Do you know where these ERF were going when pictured in Le Havre haven in 1969 ?
michel:
Do you know where these ERF were going when pictured in Le Havre haven in 1969 ?
Yes! They were going to a phosphate mine in Jordan. About 50 of them were ordered and most of them were driven overland and delivered by drivers. This is a splendid picture which I’ve not seen before. There’s plenty of information about them on a thread I started years ago called something like RHD & LHD ERF 4MWs. I’ll see if I can find it and bump it up for you; and while I’m at it, I’ll pop the picture on there. 
Thanks for your explanations.Nowadays, I believe that Jordanians have Mack trucks to haul phosphate.
michel:
Thanks for your explanations.Nowadays, I believe that Jordanians have Mack trucks to haul phosphate.
My pleasure. The last time I was in Jordan (c. 2008) most of the trucks were Mercs.
As a matter of interest (hypothetical question coming up): we now know that there are two potential NGCs on the preservation circuit. One is the well-established ballasted tractor KCH 95N and the other is the more recently rescued French 4x2 unit ex-Colin.
Without criticizing or rubbishing what preservationists and restorers are currently painstakingly doing for our ERF heritage, I’d be interested to hear what you, personally, would do with these two tractive units; ie: in what livery, configuration and character would you attempt to present them?
And if you feel disinclined to comment on these particular examples, do feel free to fantasise about what livery / configuration you would like to see your favourite ERF NGC in.
Enjoy a little (slightly nonsensical) indulgence! 
If money were no object i would do the 6x4 in Eykmans livery and add a crane, and i would restore the 4x2 exactly as it is in your photo, although if money were no object it would be fun to do a different livery for every rally season as many of the liverys used were superb.
Steve
vwvanman0:
If money were no object i would do the 6x4 in Eykmans livery and add a crane, and i would restore the 4x2 exactly as it is in your photo, although if money were no object it would be fun to do a different livery for every rally season as many of the liverys used were superb.Steve
Good answer and a novel idea!
I think the 4x2 would look superb in the Davies International white and blue cheers Ray
Just obtained a book called ERF LORRIES by Carl Johnson, published in 2021 by Amberley. It’s stuffed full of excellent ERF photos most of which I’ve not seen before.
It briefly mentions the 7MW-cabbed model in the history at the front; and there are three pics of NGCs. These are all new pics to me but are of units that are familiar to us but taken from a new angle. These are GEH 513N in John Simmons livery, HNV 59N with Richard Pountain’s race-circuit trailer and KCH 95N in Corbishley colours.
Another book to add to the bibliography at the back of L. of A. Book 3 then!
No. 38 on my register. Funny we never did discover where 2758W92 went. We got as far as finding out that is pictured here as a demonstrator for Laiteries Preval, a dairy in Vire. Someone suggested that the French reg was a temporary one (like a trade plate), in which case it could have ‘become’ any one of the many French examples we have. Mysteries…mysteries!
ERF-NGC-European:
As a matter of interest (hypothetical question coming up): we now know that there are two potential NGCs on the preservation circuit. One is the well-established ballasted tractor KCH 95N and the other is the more recently rescued French 4x2 unit ex-Colin.Without criticizing or rubbishing what preservationists and restorers are currently painstakingly doing for our ERF heritage, I’d be interested to hear what you, personally, would do with these two tractive units; ie: in what livery, configuration and character would you attempt to present them?
10
And if you feel disinclined to comment on these particular examples, do feel free to fantasise about what livery / configuration you would like to see your favourite ERF NGC in.
Enjoy a little (slightly nonsensical) indulgence!
I think 4 x 2 rigid and 3 axle drawbar tilt including obviously possibility of conversions from unit to rigid would do it justice.Although wouldn’t rule out maintaining the 6 x 4 as it’s already there.
Carryfast:
ERF-NGC-European:
As a matter of interest (hypothetical question coming up): we now know that there are two potential NGCs on the preservation circuit. One is the well-established ballasted tractor KCH 95N and the other is the more recently rescued French 4x2 unit ex-Colin.Without criticizing or rubbishing what preservationists and restorers are currently painstakingly doing for our ERF heritage, I’d be interested to hear what you, personally, would do with these two tractive units; ie: in what livery, configuration and character would you attempt to present them?
10
And if you feel disinclined to comment on these particular examples, do feel free to fantasise about what livery / configuration you would like to see your favourite ERF NGC in.
Enjoy a little (slightly nonsensical) indulgence!
