Taskman:
Getting back onto the original Gardner post , it all comes down to gearing not litres, I remember many 6X6 Scammells with only a 150 Gardner under bonnet, Strathclyde in particular, it might of took them a fortnight to do a Glasgow / London, but can you see the rubbish of today after a working life being sent off to Honk Kong to be the power unit in a Junk,
Exactly the point. Thanks to Boden in the P&S thread I am reminded that the B61 Macks had 200 Thermodynes but, in my case, with 20 gears. We were grossing I would guess about 70 odd tons up hill and down dale over dirt roads and through rivers. Admittedly we did need a little tug up the far bank, but that apart I don’t recall any problems.
I last drove an erf with a 240 gardner in the early 90s. Am i correct in thinking that it was once quoted by gardners that they would never fit a turbo to one of their engines?And am i right in thinking that this situation only changed when hawker siddley got involved?
Hugh Gardner made the statement that they would never use turbochargers while he was in charge at Barton Hall.
This all changed when he stood down, but there had already been prototypes of the 6LXCT in development while he was there.
Hawker Siddeley did take the company into its group and things did change with regard to turbocharging soon afterwards, resulting in the 6LXCT, then the 8LXCT and finally the 6LYT and the 6LXDT which were the last new designs before the company ceased production.
As I’ve stated previously, the demise of Gardner was largely atrributable to the politics of the company’s owners.
Personally, I think there are few more evocative sounds than a fully-laden motor with an eight-cylinder Gardner pulling away from a standing start through the gears. Cabs would buck skywards as each gear was selected and the power applied under load, but the noise those engines produced was a unique symphony of automotive excellence. Sadly, sadly missed.
The days of the fairround Gardner-powered generator sets is also (seemingly) numbered.
Whenever I visit a fair, I invariably end up behind the rides looking at the wagons, and all they seem to have installed in the generator sets these days are ■■■■■■■ L10s.
As the spoof Yorkshire newsreader says on Sky Sports Soccer AM program - “Change is not good!”
Although I can’t contribute to this thread due to my relative youth, I just have to say that this is one of the most interesting discussions I have read for ages. There’s the makings of a book here…
Although I can’t contribute to this thread due to my relative youth, I just have to say that this is one of the most interesting discussions I have read for ages. There’s the makings of a book here…
Many thanks
Hmmmm - SOME of the exploits of the East Lancs Big A Team may be better NOT published
Although I can’t contribute to this thread due to my relative youth, I just have to say that this is one of the most interesting discussions I have read for ages. There’s the makings of a book here…
Many thanks
Just how relative is your youth then?
I’m only asking because mine still hasn’t met up with it’s fortieth year yet, so you must be younger than me…
Oh, and the ELBAT memoirs might well need some selective editing if a book was ever written - no bad idea that…
