Cher Saviem.
I know you are otherwise oçcupied at this moment - hope all OK by the way - but when you have a moment could hope that you might tell me something about the magnificent Unic normal control 6 wheeler tractor unit among Fergies pictures. Now tha’s a truck! Had I but have had one of those on the Middle East how happy I would have been!
David
Hello Gentlemen,
About these vehicles with these bizarre tanks / vessels behind the cabs, I can share some personal observations following participation some years back to an excellent classic tractors show in my homeplace Switzerland.
I found this pre-WWII Ford tractor intriguing - why would anyone bother with such large tanks on either side…
It was impossible to climb onto the seat sideways.
Interestingly, a massive amount of heat was radiating from the large tank on the left hand side.
The owner suddenly appeared and was much willing to talk me through this brilliant technology.
Basically she runs on the highly flammable fumes generated by the charcoal contained in the large vessel.
These are the same gases that produce the blue flames coming off the charcoal in a barbecue. In French this technology is called “gazogene” which I think in English translates to wood gas generator or gasifier.
During WWII, there were chronic shortages of petroleum fuel and so the easiest alternative was simply wood of which France has never been short.
Here he tried to ignite these fumes however the system was still building up and it took a few more minutes until the trick worked.
Getting ready
And here is the result!
The gases are basically captured from the charcoal tank straight into the inlet manifold and into the cylinders.
She was a real ■■■■■■■ to start up somehow. I was concerned for the guy’s ankle or something. If the lever suddenly gave it could have been quite painful!
Here is some more on this technology.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas_generator
Sleep well all of you gents
Thank you Professor Davidoff junior…excellent pics as well… 
Thanks David Senior.
The nicest thing of all was the grin on my dad’s face. I took him there (he loves these types of things) and he spent the day running from one tractor to the next bizarre implement.
Oh well. I might post a few more pics whilst I’m at it.
Good old Citroën HY. Monsieur SAVIEM will have seen these quite often whilst roaming France!
A small and very agile winch. Extremely suited for logging in mountainous, hard-to-manoeuver areas
Hans Hürlimann started building tractors as early as 1929, and the story has it that Hürlimann first introduced direct injection for diesel engines in 1939. For years these beautiful and extremely sturdy tractors thrived in Switzerland, until financial difficulties pushed them in the arms of SAME Lamborghini-Hürlimann in 1975.
Reputed for its accessibility.
Alpina. Another local Swiss marque, sadly long gone.
Steyr. Rings a bell?
Not the prettiest design me thinks, but a lot of charm all the same
Okay time for a kip.
Once again, bonne nuit à tous!
David
Evening all,
Well, Im still perched in the corner of this stable, but the old lads perked up a bit over the last couple of days…if only the NHS worked as well as Vets and Farriers, (proper ones that is), then we would all be happy!
David, apologies, Im a bit lost on the 6 wheeled Unic, Fergie posted some cracking pictures of the 340 V8s, but they were 4x2s. The only 6 wheeler I can find, (given my handicap of Specsaver Bi Focals, and cold fingers on my Daughters electronic device in this Victorian Stable), is the peculiar Renault 12 litre J serie cab, with a “capot”, over a 12litre 310hp 6x4, coupled to a tandem axle Tilt trailer. Really an odd ball, utilising the old GBH dumper/tractor chassis with the multi leaf suspended 26 tonne Berliet bogie, with its power coming via a Boutheron built 8 or 16 speed Berliet designed gearbox. A totally unbreakable combination, bit sparse in the cab width wise, but as a driving lorry well set up for the" rough stuff".
The bed was 600mm wide, and really the cab could have had the high roof, (Attelier Saint Catherine), conversion on it. That is quite an odd ball to be photographed in Europe, most were destined for South America, or the East. Apologies, I do not know how well they sold, or the volumes, as I was well away from those markets when they hit the road. All ran on 1200x24 tyre equipment, and I think that the weight was 32/58 tonnes gtw, 32 tonnes solo. That 12 litre straight 6 was some engine, it really quickly overtook the V8s in terms of performance per litre, and of course economy.
