Dieseldog66:
Looking at MOC’s pictures of the LAD cabbed Leylands, and having spent alot of time in them with my Dad in the 60’s, I always wondered what the difference was between a Comet & Super Comet?
Hey Dieseldog66 ,I bet someone will come on here and give you an answer to that 
Engine sisze as far as I know, Regards Larry.
oiltreader:
This thread is well and truly in overdrive, thanks to all who participate,so before I take off here’s a few more continentals, thanks to Martin Phippard. Martin notes that some operators specced right hand drive, this was to allow closer to wall driving on tight mountain roads.
oily.
A wee edit on the OM Wagon, forgot to mention 6 of the axles are steerable.
Evening all, oiltreader, (en vacance, avec soliel) !! Martin Phippard is one of the very few journalists who “know the job”, and posseses a good knowledge of the world wide industry, delighting in examples of exotica such as these “milepedie”, (And like myself appreciates that the finest lorries ever built were created in France, at Avenue Briand, the home of Bernard. Truly the most beautiful lorries ever created!!Truly “the heart and lungs of the complete athlete”.
So , (having upset a few people), why my response to this post? Well, when I was first sent to our outpost in “down town Milan”, I had to get to know, and appreciate the local market place, and quickly! The Italian market was at that time dominated by operators of less than 20 units. Their requirements, (and passion), big, big, power. (The heady heights of at least 300hp)!!
Now we had the 356hp 16litre V8 Berliet, (Renault), with the KB42 cab, a worthy contender, MAN their exqusite V10, Mercedes another V10, and General Motors the screaming V8 Detroit Bedford. (Probably the only market that even vaguely liked this abortion of a lorry). The home grown, (and wonderful ), V8 Fiat, oh what a drivers magic carpet that Italian creation was!! And of course our Scandenavian friends with their Scania V8, (sheer delight, handicapped by a transmission designed by the original Fred Flintstone)! I seem to remember Volvo were present,…but in this market, and at that time very much an also ran!! Do note my friends that fuel economy was not a major issue with operators here!But get up and go…really was.
Those that have had the oppertunity of driving a milipedie", be it Fiat, OM, Lancia, Alfa, will know just how manoverable that 8x2, with 3 steering axles really was. Add the four axle “dangler”, with axles 1, 2, & 3 steering, and really it was the same as a Clydesdale to manover, (untill you tried to reverse)! But did they all not emit a certain “odour”, particularly when working hard, (44tonnes was the starting point I believe)!
Does anyone remember the conversions by Rolfo, of 4x2 tractors into 6x4s, with a very low loading height? We had some TR356s converted for an operator in Brescia, (hows that for taking the battle to your enemy)! Rolfo "junked the rear single axle, added two double reduction ZF axles on air, running on 19.5 low profile rubber, giving a fifth wheel hight of 1150mm!!! So you could easily obtain, (with their 19.5 tandem tyre equiped triaxle trailer, a load hight of 2.89m, inside 4m overall hight!! Add a day cab, with a Renault "Duplex Penthouse " , (Think Volvo Eurotrotter, only bigger, French cusine develops a chauffers physique),and you have a big volume 33pallet unit, in 1979!! And of course later they were ideal for the “big” 2.89m, (9ft. 6in containers).
Rolfo also converted, (in quantity), Fiat 190.35s, and Mercedes 1933s. Much to my chagrin Tpts MultiTrans of Puy ran Unic (Fiat), 190.26S to this specification. The same operator ran "B"Trains, through Dover, up to Manchester, for several years, without any problems…amazing, just shows how vigilant our enforcement people are!
Happy memories,apologies that this aged ludite cannot show photographs, but I hope that you enjoy my memories. Cheerio for now.
Thats some interesting stuff right there Saviem,your posts always seem to put everything into perspective Thanks
Back to more trucks,
MOC:
Some Ford Transcontinentals 1975–83
Some Mixed Black and white shots
MOC:
Some Ford Transcontinentals 1975–83
You know MOC, the images that you produce do bring back memories! That Paul Binns Trasncontinental, I remember waiting for a cheque, in the yard that he shared with Knights of Old, while he steam cleaned the inside of a Nissan Cabstar, one hot summer day!! As I left the premises, said Cabstar was sitting silently, whilst its indicators blinked, wipers swept imaginary rain drops away, and the reversing lights, and radio, performed independently!! Needless to say,… I put a “jockey” on his cheque!!!
Horace Kendricks 8x2 S39 Foden, I spent many a happy hour trying, (unsuccesfully), to convince Horace that he should have been running Atkinsons down into the dark depths of South Wales, but coming from, and being part of a family that “loved” their Fodens, perhaps I lacked a little conviction!! Thanks for the memories, Cheerio for now.
"Saviem wrote"Now that S20 Foden, MOC, o
h Ive really happy memories of driving one of those back in the 60s. UK, France, even Italy, 4cyl Gardner box van, 38mph max, (almost), totally reliable. Europe, from an Edwardian railway carriage, and was I proud of that lorry!!Thanks for the memories, Cheerio for now, (and it has stopped raining)!!
Saviem, We all thrive on memories and you must have been one of the first to drive a S20 Foden over to Europe in the early 60s,and no wonder you was proud to show her off
Some 60s Trucks
I remember the A E Evans MK5 Mandator MGY 127D when it went on the road.IIRC it was an ex Mobiloil tractor but the tank and running gear were both new,the tank was a 5-potter,5 x 1000 gall and was built by Torridons Barking.I can’t remember the name of the regular driver but he was a character.
Here’s another photo of it when new…
That’s a very fair wheelbase on yon Atki.
Some 70/80s Man
grumpy old man:
That’s a very fair wheelbase on yon Atki.
Yea a pain to get round some corners i bet 
Dont know if its longer than this Ford
Some upto date stuff.
MOC:
Thats some interesting stuff right there Saviem,your posts always seem to put everything into perspective Thanks
Back to more trucks,
That V8 Fiat could well have been ex Crofton-Sleighs from Mellis near Diss!
