So. A friend does a bit of occasional off-road use of rigid lorry and the gearbox isn’t his friend, but also is the only vehicle he drives with more than 4 gears.
So, with the following photographs, can someone identify the model of truck, gearbox and gear change pattern used for this truck. He has said in the past it is more than 8 gears but…
N297 DWR Foden with a roll on/off and a hook grab.
All help much appreciated 
Thanks in advance
its a splitter, hi low range? far left is reverse and crawl then its 1-4 low range hit the split lever and 5-8 high range?
I don’t know, but I’ll take a wild guess at it being an Eaton RTSO gearbox.
The top of the gear lever is different to the ERF but it probably is the same Eaton twin splitter?
The button on the side is the splitter.
Start in the 1st gate with the splitter in the first position which is towards the back of the cab.
Get rolling and push the splitter forward into the middle position and take you foot off the throttle and it will change gear without the clutch.
Back on the power and push the splitter forward into the 3rd position,foot off the throttle and it will change up.
Back on the power,pull the splitter back into the 1st position and pull the stick into the 2nd gate,you wont need to use the clutch but you just need to get your timing right and dont rush it.
Keep changing up as above.
Lets now assume you are in top which is 4th gate on the stick and position 3 on the split.
To change down,pull the splitter back one position to the middle,take your foot off the throttle (dont use the clutch)and you will feel it go into neutral,feed in the throttle and it will go into gear.Again,timing is important,too fast and you will find yourself revving the nuts off it in neutral.
Same again with the splitter in the 1st position.
Next,push the splitter forward into position 3,foot off the throttle and slide the gearstick into neutral,a fist full of revs and slide the stick into gate 3 and back on the power.
Obviously continue this down the box.
Timing is everything,too fast and you find yourself in false neutrals,too slow and it wont go.
When you get used to it you can block change,that is missing out a split or two,and starting in higher gears etc.
You may get it straight away or it may take you ages. It will be easier for you to see someone using it to get the full idea.
It is a beautiful box when you master it and the second I drove after the 9 speed fuller which had 3rd and 4th reversed which was a lovely box too but took me a bit to master as it was a constant mesh box,no room for mistakes or missed changes there.
I wondered about it being a twin splitter but that doesn’t fit in with that pictogram of the gear positions.
Me thinks it a Fuller 9 speed, so 1-4 then high range 5-8. Low is the ninth and remember the lever twists so don’t force it over.
You’re right about the pictogram Mr Monk and the very top of the stick was a different shape to what I remember,more of spikey end if you will.
Aye the more I think the wronger I get 
…The piece under the split was in the middle and not in the lo position on the twin split(I think,jeez).
The thing that threw me to the twin split was matey saying it has more than 8.
Be interesting if Saratoga could say how many positions the splitter has.
Thanks everyone for their responses, especially ShropsBri for his most details information
Not the best pictures and my eyes are getting weary - but is it not a Foden Overdrive? ie 4 over 4 then hi/lo split on the top 4.
Think that’s what it is but, as I say, cant see enough to be adamant.
Hope that helps, Pete
I’m with jarvy looks like a road ranger 9 speed it’ll most likely be a constant mesh box to don’t use the clutch going up the box or double de clutch going up and double it coming down and match the engine revs to the gears you want next ie slow down then change gear to the one you want it most likely have a clutch brake to
Unless my memory is playing up, I thought Road Ranger gearboxes had the gears arranged thus…
1 4
2 3
You could be right there Harry only drove it 8 or 9 months and I have slept since then
On the subject of gearboxes, my Dad drove a 1983 Renault for a bit, and this had the gears back about face, so you went round in a circle:
1 4
2 3
with a high/low range on it. I remember the gear lever was amazingly sloppy, so whichever gear you were in, the lever just dropped onto the engine casing!
Is my memory fading, or was this known as a ‘Chinese box’?
Gary
David Brown produced a gearbox like this
1 4
2 3
and it was all the better for never being marked! So it seemed like a big step from 2 to 3 and a hell of a surprise when you went for what you expected to be 4th. O happy days (not!).
Pete
That hear box is a basic 4 over 4 range change whith a crawler gear.
When empty I would go through the gears thus.
Start in 1st then 3rd, flick switch straight in to 5th then 7th then into top.
When loaded go from start again in 1st, 3rd then go into 4th flick the switch and go up the next 4 normally
It’s not theirs anymore,
This is our England now.
Paaaaarrrrrrttttttttyyyyyyyy
Yep, 9 speed range change just 2 positions for the switch. I had an N reg 3000 series with that box and I never used the crawler. It is a crash box but easy to get used to. Unless it’s impeccably maintained the clutch brake might not be that effective and if it’s got a ■■■■■■■ engine it might idle fast, making engaging first gear noisy.
Loved the basic cab on those Fodens…
Thanks for all the help everyone If I get better photo some time or even access I’ll let you know