Anyone reading this thread would think that old lorry enthusiasts had a collective screw loose. Perish the thought! These made-up names for things just confuse an already-complex web of historical details. If its an Atkinson, call it a Mk1 or 2. If it’s an S34-series Foden, give it its correct number, so that I might eventually be taught to remember the difference between the various derivatives. To bring the dialogue back on track, someone remind me what an S36 was, please.
Dont forget the half cabs 
A brace of very tidy old Fodens enjoying the sunshine , photographed at the Barnard Castle Truck Show , last weekend.
Cheers , cattle wagon man.
Robert Summers Foden hadnt far to travel from Spennymoor to the Barnard Castle Truck Show.
A well-presented classic of the bygone era.
Cheers , cattle wagon man.
s36 was the model before the s39 , semi tilt cab . i never drove one but iirc you had to tilt the cab up halfway to access the oil filler . the floor pan was fixed and just the cab shell tilted and from all accounts the draughts round the edges were horrendous . my neighbour drove one and he said the cab moved about a lot and that wore the rubber seals away .
Dieseldave has edited this thread and brought it back from cyberspace , he can’t bump it up because his computer is intermittently pining for the fjords 
Carry on as you were, but try to let DD have some time to himself
Denis F:
Dieseldave has edited this thread and brought it back from cyberspace , he can’t bump it up because his computer is intermittently pining for the fjordsCarry on as you were, but try to let DD have some time to himself
Well thank you moderators for putting this thread back on track !
Ex-military or a home-made custom job?
I know the main show is the ERF in this pic’, but it shows how both makes went on to have 2nd lives & sometimes more when finished in the haulage world!
Hallo,Tanks to everyone for the information about the Foden box. I liked them both the Foden’s and ERF’s maybe because I delivered lots of parts from here over there in the '80’s.
bye Eric,
adr:
Can’t say I’d have fancied one myself, but would have made a interesting Restoration project!
Hello adr,
Is this the half cab mixer that is lying somewhere near Ramsey Forty Foot? I was told that there was one still intact but nobody I spoke to knew its whereabouts. I’m wanting to scratchbuild a model of one and could do with some measurements, so its condition’s not important.
Cheers Nick
skandiahamn:
adr:
Can’t say I’d have fancied one myself, but would have made a interesting Restoration project!Hello adr,
Is this the half cab mixer that is lying somewhere near Ramsey Forty Foot? I was told that there was one still intact but nobody I spoke to knew its whereabouts. I’m wanting to scratchbuild a model of one and could do with some measurements, so its condition’s not important.Cheers Nick
Hi Nick,
The mixer was on a Farm at Connington Fen near Huntingdon, but it was back in early 90s so chances of it still being there are probably… 
Regards Chris
I think this may answer your debate lads
Taken from Wikipedia
The S21 was initially nicknamed both “Spaceship” and “Sputnik” by the commercial vehicle press, although it was briefly known as the “Sabrina” in the early 1960s, while other people gave it the “Mickey Mouse” nickname. The more traditional metal-and-wood S20 cab, introduced in 1956, was still fitted to many Foden lorries until at least 1963, after which it was just fitted to special vehicles until 1968. The aforementioned GRP tilt cab, introduced in 1962, was designated S24 - the Sabrina nickname returned, because the S24 and the later versions S34, S36 and S39 are all collectively known as “Sabrina”, and this time the name has stuck ever since.
A photo of the Foden family taken in 1961.L to R James Edwin.William.Gordon.David & Hugh.
Stanfield:
I think this may answer your debate lads
Taken from Wikipedia
The S21 was initially nicknamed both “Spaceship” and “Sputnik” by the commercial vehicle press, although it was briefly known as the “Sabrina” in the early 1960s, while other people gave it the “Mickey Mouse” nickname. The more traditional metal-and-wood S20 cab, introduced in 1956, was still fitted to many Foden lorries until at least 1963, after which it was just fitted to special vehicles until 1968. The aforementioned GRP tilt cab, introduced in 1962, was designated S24 - the Sabrina nickname returned, because the S24 and the later versions S34, S36 and S39 are all collectively known as “Sabrina”, and this time the name has stuck ever since.
A photo of the Foden family taken in 1961.L to R James Edwin.William.Gordon.David & Hugh.0
It tells me that Wikipedia is only as good as the tripe that’s fed into it.
It also carries a disclaimer that it can’t guarantee it’s information source.
Trev_H:
It tells me that Wikipedia is only as good as the tripe that’s fed into it.
It also carries a disclaimer that it can’t guarantee it’s information source.
Anyone can type stuff into Wikipedia. We may know the identity of the contributor of the paragraph mentioned by Mr. Stanfield. As far as the nicknames being popularised in the transport press goes, I can find one CM article in the archives which mentions the S21 being called “Sputnik”. The rest is moot.
The off topic post by Pete Allard Morgan has been moved to the feedback forum, along with the reply to it by [zb] anorak and another reply to it by me.
If you really want to read them, you can find them Here.
Please keep replies to it on that thread in the Feedback Forum.
I moved it there as it seems to be about the way we deal with problems in the running of these forums. It therefore belongs in Feedback.
adr:
Ex-military or a home-made custom job?
I was a driver with The Royal Corps of Signals from 79 - 91.
I never saw one of these and there was a huge fleet of the flat fronted style this cab seems to be based on. I’m pretty sure I’d have seen at least one in all my travels.
That makes me think it’s either a home made custom job or more likely an export only job.
It looks like a very professional job for a home made custom, it’s also LHD.
Does that seem reasonable?
Simon:
adr:
Ex-military or a home-made custom job?I was a driver with The Royal Corps of Signals from 79 - 91.
I never saw one of these and there was a huge fleet of the flat fronted style this cab seems to be based on. I’m pretty sure I’d have seen at least one in all my travels.
That makes me think it’s either a home made custom job or more likely an export only job.
It looks like a very professional job for a home made custom, it’s also LHD.Does that seem reasonable?
Hi Simon, never been in the Military that why I put it on for someone like yourself to comment. As you say the LHD points to Export or Military, the extended front could point to a bigger engine being installed?
but you would think it would have come with a big enough lump as standard! Or could be to fit a big heavy-duty bumper with front-pin etc for wrecker duties? The cab entry steps & foot-rail along the bottom of cab look non-standard too so maybe someone thought they would design/build it for long-term use so it was worth putting in the extra work, but as you say it is a very professional job either way. Regards Chris.
Q746DPF was the prototype Foden/Eka ‘Compact’ Army recovery vehicle
Although I’ve seen a pic of it with a later 4000 series cab too!
adr:
Simon:
adr:
Ex-military or a home-made custom job?I was a driver with The Royal Corps of Signals from 79 - 91.
I never saw one of these and there was a huge fleet of the flat fronted style this cab seems to be based on. I’m pretty sure I’d have seen at least one in all my travels.
That makes me think it’s either a home made custom job or more likely an export only job.
It looks like a very professional job for a home made custom, it’s also LHD.Does that seem reasonable?
Hi Simon, never been in the Military that why I put it on for someone like yourself to comment. As you say the LHD points to Export or Military, the extended front could point to a bigger engine being installed?
but you would think it would have come with a big enough lump as standard! Or could be to fit a big heavy-duty bumper with front-pin etc for wrecker duties? The cab entry steps & foot-rail along the bottom of cab look non-standard too so maybe someone thought they would design/build it for long-term use so it was worth putting in the extra work, but as you say it is a very professional job either way. Regards Chris.