Four-in-Line trailers

bumper:
hi lads, i always tried to load the track machine’s from the side, gaffer played hell as the floor got chowed up and after a while the floor had to be replaced , this photo is typical of machine’s moved in them days gross weight about 24ton, 28hp 4 speed crash box O model bedford with hydraulic brakes, this would test your driving skill bumper
0

Hi,

again as a model maker I’m trying to find information, this time just how the wheels and suspension attatched to the trailer on these low loaders? Having real trouble finding clear photos/information so if anyone can help it would be much appreciated!

voyager125:

bumper:
hi lads, i always tried to load the track machine’s from the side, gaffer played hell as the floor got chowed up and after a while the floor had to be replaced , this photo is typical of machine’s moved in them days gross weight about 24ton, 28hp 4 speed crash box O model bedford with hydraulic brakes, this would test your driving skill bumper
0

Hi,

again as a model maker I’m trying to find information, this time just how the wheels and suspension attatched to the trailer on these low loaders? Having real trouble finding clear photos/information so if anyone can help it would be much appreciated!

Hi voyager125 there were a few different set ups on four in line low loaders on the lighter end it was often a leaf spring which went into an opening and was locked into position by a U bolt being tightened into a grooved fitting the heavier ones often had a trunion from the trailer chassis and this went into a hoe on the suspension and a cup was placed on the back which was held by a bolt which had a safety ring through the bottom so it was held into place and then the 40 ton plus trailers used a different system where the spring went into the top of a trunion type but this went into the trailer and had to be jacked up and then a locking bracket came over the top and was held into place by a bolt again. This will probably sound like double dutch but I will have look and see if I can find any pictures to try and explain it better and if you could say what type of trailer and unit it may be easier to help as there was more options than those I have mentioned.
cheers Johnnie

HI.Folks ,In 1959 we orderd a brand new Dodge unit with a BTC 4 inline 26 ft long ,the unit was a tipper chasie ,when we went to BTC in Kirby L/POOL ,To pick it up ,were told it was over length .so they moved thin pin back and the turntable forward ,to make it legal took all day .we ran 3 or 4 BTC and 1 NEW Bowden with BTC runing gear . now look at the length today ,how things change .Some useless info .Yours Barry Waddy

sammyopisite:

voyager125:

bumper:

Hi,

again as a model maker I’m trying to find information, this time just how the wheels and suspension attatched to the trailer on these low loaders? Having real trouble finding clear photos/information so if anyone can help it would be much appreciated!

Hi voyager125 there were a few different set ups on four in line low loaders on the lighter end it was often a leaf spring which went into an opening and was locked into position by a U bolt being tightened into a grooved fitting the heavier ones often had a trunion from the trailer chassis and this went into a hoe on the suspension and a cup was placed on the back which was held by a bolt which had a safety ring through the bottom so it was held into place and then the 40 ton plus trailers used a different system where the spring went into the top of a trunion type but this went into the trailer and had to be jacked up and then a locking bracket came over the top and was held into place by a bolt again. This will probably sound like double dutch but I will have look and see if I can find any pictures to try and explain it better and if you could say what type of trailer and unit it may be easier to help as there was more options than those I have mentioned.
cheers Johnnie

Thanks for the reply Johnnie,

the one I am trying to replicate is this from a thread on Atkinsons

Thanks for the help, this forum is a godsend for us modellers!!

Hi voyager that looks very similar to a Scammell trailer which would have 2 circular trunions extending from the rear of the trailer chassis and they had a taper at the rearmost part and one pair of wheels went onto each and they were held in position with a collar which was held on by a a wire ring of strong wire ( like a large keyring type ) the suspension was rubber on each axle ( pair of wheels ) I have searched the web and this is the best photo I can find of the rear axles but the trailer looks as if it could be a different make but it is very similar to the one behind the Atki and you can see the collar and trunion . I think you may receive some more replies and input a it is 37 years since I was heavy haulage and the brain struggles to recall everything.
cheers Johnnie

P S any more questions please ask

flickr.com/photos/edward_bec … 8052647812

Greetings,Voyager. I took these at Brighton last year and in answer to your quest for a photo of a four in line low loader,I hope these will be of help.All the best,regards,900X20.

Knockout 1.jpg750×500 150 KB

Knockout 2.jpg750×500 128 KB

Voyager,a close up of the rear axle. Might help a bit more.900x20.

