Besides never thinking to carry a camera, my other great failure was that I never seemed to notice anything around me. A case in point was that, despite being an avid fan of the Big J, I can’t ever remember seeing a sleeper-cabbed version in the flesh! Is it just me? 
Of course it is. 
I’m curious what the Hooks of Wix truck had been doing.It looks like a Mann and Son trailer,and the boat is one of the Prinz line ferries which sailed from Harwich navyyard to Bremen and Hamburg.The pic is from the early 70’s.
hutpik:
I’m curious what the Hooks of Wix truck had been doing.It looks like a Mann and Son trailer,and the boat is one of the Prinz line ferries which sailed from Harwich navyyard to Bremen and Hamburg.The pic is from the early 70’s.
Yes, that trailer does look like an early '70s 40-foot tilt with the set-back tandem bogie and slightly pitched roof. Though the livery seems to be exactly matched to the unit. The unit is on an F-plate so it’s looking well kept for a '67/'68 tractor. Robert
So, pulling all the information above together, did Guy ever actually produce a LHD Big-J with a sleeper cab, ■■■■■■■ 335 and 9-speed Fuller 
? I’ll bet they bloody well didn’t! 
Robert
Lovely photos Robert. Yes, when AEC acquired Thornycroft in 1961 it became a special vehicle division and gearbox manufacturing plant. The ‘AEC’ gearboxes, D197, D203 etc. were essentially Thornycroft designs and after Leyland took over found usage in Guy and Scammell models. There were multi-ratio splitter and / or range change versions of all these gearboxes available as optional fitments at extra cost, but these tended to be rarities due to the parsimonious nature of British operators. Similarly with Maudslay, AEC also turned that facility into a special products division (Dumptruks) and axle building plant. We criticise Leyland for its rationalisation policy, but AEC was just as ruthless at axing famous marques. I suppose its called business!
gingerfold:
Lovely photos Robert. Yes, when AEC acquired Thornycroft in 1961 it became a special vehicle division and gearbox manufacturing plant. The ‘AEC’ gearboxes, D197, D203 etc. were essentially Thornycroft designs and after Leyland took over found usage in Guy and Scammell models. There were multi-ratio splitter and / or range change versions of all these gearboxes available as optional fitments at extra cost, but these tended to be rarities due to the parsimonious nature of British operators. Similarly with Maudslay, AEC also turned that facility into a special products division (Dumptruks) and axle building plant. We criticise Leyland for its rationalisation policy, but AEC was just as ruthless at axing famous marques. I suppose its called business!
Thanks for the full reply, Graham: I knew you’d know! I suppose we should take comfort from Leyland/AEC utilising the better designs from cast out marques: they didn’t entirely throw the babies out with the bathwater. Cheers, Robert.
robert1952:
Here is another, almost certainly on the TIR-trail as it has ‘Davies Turner’ on the front - clearly a subbie, then. The location, however, looks distinctly Alpine! Perhaps it didn’t make Mont Blanc (on the way back of course!). Robert0
Hi Robert,
Great pics, you are correct this was taken between Aosta and the Blanc.
Regards
Richard
MaggieD:
robert1952:
Here is another, almost certainly on the TIR-trail as it has ‘Davies Turner’ on the front - clearly a subbie, then. The location, however, looks distinctly Alpine! Perhaps it didn’t make Mont Blanc (on the way back of course!). Robert0
Hi Robert,
Great pics, you are correct this was taken between Aosta and the Blanc.
Regards
Richard
Cheers for that! Robert
robert1952:
Here are some more Big-Js that did European work: Smith, Squibb and Comart. Robert543210
Hi Robert the smith big j I drove the first two years of its working life mostly isr rubber from soton to good year tyre Glasgow return load pet foods, this model never went on the continent, cheers uote=“robert1952”]Here are some more Big-Js that did European work: Smith, Squibb and Comart. Robert
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totton trooper:
robert1952:
Here are some more Big-Js that did European work: Smith, Squibb and Comart. Robert543210
Hi Robert the smith big j I drove the first two years of its working life mostly isr rubber from soton to good year tyre Glasgow return load pet foods, this model never went on the continent, cheers uote=“robert1952”]Here are some more Big-Js that did European work: Smith, Squibb and Comart. Robert
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Thanks for that clarification, Totton Trooper. I purloined the pic late last night from another thread where the poster had claimed they did Continental. No problem. Cheers, Robert
Now iam well into re making lorries but that’s a pig !
Punchy Dan:
0
Now iam well into re making lorries but that’s a pig !
They ran a mid lift Leyland Cruiser as well Dan! no good as 4 wheel units!
Punchy Dan:
Now iam well into re making lorries but that’s a pig !
A pig to steer, I would think Dan! Here’s another pic I found of it (or one like it on the Wall fleet). Robert
Sorry not long haul ,but it’s not a 240 either ,is there a suitable Guy thread ?
robert1952:
The cabs were Motor Panels mark 4 short/narrow ones. Some even had home-made high cabs!0
Robert < Westfield Transport was part of Pickford,s so I would assume that the cabs would have been factory built, they did a lot of knitting machines into Europe
cheers Johnnie
sammyopisite:
robert1952:
The cabs were Motor Panels mark 4 short/narrow ones. Some even had home-made high cabs!0
Robert < Westfield Transport was part of Pickford,s so I would assume that the cabs would have been factory built, they did a lot of knitting machines into Europe
cheers Johnnie
That’s interesting! It’s surprising that more didn’t take this option up. Interesting too that these did European work. Cheers, Robert
