Twin Engine Fords

Browsing the internet today, I came across a couple of pictures of the BRS twin-engined FORD.

FORD 1.png

FORD 2.png
Particularly good one showing the two side by side engines.

hiya i think if you read about AEC they fixed two engines side by side for use in tanks for
the second world war. Fodens also fixed 2 two strokes side by side for use in a fast boat
used in ww 2. Theirs a chap who goes to the rally,s around Sandbach who has a twin 2 stroke
on the back of his lorry.his name is John Sanderson who is a collector of anything Foden.
Foden,s only used 1 gearbox i,am not sure about the ford.
John
i think their,s already a site about these twin engine Fords on TN somewhere.

3300John:
hiya i think if you read about AEC they fixed two engines side by side for use in tanks for
the second world war. Fodens also fixed 2 two strokes side by side for use in a fast boat
used in ww 2. Theirs a chap who goes to the rally,s around Sandbach who has a twin 2 stroke
on the back of his lorry.his name is John Sanderson who is a collector of anything Foden.
Foden,s only used 1 gearbox i,am not sure about the ford.
John
i think their,s already a site about these twin engine Fords on TN somewhere.

The original post for this thread goes back to 2008, so reckon this might be the one you’re thinking of John.

gb1:

3300John:
hiya i think if you read about AEC they fixed two engines side by side for use in tanks for
the second world war. Fodens also fixed 2 two strokes side by side for use in a fast boat
used in ww 2. Theirs a chap who goes to the rally,s around Sandbach who has a twin 2 stroke
on the back of his lorry.his name is John Sanderson who is a collector of anything Foden.
Foden,s only used 1 gearbox i,am not sure about the ford.
John
i think their,s already a site about these twin engine Fords on TN somewhere.

The original post for this thread goes back to 2008, so reckon this might be the one you’re thinking of John.

hiya ,sorry i never looked at the date on the first posting.
John

The one we had at Hiltons was MNO575J and spent more time in the workshop than it did out




Ralph boat had same engine set up,Looks like the BRS one had bit of bother there with the fuse cover off

Great photo,s Mr Ken,I remember the HTS unit when they were dismantling london bridge and i,d see it with a flat trailer loading the concrete blocks.I never knew then what engine was in it but I was told it was a prototype also im sure the engine cover at the back of the unit had a metal cover so you could,nt see in the engine compartment? I did some traction for HTS at that time an remember the power boat parked in their yard near the weighbridge.

Happy New year Mart it was always outside the workshop or going back to fords

Oops wrong photo Great workshop that Mart remember those Big Js ex Georges Transport Poplar

frenchy:
Hi Marky
Great stuff , I think Hayes posibly was the first Transcon I ever saw in 204 berth Southampton , as I have a dim memory Id forgotten it was HTS , Wasnt their depot at Charlton , south London , seem to remember delivering something or other to wharehouses there . I was told by the driver one of the engines onthe Ford was a slave and could be turned off once on the move and restarted to climb hills , sounds a bit adventurous , but I do remember he had had trouble with that engine and struggled to pull the tilt he had on , injector pumps were on opposite sides to give clearance and the chassis was still only 2inches wider to take both engines . Memory tells me the fitters in BS Peterborough tolling me at the time thier Ford did,nt have a slave engine and it was possible to turn either of them off .
Did,nt know Bedford tried it though .
Frenchy

H.T.S never had any Transcons W.B.S had a couple which was another Ralph company as did Pollocks The prototype Transcons
had a different grill and I remember Hays Wharf and Silver Roadways had them also seen a couple of pics of a Lreg one about in some Ford promo pics

Happy new year Mr Ken,I think your right about silver roadways having the first trans cons,I think they did a trunk down to the west country on a regular run.Remember it was “M” reg would that be 1973/4? maybe.

I worked at Fords around 1970 and saw the twin engine D 1000 cab 3 axle unit at Dunton Fords, there were 4 made? I could not believe what I was seing but the engineers assured me that it worked! They were preparing for max weight increase going up from 32 ton to 44 ton but eventually the Government backed down! At the same time Union Cartage, UCC got a load of 3 axle Scanias, (Lord V. was close to the Goverment but was let down!)
His new units and silver spread axle fridge trailers were too heavy to carry more than about 12 tons… Same as us with old Atki 150 with old single axle trailers! We were jealous of the Scanias but smirked at the irony of their half full trailers! :confused:
If you want a picture of one of these double engine Fords in BRS colours, check this on Pinterest! pin.it/zdrnz5z2nrzdcb

I think this might be one of the two engine Fords, like the one I saw about 48 years ago, 1970 ish

image.jpeg

1973_ford_transcontinental_series_h_elba_prototype_5280842eddf2b332ebb89ebd.jpg

Ive been saving this in case it had already been dealt with elsewhere . It was around 1971 - 2 I was loading in Pirrellis Bishopstoke near Southampton , I had a V8 Perkins Dodge on BRS and in front of me was a Hays transport from Dagenham Ford Custum Cab , first off I thought it was also a Perky V8 but it was a six wheeler , I was shocked when I peeked under the cab which was very high to see two Ford engines , side by side and two gearboxes and prop shafts to both rear axles , now BRS Peterborough had one as well , I sat in this and started both engines , this one had been on night trunk and had done a lot of miles , there were two rev counters but one gearlever , this was around the time when the Trancontinental was under trials in Dunton with different engines , Gardeners , Rolls and ■■■■■■■ , saw that too around the same time in Dunton which was the Ford research centre off the Basildon road . The twin engined Ford was being appraised by Hays and BRS , and it had two off the peg engines of the side leaning type , these engine poked out about 125 bhp each . Since 72 Ive never met anyone who remembers them , probably hush hush .
This is not a wind up .
Frenchy

You’re right - it wasn’t a wind-up and it has been discussed on here (somewhere) before, although I can’t remember where exactly.

I think the outcome of the discussion was that HTS had one of these D-Series as well as the BRS one, which I seem to recall was photographed - I’ve seen a picture of it at any rate.

I’m not entirely sure, but I think MrKen has more information about it.

It’s an urban myth… :wink:

ive seen a picture of the hts one,i think i have still got it somewhere,i will have a look for it at the weekend.

This is definetly not an urban myth! The twin engined D series was shown in an article in the last couple of years in one of the Truck or Classic Commercial magazines. Can’t remember which one at the moment but I have got it somewhere, If I can find it I will post it, I’m sure it was a HTS unit and it might have been shown in an ongoing feature about Humber McVeigh (Classic & Vintage Commercials). From my memory of the article there were only two or three of these units out on trial at the time and never made it to full production the Transconti; took over and the twin engine was ditched and I’m sure all of us who drove a D series and then a Transconti; are very pleased at Fords decision on that :smiley:

That’s where I saw the picture - I thought my memory had failed as I typed my original reply because I couldn’t place where I’d seen the picture.

It was in Classic & Vintage Commercials magazine, which one I don’t know.

If my memory serves me well, (no guarantees here), when Bedford first had ideas about a 32 ton KM, the thinking was that the engine we have is about half the size of the one we want, simple answer, put 2 in. This was of course the 466 and I think the idea may well have pre-dated Ford. I am sure there was a picture in Commercial Motor at the time, but of course when the 32ton KM eventualy hit the road it had the V6 Detroit in it. Not a great many were made as they were superceeded by the TM, but the occasional one appears at a rally sometimes.

Peter