Trev_H:
Bewick,
You must have some feelings for the Detroit, I bet you watched Cannonball as a lad
Great programme would like to see it all again .But they probably would’nt have bothered to make it here because it would have took a whole series to tell the story one run from London to Birmingham with those Gardner plodders
Hi lads, Merv’s Big J was new to BRS, being built to their late spec of 290 ■■■■■■■■ upright exhaust and air intake. Merv opened the ■■■■■■■ up to 335 spec. i believe that he fitted Rockwell back end’s off of retired Sed-Atki’s, after some trips with the standard GUY back-end, he found that he could’nt change into top gear at less than 70!!! , thankfully the Rockwell slowed things down a bit!! Thing he ran 3 or 4 of these GUY’s at some point in the late 80’s early 90’s, and they used to show pretty much everthing else on the road a clean pair heels on the run to Shotton mill! Reguard’s Chris 
STRAIGHT EIGHT:
Hi lads, Merv’s Big J was new to BRS, being built to their late spec of 290 ■■■■■■■■ upright exhaust and air intake. Merv opened the ■■■■■■■ up to 335 spec. i believe that he fitted Rockwell back end’s off of retired Sed-Atki’s, after some trips with the standard GUY back-end, he found that he could’nt change into top gear at less than 70!!!
cheers for the update
there is one of his old 6 wheelers in Rush Green too
Trev_H:
Bewick,
You must have some feelings for the Detroit, I bet you watched Cannonball as a lad
No I didn’t is the short answer Trev !! Bewick.
Bewick:
Trev_H:
I like the ■■■■■■■ engined Guy, exactly the same set up as the 290 I had, the exhaust stack,air intake, header tank at the back of the cab is totally original as I remember it. That exhaust in your right ear was loud, we used to get pulled by the law about the noise.
My mate done a regular run through Whitchurch every night, the law pulled him up and told him they had complaints from residents having their windows rattled every night, was his exhaust faulty? My mate replied no its not faulty its a new truck and tell the residents of Whitchurch they get it for 5 mins every night, I’ve got it for 11hrs
I wonder if the blue one in the Photo is ex. Pickfords they had a few with the 335, god knows what they went like, the speedo went to 80mph, the main beam warning light was at 6 o clock they were still pulling past that, unlike the gardner they had a real good heater too.
Wish I still drove one!If it was ex Pickfords Trev it would never have been over worked while in their service as it would have just paddled about at 30MPH with a police ■■■■■■ and they would have parked up at 4PM washed and changed and sat in the digs waiting for opening time .And I dare say when it came out of service it still had the polythene on the seats and engine !! When the next owner opened it up for the first time I bet there were cobwebs , birds nests and god knows what else come out of the exhaust stack !! Cheers Bewick.
Bewick were you the one who was always in the digs before me and pinched the best bed? as I wondered if I knew you but the Guys that Pickfords had was after I had gone to pastures new so don’t blame me for them and the viewline I had did around 60,000 MILES annually in 72,73 and 74 which was reasonable for heavy haulage and more than some on general haulage.
sammyopisite:
Bewick:
Trev_H:
I like the ■■■■■■■ engined Guy, exactly the same set up as the 290 I had, the exhaust stack,air intake, header tank at the back of the cab is totally original as I remember it. That exhaust in your right ear was loud, we used to get pulled by the law about the noise.
My mate done a regular run through Whitchurch every night, the law pulled him up and told him they had complaints from residents having their windows rattled every night, was his exhaust faulty? My mate replied no its not faulty its a new truck and tell the residents of Whitchurch they get it for 5 mins every night, I’ve got it for 11hrs
I wonder if the blue one in the Photo is ex. Pickfords they had a few with the 335, god knows what they went like, the speedo went to 80mph, the main beam warning light was at 6 o clock they were still pulling past that, unlike the gardner they had a real good heater too.
Wish I still drove one!If it was ex Pickfords Trev it would never have been over worked while in their service as it would have just paddled about at 30MPH with a police ■■■■■■ and they would have parked up at 4PM washed and changed and sat in the digs waiting for opening time .And I dare say when it came out of service it still had the polythene on the seats and engine !! When the next owner opened it up for the first time I bet there were cobwebs , birds nests and god knows what else come out of the exhaust stack !! Cheers Bewick.
Bewick were you the one who was always in the digs before me and pinched the best bed? as I wondered if I knew you but the Guys that Pickfords had was after I had gone to pastures new so don’t blame me for them and the viewline I had did around 60,000 MILES annually in 72,73 and 74 which was reasonable for heavy haulage and more than some on general haulage.
