ERF-NGC-European:
On another note, back in the early '80s there were still plenty of artics about with 180 / 190 /200 bhp engines and I remember holding around 70mph on the flat for sustained periods, 75-80mph downhill and 13mph uphill. Swanscombe drag on the A2 in Kent was a classic example of this. Ro
I only drove a Gardner 180 powered heap once because we had nothing else available it was used as the yard shunter.
That heap struggled to get much above 50 mph flat out on the flat.It was a scary hazard to other traffic just on M25 hills between M40 and M1 and Watford Gap in the 1980’s environment.
But anything around 280-300 hp + without a limiter and reasonable gearing was a quick truck at 1980’s gross weights and 350 + could be silly.
DAF 3300-3600, V8 turbo Mercs, big power MAN’s like Independent Express among others like 320 + ■■■■■■■■ were all easily capable of sustained 75 mph + running on the flat and more often than not did.
Generally 60-70 mph speeds for most of the rest.
The 1980’s were an interesting time in terms of truck design and use in their combination of gross weight and general running speeds.With relaxed enforcement to the point where drivers had been assured by the authorities that tacho traces wouldn’t be used as evidence against them in speed enforcement.
Here is the run down of official speed limits, I’ll start at 1922 as I doubt there will be many on here who were driving then! Motor Car Goods 20mph (under 2 tons ULW), Heavy Motor Car Goods Rigid 12mph, Rigid and Trailer 5mph, Artic 12mph. 1928 and the Rigid was raised to 20mph and Wagon and drag 12mph same as Artic. 1931 30mph (under 2.5 tons ULW), 20mph, 16mph, 16mph respectively. 1934 30mph same rule applies as previous date, then all others 20mph although Rigid Horseboxes could do 30mph. Now up to 1957 which may be familiar, Motor Car Goods 30mph, Rigids 30mph, Wagon and Drag 20mph, Artic 30mph. 1967 and the introduction of Motorways, 70/40mph for all except wagon and Drag 70/30mph. 1971 Motor Car Goods, 70/50 not exceeding 1.5 tons, 70/40 under 3tons, others 60/40, 60/30 for guess what! 1984 the 50 limit came in on Dual Carriageways for HGV’s, Motor Car Goods 70/60 Dual carriageways, 50 other roads. All others 60/50 Dual carriageways 40 other roads, of course except when in 30mph limit areas. So right up to 1984 the Rigid and Trailer was kept 10mph below Rigids and Artics. There was also some different limits concerning Light and Heavy Locomotives and Trailers which were not over 20mph until 1984. I remember as an Apprentice 1968 one of our D1000 Fords was stopped in Scotland, the patrol car had to exceed over 90mph to pull in the driver, he only got away with getting summonsed because the cop had no proper way of recording the speed, he did get the worlds biggest bollicking though, so he said! Franky.
Carryfast:
ERF-NGC-European:
I only drove a Gardner 180 powered heap once because we had nothing else available it was used as the yard shunter.
That heap struggled to get much above 50 mph flat out on the flat.It was a scary hazard to other traffic just on M25 hills between M40 and M1 and Watford Gap in the 1980’s environment.
yes,you missed out on the ‘glory days’ mate,as you know,only SedAtki and ERF with Gardner 180’s in the early '80’s at Carryfast 
…pre Daf of course!
Back in the day, draw bar trailers had to have a white surround around the rear red triangle, this was so it could be identified whilst being followed for speed purposes.
jmc jnr:
In the 70’s a Solicitor friend of mine showed me a newspaper cutting he had kept. It was of a Dutch Scania rigid clocked at over 100mph on the A47 in North Norfolk. The police had put him on a weighbridge and he was 6 tons over to boot! You have to believe stories of drivers bottling out at 85 mph. Jim.
quite believe it…in the early '80’s an Irish SedAtki 400 was parked up in our yard by the OB,after being clocked at just over 100mph going by Watford Gap,over loaded 
(with beef iirc),and a couple of bald tyres
dave docwra:
Back in the day, draw bar trailers had to have a white surround around the rear red triangle, this was so it could be identified whilst being followed for speed purposes.
i believe Tuffnells draw bars were exempt from any speed limit’s
240 Gardner:
cav551:
In the 1970s the lorry limits were 60 on Motorways but 40 on other roads including dual carriageways - that made the A1 a slow road in comparison to the M1.
Additionally and probably long forgotten now, the limit on normal roads for drawbar lorries was 30 mph.
I remember a driver being prosecuted in the early 80s for exceeding 30 mph on the A74 with a drawbar - how dangerous would it be to be driving at 30 mph on what is virtually a motorway?
Yes Chris,I got off with a warning on a A19 near Thirsk one night in 1980 when caught exceeding that 30mph limit with a wagon and drag.Even the officer said it was a ludicrous limit but had to warn me.It was so easy to forget when driving a Ford Transcontinental …………. 
One of our club members drove a Foden eight wheeler tanker for Barlow and Hodgkinsons fitted with a ‘trial’ Gardner engine and he did Biggin to Brighton and back in the same day with it several times a week. He reckoned nothing much could live with it, only Gardner were allowed to work on it, however the engine went back to Gardner’s and that was the end of that experiment and it was back to the good old 150! 
