American Reacts to Classic British Trucking Show - TRANSPENNINE RUN

[@jamiewood4280]

The main truck brands were AEC, Atkinson, Albion, Bedford, Commer, ERF, Foden, Ford, Guy, Leyland, Seddon, Scammel and Thornycroft. All appeared in the video. The Green fire truck was a Bedford RL. The red truck was a Commer, the Heavy Haulers were Scammel Explorers. The 8 wheeler was Leyland Octopus. The cream and green flat bed was Bedford TK. The heavy recovery busses were AEC . The one you couldn't read is a Foden.

[@chuckshc376]

foden 12:11

[@georgeratcliffe7752]

All British and all defunct :(

[@jamiewood4280]

@georgeratcliffe7752 except Ford. Bedford are still used around the world in places like Pakistan and Malta

[@georgeratcliffe7752]

@@jamiewood4280 Ford only go as far as the big transit now, no trucks (except in mainland Europe with the F-Max (I think that's what it's called)

[@kdblamire]

You forgot the brilliant sounding Commer 2T.👍

[@papalaz4444244]

15:15 Genuinely amazed you have never seen a steam traction engine before. Those were used all over the world to power farming and industrial equipment.

[@caw25sha]

There were made and used in the US but maybe there isn't much of a preservation scene there. It's a big thing here in the UK.

[@automation7295]

@@caw25sha Probably because people in the US only preserve cars made by their domestic brands.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

@@caw25sha There are a lot in Australia too. My nephew has an Aveling & Porter roller called Penane.

[@niallrussell7184]

"whats that!?!?".. uhoh another rabbit hole for him.

[@chassetterfield9559]

You've probably watched some Fred Dibnah videos. These were his main passion. He wasn't a lunatic, he didn't do chimneys for fun, or the good of his health, it was to make money to spend on rebuilding his various steam traction engines, often to the exclusion of his family.

[@MikeLovesCars]

The siren was from the Military Fire Engine, known as the Green Goddess.

[@grahamwilkes4771]

the green Goddess where used in the fire mans strike they where petrol driven and hand four wheel drive to go over any land and could pump 5ooogalons a minute

[@ethelmini]

Civil Defence - We know them from the military manning them when the fire brigade was on strike, but their real purpose was to supplement the existing fire service in time of war.

[@tonys1636]

The AFS, Auxiliary Fire Service, part of the Civil Defence Service during the Cold War, there was at least one Green Goddess stationed at almost every Fire Station, full time and retained ones, during that period.

[@ataxpayer723]

The Green Goddess is the colloquial name for the RLHZ Self Propelled Pump manufactured by Bedford Vehicles, a fire engine used originally by the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), and latterly held in reserve by the Home Office until 2004, and available when required to deal with exceptional events, including being operated by the British Armed Forces during fire-fighters’ strikes (1977 and 2002). These green-painted vehicles were built between 1953 and 1956 for the AFS. The design was based on a Bedford RL series British military truck. Auxiliary Fire Service The Auxiliary Fire Service was established as part of civil defence preparations after World War II, and subsequent events such as the Soviet Union detonating an atomic bomb made their presence supporting civilians as part of Britain's civil defence an important role. It was thought that a nuclear attack on Britain would cause a large number of fires, which would overwhelm the ordinary fire service, so a large stock of basic fire engines was ordered to form a reserve capacity. They were in continuous use by the AFS, until disbandment in 1968 by the Harold Wilson Government. The Green Goddess machines were not primarily fire engines (AFS members referred to them as "appliances"); they are more correctly titled "self-propelled pumps", with some being two-wheel drive (4×2), and others in four-wheel drive (4×4) form. Their main role was to pump huge quantities of water from lakes, rivers, canals and other sources into cities hit by a nuclear attack. The machines could be used in a relay system over a number of miles, with Green Goddesses at regular intervals to boost the water pressure. Firefighting was a secondary role. Prior to disbandment, the AFS used the Green Goddess extensively in support of the local fire services throughout the UK. They provided additional water delivery and firefighting capability at times when the regular fire brigades had a major incident to contain. The ability to relay large quantities of water over considerable distances was invaluable in some more remote locations, or where the incident required more water than local water systems could provide. Most UK boroughs had an Auxiliary Fire Service detachment housed alongside the regular brigade equipment. After 1968, the vehicles were mothballed, but occasionally used by the Armed Forces to provide fire cover in a number of fire strikes, notably in 1977 and 2002 (see 2002-2003 UK firefighter dispute). They were also deployed to pump water in floods and droughts. They were well maintained in storage, and regularly road tested. There was a less significant strike by firefighters in the Winter of Discontent (late 1978 and early 1979), where once again the Green Goddesses were drafted in to cover; it is largely forgotten by many as it occurred at a time when a significant percentage of public sector workers were on strike.

[@wp70]

@@grahamwilkes4771 Rememer it well

[@Woody-xz6no]

This gentleman is one of the most respectful reactors on you tube , love watching your videos

[@tonys1636]

The videographer stationed themselves at the best place, the top of a long climb, the vehicles at their slowest and working hard.

[@timcarpenter2441]

“And no music” YES! I want to hear the engines. 4 axles were quite common and even used as chassis for coaches. Sometimes even two up front and a single axle at the rear.