Fraid not Sammy !! first into the digs was never my strong point !! I served my time on a Brady Octopus and trailer and then I started on my own so time spent lying in bed was non productive !!! Regarding the mileages you mention I will go along with the 60,000 miles but I think you meant it was the mileage you did over the 3 years you were at Pickfords surely !!! Regards Bewick.
Two Strokes ? I have driven an old Foden S18 Eight Wheeler with a two stroke and a Foden gearbox which was supposed to have had 12 gears but I not sure because I certainly never found them all, anyway my experiance of the Two Stroke was that it was fine if you coould keep thye revs up but if you were baulked it was hopeless but it could fly if nobody got in the way and of course everybody could hear you comming from miles away. On the Foden another problem was that the brakes were power operated which meant that if the engine stalled, very easy on a Two Stroke, you had no brakes, this happened to me comming down Archway, fortunatley I managed to restart the engine but I did need a new pair of trousers after this. Detroits were well thought of in the Leisure Marine World with most of the Italian Luxury Yacht builders using them in the 60’s and 70’s where the were very reliable but very juicy. The Detroits used to have a commonality of parts across the range but had about twice the parts of the 4 Strokes…Tony.
Suttons Tony:
Two Strokes ? I have driven an old Foden S18 Eight Wheeler with a two stroke and a Foden gearbox which was supposed to have had 12 gears but I not sure because I certainly never found them all, anyway my experiance of the Two Stroke was that it was fine if you coould keep thye revs up but if you were baulked it was hopeless but it could fly if nobody got in the way and of course everybody could hear you comming from miles away. On the Foden another problem was that the brakes were power operated which meant that if the engine stalled, very easy on a Two Stroke, you had no brakes, this happened to me comming down Archway, fortunatley I managed to restart the engine but I did need a new pair of trousers after this. Detroits were well thought of in the Leisure Marine World with most of the Italian Luxury Yacht builders using them in the 60’s and 70’s where the were very reliable but very juicy. The Detroits used to have a commonality of parts across the range but had about twice the parts of the 4 Strokes…Tony.
The main reason for that lack of low down grunt in stuff like Foden two strokes was just like the TM fitted with the 6V71.It was the thinking which went along the lines of using small capacity two strokes to make the same power from smaller engines instead of using large capacity ones to make much more power and torque than the equivalent capacity four stroke.In this context the comparison is a 245 horse 14 litre four stroke Gardner versus a 500 horse 14 Litre two stroke.Comparing that to a two stroke Foden is like comparing chalk and cheese and there’s no point in comparing it at all to the Gardner because that’s why they fitted those Detroits in boats not Gardners.And it all starts making sense when fuel costs are at 1960’s and 1970’s American levels or Boats which have run on untaxed diesel until recently.But it’s not the engine’s fault that we’ve always wanted to charge ourselves a fortune for fuel and it’s a red herring to try to make the case for the Gardner’s economy considering how gutless that the things really were.
Carryfast, for christ sake I never even mentioned the Gardner, I had gone into Television by the time the Gardner 8 came out and we certainly never had any Detroits about, my time was 1958 to 1968 and as a driver I would have had an AEC with the 11.3 engine over anything else on the road but if it had been my company I would have had Atkinsons with the Gardner/DB Box/Kirkstall rear axle every time. It was only towards 67 that I drove anything with a yank engine in which was a Guy Big J with the 220 ■■■■■■■ which had a mighty thirst, at that time there were no Turbo’s so I was not making comparisons just giving my experiance of driving a Two Stroke of a certain age…Tony.
Carryfast:
Suttons Tony:
Two Strokes ? I have driven an old Foden S18 Eight Wheeler with a two stroke and a Foden gearbox which was supposed to have had 12 gears but I not sure because I certainly never found them all, anyway my experiance of the Two Stroke was that it was fine if you coould keep thye revs up but if you were baulked it was hopeless but it could fly if nobody got in the way and of course everybody could hear you comming from miles away. On the Foden another problem was that the brakes were power operated which meant that if the engine stalled, very easy on a Two Stroke, you had no brakes, this happened to me comming down Archway, fortunatley I managed to restart the engine but I did need a new pair of trousers after this. Detroits were well thought of in the Leisure Marine World with most of the Italian Luxury Yacht builders using them in the 60’s and 70’s where the were very reliable but very juicy. The Detroits used to have a commonality of parts across the range but had about twice the parts of the 4 Strokes…Tony.The main reason for that lack of low down grunt in stuff like Foden two strokes was just like the TM fitted with the 6V71.It was the thinking which went along the lines of using small capacity two strokes to make the same power from smaller engines instead of using large capacity ones to make much more power and torque than the equivalent capacity four stroke.In this context the comparison is a 245 horse 14 litre four stroke Gardner versus a 500 horse 14 Litre two stroke.Comparing that to a two stroke Foden is like comparing chalk and cheese and there’s no point in comparing it at all to the Gardner because that’s why they fitted those Detroits in boats not Gardners.And it all starts making sense when fuel costs are at 1960’s and 1970’s American levels or Boats which have run on untaxed diesel until recently.But it’s not the engine’s fault that we’ve always wanted to charge ourselves a fortune for fuel and it’s a red herring to try to make the case for the Gardner’s economy considering how gutless that the things really were.
