John ( Jet ) Morgan driving his brother Roy’s Foden ballast tractor.
Courtesy of Roy Morgan.
Courtesy of Roy Morgan. This Foden timber wagon was driven by his older brother John ( Jet ) Morgan for B & J Davies of Bucknell, Shropshire.
Roy Morgan seen with his ballast tractor and brother Les Morgan’s timber wagon.
I know I’m a bit late into this intellectual discussion about the non factory approved nicknames that were given to certain brands and ranges of lorries by different groups of transport users. Now I understand that my post might be seen to be going off topic slightly but I’m amazed that no-one has highlighted the fact that when the Leyland Marathon was introduced it very quickly became known as the ‘Twiggy’ 
If not just by the company’s that ran them but certainly by all the drivers of them and I have at least 2 mates who will verify this in writing if needs be. 
Regards
Dave Penn;
A line up belonging to the Aluminium Corporation
Lovely line-up of old Fodens from Australia in 1968 
. The only inter-loper being, (hang on, just gona put my hard hat on, sand-bags are against the doors), a ERF “Sabrina”!
To bring the dialogue back on track, someone remind me what an S36 was, please.
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Evening all, Anorak,your question, and rigsbys totally correct answer got me thinking…
Has there ever been a lorry manufacturer who at any one time offered its clients such a plethoria of cab designs, as did Foden?
Back to my early driving days in the 60s, the family were firm Foden users. They operated vehicles with the original S18, later S20, and the new S21 types. My Uncle was in the market for two new tractor units, so off we went to Sandbach,( no messing with Dealers here)! We were shown the “new” S36 in tilt cab guise. But even as the works fitter struggled to release the torsion bar tilt mechanism, we were told that the same cab, “complete with double skin roof, and integral sunvisor”,was available as a “fixed” option!
To get the cab up the drivers seat back had to be folded forward, and as the cab shell rose slowly skyward, the floor pan, instrument binacle, white three spoke steering wheel, stayed behind. The batteries were mounted on the left, right under where the passengers seat moulding rose above them, with the air cleaner mounted down in front of the nearside wheel! And I seem to recall some peculiar method of filling the engine with oil…a small holding tank, and gauge at the rear of the cab, just on chassis hight.
It was a windy and wet old day, and I can remember that the tilted structure seemed to flex with the wind gusts! Heaven only knows what such a construction with a few thousand miles on it would be like! I was not too keen, but I was merely along for the ride, having no “executive” responsibility. Thank goodness my Uncle and cousin shared my reluctance, and we returned to Shropshire without any purchase having been made
But what I vividly remember was that around the works were a variety of chassis, rigids, and tractors, some with the S21 cab, some new 6x4 Heavy Haulers with the “old” S20 cab, plus various versions of the S34/36 type. Quite a variety for such a fairly low volume producer.
At that time I had just been "promoted " from a S20 cab LW Gardner tractor, into a S21, Micky Mouse type. Now there was no doubt that the S21 was a more modern lorry, but even though the driving position was superb for me, (Im quite short), the low windscreen must have been a headache to taller men. But I found the S21 lacked the charm, and quality of the wood and aluminium S20. I also found it to be both hotter in warm weather, and a freezing lot colder in cold, than the S20!
We did end up with an S36, 6 cylinder two stroke…a real delightful ASBO lorry to drive, but even more than the S21, the cab interior was reminiscent of a blue portaloo! I hated it as a driving enviroment, but you could really make her go, and the window was always open to hear the exhaust “music”, (and let that fibre-resin smell out)!
When I had left the firm and was selling Atkinsons for a living, I would often be driving at nights or weekends. The fleet by then was very mixed, having AEC, & Leyland, as well as Fodens. The last Fodens, just before they closed in 72, being 680 powered S39s. Now the 680 coupled to a Foden 12 speed was a delight to drive. Again with a low windscreen, but the fast air split 12 speed, but the old, (out of date for the motorway age), worm axle. I never took an S39 overseas, but nice lorry that they were, really they were out of date! Each time I did any distance in one , they seemed old compared to Atkinson, and in terms of pipework, springing, ease of driving and ride comfort…Foden had lost it, and they only got it back with the Haulmaster…too little, too late!