[@eeclass20]

The three wheel truck was a Scammell Mechanical horse in classic British Railways 1950's livery, they ordered hundreds of these many years. the truck trailers(flatbed or box) had special pivoting landing wheels which retracted as the tractor unit backup and coupled automatically. Trucks with the big A in a circle are Atkinson and for many years right into the early 70's had wood framed cabs (as did many British trucks. ERF and Foden are connected, for many years Foden built steam lorries. One of the brothers wanted to move to diesel production, so after failing to persuade the rest of the family he simply open a factory next door and used his initials ERF as the company name.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Old school British lorrys and buses are my favourite vehicles. Love seeing an American's reaction.

[@phillipgreen3893]

If I were to recommend a series to you it would be Fred Dinah's final series where he tours Britain with his traction engine visiting various engineering firms that manufacture parts that kept the engine running getting a lot of hands on experience along the way, he was a steeplejack by trade and there are a lot of video of him climbing, repairing sometimes demolishing some of the tallest chimneys in this country. When making the traction engine series he was already seriously ill his funeral procession is also well worth watching, he was a true working class hero.

[@keithhooper6123]

Free Dibnah,not Dinah.

[@wessexdruid7598]

@@keithhooper6123 If you're going that route... Fred. You seriously never pressed a key not quite hard enough to register?

[@budgie98]

The green 6X4 is a Diamond T. It was almost certainly brought to the UK in about 1945 as a tank transporter. It would have had a petrol (Gas) engine, but when it was sold after the War, the new owner would have put in a diesel for economy. The steamer is a 1921 Fowler.

[@davidjones332]

The British Army actually converted many of those which were retained after the war to Rolls Royce power.

[@andieslandies]

I'm pretty sure the Diamond -T 980 was diesel from the factory. Glad to see that someone else spotted it too.

[@davidjones332]

@@andieslandies Correct: Hercules DFXE 895 cu. ins. diesel. It was designed to meet a British Army requirement which specified diesel engines for tank transporters, medium and heavy artillery tractors.

[@boopadin]

I had the privilege to work on a Sentinel steam wagon a few years ago, we got it running after a complete engine rebuild and it's been on various steam shows since, it was a real joy to work on.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

I love how these old trucks are in such good condition that they don't blow black smoke!

[@robertwilloughby8050]

The horn was from a Green Goddess, an Army fire engine. Amazingly, a handful of them are still in service. Was used during the 1977 fire fighters strike. Beautiful.

[@cliffthelightning]

Truck at 2:15 is a Diamond T I think, American ww2 heavy transport trucks, a lot stayed in Europe after the war with heavy haulage firms.

[@RichardRenes]

A Diamond T 980 to be exact... usually foming the M19 tank transporter with a 12 wheel M9 trailer

[@johnfellows2867]

My Dads cousin had a Diamond T wrecker in his car and truck repair business. Seemed so huge to me as a youngster !

[@AntonHoward-mx9sb]

Yep

[@SteamboatWilley]

Which is why it's left-hand drive.

[@chrishartley4553]

3:55 These are breakdown trucks converted from old busses. They were converted by the bus companes themselves and each is pretty much unique.

[@highpath4776]

I think that AEC is probably built as a truck (I was going to say Matador but it is a bit small for that , appears to have the Regent V front but that was used on AEC Trucks too - I think AEC Mercury for this vehicle- basically much the same as the bus chassis anyway, not sure about the Bristol.

[@DiGiDaWgZs]

Scammel Explorer was used in WW2 for heavy haulage, tank transporter and recovery. They were really, really good at what they did.

[@NocnaGlizda]

Love it. As always, many different cars = great video.

[@84com83]

What a lovely collection of trucks/lorries and buses well taken care of, (and Your very positive "appearance")

[@stuinNorway]

The unit marked with the "Towing" sign at around the 4 min mark looked to be a dedicated "Bus recovery unit" (Same with the one behind it), for a while it was common for bus garages to have their own recovery unit, often built by removing the back of the passanger section of an old bus, and converting it to a tow unit, with the front half still looking like a bus but being kitted out as a mobile repair facility for their mechanic to do "on the road" fixes where possible.

[@keith6400]

It was common to use old buses for a variety of reasons as service vehicles and many survived longer than the bus type, tree lopping with the roof removed, uniform fitting with the windows blanked out etc.

[@stuinNorway]

@@keith6400 Also the mechanics already knew how to fix them if the tow truck broke down.

[@johnchristmas7522]

The 3 wheeled truck was called a "Scammel". Its claim to fame was its turning circle, very good in congested rail goods yards ( where it was mainly used)

[@RichardAnderson-zt8mq]

Love your enthusiasm for all things automotive! This is one of the great things about YT - here in the UK (and Europe) there is an incredible history of vehicles designed with pen and film. I knew nothing about US trucks until relatively recently, but with a bit of research found the stories and histories really very interesting - Peterbilt and Mack for example. I think if you are interested in any kind of machine and how it came to be, you're uploads inspire interest - and that's where the future generations of engineers will get hooked. Thank You!

[@Flash81_]

You should check out the Great Dorset Steam Fair, loads of stuff like this, mainly steam traction engines, it's now ended after 50 years due to the cost of everything going up, but it really was great.