Com’on Carryfast a haulier is running a revenue earning business not truck racing/dragster operation !! Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
sammyopisite:
Bewick:
Trev_H:
I like the ■■■■■■■ engined Guy, exactly the same set up as the 290 I had, the exhaust stack,air intake, header tank at the back of the cab is totally original as I remember it. That exhaust in your right ear was loud, we used to get pulled by the law about the noise.
My mate done a regular run through Whitchurch every night, the law pulled him up and told him they had complaints from residents having their windows rattled every night, was his exhaust faulty? My mate replied no its not faulty its a new truck and tell the residents of Whitchurch they get it for 5 mins every night, I’ve got it for 11hrs
I wonder if the blue one in the Photo is ex. Pickfords they had a few with the 335, god knows what they went like, the speedo went to 80mph, the main beam warning light was at 6 o clock they were still pulling past that, unlike the gardner they had a real good heater too.
Wish I still drove one!If it was ex Pickfords Trev it would never have been over worked while in their service as it would have just paddled about at 30MPH with a police ■■■■■■ and they would have parked up at 4PM washed and changed and sat in the digs waiting for opening time .And I dare say when it came out of service it still had the polythene on the seats and engine !! When the next owner opened it up for the first time I bet there were cobwebs , birds nests and god knows what else come out of the exhaust stack !! Cheers Bewick.
Bewick were you the one who was always in the digs before me and pinched the best bed? as I wondered if I knew you but the Guys that Pickfords had was after I had gone to pastures new so don’t blame me for them and the viewline I had did around 60,000 MILES annually in 72,73 and 74 which was reasonable for heavy haulage and more than some on general haulage.
Fraid not Sammy !! first into the digs was never my strong point !! I served my time on a Brady Octopus and trailer and then I started on my own so time spent lying in bed was non productive !!! Regarding the mileages you mention I will go along with the 60,000 miles but I think you meant it was the mileage you did over the 3 years you were at Pickfords surely !!! Regards Bewick.
Bewick a lot of it was over the water one job was Southampton to Saint Charmond south west of Lyon for 13 weeks one a week that was well over a 1000 each week as we had to go a roads to heavy for autoroutes 38ton max and we were routed in a zig zag all the way up and used going down same way to pocket toll fees lol
Carryfast:
Bewick:
Carryfast:
Bewick:
Carryfast:
12 litres +, 8 cylinders,massive price difference,all for 240 horses.Why would anyone have bothered to spec it anyway?.Probably the same managers who asked Bedford to use the 7 Litre V6 Detroit in the TM to run at 32 tonnes and who would’nt buy the 8V92 version maybe and the ones who would’nt give me a job when I was a new driver in the 1980’s might have done.If you looked like a sensible lad Carryfast I would have given you a start but not on a TK on Steroids !! You would have gone onto a Big J (180LXB ) which was enough of a motor for a lad !! Then once you had proved yourself an 8LXB was a definite possibility!! But don’t compare a Detroit clockwork orange with the creme de la creme Gardner 8LXB they are not in the same leauge !!! Cheers Bewick
No thanks bewick.I was happy enough when they gave me a DAF 2800 for my first job on artics at 25.We did have a Gardner powered heap but it was our yard shunter which is about all it was quick enough for.
Hiya Carryfast ! THE JOB ---- During the 70s & 80s we used to get any number of lads asking for starts who had only been taught to pass their test (not taught how to drive properly nor of course how to carry out the numerous other tasks they were required to carry out as a professional HGV driver ) However usually without exception they expected to be allocated nothing less than an F88 or a 111 !!! Of course they always recieved the same answer "Dont ring us we’ll ring you " . Those lads that did accept a spell being taught and guided for a while by our shunters always turned out to become 1st class employees and sailed up the ranks quickly . GM Vs GARDENER If you are talking about drag racing at Santa Pod we would appear to be on different planets because I am talking about running an economical , reliable truck in the tough environs of the road haulage business !! Unfortunatley it was totally futile and financially suicidal to even consider KM/TM as an alternative to operating Gardener/Scania/■■■■■■■■ Volvo engined tractors ! We did have a few visits from our local Bedford dealer to demo the KM/TM tractors in the 70s but if I had had a momentary lapse and agreed to taking one or two into the fleet I would have had a riot on my hands !! Not to mention the damage to our fleet profile and of course some of our customers would definitley have started asking questions ! In my opinion the ones we had on demo were (excuse my French )all wind and p**s and wouldn’t have lasted the distance in our fleet .I would not wish to get involved in the fine technical details I am only speaking as a former road haulier !! Please do not take a powder ! Regards Bewick.
