Did anyone run the 401/411s on the middle east run
bluenosebulls:
Did anyone run the 401/411s on the middle east run
Look for the posts on here about OHS Transport, who ran LHD 400 Series to the Middle East - there’s also a thread on LHD 400 Series.
A Whittle subby also ran at least two 400 Series on M/E on traction for Whittle
What was the difference with the 400 and the 401 apart from the lhd?
The grill 
and the wheel arch for starters
Did a few miles. In this one, including my last day on the firm, which was nights on for TNT from Deeside to Atherstone, was a real flying machine, E290 Big Cam ■■■■■■■■ The boss had it from new, from what I remember first day out the front grille came off on goole dock as the paint shop had not tightened the grub screws in the top hinges 
Used to have a real annoying rattle in the gear knob when pulling, so you always had to keep your hand on it.
They had 3 Sed Atki’s, along with the Volvos
bluenosebulls:
What was the difference with the 400 and the 401 apart from the lhd?
the chassis frame
240 Gardner:
bluenosebulls:
Did anyone run the 401/411s on the middle east runLook for the posts on here about OHS Transport, who ran LHD 400 Series to the Middle East - there’s also a thread on LHD 400 Series.
A Whittle subby also ran at least two 400 Series on M/E on traction for Whittle
Wasn’t there a book written on this subject. “Seddons in the sand” ?
There was certainly two Whittle contractors that ran 401’s to the middle east. I think there was also a third but a bit before my time.
Sorry, I know it was not a 401 but has anyone any pictures of B926OFP a 301 series.
Dave…
401 was a massive improvement on the 400, steering brakes springs all changed and made for better general handling as well as the overall cab improvements.
Steering in particular, on the 400 you always had a better lock one way (RH if i remember right) than the other, 401 had a better and equal steering lock as well as better steering feel, also required less turns from lock to lock as i recall.
One of my favourite motors of all time, last 401 i used for about 3 years from when by boss bought the demo, 320 ■■■■■■■ 14 litre, fuller box, twin steer, jake brake, a cracking motor that would give anything made at the time a run for its money and beat most of them on fuel consumption too.
For what it is worth some pages of the brochure (1980-version) and for a sleeper an interesting kerbweight
of around 5600-5850kg depending on which engine was mounted.
For some time a demonstrator was available for both Holland and Belgium but I don’t recall any sales however.
Ets. Hocké of Groot-Bijgaarden (Brussels) and Waalwijk ('s-Hertogenbosch) was the importer and dealer.
Eric (TipTop) possibly knows if Leclout from Liège-region drove a 401 or 400?
How about this one ,.still running and earning its keep for the last 37 years ,owned by a gentleman from amble in Northumberland ,He used to do a lot of traction services for the company I used to work for and often see him still running around the northeast and further afield ,.
That looks like a 400 to me with a 401 front panel.
Still good to see one still earning its keep whichever model it is, it does look well and he’s done well to keep the cab rot at bay, maybe its wearing various 400 parts, ie bumper, due to difficulty in obtaining body parts now, though V reg if its year appropriate would be a 400.
I did big miles in both variants, as well as a 300 with the International and brief stint with a 200, bloody nora that was grim…that 200 came with the only job i’ve ever landed following an advert for a driver and the worse job of all, lasted 3 months and they wouldn’t speak to me after i put me notice in 
Juddian:
That looks like a 400 to me with a 401 front panel.Still good to see one still earning its keep whichever model it is, it does look well and he’s done well to keep the cab rot at bay, maybe its wearing various 400 parts, ie bumper, due to difficulty in obtaining body parts now, though V reg if its year appropriate would be a 400.
I did big miles in both variants, as well as a 300 with the International and brief stint with a 200, bloody nora that was grim…that 200 came with the only job i’ve ever landed following an advert for a driver and the worse job of all, lasted 3 months and they wouldn’t speak to me after i put me notice in
It’s a 400, with a 401 grille and top step, by the look of it. Oddly enough, the grille says “400”.
cheers anorak for squaring the picture up ,I tried for a hour last night trying to upload picture and every time it came up either upside down or sideways ,tried other pictures and no problems but this particular one just would not come up right .