[@johnd8892]

Gday ian. The truck you paused on at 8:10 is a Bedford TK produced by the General Motors British truck make Bedford. The TK was introduced about 1962 ( I know find out it was 1960) with the TK meaning Tilt Kab. For servicing the whole cab including seats and controls titled forwards giving great access to the motor. These were very popular in Australia and sold as the truck arm of Holden. The manager engineer who successfully set up the Bedford truck arm of Vauxhall around 1930 was Sir Laurence Hartnett. His capabilities so impressed General Motors that they sent him to Australia to run General Motors Holden. Or more specifically to eirher close it down or make a go of it. This was in the mid thirties when the Holden body building company was severely impacted by the depression. He was very impressed by the capabilities of the staff and turned the company around. This turn around was further accellerated by their wartime production of huge amounts of non car production . This put them ten years ahead in capabilities after a year or two. His next major milestone was to get the production of the first unique Holden cars off the ground with the strong business case he put to GM management in Detroit. So the Father of Bedford trucks was also the Father of Holden cars. Holden soon emerging as the most profitable on investment if any GM division for a decade or so. There is a documentary on the Holden story the goes into the detail if his contribution.

[@martinwebb1681]

The Bedford TK was introduced in 1960 to replace the Bedford S type. The TK was produced from 1960 until 1986.

[@keithhooper6123]

TKdid not stand for tilt kab! The fabs did not tilt, until replaced by the TL.

[@martinwebb1681]

The TK cabs did not tilt, the TK itself didn't stand for any particular words it was just the model designation. TJ, TK, TL, KM, TM, A, O etc, etc were just identification for different models, the letters didn't have any specific meanings. The TL range had tilt cabs, the TK range didn't.

[@gar6446]

One day you will discover the old Commer 3 cylinder 2 stroke truck engines. They had a memorable engine note that was quite distinctive. They were killed off by Chrysler when they took over the company. Being 2-stroke modern emission regs would have killed them off eventually, but they were an interesting development. Deltics are worth knowing about too.

[@stephensmith4480]

I have an original Deltic Engine Manual that was issued to Train Drivers that Worked with The Class 55 Deltic. They were a very powerful and very High Revving Engine. The Class 55 had Two of them fitted into each Loco.

[@aussiebattler7789]

In Oz they were known as a commer knockers , 3 cyinders with 6 pistons opposed to each other . Paddle brothers were shomakers in Ballarat Victoria and specialised in school shoes , they had a couple of commer knockers and would drive past our school a couple of times a week and you could not mistake their trucks even if you could not see them , loud and distinctive sound .

[@davelister7183]

there were 12 4cyl prototypes made, only 1 survives running, its in new zealand, saw a video recently, sounds amazing!

[@jakemurphy9536]

Don't forget the Foden two stroke diesels. They howled.

[@martinwebb1681]

British truck makers from the past were AEC, Atkinson, Albion, Austin, Bristol, AWD, Bedford, BMC, Commer, Dennis, Dodge, ERF, Foden, Ford, Guy, Karrier, Leyland, Maudslay, Morris, Scammell, Seddon diesel, Seddon Atkinson (merger of Atkinson and Seddon diesel), Thames (early name for ford trucks), Thorneycroft, Vulcan. There were some older makers also not mentioned here. ERF and Foden were owned by the Foden family, ERF was started as a separate company by one of the sons Edwin Robert Foden after a disagreement between the Foden brothers. 8x4 lorries were king of the road in the UK in the late 1940s the 1950s and early 1960s until weight changes made Artics a more popular choice, although 8x4s have still remained popular up until present day with tipper and tanker operators. Also as Concrete mixer lorries. Leyland had a massive range of truck model choices including Leyland Bear, Beaver, Lynx, Comet, Super Comet, Boxer, Mastiff, Super Mastiff, Terrier, Octopus, Reiver, Bison, Buffalo, Marathon, Hippo and Retriever. These were replaced in the early 1980s with a smaller range consisting of Leyland Roadrunner, Freighter, Constructor and Roadtrain. Leyland also took over many of these companies over the years including AEC, Guy, Scammell, BMC, and Albion.

[@martinwebb1681]

Sorry that should have been Edwin Richard Foden, not Robert.

[@davezoom2682]

Leyland bought up its opposition and closed it , AEC were far superior to anything Leyland made but they couldn't make enough to compete

[@martinwebb1681]

@@davezoom2682 .... Leyland Took over AEC, Albion, BMC, Guy and Scammell.

[@martinwebb1681]

@@davezoom2682 ... Yes, they took over AEC, Albion, BMC, Guy and Scammell.

[@czechgop7631]

I wonder what happened with the Sentinel steam lorries? Did the company making them transition to diesel or were they bought off by some other brand? I know of sentinels in Czechoslovakia as they were manufactured by Škoda Plzeň under license IIRC PS: It is possible to edit your comments if you need to

[@TerenceDixon-l6b]

When I was young, my dad was a truck (in the UK Lorry) driver in the 1950s and 1960s and drove many different examples of trucks like these, and I would often accompany him during school breaks and holidays. He delivered all sorts of stuff from casting sand for making moulds for iron castings through a range of stuff including beer in large barrels to remote village pubs. He learned to drive in the army in WW2 and drove Scammel and Diamond T tank transporters when the 8th and 1st British armies were first driving out the Italians and later the Germans. He also embarked to Sicily and Italy with the forces that liberated those countries. Unfortunately, I didn't exist then so couldn't accompany him on his adventures which included recovering damaged tanks which he said was the most dangerous part of the job, in a thin-skinned vehicle and enemy warplanes.

