I agree the first 3 are beautiful, Kempston, the rest merely functional, but may I register a sadness at the passing of twin headlights? So useful to be able to adjust the full beam to a level suitable for lonely, dark and forested roads without compromising the legalities of the dipped beams.
Of course, many drivers/owners with modern Euro normal control wagons these days get round the problem by fitting an array of cab top spots, but that route isn’t open to those of us with bonneted vehicles. Not legally, anyway.
Lawrence Dunbar:
N M P. But one of my faves, Fodens IMO Were great motor to drive and own of course, Regards Larry.
Great pic that Larry.Wish I had a camera back in tha late 60’s so I could have took a close up of the Foden S36 I went in as a young lad.I loved it,the S36 with a Gardner 150 & Foden 12 speed box what a lovely sound for a 11yr old.I thought the 8 wheelers were massive back then,but compared to today’s motor’s they were small.At least I manged to get a pic of the Foden S39 with the Gardner 180 in that the driver I went with Reg Marshall had from new after the previous S36.Butlers eventually had 7 of these.
Hi Paul. I tried to correct the colour on your picture of the Butlers Foden. The software I use managed to make the grass green, the sky blue, and the tarmac grey but insists the lorry is a sort of maroon colour !! Is the colour of the lorry way out ? I will remove the photo if you think I have spoiled it.
Regards John.
Hi John,thank’s for trying but the colour was red but not sure what particular red.I wish I had one when it was new they looked great.Here is a better pic of a Foden just to show you what the colour was…All the pictures I have managed to get from ex driver’s & other sources I have never come across a new Foden.The Foden S39 was in a sorry state it was coming to the end of a very hard life.I remember being told a story that once all Butlers Fodens were past their sell by date Paul Sykes who helped develop Meadowhall came with a bunch of lorry drivers & took them for disposal at his Barnsley scrapyard,the engines being sent abroad.
These are the best Diesel generators around and some main propulsion engines too, W.H.Allen Diesel engines and turbines were considered to be the Rolls Royce of this type of equipment and indeed once NEI had finished asset stripping the company Rolls Royce did take it over.
There generators were in most of the major oil companies around the world, in the u.k. customers such as the Bank of England, Harrods, House of Parliament, Lloyds, Nat West, British Telecom, most Royal Naval ships, Indian, Canadian, Australian navies, British Nuclear Fuels ships (main propulsion) virtually every power station in the UK, every British Sugar factory, British Steel and the list goes on. I worked there for 11 years, 4 of which was my apprenticeship, by a million miles the best company I have ever worked for. Back then they employed 2000 people, all gone now sadly.
Kempston:
These are the best Diesel generators around and some main propulsion engines too, W.H.Allen Diesel engines and turbines were considered to be the Rolls Royce of this type of equipment and indeed once NEI had finished asset stripping the company Rolls Royce did take it over.
There generators were in most of the major oil companies around the world, in the u.k. customers such as the Bank of England, Harrods, House of Parliament, Lloyds, Nat West, British Telecom, most Royal Naval ships, Indian, Canadian, Australian navies, British Nuclear Fuels ships (main propulsion) virtually every power station in the UK, every British Sugar factory, British Steel and the list goes on. I worked there for 11 years, 4 of which was my apprenticeship, by a million miles the best company I have ever worked for. Back then they employed 2000 people, all gone now sadly.
That looks like Mick White putting the chains on, He is now on with E.M Rogers out of Northampton, a very decent low loader driver.
RJC did have one of them generators stored in their warehouse, I think it has been there for quite some time.
I’m wondering if it was one of the engines from the Zeebrugge ferry, The Herald of Free Enterprise that capsized years back, they salvaged the engines which came back into the factory for refurbishment and resale, I know at least one went to India but not sure if they sold them all so maybe one of those?
Punchy Dan:
0123
21 years old and no faults at the minute
It’s a Foden…good for another 21 years Dan.
Let’s hope so ,although I’am struggling to get S cam bars for stock items just in case
Hi Dan,
Do you have any part no’s of the S Cams you are looking for? I have a few that are for Spicer axles from the 80’s that you can have for free if they are any use.
Hi Tommy that’s very kind I can get the numbers tomorrow the only bars I have are a new front one and second hand rear lift although I’ve a full set of bushes and seals thank you Dan .