Pete.
ERF-NGC-European:
jmc jnr:
In the 70’s a Solicitor friend of mine showed me a newspaper cutting he had kept. It was of a Dutch Scania rigid clocked at over 100mph on the A47 in North Norfolk. The police had put him on a weighbridge and he was 6 tons over to boot! You have to believe stories of drivers bottling out at 85 mph. Jim.
I bottled out at 85 with a Transcon and loaded fridge trailer up the M11 when I was late for a delivery. It had a 350 ■■■■■■■ in it and the regular driver had 90 out of but it wasn’t my usual motor and I afraid of throwing treads! Things were more exciting 40 years ago.
I bottled out on the de-restricted German Autobahn…I got 130 on the clock and my Jaguar was still accelerating. Mrs GOM kept muttering 'kin hell, 'kin hell. 
We stopped for a break shortly after that and she let rip at me with a verbal lashing. 
Back in the ye oldie days, many trucks displayed an 8" disc on the rear showing the number 20:
I mind my workmates getting tickets in early 80s. With ford D tippers on the 74 out o coatsgate always the 1614s , fs the 2014 I drove was lucky to get up some o the dips, lol, when I was given a near new Clydesdale and running out o morrington quarry. That wagon was a flyer, lots o times I overslept at snap time and knock it in tae overdrive and I was back on time 40 mph limit , bloody thing was meant as highway motor no diff lock etc overdrive, 100gallon tank,but cheap do tipper fitted. In the days o 40 mph I had some flyers d fords 1614 were good for 65 , my Clydesdale 70s with 10 tn on, My Maggie lhd drawbar 192m16 could hit 70 ,■■? Now still an auld holigan. In Mb fastest at 62speedlimit was a Mack vision ex owner op touched 100 mph one early morn with 28 to o stone in box far to fast for me, now in south/ North Dakota I’m not comfy doing the speed limit o 80 mph. So I just run at 70 mph on cruise . Jimmy 1981-2020 , from the a74 tae I-29 . Looks like my time is passed due to injury post concussion.
I also drove an ex BRS wagon from the Peterbrough depot, BEG 506, Thornycroft 8 wheeler, Very fast in its heyday,plus 8 wheel Westinghouse braking system.Thats when I worked for Baxters on the Quayside, It ended its days going to a Showman in Nottingham, Of course a lot of old wagons were bought by the Showman in those days Regards Larry.
carryfast-yeti:
Carryfast:
I only drove a Gardner 180 powered heap once because we had nothing else available it was used as the yard shunter.
That heap struggled to get much above 50 mph flat out on the flat.It was a scary hazard to other traffic just on M25 hills between M40 and M1 and Watford Gap in the 1980’s environment.
yes,you missed out on the ‘glory days’ mate,as you know,only SedAtki and ERF with Gardner 180’s in the early '80’s at Carryfast …pre Daf of course!
[/quote]
They should have been done under the trade descriptions act. 
It all got better with Fraikins leasing us some interesting kit.Including a 2800 ATI that turned out to have a 3300 spec motor in it after a ‘report’ sent in to our depot from a law car that didn’t bother giving chase.
I said to Ron, its regular driver, if it had been me there probably wouldn’t have been a number plate on the trailer.He said he knew it was quick but not that quick.
carryfast-yeti:
dave docwra:
Back in the day, draw bar trailers had to have a white surround around the rear red triangle, this was so it could be identified whilst being followed for speed purposes.
i believe Tuffnells draw bars were exempt from any speed limit’s
To be fair slower than ANC or Independent Express or BRS Coca Cola contract let alone the Irish nutters.
Imagine the carnage today with the retards who think that overtaking traffic has to give way to traffic pulling out to overtake.
If you could keep Parks of Hamilton in sight for more than a minute on the 74 or M6 you had a proper flyer
dave docwra:
If you could keep Parks of Hamilton in sight for more than a minute on the 74 or M6 you had a proper flyer
I drove for Parks of Hamilton, and yes we always gave it some clog down the 74 and M6. The Volvo C10M was my favourite vehicle. Flying machine, painted Battleship grey in those days. GBW.
ramone:
The speed limit for HGVs on motorways is still 60mph but you must have a functional speed limiter that restricts the vehicle to 56mph max.I don’t think everyone has grasped that yet because at 56mph lorries still pass me as if i’m stood still
Yeah I’ve never understood that rule! Wonder if it’ll change on 1st Jan 2021 once we’re fully out…
Dave
GBW:
dave docwra:
If you could keep Parks of Hamilton in sight for more than a minute on the 74 or M6 you had a proper flyer
I drove for Parks of Hamilton, and yes we always gave it some clog down the 74 and M6. The Volvo C10M was my favourite vehicle. Flying machine, painted Battleship grey in those days. GBW.
Hi GBW, I heard a story a long time ago in the Moss cafe and it may have been just a bit of banter, but do you recall if one of the Battleship grey coaches was caught at somewhere near 110mph one night on the 74?
Dave.