,cheers Paul
Blimey Anorak, you related to Poirot? 
Never seen a 401 style grill with 400 writ on it that i can recall, and i’d have missed that top step if you hadn’t pointed it out.
The 400 steel bumper might look nothing special, but one day i was forced over by some clot and managed to clout one of those really heavy road works sign triangles, the larger ones with the steel frame, which went spinning off into the ditch, sounded a nasty bang in the cab, but when i stopped all it had done was put a small scratch in the paint.
I doubt the composite 401 bumper (none of the modern tat) would have fared as well, though complete with its under-bumper spoiler it did look rather fetching.
One memorable morning i’d picked up a total of 4 platers heading up to Immingham in me 400, one on the passenger seat three in a row on the bed, all chopsing, up near Colsterworth somewhere we’re doing a steady 60 when an unlucky pheasant made a break for it, he landed square in the middle of the offside front panel, amusingly nearly causing 4 simultaneous heart attacks, and putting a massive dent in that panel.
Have a thing with pheasants, about 4 years ago one made a hell of a mess of me wagon’s windscreen but oddly enough not the side he hit, the impact caused massive fracturing of the screen the other (my) side, and the only evidence on the contact point was the usual dust/oil film from his body outline.
Juddian:
Blimey Anorak, you related to Poirot?Never seen a 401 style grill with 400 writ on it that i can recall, and i’d have missed that top step if you hadn’t pointed it out.
.
IIRC, they used to supply 401 grilles ex-factory, to replace rotted-out 400 ones. Maybe there was someone with an eye for detail involved in that?
How about this, then- check out the 401 brochure further up the page. I reckon the interior shot in the first scan- where it says “Storage Space” is a 400. The 401 later on has lighter trim.
Mmm, not sure about that ‘storage space’ being a 400 Anorak? Our 400’s, mostly on V, W, and X regs, all had the flip down sun visors (three I think?) and I can’t remember any ‘over the screen’ storage space on the one I drove? I also had the screen shatter on mine, it all landed in my lap and cut my hands and wrist besides taking chunks out of the steering wheel rim! Pulled into a layby, swept the cab out as best as I could, plonked my crash helmet with visor on my head and completed the days work. My hands soon smoothed the rim off again though. Next day a new screen was fitted, a laminated one this time, and first load towards Ashbourne a skip wagon coming the other way chucked a stone up and cracked it from top to bottom!
Regarding front panels; we had a P reg 400 and I thought the grille on that was fibreglass but I could be wrong? All our later front panels and cab floors rotted after only six years, poor really. We soon went back to buying Fodens!
Pete.
windrush:
Mmm, not sure about that ‘storage space’ being a 400 Anorak? Our 400’s, mostly on V, W, and X regs, all had the flip down sun visors (three I think?) and I can’t remember any ‘over the screen’ storage space on the one I drove? I also had the screen shatter on mine, it all landed in my lap and cut my hands and wrist besides taking chunks out of the steering wheel rim! Pulled into a layby, swept the cab out as best as I could, plonked my crash helmet with visor on my head and completed the days work. My hands soon smoothed the rim off again though. Next day a new screen was fitted, a laminated one this time, and first load towards Ashbourne a skip wagon coming the other way chucked a stone up and cracked it from top to bottom!Regarding front panels; we had a P reg 400 and I thought the grille on that was fibreglass but I could be wrong? All our later front panels and cab floors rotted after only six years, poor really. We soon went back to buying Fodens!
Pete.
I stand corrected. I was fooled by the apparent different trim colours. Maybe the lighting of the photographs was different? The sunvisors give it away though- it’s a 401 after all. Here’s a 400, exactly as you describe!
The front panel thing is interesting. Those early ones- with the maker’s name on the plate next to the snails- are obviously mouldings, now I look again:
The later ones are different, and look more like a flat sheet with the chrome trim stuck on:
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windrush:
… We soon went back to buying Fodens!Pete.
Regarding interior fittings/trim/quality, I get the impression from the photos that the 400/401 was a cut above the Sandbach makes, in that regard at least. Was that the case?