I was heading up the A9 last night to Inverness in the dark, saw quite a few Showmen/Carnival vehicles parked up, these type of vehicles always fascinate me, the wagon and drag pulling a caravan or the artic pulling a snack van ect… Coming back down the A9 this morning and saw a few of them on the move, nice to see some old trucks, but I was gobsmacked when I past a layby near Dunkeld/Bankfoot area. I saw a artic with not one but TWO small trailers hooked up to the back of it!!! Wish I could have stopped for a picture
Did anyone else see this or could I have been hallucinating? lol
Also I stopped in at a layby near Blackford on the A9(s) and another showman vehicle past me, it was a rigid towing a massive amusement ride, when I got to the round about at Dumblane I saw two Vosa motors sitting on the left… as I past the check point I saw he had been pulled in. I wonder how he got on
Special Rules for those guys. Most do less than 1000 miles a year so they get the concessions.
Carters lorries are all registered as showman’s vehicles, which brings certain concessions. To comply they have to be solely for showland use, and be specially adapted for the job. The lorries are converted into showman’s tractors, usually with a generator on the back for ballast and to power the fair, and they’re adapted to pull the Fair’s own drawbar trailers.
The length limit for towing behind showman’s tractors is 84 feet (25½ metres), which is usually two trailers behind the engine. It’s not cost effective to pull just one trailer for each lorry so it’s better to double up, even if it makes inner-city driving a bit more exciting!
Santa:
Special Rules for those guys. Most do less than 1000 miles a year so they get the concessions.
It’s not cost effective to pull just one trailer for each lorry so it’s better to double up, even if it makes inner-city driving a bit more exciting!
I wonder what the response to the ‘not cost effective to pull just one trailer’ question would be if it was asked of the powers that be by the RHA.
I saw the one at Dunkeld and thought it had two small trailers behind it.Smart looking rig though. http://www.hornespleasurefairs.co.uk/other_services/logistics.html
I stopped for fuel at Broxden early yesterday morning and there was an old ERF artic with a really long single axle trailer and a 3 axle Ifor Williams trailer behind that. He had to leave via the entrance as it was too long to get out round the back of the services building.
Highlander:
I saw the one at Dunkeld and thought it had two small trailers behind it.Smart looking rig though. http://www.hornespleasurefairs.co.uk/other_services/logistics.html
I stopped for fuel at Broxden early yesterday morning and there was an old ERF artic with a really long single axle trailer and a 3 axle Ifor Williams trailer behind that. He had to leave via the entrance as it was too long to get out round the back of the services building.
Yeah looked real nice, although most of them do in my opinion.
I was at Broxden Services in the small hours of Sunday morning and saw those old looking motors ,I passed them near Auchterarder.I wonder about the economics of running such tackle.
Couple of them still sitting at dunkeld Monday evening .Looks like they will all be travelling back down to Bathgate next week when I’m doing my c+e training in same town , watch & learn how to get big massive trucks through tight busy streets
G6Bob:
Did he have to do any reversing with such a rig?
He went onto the tyre inflator at the front of the building,so would have to do a reverse to get out.Didn’t see him actually do it though.
Too bad, would have been nice to see how it’s done
alamcculloch:
I was at Broxden Services in the small hours of Sunday morning and saw those old looking motors ,I passed them near Auchterarder.I wonder about the economics of running such tackle.
Wouldn’t imagine the stuff they pull is too heavy, could be wrong though. Never mind the economy, from what I hear on here the old trucks like the ERF and Fodens that they run were hard work to drive Not like the comfortable CC, iPod and air con trucks I’m used to lol Still would love a shot in a old ERF or something the like
We use to run a leyland marathon and that had 2 drawbar trailers and dodgem paybox at the end
That was approximately 95ft long one day the driver got pulled and it was found out he was wanted and no copper would drive it off the m25 so they had to wait 3 hours for one of our drivers to get there to move it
G6Bob:
Did he have to do any reversing with such a rig?
He went onto the tyre inflator at the front of the building,so would have to do a reverse to get out.Didn’t see him actually do it though.
Too bad, would have been nice to see how it’s done
alamcculloch:
I was at Broxden Services in the small hours of Sunday morning and saw those old looking motors ,I passed them near Auchterarder.I wonder about the economics of running such tackle.
Wouldn’t imagine the stuff they pull is too heavy, could be wrong though. Never mind the economy, from what I hear on here the old trucks like the ERF and Fodens that they run were hard work to drive Not like the comfortable CC, iPod and air con trucks I’m used to lol Still would love a shot in a old ERF or something the like
If you want to try driving old erfs ect why not see if any showmen need a driver as none of the lorrys will have a digi tacho