I loved Fodens, made possibly the best 8 wheelers produced in the UK, but what was it with their cab designers? So many, and all so close together. But at least I did not have to suffer the discomfort of the men who drove for Evans`s in South Wales, Foden S50 Half Cabs, on TAC building materials! Met one once outside Hirwaun…did he look fed up!!
Cheerio for now.
Saviem -
This S34 tilt cab was indeed very bendy - I remember it wobbling about alarmingly…
The tilt cab didn’t seem to offer too much access…
Sharples ran Fodens of all sorts for over fifty years.
Another of Sharples.
Well being a Foden lover I had a fold up or down bunk whatever one would name it, In the S 21, S 36, I used to run fish from North Shields in the 70s , To Hull, Grimsbey, & Frazerborough For a firm called Calley Fisheries who had a depot at North Shields , They were great people to haul for, Paid on the dot for every load, Its a pity it was seasonal work only, But getting back to the old Fodens the ones I ran apart from the S80 were fantastic, The old 12 speed as Ive said before with a gear for every hill, was second to none in their day, I can honestly say I never ever failed to climb the steepest inclines with my beloved Fodens, Regards Larry.
This beast was a favourite -
It had the twin gearstick set-up mentioned previously - as opposed to the air shift -
It also had an absolutely woeful turning circle if I remember rightly!
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well being a Foden lover I had a fold up or down bunk whatever one would name it, In the S 21, S 36, I used to run fish from North Shields in the 70s , To Hull, Grimsbey, & Frazerborough For a firm called Calley Fisheries who had a depot at North Shields , They were great people to haul for, Paid on the dot for every load, Its a pity it was seasonal work only, But getting back to the old Fodens the ones I ran apart from the S80 were fantastic, The old 12 speed as Ive said before with a gear for every hill, was second to none in their day, I can honestly say I never ever failed to climb the steepest inclines with my beloved Fodens, Regards Larry.
Funny is it not, all lorries have faults, some more than others, but somehow Fodens, if you have driven them a lot, really get into your blood. Larry, I can only agree with you, truly no hill was too steep, those lorries gave you real confidence that you could “do the job”.
Larry, all the miles I did over the water in Fodens, I never had any form of bunk. Often French drivers would ask me how did I manage “sans couchette”, but I did, (must have been young and fit)!
Dave, that is a superb shot of the Sharples S39, and it looks like an aluminium Duramin trailer. Beautiful image, thanks.
Cheerio for now.
True but most old 8 leggers did in those days Eh, When drivers were drivers, I drove an 8 wheel Thorny, What a ■■■■ that was to steer, It was better when it was loaded with 16 ton than it was MT, But the big steering wheel was a bonus to say the least, & its 8 wheel braking system Westonhouse I believe, Regards Larry.
Another of Sharples Foden artics. John I think most of their trailers were Duramin. Most had coil wells in them, sand one way, coil the other.
Cheers Dave.
Great photo, But like most Fodens the wipers seemed just do what they wanted to, All the Foden drivers I new agreed with me, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Great photo, But like most Fodens the wipers seemed just do what they wanted to, All the Foden drivers I new agreed with me, Regards Larry.
That was when lorries had substance and character Larry.
Cheers Dave.
fryske:
Q746DPF was the prototype Foden/Eka ‘Compact’ Army recovery vehicleAlthough 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.
That’s cleared this question up then fryske
Presumably this particular style never made it into service.
There were hundreds of 4000 series cabbed Eka’s in service.
All those I saw had an enormous front bumper, with all sorts of equipment fitted to it, including a multi jaw front pin for wrecker duties.
They had a pretty decent lump in them, for a military vehicle, as far as I remember.
I drove Bedford MK and MJ 4x4s, which were completely gutless, even the turboed MJ. Good cross country capability, but absolutely gutless on the road. Even a hill in the distance made them slow down 
Stanfield:
A line up belonging to the Aluminium Corporation0
lovely old picture Stanfield , the last Fodens they ran were S83 cabbed artics thank you Trevor