I did a single trip in an NH around the turn of the century. It was powered by a Cummins N14+ (525 hp) with a RoadRanger 18 speed. Later models were Cummins Signature powered but with a Volvo ‘box.
Apart from the small bed, it wasn’t a bad bit of gear.
The 1418s were very slow i wonder if the RR improved that one
Tell me about it, mate. A 1418 was the first semi-trailer I drove in anger, I don’t think anything could speed one up. Hitler’s revenge is an apt name for any truck wearing the chook’s foot badge..
Cop a load of what we have to put up with.
The first recollection of the 1418s (i never drove one) was when my dad worked at Henry Longs.He had just come off a MKV Mammoth Major drawbar 5 speed 38mph onto a brand new Atki 180 Gardner DB 6 speed. Longs had just bought the last of the Mandators and he ended up with an Atki. Then a few weeks later Longs opened a Merc dealership and 1418s started to arrive. The drivers couldn’t believe the comfort of these new motors.He left for a tanker job soon after Longs went under a few years later and the Merc dealer still there to this day .Terrible motors crap service but the dealer is getting bigger.Always busy for obvious reasons
The driving standards get worse by the day here. The worst thing is you can anticipate exactly what some of the idiots do. I thought it was just here but you’ve got it too
Going back a few years when I was living near and working in and around Sydney, it got to the point where I’d seen so many “truck drivers” being complete ar$eholes that I knew I had to leave.
They were plodders but the thing is they kept going when many others didn’t. A bit like a Gardner I suppose.
We are down to 4 Mercs now and they take it in turns to break down . Nothing like the old stuff.Dreadful gutless things
The depot I work at these days is a dot on the map ~4 hours inland from Sydney, but it’s busy and a bit of a hub and linehaul punctuality matters. The mob I work for (used to begin with a ‘T’, now begins with an ‘F’) have tried Merc 2651 on the run but because the leg is very hilly and tricky, they still rely on Volvo FM units that are going 4 years old. We rarely see a Merc on linehaul out here.
You wont do they will all be broken down waiting for parts
And did you do the undies run the other day? 
It looked cold, even rugged up. 
You paid 10 bob and got a new life in the Kangeroo colonies of Oz. My Grandad was a bit of a pussy and stayed put. LOL.
There were some lucky people there the driver unlucky to end up in that situation but lucky to keep his life .Truley remarkable
What do you think I am? 
A few assorted Leylands:
A Comet with a grain hopper;
Ergo-cab Hippo with an interesting ‘dog-box’ sleeper (more info in the comments)
A Marathon 2 rigid (one of the last Oz-built ones)
An Albion of some sort (check the exhaust…)
I still don’t know if this got rescued, I hope it did:
AEC Mandator (Australian prototype) with some extras (see comments):
The Mandator looks to be a V8 , i might be wrong but it looks taller and i can’t see the engine hump
I think it’s the ‘tropical’ roof that gives the impression of tallness. The engine hump may be obscured by the stone-guard. I see it had the D250 6-sp constant-mesh ‘box, legacy of Thornycroft!
