DIG:
I just found this PR2100 ,apparently the Fodens were relegated to yard shunters before they were disposed of.
This photo was taken in the early 90s I believe and the gentleman is the depot manager and former driver Ron Biok. Ron and his partner/offsider Rodney Oliver did 11 years together on the Kimberly run for Gascoynes,in those days a 2 week run if all went according to plan ,these days 4 to 5 days.Surprizing what a few bridges and some tar macadam and 600hp can do.
Is this old girl one of the two in your pics I wonder .
Cheers DIG
DIG:
Hi PR2100
Just had a look at these other pics you posted and the old Leyland was branded a Mastiff here in Aus
I bought one brand spanking in 1973 powered by a mighty 185hp V8 Perkins it leaked more oil than it used but reliable always got me home and I owned it for some 10years operating out of Derby in the West Kimberly servicing Fitzroy Xing and places as far away a Kalumbaru,that old girl went there long before Outback Truckers were a twinkle in a TV producers eye.
Thanks Dig. When I stopped at the side of the road I could see a V-engine but had no way of knowing whether it was Percy or ■■■■■■■ - V8.540 presumably?
DIG:
I just found this PR2100 ,apparently the Fodens were relegated to yard shunters before they were disposed of.
This photo was taken in the early 90s I believe and the gentleman is the depot manager and former driver Ron Biok. Ron and his partner/offsider Rodney Oliver did 11 years together on the Kimberly run for Gascoynes,in those days a 2 week run if all went according to plan ,these days 4 to 5 days.Surprizing what a few bridges and some tar macadam and 600hp can do.
Is this old girl one of the two in your pics I wonder .
Cheers DIG
What the [zb] they’re doing in a yard on the east coast I’ve no idea but when I’m up that way next I’ll see if I can find out.
Thanks PR21000 for you comments and Terrys Link ,what a great album of trucks mainly in WA,I still haven’t finished looking at them all ,I guess there is a possibility one of mine will turn up as he has covered just about all facets of the road transport system here.
Carry on Trucking and backing out lol
Cheers DIG
For those of you who were out here in the 60’s and 70s, have a butcher’s at Dunk’s photostream on Flickr (aka Dunique66). Not many pics but many are worth the viewing.
I can’t post any copies of his shots (nor would I without permission), but this one ought to tickle someone’s fancy
When rail went by road, these new iron ore cars were on their way from Perth to BHP Port Hedland WA for use on the Mt Newman line,the cab over KWs assembled as B triples are the same length as a conventional double so can transport 3 cars but the conventional 2.
Cheers DIG
rigsby:
i’ve got tinnitus because i drove one of those !
Go on then, own up Who for, when and where?
i drove one for a local firm doing nottingham to liverpool docks and reloading back to nottingham . this entailed dragging over the cat and fiddle road every other day . good fun climbing the cat in the dark , i was flagged down more than once by car drivers telling me the lorry was on fire . always decoked itself climbing out of macclesfield . dave
I finally got round to taking a few snaps of the old Fodens I was on about. Sorry they’re not all that, but given they’re in a fenced-off yard and I don’t want unnecessary grief, they’re the best I can do.
PS I’m no longer convinced the last one is an old Aboods wagon, but don’t know who else would have used that livery.
Quite by chance I bumped into the owner of the yard where these old wagons are parked at the local caff. As I’m waiting for my (very good) food and excellent coffee, a bloke in overalls who’s also waiting for his order starts talking to me about the line of work I’m in - he said he also runs tankers and knows the mob who supply the stuff I end up delivering to customers. And then I spot the logo on his shirt and I think “hang on, isn’t that the mob whose yard those Fodens are in?” And then I remember the spec of the tankers in his yard and so I ask him, and he says yes it’s him, and before I knew it a quarter of an hour goes by…
In short:
the two olde Fodens parked outside were owned and run by the father of the bloke I was chatting to. Although he could understand why I wondered about their origin in WA, he said they are not ex-Gascoynes, and said that loads of Fodens of that era had the same red & white paint job - I report, you decide. Both have (or had) Gardner 6LX’s.
the newer (less old) Foden that evidence suggests is an ex-Aboods wagon is indeed right. This chap I was yarning said when he first got it it had a straight 8 in it, and I said “What, a Gardner 8LXB?” and he said “Yep.” It’s now got a Rolls 340 (is that an Eagle?), and he reckons it’s ready to chuff off to Brisbane or Melbourne tomorrow, registration yada yada permitting. He said it will be restored to its former glory, and that it’s one of a handful of plastic-cabbed Fodens of that era that are still in one piece. Mind you, they only made 11 in total.
the real temptation is the wagon he’s got stored in the shed that’s partway through restoration. It’s one of the first wagons his old man bought new back in the late 50s (I think), a Foden with a 6LW. “All 112 bhp and 300ft-lb of it, can you [zb] imagine doing Sydney to Brisbane in that in nineteen-sixty-dot with more than 20 ton on the back?”