But of course there were the magnificent creations of Unic. Have there ever been more powerful looking lorries than the bonneted Unics of the 50s and 60s? Those long bonnets, perforated by rows of louvers to allow the hot air from those throbbing diesels to escape, the barely visible chauffers, hidden behind the steeply raked windscreens, struggling to control these monsters of the Route, with the massive steering wheels…
No, despite their looks the products of Unic were real "■■■■■ cats " to drive…power steered, synchromesh gearboxes,long multiplate springs, and those wonderful, spacious, (for their day), Letourner et Marchand pressed steel cabs…(yet another gem from the design genius Phillipe Charbonneaux),with their “Moustaches”, of alloy on the radiator grill. Auvergne, Galibier, Izoard, …ye Gods, the names made you wish to drive them!
I was totally in awe of these leviathons, sitting on their 1200 tyre equipment, pinging, and sweating that distinctive diesel odour when I parked my little Foden alongside them at a lunchtime Routiers back in the `60s. 19 tonne 4 wheelers, I just could not get my head around that…and a 150 hp straight 6!!! Quickly I learned how to recognise the older ones…they had “Three Moustaches” on their radiators…the newer ones had the grill split horizontaly in two parts, but even the “little” Auvergne 4x2, @19 tonnes had 160 hp from her 8.075 litre MZ 42 engine.
But back in the 60s, (and even into the 80s), I would see the smooth sounding Saurer Unics of the late `50s giving reliable service. The little Saurer 130hp CT3D diesel running like a sewing machine…no wonder Unic purchased the Saurer operation in France, not only for the use of their combustion/injection expertise!
But that long bonnet could sit in front of even more exotic cab creations…even the reverse leaning designs of Bourg en Bresse based Cottard…and they really were handsome, like a heavyweight pugelist…menacing, poised, and balanced…But then came the V8s…first the explosive , (in more ways than one) 270 hp V8 M62S of 10.76litres…like a rocket…untill it stopped…which sadly it did frequently…whichever cab it sat in front , or behind!!!
That same high reving motor, with its explosive tendancies sat under the “new” Corporate Fiat cab…although Unic under Van Dammes control, gave Fernand Geneve the brief to make it tilt......which they did with great success....yet Agnellis Fiat perhaps through pique never adopted this wonderful feature.
But when Van Dammes Engineers redesigned the V8 in the early 70s, with a capacity increase to 14.886 litres…and a nominal 340 hp…the most powerful lorry in France…(terrified Berliet, whose “exploding” V8 serie 825 powered TR300, launched with such fanfare, and exploded in everyones face…an utter failure…with a nice cab…destined for a 27 year life span)…Unic had a winner!
This absolute gem of a lorry was taken by Unics parent Fiat, rebadged as an OM, and used as a premier brand in their Export markets to great success......even import resistant Germany!!!!!!! With the benifit of hindsight, (oh are we not all so lucky), one can only admire the forward thinking of the Agnelli controlled Fiat. The engineers who had reborn the early Unic V8 moved to Turin, and worked on a much improved, and capacity increased V serie range, this became every lorry drivers dream......the Fiat 17 litre V8........Unics strong French market prescence was used to launch the Unic badged but Fiat built middleweights such as the 9.57 litre 200 hp, (Unic built Bourbon Lancy produced), Fiat 170NC 17/19 tonne range for Europe. Then there were the Unic "branded" but Fiat built 6X4 N697 heavy range rigids and tractors with the massive hub reduction OM bogies, and front Fiat Trilex wheels..........and a non tilting Fiat cab!!!!! The straight 6 13.798 litre Fiat engine, (but produced and redesigned at Unics Bourbon Lancy plant), became a standard Unic fitment, and eventually this plant would produce all of Fiat Groupes straight 6 engines.
But that was after the Agnelli`s, in what can only be described as a monumental fit of pique, (because the French Military refused to renew their fleet of (Simca, owned by Fiat), Marmon 4x4 lorries…because the engines, Fiat, were not French manufactured), Fiat simply closed down vehicle production in France…Trappes was razed to the ground…Bourbon Lancy was kept…but there were no more “real” Unics…ever!!!
But David, one of those V8 340s would have been some lorry to do the Orient in, and if it broke…well the cab did tilt!!
Cheerio for now.
