filled with a 13 speed fuller,I doubt very much that it still has this box in it!

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Good stuff NZ Jamie, your input and “local knowledge” is very welcome. All being well I’ll be posting another batch of photos later today.

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By popular request I have opened the thread to other UK makes operated in The Antipodes…and elsewhere south of the equator. All contributions are very welcome

Continuing with some more from Rufus Carr
1964 Leyland Super Comet with Power Plus O.400 engine with 6-speed gearbox plus cable operated deep crawler. With its Domett trailer it was loaded with wet rain damaged hay in 1974 at Orini, North Island NZ.

Nelson Transport was one of the major NZ hauliers and in 1975 they were still running this Comet artic. Power Plus O.370 engine and 6-speed 'box.

Marlborough Transport of Blenheim, South Island NZ had this Super Comet mixer converted to 6x4 layout, with Eaton rear bogie and Hendrickson walking beam suspension. Power Plus O.400 engine and 6-speed 'box, photographed in 1975.

One from the BCVM Archives in Australia. Frank Clare of Sydney operated a fleet of Leyland Comet 75s in the 1950s and '60s.

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Back to NZ and Rufus Carr.
A 1964 Super Comet still going strong in 1974 at Tahuna, North Island. It had the usual NZ spec. of Power Plus O.400 engine with 6-speed plus deep crawler 'box.

In Australia some of the Leylands in service there were adapted to meet the specific regulations, and this LAD Beaver, with short door cab, and pusher axle was operated by Shell, based at Sydney.(Photo by Len Bartlett, via Tony Petch)

From Rufus Carr taken in 1974 at Westfield near Auckland NZ, this fine LAD Beaver and trailer. Owned by J. Hodgson of Nagata, it had a Power Plus O.680 engine.

Old established Melbourne flour miller Darling’s imported this Octopus with Simon Duramin bulk flour body and blowing equipment.

[deanb]

Some cracking photos Graham.

Albion Clydesdale’s. (click on photo once to enlarge)

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Ron Smith Transport operated this LAD Octopus and trailer from Rotorua, NZ, in the late 1960s. Power Plus O.680 engine and 10-speed 'box. (Photo, Gavin Abott, via Rufus Carr)

Nelson Transport operated this Beaver in South Island, NZ, still going strong in 1975 when at least 15 years old. Showing signs of its age it had a O.680 engine rated at 150 bhp (Rufus Carr)

Another Beaver showing its age, this TNT artic with pusher axle was photographed in the early 1970s heading south on the original Hume Highway at a location known as “The Razorback” south of Camden, near Sydney, probably headed for Melbourne. (Photo, Phillip Geer via Tony Petch)

The vast majority of these Australian and New Zealand Leylands were assembled from CKD shipments from Leyland. Leyland Australia and Leyland New Zealand respectively took the basic export version of the popular UK models and adapted them to meet local requirements. To quote Tony Petch " a typical example of a forward axle Beaver produced by Leyland Australia in the mid-sixties to comply with the Bridge Formula road regulations relating to axle spacings in force at the time. Quite a lot of these Beavers were supplied new with either pusher or tag axles added. This particular unit would have been sold new to Liquid Cartage of Melbourne. It is seen here in Brambles colours, and being loaded in Sydney, after they took over the former company to build up their bulk haulage division." (Photo, Phillip Geer, via Tony Petch)

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Staying in Australia next up is a LAD Beaver Power-Plus livestock transporter operated by Atkinson’s of Tallygaroopna, a small country town north of Shepparton, Victoria. (Photo, Graham Thompson via Tony Petch)

Continuing the livestock transport theme, and also from Northern Victoria. Stan Miller was based at Nagambie, between Shepparton and Seymour. This long wheelbase LAD Power Plus Beaver was a smart outfit. (Photo, Graham Thompson, via Tony Petch)

Everything about this 150 bhp Beaver seems long when it was photographed in 1962. Long wheelbase unit, long trailer, long (or deep) kingpin for the fifth wheel. It was operated by A.W. & T.H. Ringwood of Gepps Cross, South Australia. The driver was taking a break at the Buronga Service Station, (Leyland, Albion, Scammell agency at the time). Buronga is near to Mildura in north west Victoria and it is a major rural service centre close to the South Australian border on the main east - west route between Adelaide and Sydney. (Photo, Graham Thompson via Tony Petch)

And finally for tonight back to NZ and Rufus Carr. The ubiquitous Leyland Super Comet and trailer photographed in 1975 at Luggate South Island.

