Hello all,
We are getting towards the end of a full restoration of a Foden S21 (Mickey Mouse Cab) 4x2 Tractor unit that had been stood outside for the best part of 40 years! We have got a few photos of BOC lorries in the 60’s but not much. Does anyone have any photos, memories, etc of this company during this time. My Dad worked for them from the 80’s-2002 so we have lots from that period but nothing earlier.
Many thanks,
Jon
Re your BOC query, I worked for them from 1962 to 1974,at Teesport,drove a few of the Mickey Mouse Fodens,we had 3 strokers and the rest with 150 Gardners,usually just with a basic4/5 speed gearbox,fleet numbers we had(that i can remember,are,3014,3016 and 3019 2 strokes,2 of them were unusual in having County Durham registrations,eg, UP,we had 3020,3021 these were Gardner engined,and,searching the memory banks,one of them was registered 4571ET,colour at the time was dark red,silver tanks,the BOC on the doors were in gold leaf,encircled in gold leaf,though originally it had been BOG(British Oxygen Gases)the tanks had a pale blue circle with a tail from it,this was bordered in gold leaf,and again with the gold leaf BOC symbol inside it,dont know if this is any help,but,there you are,its a start! 
joeshell:
Re your BOC query, I worked for them from 1962 to 1974,at Teesport,drove a few of the Mickey Mouse Fodens,we had 3 strokers and the rest with 150 Gardners,usually just with a basic4/5 speed gearbox,fleet numbers we had(that i can remember,are,3014,3016 and 3019 2 strokes,2 of them were unusual in having County Durham registrations,eg, UP,we had 3020,3021 these were Gardner engined,and,searching the memory banks,one of them was registered 4571ET,colour at the time was dark red,silver tanks,the BOC on the doors were in gold leaf,encircled in gold leaf,though originally it had been BOG(British Oxygen Gases)the tanks had a pale blue circle with a tail from it,this was bordered in gold leaf,and again with the gold leaf BOC symbol inside it,dont know if this is any help,but,there you are,its a start!
Foden S21 Spaceship Sputnik F-Type or K-Type 4x2 Tractive Unit,4571 ET,of BOC - British Oxygen Company.
The 4571 ET registration of the Foden S21 Spaceship means that it was registered in Rotherham,South
Yorkshire,in 1963 or 1964 
J_Turner023
What is the year and model designation of your preserved BOC Foden S21 Spaceship 4x2 Tractive Unit?
Please. Thanks.
RENÉE PILOT
Thanks thats fantastic!
Just getting to the painting stage so all very interesting to know. I have a couple of B&W photos and the colour codes which should help no end too but didnt know what colour the BOC bit was! Ive got a tanker for it but it was a Castrol oil tanker, so whilst it will look good it is oval so is the wrong shape really. Would be lovely to get an original BOC trailer for it but I suspect they are all long gone now! A hydrogen tube trailer would be the bees knees! 
Mine is a 1965 K-type Reg FGF601C with 150 Gardner 5 speed box with super low.
Regards,
Jon
Sorry it is not a tractor unit, but here is a Foden S21 of BOC that was photographed by Roger Kenney many years ago.
retriever:
Sorry it is not a tractor unit, but here is a Foden S21 of BOC that was photographed by Roger Kenney many years ago.
Another Rotherham,South Yorkshire-registered Foden S21 Spaceship of BOC - this time it’s Foden S21 Spaceship F or KG6LX/22 6-wheeler Lorry,1224 ET,registered in 1961 or 1962.
I’m almost certain,but I might be wrong,that the British Oxygen Company had a depot at the Eastwood
Industrial Trading Estate,Fitzwilliam Road,Eastwood,Rotherham,South Yorkshire.
RENÉE PILOT
Please, just call it by its proper name without the ‘Spaceship’ nickname. It’s a Foden S21. Period.
retriever:
Please, just call it by its proper name without the ‘Spaceship’ nickname. It’s a Foden S21. Period.
With respect,you have published quite a few books written by Peter Davies,who is always using that
dreadful derogatory “Mickey Mouse” nickname in captions for his photographs of Foden S21 Spaceship
Sputnik lorries in those very books! 
And I am sure that you do not tell Peter to stop using nicknames
for lorries - and even if you do - he obviously still carries on using these nicknames.
So please stop telling me what to do. And do not forget other authors use the Foden S21 Spaceship
Sputnik names as well.
The facts are that loads of people,including me,my friends,authors like Alan Millar,and so on, will continue to use these Spaceship and Sputnik - not forgetting Sabrina - names for Foden lorries, forevermore
RENÉE PILOT
With due respect do not bring my publishing activities into this. I am here on this forum purely as an individual who likes posting photographs for the benefit of others. That is all, nothing else.