[@whitecompany18]

OMG You have to look into our British steam rallies!

[@davidjones332]

The red single-deck bus with a sharp exhaust bark is a Bristol SUL. It used a four-cylinder horizontal Albion engine which wasn't really big enough for the job and prone to blowing head gaskets. It was intended as a lightweight country bus, preferably for use in flat country.

[@GeoffKowalczyk-v4i]

The green 'truck' at 5:53 is known as a Green Goddess, a former military fire engine.

[@fishtigua]

The GG's were used as cover for the modern Fire Engine when the new crews went on strike for real-world wages.

[@foostyman]

They weren't actually fire engines. They were "self propelled pumps" that would be linked up across the country to supply fresh water in the event of war.

[@ianjardine7324]

​@@foostyman no they were dedicated fire engines still in use in 2003 when I had to recover a few in Northern Ireland during the strikes although those ones had been painted yellow to keep the republicans happy and their crews safer. They had an infuriating tendency to roll over in the hands of inexperienced drivers because the massive water tank had no internal baffles. This caused a rather unnerving jolt forwards when breaking while towing them.

[@ianjardine7324]

ERF stands for Eric Robert Foden. When the two brothers had a falling out Eric left and founded his own company leaving his brother running the original Foden company.

[@stephensmith4480]

@@ianjardine7324 When I was a young Apprentice Fitter in the mid 1970s, my workshop Foreman told me it stood for Eric Reginald Foden. It turns out that you were Both wrong. It Actually stands for Edwin Richard Foden.

[@deejayy2k]

5:45 was the siren was the green truck known as the green goddess (RLHZ Self Propelled Pump), i remember seeing several at a local army cadet(not actually used by cadets) base in 2002 when fighters went on strike.

[@andyglewv8]

The green truck is a 1950s bedford rlhz. Used by the holme office and auxiliary fire service for the cold war. Also used by the army on occasions whdn he fire fighters went on strike.

[@georgeratcliffe7752]

This video is out near me, I see a 36 service bus and the old green leeds livery! (This was filmed literally 10 mins down the road from me, and I can tell you that these trucks are climbing what is a very big hill although the video makes it look smaller)

[@LukeGB003]

Same. I’m from Knaresborough. Driven up this road so many times.

[@zweispurmopped]

I guess you want to have a few weeks of summer holidays in Britain, Ian. It's crazy how often you encounter wonderfully well kept vintage vehicles there. Beaulieu Motor Museum is just one of several you _must_ see. You wil _love_ merry old Blightey. I did! 🤗

[@la-go-xy]

Or oldtimer ralleys. Do you have many, still?

[@Kalamain]

At 7:45. The red Truck with two grills. That is an Albion Revier. When I passed my test in 1990 she was one of the trucks I had to drive where I worked. It was a flatbed that was used to move wholesale fruit and veg to shops. When I worked for the company I had to learn to drive it. It was about 30 years old (Made in the 60s!) when I learned to drive it. It had a double dip clutch... So when you start you had to set your revs for first and dip the clutch to get it into gear. To change gear you had to get your revs right for that gear, dip the clutch to get it OUT of gear, get the revs right for the NEXT gear and dip the clutch AGAIN to get it into the new gear! Took me ages to get it right but she was a beautiful machine. Never gave an ounce of trouble and she did some miles! She had to be retired when the company bough all new fleet. As far as I know it was sold off rather than scrapped. She might be out in the wilds, delivering stuff!

[@PortCharmers]

The "Left hand drive" truck at the beginning is an American Diamond T tank transport tractor. Leftover military equipment from the second world war was used a lot in Europe afterwards and some specimens have survived the later modernization. Long distance haulers were replaced rather rapidly, heavy brutes like this one however were still useful as recovery vehicles. Imagine a small garage that every now and then needs to tow a heavy truck, not often enough to justify the investment in a new machine, and too rarely for the bad fuel economy and other bothers that come with vintage machinery to be hugely disadvantageous. Many long-distance haulers also survived in this role. Not long ago I saw a Henschel ruck from the 50's with snow-plow equipment parked on the lot of a car dealership. Some of the following tow trucks look like converted buses. Municipal transport workshops sometimes went overboard with the design. Possibly so the apprentices had some fancy work to train on. Another example of tow truck often outliving their economic efficiency. 12:10 is a Foden, The encircled "A" is for "Atkinson", or "Anarchy", depending on whether or not you're a punk. Modern versions were still seen in New Zealand some 15 years ago, I guess they're still in business. New Zealand is a blast truck-wise, there is the complete palette of European, American and Japanese trucks in action at the same time. And I am also surprised you haven't seen steam traction engines before. America herself produced some of the greatest ones herself, mostly for agricultural use, though. Check out "Showman's Engines", these were used to move and power fairground attractions, and were usually painted and illuminated spectatcularly.

