LB76:
After seeing it in the flesh, i am utterly amazed at the detail on it, a worthy winner, you should be proud of yourself!
Thanks a lot Bill, glad you liked it, good to meet up with you on Sunday 
Trev.
LB76:
0This is really way off thread but i could not resist posting it for Saviem as i know he looks at this quite often,apologies for that but i think the photo is worth it!
Bill, thank you, a classic Berliet publicity photo, but really captures the atmosphere. You, like me, can remember just how “different” a Routiers was from our native “greasy spoons”, the sunlight, the warm wind, the rustling leaves, and the quality food, it was a real culture shock!!But even more so the lorries. I can remember parking my little Foden amongst the assorted Unics, Berliets, Willemes, and Saviems, with what seemed like gigantic Trilex wheels and tyres, and long bonnets, hiding unfathonable horsepower engines, (probably about 200hp)! and I fell in love with France, and its haulage industry. Little did I imagine that 10 years later I would be buying and selling these same leviathans. (and quickly realising their strengths and weaknesses)! Its a lovely photo, and those GL Berliets were some tough old lorry, and a bit of a heavy lady, even without a load.
But when the Sameyns family started importing Scania L models, their bigest conquests came from established Berliet fleets, and worse was to come when the LB76 appeared, and began biting big chunks out of Berliets tractor sales. Then came the 110, and even the introduction by Berliet, of the Relax cab, (with the radiator grill that opened like two cupboard doors), on top of the 260hp 6 cylinder, could not hold back the Scania onslaught on its customers. Michelin/Citroen, the owners of Berliet could find no answer, to falling market share, coupled with excessive production costs, except to seek solace from a joint venture, or sale, the suiters being cash rich Volvo, or the Agnelli familys Fiat, (already the owners of Unic).Frances government , to save its largest lorry manufacturer falling into “foreign hands”, joined Berliet and Saviem together. But the joint company never recovered the market share “lost” to Scania, and Scania became a major player in the French market, and the excellence of its products ensured that it retained its market share.
So really your picture encapsulates the end of an era, the National manufacturer dominating the market, just as a similar photograph from the same period in the UK, would show only UK built lorries. But I can still feel that wind, the warmth, the food, and those big Berliets quietly waiting in the sunshine. Thanks again, Cheerio for now.
You keep finding some great photos Bill , this is a great thread lots of memories and lots of interest i,ll sort some more stuff out myself and get it posted on here ,great stuff cheer,s.
LB76:
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How long was this trailer Bill it looks about 46ft the same as today’?with a 6x2 unit it would be failey stable but i bet as a draw bar outfit t was even better.Did Wyatt build all it,s own trailers, up here in yorkshire Jack Ashworth built a lot of his own trailers and they were well made heavy but well made,the 34ft trailers at trhe time were to short you couldn,t get enough on them.
Hiya Scud, yes he built all his own trailers and the majority of the boxes were built at Norwich Coachworks, Wyatt supplied his own trailer chassis for the boxes to go on and you are right about the length, He used to use AEC axles quite a lot as he reckoned the brakes had a bigger area (true). Due to our then out of date system for taxing vehicles at the ULW people used to pull all sorts of tricks to get the lowest possible.We never suffered with the roofs caving in as did some.They were overweight for the UK but not over the design weight and i never saw a case of broken springs or any similar occurence. Tyres were always a size larger than standard too.
Hi bill thanks for that , the 110 scania is the same as TAYthe one 6x2 we had at watkinsons that was plated at 52 ton but ran it a lot heavyer than that until the chassis broke with a boiler on coming down from glasgow we also had what we called a bonus loader to fit the 76 and the early 110s this was an axle on a short piece of chassis with a 5th wheel on it and it coupled onto the 5th wheel of the unit making it into a 6x2 have you ever come across one?it was illegal as the min istry said you were pulling two trailers ill have to see if any of the old drivers have ay photos.
Didn’t those ministry blokes spout some crap ! I can remember some of the tales that Chris Wyatt told me and also his dad too about the blind following of edicts with no room for common sense! I dont think they have changed much, you need to be a certain kind of c**** to do that job! i have heard of lots of people getting ‘done’ for pulling 2 trailers when anyone knows it is only one in reality or 2 in stupidity!i remember one freezing cold day getting pulled across 2 lanes of traffic for the copper to check my ministry plate , when i told him i didn’t need one (dutch trailer) he came up with all sorts of snide answers and comments until the other one in the car radioed through and with a very red face admitted i was right!
I got pulled in Sheffield one night by the police,1980 it was,the young PC said I was running illegal as I was pulling two trailers. I tried to explain that a dolly converter under a trailer couldn’t possibly be classed as a trailer but he said I would be reported then let me go.
Never heard any more about it.
Your right about that bill they must have been bullied as school lads and now there getting there own back. but over the years the more dealing you had with them you got to know how to deal with them you had to try to keep your cool. not always easy cos usually you were over weight or out of time but that was the job back then ,it had to be done.
What was the advantage of running the wagon and drag as opposed to the artic on fridge freight Bill ? was it that they were more stable with the hanging meat the deck space would only be a couple of yards longer.With the overhang on those long trailers i imagine they would roll a bit ,i,ve never done fridge work buti know with the high loads of wool we used to carry they could get top heavy and roll you had to watch your job,