Now I’ve made contact with this chap I’ll keep you updated. Especially if I manage to cash in on his invitation to call in anytime the yard gates are open.
ParkRoyal2100:
An update, for those who are interested.
ParkRoyal2100:
Hey Oily,
I finally got round to taking a few snaps of the old Fodens I was on about. Sorry they’re not all that, but given they’re in a fenced-off yard and I don’t want unnecessary grief, they’re the best I can do.
PS I’m no longer convinced the last one is an old Aboods wagon, but don’t know who else would have used that livery.
Quite by chance I bumped into the owner of the yard where these old wagons are parked at the local caff. As I’m waiting for my (very good) food and excellent coffee, a bloke in overalls who’s also waiting for his order starts talking to me about the line of work I’m in - he said he also runs tankers and knows the mob who supply the stuff I end up delivering to customers. And then I spot the logo on his shirt and I think “hang on, isn’t that the mob whose yard those Fodens are in?” And then I remember the spec of the tankers in his yard and so I ask him, and he says yes it’s him, and before I knew it a quarter of an hour goes by…
In short:
the two olde Fodens parked outside were owned and run by the father of the bloke I was chatting to. Although he could understand why I wondered about their origin in WA, he said they are not ex-Gascoynes, and said that loads of Fodens of that era had the same red & white paint job - I report, you decide. Both have (or had) Gardner 6LX’s.
the newer (less old) Foden that evidence suggests is an ex-Aboods wagon is indeed right. This chap I was yarning said when he first got it it had a straight 8 in it, and I said “What, a Gardner 8LXB?” and he said “Yep.” It’s now got a Rolls 340 (is that an Eagle?), and he reckons it’s ready to chuff off to Brisbane or Melbourne tomorrow, registration yada yada permitting. He said it will be restored to its former glory, and that it’s one of a handful of plastic-cabbed Fodens of that era that are still in one piece. Mind you, they only made 11 in total.
the real temptation is the wagon he’s got stored in the shed that’s partway through restoration. It’s one of the first wagons his old man bought new back in the late 50s (I think), a Foden with a 6LW. “All 112 bhp and 300ft-lb of it, can you [zb] imagine doing Sydney to Brisbane in that in nineteen-sixty-dot with more than 20 ton on the back?”
Now I’ve made contact with this chap I’ll keep you updated. Especially if I manage to cash in on his invitation to call in anytime the yard gates are open.
Well done PR2100 we learn something every day and I reckon a look behind those shed doors promises a day to savour.
Thanks for that Dan… Most of these are take on the eastern sea board Tasmania, as far north as Rockhampton… Top 2 are at the BP Truckstop at Eastern Creek ( just opened first week of October 2016 ) by Wednesday night 3 of the 6 showers weren’t working and you couldn’t get a ■■■■■■■■■■■■ after 3 in the afternoon… next…
Marulan… South bound… just after the Government weigh bridge… OH yeh here’s a thing… at 60 kph they can weigh you… measure the length, width and height of the truck and load to with in 5 mm… check who’s driving the truck. Check if they have the right license for the vehicle they’re driving, see if it’s registered, and if it’s committed any traffic violations in the past 7 days…Nice!!!..next
Getting passed by a B double car transporter… somewhere up round Taree■■? maybe… not to sure…next
My K1 spun the crank… Not my fault …young kid had it when I was having my 3 days ( by the way that’s actually meant to be a week ) off… Detriot series 60… you have to keep them reving… so he lugged it up a hill at 67 tons cause he didn’t understand the gear box… White turbo… purple manifold… with a big crack round the guts… the mechanic spotted it before I was dew to take it back out and changed it, gave it a service… First big hill I got to and the oil pressure is down of the bottom of the gauge… Game over…That’s when I phoned the mechanic and he told me about the other stuff… he thought he’d got away with it… So I ended up with a Daf-a-matic…next
You cant drive a Toll trailer over 103 kph cause they’re satellite tracked and if you go over that you’re out the door… That’s the official Toll version… If you ask any driver that’s towed one they’ll tell you… You can’t tow a Toll trailer over 103 kph cause if you do they’ll just fall to bits…next
Ahhhh Kalara you can’t have photos of Australian truck with out have one of a Kalara truck … Ammonium Nitrate on his one. most likely heading of to a mine to go ^&(^ BOOM &(()&%$ … somewhere up in Queensland…42 c @ 2 in the morning… and that wasn’t even summer time…nice roping and sheeting though… next
Some locals hanging round the truck stop… Federal Interstate plates on most trucks … ( that’s the yellow ones ) mines white with blue letters and numbers… Tasmanian…
I’ve sent more photos to Dan… he might get them up soon…
Have a shufti at the Bewick thread Jeff , ROF has posted a detailed instruction on how to post directly from your pc as dennis (BEWICK )has had problems with photo bucket . Dave
? Don’t start me …
Who for, when and where?
