Frankydobo:
This Dump Truck was developed on a more or less ‘Grape vine’ piece info that the NCB wanted a high capacity British built Dumper to replace their US types they used at the time for open cast work. The NCB already used four and six wheel Foden Dump Trucks on their sites but mainly on pit waste disposal so they decided to go ahead with the design of this more specialised truck as they were a good customer. It had a 300 bhp Rolls turbo engine, a new 3 speed Foden box with auto three stage torque converter and 15Ton and 30Ton axles for a 28Ton max payload in the 18cuyd body. The completed model tested and worked well at the max payload but the desired orders from NCB didn’t come. Fortunately other companies such as Earls Cement, Richard Thomas and Baldwins and some others who had also used previous Foden Dump Trucks bought the vehicle but the limited sales didn’t justify the design and production outlay of the FR6/45 which also used no previous parts from other models being completely new from front to rear the parts could not be used for other models. Fortunately at the end of the 50’s and start of the 60’s Foden was still selling well in the standard road haulage market but this venture must still have hurt the bank balance! Franky.
Intresting comments about the FR6/45 Franky.
Heres an advert featuring it from 1958.
