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Steam and Commercial Vehicles

  • Thread starter Thread starter BernardR
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I have a dozen or so decent pictures of old lorries. I will sort them out and post them on here if that is o/k because they are not steam.
 
1961 ERF.
The ERF mark was established in the early 30s by Edwin Foden whose fatherwas the founder of Foden trucks. The factory was in Cheshire, they made their own chassis and cabs but fitted engines made by Dardner and and Cummins anmongst others. The company had a few ups and downs over the years but the end finally came because of the recession in the 80s.
I did drive a couple of these when my truck career began, but they were quite old by then.
 
1951 VULCAN.
Vulcan Motor Engineering Co Ltd was originally based near Southport. It was purchased as a going concern by Tilling Stevens who were in Maidstaone in Kent. The name became Vulcan Motores Ltd. I never drove one of these but they had one where I once worked.
 
Not a particularly good photo in this cutting, but a very splendid machine, and it served in birmingham. cutting from 1972
mike
 
Lloyd I couldn't believe the condition these vehicles were in they were immaculate. All being well we shall go again next year. It was lovely to talk to some of the owners but there was so much to take in. A couple more of steam driven water pumps etc and one was pulling a small carriage behind it. Jean.
 
Yesterday Thylacine at Arley by Bewdley. There was a car boot and BBQ too then back to the Harbour for another BBQ and disco. It is on every year and sometimes they have a dog show for Mongrels only. It is well worth a visit. Have some more photo's to put on of old motorbikes when I find the correct thread. Jean.
 
and now for a different way to load a German lorry... but all is not what it seems.... those Pepsi crates are cleverly painted on the lorry!
 
Nice one Mike - but have you seen the others? They were from an advertising campaign by a German agency, but may be computer generated rather than real - all seem to e on the same lorry by the same gatepost. I have seven, there may be more though.
 
Thanks Lloyd, my sister sent me seven pics in total on a sort of Round Robin thing headed 'The German Artists are at it again' which must be they as the two you posted were included. I did think I might post them one at a time so there are another four available which you probably have.
 
Many of us are familiar with trolleybuses but how about a trolleylorry (or should it be trolleytruck)????. I know nothing about this weird creature, but think it may be Russian, although the photo was sent to me from the Czech Republic. Imagine these on the streets of Brum!!!
 
Sure. According to one Russian source, "in 1952, Institure of Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian SSR and Harkov trolley depo a new kind of trasport was introduced. This was the trolley dump-truck which was much more economical then its gas or diesel operated counterpart (in fact, they were 76% more economical). Trolley dump-truck on chassis of MAZ-525 was equipped with 2 electro-engines DK-202 (230 hp [172 kW]), controlled by one controlleer with 4 contact panels (either TP-18 or TP-19). These electro-engines also powered the power steering and the lifting mechanism of the dump-truck. Electric lines had to provided along the route of work of these dump-trucks."

Model MAZ-525
Seating 2
Net-weight, kg 24,380
Full load weight, kg 49,520
Load weight, kg 25,000 (volume of body 14.3 m3)
Length, mm 8220
Width, mm 3220
Height, mm 3675
(Wheel) Base, mm 4780
Minimal clearance, mm 460 (under rear axle [700 under front])
Minimal radius of turn, m 13.8

Trolley-lorries are not unique, as this page will testify.
Some very early Bradford trolleybuses became lorries at the end of their lives.
Also here in Spain is a Barcelona (ex-Madrid) trolley van, the chassis of which was originally a 1920s Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric bus, later converted to a double-deck trolleybus, then to a service van. Sadly it was broken up in the mid-1960s.


 
In a similar vein, weirdly lorry-like in appearance were the trolleybus chassis by Sunbeam sometimes seen on test over the Wolverhampton network.
 
Bringing us back to the more conventional is this fine view from Stitcher of a preserved Morris Commercial. Who remembers these?
 
Hello Mike, as you know I am always busy with one thing or another and I would have had difficulty finding time to follow the thread and to post the old lorry pictures. If I find any more I will let you them so you can show them.
 
Glad to be of help, Mary, regards the Newhall traction engine rally. My father (Keith Roffey) used to work at the science museum. The rally was first held in 1960 and became a regular fixture annually, being held on the second Sunday of the month in May. The first 1960 rally saw a total of 7 engines attend. Over the years these numbers rose considerably to around 28 engines attending. Regular attendees at the rally were: Bill Hunt with his 98 Key Wonderland organ and 1921 Foster showmans engine 'The Leader', Len Crane with his 1929 Fowler road loco and crane 'Wolverhampton Wanderer', Gordon Limb of Halesowen with his 1925 Foden timber tractor 'Matilda', Mr J Crabtree with his rather odd looking Foden timber tractor (now owned by the late Jim Calder's family who used to bring along the 1908 'Regal Steam Bakery van named 'The Flying Breadbin'), the Fowler agricultural engine 'Pride of Hanley Castle' (owned by a Mr Melhuish), Dave Walker of Minsterley with his Burrell showmans engine 'Princees Marina' and several other traction engines too numerous to mention. Sadly the last Newhall Street traction rally was held in May 1995. Several folk have tried to get a new steam rally at the museums new location of Think Tank, but it seems unlikely a rally will ever be held there.
Andy.
 
Glad to be of help, Mary, regards the Newhall traction engine rally. My father (Keith Roffey) used to work at the science museum. The rally was first held in 1960 and became a regular fixture annually, being held on the second Sunday of the month in May. The first 1960 rally saw a total of 7 engines attend. Over the years these numbers rose considerably to around 28 engines attending. Regular attendees at the rally were: Bill Hunt with his 98 Key Wonderland organ and 1921 Foster showmans engine 'The Leader', Len Crane with his 1929 Fowler road loco and crane 'Wolverhampton Wanderer', Gordon Limb of Halesowen with his 1925 Foden timber tractor 'Matilda', Mr J Crabtree with his rather odd looking Foden timber tractor (now owned by the late Jim Calder's family who used to bring along the 1908 'Regal Steam Bakery van named 'The Flying Breadbin'), the Fowler agricultural engine 'Pride of Hanley Castle' (owned by a Mr Melhuish), Dave Walker of Minsterley with his Burrell showmans engine 'Princees Marina' and several other traction engines too numerous to mention. Sadly the last Newhall Street traction rally was held in May 1995. Several folk have tried to get a new steam rally at the museums new location of Think Tank, but it seems unlikely a rally will ever be held there.
Andy.
 
Birmingham Science Museum Traction Rally c 1980's. Thanks to Facebook member Ian Pitcher.



Science Museum Traction Rally 5.jpgScience Museum Traction Rally 4.jpgScience Museum Traction Rally 3.jpgScience Museum Traction Rally 2.jpgScience Museum Traction Rally 1.jpg
 
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