[@alangray2976]

My dad used to drive for Munro Transport from Aberdeen, in the 60's and 70's, no sleeper cabs on the lorries back then, they would put a board across the seats to sleep on, they would have to roll out big sheets over the load on the back and tie it all down with ropes, not an easy job .

[@Brookspirit]

Heavy haulage firms after WW2 used lots of ex-military trucks like tank transporters. As you can imagine there were many ex-military vehicles around in the 1950s.

[@caw25sha]

I remember a fair number still around when I was a kid in the 70s.

[@martinwebb1681]

@@caw25sha ... Yeah in the 1970s they were mainly used as recovery vehicles or on fairground transport and circus transport.

[@zaphodbeeblebrox6627]

Most London Hackney (Taxi) cabs post WW2 to the early 90's were manufactured by Austin or Carbodies after they purchased the stamping tools. There were a few exceptions such as the 369 Winchester Series IV Taxi @ 11.33secs. The K Registration tells me it was registered for the road in 1971 .Made with a Glassfiber body and has Ford Anglia estate (station wagon) rear lights.

[@MikeLovesCars]

My first job when I left school in the mid 80's was as a light vehicle mechanic. I got to work on Triumphs, Jags and other nice cars. However while I wasn't into lorries, I spent much of my time working on Bedford lorries at the time as well. I now appreciate all old classic vehicles.

[@tomthebadasscat]

I saw one model Bedford near the beginning that I remember was popular in Oz!

[@paulmoon2717]

Special old buses can be modified for specific recovery of buses and coaches, also for tree loping on double deck routes.

[@charlesemerson6763]

My father used to drive one of those 8 wheel Leyland Octopus truck's configured as fuel tanker for Texaco back in the late sixties, early seventies. The front four wheels would steer for getting into the tight spaces of depots.

[@brianmac1]

You're right, these trucks are from the days when men were men. No automatic gear-shifting, no power steering. Imagine that on the twin front axle set up!! Huge steering wheel, low ratio, and very hard work.

[@johnpoile1451]

Back then the only heater you had was a blanket over your legs.

[@davezoom2682]

Been there done that with a Leyland octipus

[@davidobyrne9549]

That weird thing with huge rear solid wheels and a smokestack is a 'showman's engine'. Steam powered it was used by circus shows like your Barnum & Baileys. They ran a big electrical generator of of those which powered all the fairground rides and lighting. When moving locations those things would also tow caravans and animal cage trailers. Most of the trucks and buses are from the1940s and1950s. the strange looking cabs on the buses were known as a split cab and were designed to allow the driver clearer vision to each side at difficult road junctions and intersections.

[@andrewshilton]

not a showman's engine , just a road haulage steam tractor

[@stephenpetermay1721]

The LHD at 01:30 was a wartime Lend-Lease Diamond T 980, ordered by the British with a Hercules DXFE diesel. It was the only diesel truck used by the US Army during the war(ETO).

[@Gixie-R]

Here in the UK, My Uncle (GRHS) used to drive a old 8 wheel Scammel tipper truck back in the late 70's , That was a beast, He let me (@7yrs old) drive it on site during the summer holidays. Proper old school style. He also has some Accrington Stanleys trucks which were even older. Older Trucks have a little something missing from the modern plastic monsters. Old Trucks were Built to last for decades not years.

[@5imp1]

Check out the Commer 'Knocker' engine. It's a two stroke opposed piston engine. Two pistons in each cylinder. Another amazing engine is the Napier Deltic. An 18 cylinder, opposed pistons, two stroke high speed diesel engine. They are mad. 18 cylinders, 36 pistons, three crankshafts in a triangular shape.

[@Jordy120]

Thanks for another great episode/ Love ya Man Cave...

[@ataxpayer723]

That green truck at 2:00 is a "prime mover, "ballast truck", used for towing heavy equipment trailers. Possibly an ex US Army Diamond T tank transporter.

[@chrisperyagh]

Some of these old trucks are even used as hearses at funerals. The problem with many commercial vehicles is they have a tough life from the word go and not many survive, unlike these ones which have all been extensively restored and maintained to preserve their heritage.

[@jay-rk1ve]

My grandad had his last ride on a late 40s Forden Flat bed. He had a fleet of Forden Quarry Tippers only truck he touched

[@automation7295]

It makes sense that not many survived, many of commercial vehicles were used daily and worked hard during the mid-20th century. Lot of commercial vehicles were likely too rusty or too unreliable and expensive to fix.

[@jayc2108]

The steam engine around 5:15 was invented in the town where I live Camborne Cornwall uk

[@georgehowles3938]

Trevithick was a real one

[@TheCyberSalvager]

I rememeber when my Dad worked a s a truck driver at the local US air base here in England, and they had a pretty eclectic mix of British and American trucks in the fleet. My Dad started driving International S2200s before they were replaced by Seddon Atkinson 401s. I also remember the base wrecker, a 1983 GMC Brigadier with Homes 750 towing outfit. Quite a beast!

[@billsimpson2578]

the transpennine run is ever yr the 1st sunday in aug .The event starts at Birch Services on the M62 at Manchester at about 7.30 in the morning and runs for 64 miles via Rochdale, Halifax and Bradford, taking in some of the finest Yorkshire scenery along the way. you get vehicles ranging from the steam traction engine. you did see a green Goddess fire engine. and so much more it go past my home ever yr .