I think 4 x 2 rigid and 3 axle drawbar tilt including obviously possibility of conversions from unit to rigid would do it justice.Although wouldn’t rule out maintaining the 6 x 4 as it’s already there.
Good point. You might actually get away with leaving it as it is with a shortish tilt body, as it would be connected to the longer 3-ax drawbar trailer.
ERF-NGC-European:
Carryfast:
ERF-NGC-European:
As a matter of interest (hypothetical question coming up): we now know that there are two potential NGCs on the preservation circuit. One is the well-established ballasted tractor KCH 95N and the other is the more recently rescued French 4x2 unit ex-Colin.Without criticizing or rubbishing what preservationists and restorers are currently painstakingly doing for our ERF heritage, I’d be interested to hear what you, personally, would do with these two tractive units; ie: in what livery, configuration and character would you attempt to present them?
10
And if you feel disinclined to comment on these particular examples, do feel free to fantasise about what livery / configuration you would like to see your favourite ERF NGC in.
Enjoy a little (slightly nonsensical) indulgence!
I think 4 x 2 rigid and 3 axle drawbar tilt including obviously possibility of conversions from unit to rigid would do it justice.Although wouldn’t rule out maintaining the 6 x 4 as it’s already there.
Good point. You might actually get away with leaving it as it is with a shortish tilt body, as it would be connected to the longer 3-ax drawbar trailer.
I’d probably still extend the chassis just meant keep it as a 6 x 4 rigid not a 4 x 2 as in the other case.The 6 axle outfit would look even more impressive.Are there any factory original drawbar versions in preservation ?.
Carryfast:
I’d probably still extend the chassis just meant keep it as a 6 x 4 rigid not a 4 x 2 as in the other case.The 6 axle outfit would look even more impressive.Are there any factory original drawbar versions in preservation ?.
None. The only 2 NGCs in preservation the ballasted tractor (which left the factory as a 4x2 unit) and another 4x2 tractive unit.
ERF-NGC-European:
Carryfast:
I’d probably still extend the chassis just meant keep it as a 6 x 4 rigid not a 4 x 2 as in the other case.The 6 axle outfit would look even more impressive.Are there any factory original drawbar versions in preservation ?.None. The only 2 NGCs in preservation the ballasted tractor (which left the factory as a 4x2 unit) and another 4x2 tractive unit.
In view of that in the interests of historical accuracy and importance I guess that Id keep the surviving unit in its original 4x2 unit spec and concentrate other efforts on maybe turning the ballast tractor over to 4 x 2 rigid prime mover spec if possible.Bearing in mind that the 2 + 3 drawbar configuration was very common in the day throughout most of the NGCs target markets from Germany to France.Artic and 5 axle drawbar parked together would make a great and accurate representation at any truck show.
Just stumbled upon this youtube clip. It’s called Great Orme Vintage Vehicle Run May 2013. At 1:37 minutes until 2:13 you can see an excellent clip of KCH 95N slowly climbing the hill. Here’s the link:
bing.com/videos/search?q=Br … ORM=VDRVRV
Enjoy!
Rowena
This excellent ‘find’ was discovered on FB by ‘vwvanman’ and posted on the Middle-East Not Astran thread this morning.
It shows that the Eric Vick Ford Transcontinental was in fact painted into EV livery eventually; as was the LPS Merc. The ERF NGCs ran down with various other lorries in Vick colours including B-series ERFs, a Seddon with day cab, an ERF A-series with a sleeper cab, the Ford Transcon, the Merc LPS, and of course the Richard Read ERFs (5MW, B-series and NGC) plus the Tony Jones Fodens, DAF, ERF NGCs, ERF 5MW etc.
Keep ‘em coming’! Often it’s the circumstantial evidence that leads to the hard evidence in putting together the jigsaw of road transport history.
As you already know on here, the French Collin NGC is now in preservation with John Roberts of Peterborough. I’ve found some pics of some of his other preserved lorries, all in his livery, so we can see what kind of result we might expect. His work is clearly to a very high standard.
I was looking at this picture of No.44 on the register. It was a French NGC that did Middle-East. It struck me that the step-frame tilt had the look of a Spanish one like the ones San Jose used to run.
Here, to compare, is a pic of one of San Jose’s slightly later straight-frame ones with the tri-axle chassis. But it has a similarly bowed and enveloped front. The trailer behind the NGC doesn’t have ribbed side-boards though. It could well be an ex-Jose trailer as the colours are about the same.