[nz_jamie]

Some good pics and info on here,I love the TNT Beaver,it looks like she’s done a few hard miles. Here’s some more from NZ.

Octopus on stock.

Another Octopus with a good load of wool bales.

A Hippo on stock in New Zealand. Note the wider than normal rear hubs that stick out past the wheels,the large square fuel tank and the funny marker lights on the roof. These denote an Aussie assembled Leyland that was bought in to NZ built up. I pretty sure this was fitted with 680pp and a 13speed fuller from new,which was a great option offered by Leyland Aus from the late 60’s.

[deanb]

NZ JAMIE:
Some good pics and info on here,I love the TNT Beaver,it looks like she’s done a few hard miles. Here’s some more from NZ.
Octopus on stock.
Another Octopus with a good load of wool bales.
A Hippo on stock in New Zealand. Note the wider than normal rear hubs that stick out past the wheels,the large square fuel tank and the funny marker lights on the roof. These denote an Aussie assembled Leyland that was bought in to NZ built up. I pretty sure this was fitted with 680pp and a 13speed fuller from new,which was a great option offered by Leyland Aus from the late 60’s.

Good stuff “NZ JAMIE” its amazing how many UK trucks were shipped out as export kits and assembled in
various countries around the world.

Leyland Marathon.

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NZ JAMIE:
Some good pics and info on here,I love the TNT Beaver,it looks like she’s done a few hard miles. Here’s some more from NZ.

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Octopus on stock.

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Another Octopus with a good load of wool bales.

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A Hippo on stock in New Zealand. Note the wider than normal rear hubs that stick out past the wheels,the large square fuel tank and the funny marker lights on the roof. These denote an Aussie assembled Leyland that was bought in to NZ built up. I pretty sure this was fitted with 680pp and a 13speed fuller from new,which was a great option offered by Leyland Aus from the late 60’s.

Yes Jamie, the TNT Beaver depicts a proper working lorry that has earned its corn over the years. And the Aussies weren’t bad at sheeting and roping either. I’m surprised that our friend from Kendal hasn’t commented…yet

[erf-ngc-european]

I believe this rather splendid beast was an Australian adaptation! Robert

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A line up of L.W. Bonney’s Leylands, five Comets of varying ages, and two Beavers, loading coal in the early 1960s at Kopuku Mine, some 30 miles south of Auckland NZ. (Unknown photographer, from Rufus Carr)

Now here’s one of the famous Aussie road trains, headed by a Leyland Buffalo EHB in 1960. Powered by an Albion 900 engine at 225 bhp, with a 6-speed ZF 'box. This is an early version of this rare Leyland model, fitted with a locally built cab. From about 1961 factory built cabs were supplied and 12-speed ZF 'boxes were fitted as standard. Wyndham is in the far north of Western Australia. (Rufus Carr collection photo)

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LAD Octopus with Power Plus O.680 engine and 10-speed gearbox, Whangarei NZ in 1969 (Photo, Rufus Carr)

Pictured when almost new, 1961 Leyland LAD Hippo with an early Power Plus O.680 (185 bhp) and 10-speed 'box. Owned by Gordon Stewart Haulage. Tahuna NZ. (Photo, Ross Cameron, from Rufus Carr)

April 1971 and two Octopuses waiting to discharge Ilmenite at either a railhead or wharf at Fremantle, Western Australia. Ilmenite is beach mined mineral sand. (Photo, Ron Knight, from Tony Petch)