[@andyxox4168]

That locomotive thing , is a traction engine and they were used from 1850 to as late as 1950 for certain functions.

[@nigelcoles1979]

A friend of mine worked for Industrial Fuels Cardiff, and drove tankers from the early 70s on. He swore by Atkinson trucks with Gardner or Perkins Diesel engines

[@Fixing_Everything.]

Just stumbled on your channel. You enjoy our old Trucks... AEC/ Bedford/ TK,.. RL,... KM and many more versions. Then the ... E.R.F is Eric. Roy. Foden... of the Foden Brothers . then they parted and made the Foden to what you see on your video... Nice work chap and will be looking at more of your work.

[@tramlink8544]

2:55 the military truck is a Swiss Saurer 4DM, thats a rabbithole in of itself, Swiss have some awesome military trucks during the coldwar

[@gerbentvandeveen]

My wife and I are going to the Truckstar Festival in Assen, the Netherlands. July 27 and 28. Trucks from all over Europe come here. New and Old Trucks from Europe. But also real USA Trucks.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

In Australia a lot of our garbage trucks are dual control - LHD and RHD!

[@johncunningham4820]

Yes , these old British Workhorses all SOUNDED wonderful . Back when Great Britain were the Premier Engineers of the World .

[@Sjanzo]

Yeah, that was during WW2. After WW2, British engineering went to shit. I cant understand why exactly, but it did.

[@dutchyjhome]

By all means go discover all of the European Mainland Truck makes as well. In this video I've seen only a few, this mainly was a UK historic truck and car event, again; the kind of trucks we barely ever see here on the Mainland of Europe. Are those UK trucks European trucks; well yes of course. Fact is that In the end the UK is within Europe, but their UK truck products, there was barely any demand for here on the Mainland of Europe, they were mainly (I am tempted to say "Only") sold within the UK and the former British colonies. So although these old trucks may appear new to you; they are new to me and the rest of vast majority of Mainland Europeans as well. Here on the Mainland of Europe we have; DAF, Ginaf, Terberg, FTF, Scania, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Magirus, Steyr, Iveco, Renault, and more. Some brands are well known for their powerful European brand related V8 engines, like Scania and DAF

[@davidberesford7009]

Some bus & coach builders used to design their vehicles to be mounted on commercial goods vehicle chassis. Because the makers did not standardise, and the quantities required were small, design flexibility was required to suit availability.

[@johnroberts5797]

Love the old buses, I remember them well before health and safety got involved in the late 60s, the buses with the open platform were great fun, jumping on and off, the only problem was in winter, they were damm cold. 😊

[@stephensmith4480]

As kids we used to jump on and off them when they went up a steep Hill near us, hoping that The Conductor never saw you. Happy Days.

[@leemason5953]

You should check out some double decker buses on the skid pan videos,you'll like that trust me,it used to be part of the training to drive a bus in the UK 👍

[@grahamtruckel]

I visited Seddon Atkinson years ago to discuss the supply of parts for a new lorry they were planning. When I asked to see drawings, the Chief Engineer told me "We make trucks here lad, not drawings".

[@Phiyedough]

Yes, it is good that there are enthusiasts for these trucks which were slow, noisy, uncomfortable and hard work to drive. They also take up a lot of space, something not many UK homes have.

[@georgehowles3938]

5:15 this engine here was built by John Fowler and co of Leeds and it's model is named the tiger tractor (a road locomotive or steam tractors for the Americans) which was built for the ban of heavy vehicles in Britain. It was meant to be for general purpose use and many survive today. And to add, it's not a miniature engine. It's a double high which means it has two cylinders which classes this as road locomotive and not a traction engine and could probably pull 40-50 tons. If you want to see more like this, you should check out Ro33ie 19's video on 2023's welland steam rally

[@andrewshilton]

it is not a 'double high ' , it is a compound engine where the steam is used twice in different sized cylinders to extract as much energy as possible , and does not define specific types of engine. this engine is classed as a tractor by its light weight, and would not normally be expected to pull 40 tons - that would be for the larger road locomotives. Traction engine is a general term for several types of steam engine, including road locos and tractors

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

The great fred dibnah loved his traction engine. He restored one in his later years though everyone remembers the steeplejacking.

[@scarabeo52]

Went to school in double-decker buses and a White branded semi-trailer bus back in the late fifties and all the sixties in Australia. And in the early seventies there were still a lot of those old British trucks working in transport yards in Sydney.

[@garethjones2686]

The military truck that you asked about is nicknamed a Green Goddess. A military fire engine

[@5imp1]

I remember the fire strikes in the 1970s. The Army were equipped with Bedford Green Goddesses. Used to see them all the time.

[@foostyman]

​@@5imp1they were used in the strikes in 2002 also

[@PedroConejo1939]

You have to get into traction engines and steam trucks. As kids, we had a couple in the village and we were allowed to play on them at the end of the day when they were steaming down. I love the smell of coal, steam and hot oil to this day. My grandfather's first job was on a steam plough just before the First World War. Now, that is something to see in action!