This handsome Albion van was photographed by Roger Kenney at a LDoY Final one year. I do not know its type or name - as far as I am concerned Albion types are a minefield for me! Fortunately is is not adorned with LD0Y stickers or numbers.
retriever:
With due respect do not bring my publishing activities into this. I am here on this forum purely as an individual who likes posting photographs for the benefit of others. That is all, nothing else.
With respect,you are also the same person who publishes books on commercial vehicles,who has double standards:One law for Peter Davies and another law for me and apparently anyone else who dares to
nickname lorries.You are being totally unfair,ridiculous and wrong.
Another fact is that Peter Davies and other authors have had books and articles published by other
publishing companies,in which they have used the Spaceship and Sputnik nicknames and the derogatory “Mickey Mouse” term-nickname for Foden lorries - these publishers have no connection with
you!
As I say: The facts are that loads of people,including me,my friends,authors like Alan Millar,and so on, will continue to use these Spaceship and Sputnik - not forgetting Sabrina - names for Foden lorries, forevermore
So in the manner of Peter Davies and other authors,I will now state some details about the following two
lorries:-
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This S36 Tractor Unit MET 547 G was an Ex BOC Motor powered by the good old Leyland 680 PP, served my very well, & Earned its keep
every day, Regards Larry.
Foden S36 Sabrina* 4AL6/30 4x2 Articulated Lorry,MET 547G,operated by Lawrence Dunbar.This tractive
unit was new to the British Oxygen Company,and it’s another Foden with a Rotherham,South Yorkshire,
registration,which in this case dates from 1969.
*Or does Lawrence prefer that other nickname?
Maybe I’m wrong about BOC having a depot at Eastwood in Rotherham,but they do have some premises at
Brinsworth in Rotherham,so that’s probably where the BOC Rotherham depot is.
retriever:
This handsome Albion van was photographed by Roger Kenney at a LDoY Final one year. I do not know its type or name - as far as I am concerned Albion types are a minefield for me! Fortunately is is not adorned with LD0Y stickers or numbers.
Albion HD57L Boxvan 8-wheeler Lorry,991 DRF,registered in Staffordshire in 1954,BOC -British Oxygen
Company W406. This particular Albion rigid eight-wheeler model was nicknamed The Whispering Giant.
RENÉE PILOT
With due respect to Renee Pilot 4571ET was registered in Rotherham,as were a lot of the fleet,as it was regional head office,and the Rotherham site was in Brinsworth,i know,i was there often enough!
Thanks all, theyre great! I got in touch with BOC but apparently they have no records for any of their vehicles prior to some time in the 80’s which is a shame. But either way itll still be nice to have it back in its original livery.
Jon
Maybe it should be added that the mudwings and chassis were black? Regards, Mizzo. P.S. how about some 'photos of the S21?
mizzo:
Maybe it should be added that the mudwings and chassis were black? Regards, Mizzo. P.S. how about some 'photos of the S21?
Cheers. Once I figure out how to upload them I will get them posted
Not got the latest photos to hand but this is where it was up to a while ago.
Bit hard to tell from the photos but basically everything has been stripped down, replaced/built, cleaned and painted and gone back together. “Just” the cab work to finish off now but most of the wood has been replaced so its mainly cosmetics and wiring!
What a fantastic job you are doing on that motor, I used to work in the “body trade” in a previous life. My old fella always referred to these as the “Mickey Mouse” cab (sorry to interfere in the on going domestic) he is long gone now but worked all his life working on commercial vehicle bodies.
I would love to attempt a restoration myself on an old “British” truck but alas the garage facilities my old fella had are long gone.
Keep up the good work I envy you and know what dedication it takes to do something like that.
yonmons:
What a fantastic job you are doing on that motor, I used to work in the “body trade” in a previous life. My old fella always referred to these as the “Mickey Mouse” cab (sorry to interfere in the on going domestic) he is long gone now but worked all his life working on commercial vehicle bodies.I would love to attempt a restoration myself on an old “British” truck but alas the garage facilities my old fella had are long gone.
Keep up the good work I envy you and know what dedication it takes to do something like that.
Many thanks. Its taken a lot of work but the end really is in sight, just cant wait to get it on the road now! Luckily the enthusiasm of youth (I was 24 when I first got it) and the experience of age (my dad’s an ex HGV mechanic) are proving to be a good combination!
What a fantastic job you are doing on that motor, I used to work in the “body trade” in a previous life. My old fella always referred to these as the “Mickey Mouse” cab (sorry to interfere in the on going domestic) he is long gone now but worked all his life working on commercial vehicle bodies.
I would think an awful lot of people call the S21 cabbed Foden a ‘Mickey Mouse’ and despite Renne Pilot believing this is a derogatory term it is infact an endearing one as it describes the cabs similarity to the Disney cartoon character and nothing else, it has nothing to do with the other meaning of the term for Mickey Mouse items as being less than useful, he seems to take pride in offering details and designations but this time he has it wrong, I’m sure when this motor is complete it will charm the viewer just like the little cheerful Mouse called Mickey! Franky.
