Evening all, my only real experience of a Chinese six would be about 72/73ish. The family were coming away from road haulage, and for my own part I had been selling new Atkinsons, and used whatever I could get my hands on for a few years. However some nights, and most weekends I would drive whatever was needed to help out, keep my hand in, and of course earn a shilling!
The fleet was much reduced, but a newish J reg S39 Chinese six, Gardner 180, 12speed air split, worm drive had been acquired. Now this delectable bit of kit lacked only one modern refinement…she had no power steering.
Normal driving, as most Fodens she was a dream, easy to place, sure footed. But to manover…an absolute pig…no, more like like removing Excalibur from its rock, when you tried to get into tight places, (and were`nt all delivery points designed for the original horse and cart era back in the 60s and 70s)!
I can well remember, one July afternoon, just about 5ish, when everyone was hell bent on getting home, trying, and trying again, and again, and again, to thread without damage to our rather nice spread axle York Freightmaster van, or the Victorian brickwork of our customers entrance in sunny, (and very warm), downtown Birmingham. While holding back the hoards of (increasingly irritable), Stratford Road commuters!
Armstrong steering … hardly an apt description for the leaden steering wheel that was simply immobile at less than a good 3mph!! And those of you who know about such things know that that is a very high velocity to try to chase a trailer into a Victorian Workplace!
It still, the memory of it, even on this snowy evening, makes me sweat, but such are memories…Wonder if they employed Charles Atlas to test their specifications at Fodens■■?
Gosh Ive worked up a thirst, Im away to the Bollinger , Cheerio for now.