[@fiveo6240]

As a brit loving these trucks glad you liked them too , I believe the some of the trucks were scammel they specialized in military off-highway vehicles, between 1921 and 1988 and they were/are a British manufacturer another brand of old trucks is Foden well worth checking both of these out !

[@martinwebb1681]

Scammell built all sorts of vehicles, they did not specialise in military off highway vehicles, although they did build some vehicles for the military, they made most trucks for road haulage, Scammell Scarab, Scammell Highwayman, Scammell handyman, Scammell Trunker, Scammell Crusader, Scammell S26 tractor units, and an 8x4 rigid Scammell Routeman for tippers, tankers, flat bodies etc. They also built heavy haulage units Scammell Contractor, Scammell Samson and Scammell S24. Scammell was taken over by Leyland in 1955. Although the Scammell name was kept on the vehicles built by Scammell until 1988, then the Scammell factory was closed down by the new owners of Leyland, DAF trucks B.V of Holland.

[@TalkieToaster.]

A lot of heavy machinery was steam powered until the internal combustion engine got good enough, including haulage trucks!! Definitely do a Scammel vid, especially featuring the heavier stuff. Absolute beasts and they sound great.

[@norb0254]

Excellent video...In days gone by we had a lot of truck manufacturers who have all fallen by the wayside for various reason ...PACCAR ie Peterbilt /Kenworth ,initally bought FODEN (the brand at 12 mins you couldn't make out they then bought DAF ,The FODEN factory was closed and production moved to Leyland Trucks in Lancashire where the DAF product was assembled , The FODEN then was a badge engineered DAF ,and the FODEN production ceased ,With ERF ,they where taken over by MAN ,ERF then became badge engineered MAN and again production ceased ..Atkinson the truck with the big A in a circle ,became Seddon Atkinson ,taken over by IVECO again they became badge engineered IVECOs ,Again production ceased in the UK but for a period they moved production of Garbage trucks to spain...I think you would enjoy the history of FODEN /ERF a family fallout ,the F in ERF stands for Foden

[@fishtigua]

Ian, you just took me to my 'Happy Place'. Old diesels rock!!! My current Landlord did his apprenticeship at Gardner Diesel, to test them they just hooked the motors to gennie windings to power the electrics of the factory. We rebuilt a 1960's steel 86ft British yacht in Barcelona, Spain and motored it to Barcelona, Venezuela 4000 miles away using Gardner engines, they never missed a beat. Can you guess what motors I ❤?

[@stephensmith4480]

Gardner Engines were built to a very high specification. When you stripped one down, you could not fail to be amazed at the quality of the workmanship. I worked on Gardner 180s that were fitted into Foden's. They also did an Eight Cylinder version, The Gardner 240 but they never seemed nearly as popular as the 180. There was a firm near where I served my Apprenticeship that used to buy scrap commercials that had Gardner Engines in them, they used to export the Engines to South East Asia and the likes, the rest of the Wagon would be cut up and scrapped. That was in the 1970s.

[@fishtigua]

@@stephensmith4480 The old boys from the factory started their own restoration company, that's where we got ours from. Lovely guys, I used to chat to them from South America for advice.

[@stephensmith4480]

@@fishtigua Great stuff. They were a Lovely engine and they had some really innovative features, usually found on much larger Engines, such as on ships. You could isolate each Fuel Injector by locking it out at the Injection Pump. Very useful if you were trying to identify a Misfire or Knocking Cylinder.

[@tramlink8544]

crazy thing is, the majority of those were painted by Coach painters, up until the 197s it was totally normal for lcomotives, busses and truckes to be painted by hand with broad brushes and a special paint called coach paint. and some people in the UK still do this!

[@MaxwellMoore-d1u]

When i was young in Britain there was alot of small independent Truck Firms and heavy Plant .they kept there Older Trucks going so used to see alot of them around my area .in the Derbyshire Peak District.

[@asd36f]

11:25 - 1968-1972 Winchester Mark Series IV taxi, powered by a 1.5 litre Ford Cortina engine. The Winchester featured a glass fibre bodyshell.

[@scottwells9626]

The scammell contractor mk 2 was the real heavyweight of trucking. 🇬🇧

[@3gor73]

Foden Trucks was a British truck and bus manufacturing company, which had its origins in Elworth near Sandbach in 1856. Paccar acquired the company in 1980, and ceased to use the marque name in 2006. A lot of the Old ERF and Foden’s are still used today mainly used by Fairground/ circus owners although there are a few Haulage companies use them as well although a majority are just show Trucks

[@martinwebb1681]

There is a company near to me that still runs a pair of ERF lorries, one EC and one ECX. The EC only does local work mainly carrying bagged Seeds and Grains and Hay/Straw. But the ECX still travels far and wide. There is also a Foden Alpha 8x4 sludge tanker local to me that's still working.

[@danielknopfli2793]

2:52 is a Swiss Saurer 2DM military truck, produced from 64 to 76.