Unic T 270 A 6x4.
French Saurer 5DCS 160hp with Pelpel cab in Brittany.
I have been trying to find the post which was about the Telma Retarder as I came across a decent picture on the the net first of the wagon and second under neath
cheers Johnnie
sammyopisite:
I have been trying to find the post which was about the Telma Retarder as I came across a decent picture on the the net first of the wagon and second under neathcheers Johnnie
Hello Johnnie/sammyopisite
Here is a recent picture of a Telma which is still in operation. In this case a FOCAL 300 model, attached to the back of a Scania 142’s gearbox.
And here is the command switch (4 positions), being activated in ■■■■■■■ last September by a mate of mine.
Interestingly, TELMA as a company are still going. See Focal - Retarder Installation - Telma S.A.S..
In Switzerland where I live, they still fit the medium-sized 17-seater local transports (often exposed to steep hills) with TELMAs. Very effective I can assure you - having tested as a passenger.
I hear BRINK’s also use them for their valuables transport vehicles which are really quite heavy with their armour plating.
Hello David,
Season’s greetings to you and Veronique.
Always enjoy your posts.
I know exactly where that photo was taken. You had just left ‘Paradise’ (lucky boy!) the view is over the Duddon Estuary, looking at Millom and ‘Black Combe’. I hope you had a good night out at the ‘Seacote’ in St Bees.
Best wishes
John.
John West:
Hello David,Season’s greetings to you and Veronique.
Always enjoy your posts.
I know exactly where that photo was taken. You had just left ‘Paradise’ (lucky boy!) the view is over the Duddon Estuary, looking at Millom and ‘Black Combe’. I hope you had a good night out at the ‘Seacote’ in St Bees.
Best wishes
John.
Hello John
It is good to read from you. I enjoyed having lunch with you and your brother - I must admit I forgot the name of the place but it was really nice.
I have long wanted to post some pictures on here of our autumnal runs but never got around to doing it. Busy job being one reason.
Anyhow, here are some pictures - which I sure you will be able to place!
You will have recognised Mr. Harley’s F12 pulling his near-completion 111
What a piece of kit this is. Stunning!
The tractor unit is a stunner, but so is the trailer, complete with FORDSON tractor engine. Amazing.
And of course you will remember these really good moments no doubt!
John West:
Hello David,Season’s greetings to you and Veronique.
Always enjoy your posts.
I know exactly where that photo was taken. You had just left ‘Paradise’ (lucky boy!) the view is over the Duddon Estuary, looking at Millom and ‘Black Combe’. I hope you had a good night out at the ‘Seacote’ in St Bees.
Best wishes
John.
Some more later on in the same run.
Might agitate some senior members’ memories. I hope it does in any case!
Upon arrival at destination. Man what a gathering. And the drivers were as good company as their restorations were compelling!
Some real beauties here
For some bizarre reason my (brand new) diesel filters started giving me some grief on the way to Shap!
But we did make it up to the (in)famous shap summit!
In front of the monument honouring those who built and then rode this difficult piece of road and basically enabled the commercial and social links between North and South, before the M6 was built…
Nice photo’s Junior…
sammyopisite:
I have been trying to find the post which was about the Telma Retarder as I came across a decent picture on the the net first of the wagon and second under neath1
0
cheers Johnnie
John…the Spanish ( and no doubt others) I remember, use to fit the retarders to the trailers…they had a “drive axle” which actually wasn’t a proper drive axle, and the retarder fitted via a “dummy” propshaft…I remember crawling underneath a trailer to get a better look at it…saved the weight on the tractor unit…
Junior…that last picture you posted of the tractors, the one with the blue chassis, red wheels, grey engine…in the '60’s, the British lorry manufacturers use to stick a cab on that, and call it a lorry, we use to think they were great, till some of us came to Europe and saw proper lorries… 
Not a lorry…but…
Out for a ride on the bike the other day, came across this beast parked up in a garden, didn’t have a camera so got these off Google street…Don’t know too much about civil aircraft, but my mates seem to think its French… any plane anoraks ?.
It looks similar to the one I posted up back a few pages that belonged to a haulier, well, its got two wings, 4 engines, and a tail,… I’m probably miles out… 