Close up.jpg800×409 109 KB

I’ve no experience of 4 in lines whatsoever, but in all the years I’ve been around motors I’ve heard a lot of moans from fitters/tyremen about changing wheels, and I can understand why! Now – is it me, or can I remember seeing an advert for a 4 in line trailer where the axles were mounted on a trunnion, you could jack it up, and flip the axle over so the inside tyre was now on the outside for wheel changing?
Bernard

Voyager the link which I posted is of a member on here “moomooland” and I am sure Paul would help you with a blow up of it so you would be able to see the details better for your model.
cheers Johnnie

albion1938:
I’ve no experience of 4 in lines whatsoever, but in all the years I’ve been around motors I’ve heard a lot of moans from fitters/tyremen about changing wheels, and I can understand why! Now – is it me, or can I remember seeing an advert for a 4 in line trailer where the axles were mounted on a trunnion, you could jack it up, and flip the axle over so the inside tyre was now on the outside for wheel changing?
Bernard

I believe that was a trailer manufactured by DAF?

Pete.

HI Windrush, When u phoned the tyre services up they asked size type ,as soon as told them it was 4 in line sorry no one available ,i have known the inside tyre to go flat the axle would tilt over driver would not know thing abount it ,till it had gone on fire ,you needed two jacks at least toget it back up into line very hard work doing tyres on them .A litle bit of useless info ,yours Barry Waddy

Thanks for all the help guys, information coming together

Having now realised the low-loaders are not actually four -in-lines I won’t take up this thread any more but i have had the opportunity to measure and photograph a Dyson and a Scammell (at Dave Weedons Classic Tracks and Trucks - what a fantastic guy!) so thanks to all for your help!!

Tate & Lyle had a few 4-inline liquid tanks and were truly awful bloody things.

Bewick:
Spot on John it does look a bit more substantialy built than the BTC 4-in-line.I wonder if the tyres were always as healthy looking as those four!!! and for the life of me I can’t understand why this configuration was un-stable was it bad driving or what? Cheers

There may have been an element of bad driving, but frankly you can get that with any configuration.

To my mind, and I pulled a Dodge/Boden 26ft 4-in-line combination for Hedly Shaw of Stapleford for quite a long time, the main problem was not rollover tendency on corners and roundabouts (I never had a ‘lifter’) but the terrible tail wagging that could start if the 4 tyres were not all precisely identical, most importantly, with equal pressures.

I once came down Symonds Yat, back loaded from S. Wales, at a very fair lick and it started. Side to side, they didn’t call them oscillating bogies for nothing except my whole trailer was oscillating, I used both lanes all the way down going faster and faster, didn’t dare touch the brakes, just kept the steering as straight as possible, straddling the centre line with eyes frozen straight ahead.

When I finally managed to roll it into the caff at the bottom and pull on the handbrake I just sat there in total shock for about 10 minutes before staggering inside for a pint or two of very strong tea before setting off again.

Believe me I treated that outfit with much more respect after that.

I never had a puncture (I hardly dare write the word ‘blowout’, it doesn’t even bear thinking about) but it wasn’t just the inside tyre that was a cow to change, the outside one was almost as bad due to the fact that it was leaning over at that crazy angle. Getting a jack in between the 2 wheels must have been a nightmare.

I wonder, would it not have been better with a big jack and blocks to jack the chassis?

How did you heros who did one manage it?

Got to keep this thread “alive and kicking ■■■” This is an atmospheric '60’s shot of a great fleet ! One of T.Brady and Sons Ltd. Leyland Badgers coupled to a 4 in-line and loaded with steel.I think the trailer would have been probably a York but it could have been a BTC,the Badger which had the 600 engine and 2 speed axle was well on top of it’s job at 24ton GVW (although in Brady’s case 24 ton gvw was at the lower end of the weights sometime operated !) when compared to the Comet at the same GVW !! Happy Days.Cheers Bewick.PS on closer inspection this Badger looks to have the Leyland axle but there was a good number in the Brady fleet that did have the Eaton axle honest !!!

At Humber Warehousing we had maybe 15 BTC 4 in lines with fridge boxes on.Providing they were loaded properly and driven reasonable they stayed upright but they would lift on corners if they were thrown into them. They all had autolubes fitted and maintained and as a result the shackle pins and trunnions never needed replacing. Spring breakage was negligable and tyre wear was fantastic. We took the old type 20 single air cylinders off and replaced them with type 24 triple chambers and fitted 3 line braking to them and that sorted out the poor brakes. The inside wheels were not the easiest things to change but we very rarely needed to. When Humber’s bought Thornbury Transport we inherited 2 45ft 4 in lines with the wheels right at the back which were used for carrying steel out of LLanwern and Port Talbot, not as indivisable loads but when pulling one of those you really had to watch things otherwise you could have been in big trouble on roundabouts and corners. All in all not a bad trailer, they certainly served us well.

I forgot about the autolube system on the 4-in-lines,I don’t know if all the manufactures fitted it,but then again I dont believe they were religiously topped up by some of the operators.From memory the resevoir was a little cylindrical tank fixed just forward of the axles under the platform.Cheers Dennis.

Not strictly Four in Line

British Trailer Co of Phoenix Works, Richmond Road, Trafford Park, Manchester

Specialised in trailers for articulated lorries, with four wheels abreast.

Made Field Marshal Montgomery’s command caravan

1971 Closed