[@Jimmer93]

Some lovely old vehicle there! Bristol Buses, Green Goddess Military fire engine etc. That three wheeler is a Scammell Scarab, a replacement for the mechanical horse which was a similar but much older design. They were specifically designed for moving cargo from Railway stations mainly (hence why this one wear BR Eastern Region Crimson and cream) being able to manoeuvre like a horse and cart in tight yards. The cab portion could turn within it's own length. Surprised you've never seen a Traction Engine before. They were common in the US as well, mainly ones built by Case. A few are in preservation, but the preservation scene for that sort of thing isn't as big in the US I don't think. Used predominately in farming and agriculture, the predecessor to the tractor basically. Various designs were built by different companies for different tasks though. Showman's engines for example would be used in travelling fairgrounds, used to power the fairground rides. They'd also have a dynamo run off the flywheel to power lights on the engine and rides.

[@3gor73]

3:57 AEC Matador recovery vehicle and 4:07 Bristol K series former Double Decker similar to the two earlier in video cut down and converted to a towing vehicle both used by West Yorkshire Bus Company here in the United Kingdom they were used to recover broken down buses

[@R3ED3R]

Also check out Fred dibnah's traction engine if you liked the look of the one at 5:15

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

Just check out Fred dibnah in general, a national icon in Britain.

[@R3ED3R]

@@bionicgeekgrrl I agree! R.I.P Legend

[@corjp]

This is a real truckers dream... All those old trucks and busses.......I can still remember seeing them driving though our city as a toddler and wanting a toy car that would resemble them.

[@juniusvindex769]

I used to drive Bedford/ AWD MK's in the early 90's as curtainsiders. In 95, I had to hand paint two MKs as a punishment in the army........ with a 4" brush 🤣🤣

[@Tonyblack261]

Fun to see the "Green Goddess" Fire Engine again. These were military trucks that were brought out of mothballs to serve in the 70s during the Industrial Action taken by the regular Fire Services.

[@marflitts]

And again in 2002

[@keithhooper6123]

The cream truck with "towing" on the headboard is a tow truck converted from either a bus or heavy haulage tractor,by a bus company.

[@cydery]

I think you'd find most of the oldies had Gardner engines, where 1800 RPM was quick

[@-sandman4605]

Love the old stuff.

[@automation7295]

While calling out innocent drivers for owning modern cars?

[@jensschroder8214]

I'm not sure if these are all diesel engines. In the past, gasoline engines were also used for trucks.

[@RWL2012]

the steam traction engine certainly isn't lol. jokes aside, you can put the reg of any of the vehicles into the DVLA online enquiry and it will say whether the fuel type is DIESEL, PETROL or even STEAM!

[@alexhamilton4084]

At the 5:50 mark the green vehicle is a fire engine colloquially called a Green Goddess. 😁

[@superted6960]

3:12 Leeds City Transport Leyland PD2 with Roe bodywork, new 1955

[@p.istaker8862]

It would be worth checking out the Commer Ts3 truck and bus engine. A two stoke super charged diesel engine, with three cylinders, six pistons and a very unique sound.

[@chrisparkinson5160]

Great video

[@trevorveail]

There are many steam traction engines in the UK. They have rallies and steam fairs. Try looking up the late Fred Dibnah as he rebuilt a steam traction engine. He also was a steeplejackand thereare some great youtube videos of him.

[@nigelbundy4008]

You must see Fred Dibnah videos. Took a traction engine towing a caravan down from the North of England to Buckingham Palace to get an award. Was allowed to park it in Wellington Barracks. He also dug a mineshaft in this back garden.

[@bangbangduck388]

We used to, as Kids, jump on the old buses as they went past and jump back off before the bus conductor caught us. This was our way of going to and from anywhere we needed to be without having to pay. There were dangers of course, like, if you didn't watch what you were doing, you may very well end up hitting a lamp post or telephone post as you got off 🙂

[@Loki1815]

The three wheeled Scammell Scarab tractor used to pull a goods wagon between London Train Stations, Waterloo, London Bridge, Victoria, Paddington, St Pancras, Euston, Kings Cross. As primary school kids, up to 11 years old, we would jump on the back and hang on for dear life! Four of us managed to get in the back of one at Waterloo Station, at the junction of The Lower Marsh and Frazier St, and it went to London Bridge Station, it's only about a mile and a half but it felt like it was miles away! I got caught by my mum hanging on the back, in the snow, sliding down Fraziet Street. Now she knows what was happening to my shoes!

[@InquisitiveBaldMan]

Through the 1800s and a few years either side, there was an incredible amount of engineering companies making trucks in the UK. Hence not knowing the names. One company which was from my side of the country was a company called "Richard Garrett and Sons". They made trucks of various types, if you wanted one around 1920, you could spec it as Diesel, Steam or ELECTRIC!!! They were also a comapny that did electric Trams/trolleybuses so they knew what they were doing. All from a start of making engines to pull ploughs in the 1780s.

[@ngk68]

09:26 My first Truck experience at the Driving School in the Scania 82M in 1990, Volvo FL6 and FL7 (Mail) in 1991 and 93M in 1997 (Goods).

[@alisonleatherbarrow]

ERF Stands for Edwin Robert Foden who separated from his fathers company Foden’s motor works who produced lorries and buses. I travel to Holland ina bus made by Fodens built in 1908 and this was still going in the seventies

[@martinwebb1681]

It stands for Edwin Richard Foden (ERF) not Robert, his brother William ran Foden. Foden was started by their father Edwin.

[@savon99-pb4gq]

The old military truck at the beginning was a Swiss Saurer 2DM. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saurer_2_DM