I guys, new on here!
I’ve had a look all over the net for pictures of any foden half cab trucks. The only odd find I’ve had to date have been continental, US and quarry equipment.
This is a post on behalf of my old man, who spent years of his working life driving for ARC and is now, long since retired. He drove just about anything they had on fleet during his time there and I’ve managed to track down pictures of the more common full cab Foden models in ARC livery, but have had no success looking for half cabs! They appear to have disapeared from history! Has anybody out there got pictures of the UK half-cab 8 wheelers? Any livery, but idealy in ARC colours.
My dad can’t/won’t get his head around computers! So I’m trying my best to retrieve items from his working history, any help you can give me on here will make his day. He loves to look back on his driving days and often talks about the good times he has had.
Cheers,
Rich
hi rich,
there is a series of three books called,ON THE MOVE, A HISTORY OF TRANSPORT IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. in volume 2 there is a couple of photos of arc,s foden half cab laying in the river at thrapston after crashing over the bridge,these books are out of print now but you might be able to get them off ebay,i am sure your old dad would love to look through them
cheers diesel.
Hi Rich, I have plenty of pics of the S50 halfcabs as I drove and worked on them for Tilcon but I am guessing that there would be copyright on them. There is a thread on them with some pics below.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=39954&hilit=foden+half+cabs
Pete.
Hiya …I’ve seen windrush has spoken about a company in stoke that had the Tilcon cast offs. This was Beeches garage (Reg company)
the Owners was Edwards they run sand and gravel from croxton they also had 2 Seddons and some S30s range Fodens the transport
manager was a chap called ■■? Mellor possibly George. Half a dozen of my pals drove there.The Edwards sons also made fibre glass
bodies to put on Ford 10 chassis. How do i know…I have two and John Edwards has the other.
Another mate of mine FodenS41 (Paul) has got hold of a Half cab Foden I asked if it would be at any shows this year. his reply was
MAY BE but only on a low loader. Thats an ex Tilcon 8 legger.
John
We had a couple of ex Edwards drivers at Kevin Quarry John, Alan Astley and Alan Allcock, they earned their corn out of Croxden I guess! Edwards had an engineering firm on the A53 between Holden Viaduct and Cobridge Lights if I remember correctly.
Pete.
re ARC half cabs…my dad worked for whitwick granite company Coalville Leicestershire from the late 1940s to his retirement in 1977.About 1968 ARC took over and their trucks were painted in the usual ARC yellow (a 1968 Leyland comet appears in scrapbook memories on this site with leicestershire plate).In the mid 70 s they bought a few half cabs but werent that successful for them they were totally unsuited for longer trips and obviously couldnt be used for driver training.Before 1968 the company trucks were painted grey they had a large number of commers with northants plates and steel bodies from around 1964/67.My dad drove until 1966 and then he was the weighbridge clerk until 1977.
Not sure about the unsuitable for long trips quote, ours ran from Ashbourne to Crediton, Truro, Felsted, Norwich, Scotland and the Isle of Wight amongst other places! Just the same as any other truck really, and no one to argue with on the journey. 
Pete.
Hey, thanks for all of your comments, we thought the S50s had vanished into history! We’ll keep an eye out for the ‘on the move’ books, they sound well worth having. Also great to know someone out there is restoring one, we wouldn’t be able to get my dad out to any of the shows, but he’s glad to know someone is giving their time to bring a half cab back to life.
We remember the Whitwick Granite Co well, as we’re just down the road in Loughborough. It was actually there and the Shepshed branch my dad drove from once ARC came along. He has stories of driving up from the bottom of the pit with one foot on the gas and the other out the open door to make a timely exit, in fear that the prop shaft could give way!
Rich.