The main reason why those old two strokes were and still are so good at truck racing is/was because they’ve got the type of specific outputs that Gardner/Scania/■■■■■■■ and all the other stuff could’nt even dream of.It’s actually false economy to fit a wagon with a big,heavy,14 litre lump of a motor which can only give out around 250 horsepower.Although Scania and Volvo did eventually learn that years after the yanks were fitting 500 horse V12 two strokes in their wagons and then they wiped the floor with those idiot Brit manufacturers who’d listened to British transport managers with the attitude that Gardners are best.But it’s what you’ve said there about the treatment of new drivers which was the reason why I wanted out of Britain and try the states instead.But unluckily for me they would’nt let Brits in back then.But before I’d got on to my first artic job I had to spend 5 years in a very low paid council job driving anything from a 1940’s AEC Matador to Leyland Clydesdales,■■■■■■■ powered Atkis and Rolls Powered Fodens.Followed by 15 years of night trunking in which the at the time 6 year old 1978/9 Daf 2800 I was first given was a better truck than most of the stuff the guvnors gave me later.But I never did get the international work which I wanted because of guvnors with that attitude.The Gardner powered heaps were rightly regarded as (British) guvnors motors not drivers trucks.But there’s probably plenty of old yank drivers out there who’d disagree with you and who,like the trucks they drove, provided their guvnors with years of profitable miles.I 'm sure that you would’nt have heard those drivers saying that a two stroke powered yank wagon was all wind and p**s and that it would’nt have lasted the distance.
It seems to me Carryfast that you got the thin end of the wedge in your younger days and now hate the entire UK transport industry which is unfair but by the sound of it you were probably expecting to run before you could walk !! you mentioned trying to and failing to get a start on European work well we ran a euro division and if you were as interested and knowlegable as you appear to be we would have probably given you a job !! Whats more you wouldn’t have had to train for 5 yrs either!! We ran Scany 420s,450s, Merc 380s& 440s &Renault 420 Magnums but I think we would have put you onto a LHD Scany then you wouldn’t cause mayhem on the Autobahn !! Our trailers were all 44ft Tautliners so there was no nasty ropes and sheets !! However I still have a few doubts about you as anyone who is on nights for 15yrs has got to be a bit strange !! I know because we had few “characters” on our night trunks including Female so we can’t have been such bad emloyers !! Keep shiny side up and don’t take it to heart Bewick.
Carryfast:
Bewick:
Carryfast:
Bewick:
Carryfast:
12 litres +, 8 cylinders,massive price difference,all for 240 horses.Why would anyone have bothered to spec it anyway?.Probably the same managers who asked Bedford to use the 7 Litre V6 Detroit in the TM to run at 32 tonnes and who would’nt buy the 8V92 version maybe and the ones who would’nt give me a job when I was a new driver in the 1980’s might have done.If you looked like a sensible lad Carryfast I would have given you a start but not on a TK on Steroids !! You would have gone onto a Big J (180LXB ) which was enough of a motor for a lad !! Then once you had proved yourself an 8LXB was a definite possibility!! But don’t compare a Detroit clockwork orange with the creme de la creme Gardner 8LXB they are not in the same leauge !!! Cheers Bewick
No thanks bewick.I was happy enough when they gave me a DAF 2800 for my first job on artics at 25.We did have a Gardner powered heap but it was our yard shunter which is about all it was quick enough for.
Hiya Carryfast ! THE JOB ---- During the 70s & 80s we used to get any number of lads asking for starts who had only been taught to pass their test (not taught how to drive properly nor of course how to carry out the numerous other tasks they were required to carry out as a professional HGV driver ) However usually without exception they expected to be allocated nothing less than an F88 or a 111 !!! Of course they always recieved the same answer "Dont ring us we’ll ring you " . Those lads that did accept a spell being taught and guided for a while by our shunters always turned out to become 1st class employees and sailed up the ranks quickly . GM Vs GARDENER If you are talking about drag racing at Santa Pod we would appear to be on different planets because I am talking about running an economical , reliable truck in the tough environs of the road haulage business !! Unfortunatley it was totally futile and financially suicidal to even consider KM/TM as an alternative to operating Gardener/Scania/■■■■■■■■ Volvo engined tractors ! We did have a few visits from our local Bedford dealer to demo the KM/TM tractors in the 70s but if I had had a momentary lapse and agreed to taking one or two into the fleet I would have had a riot on my hands !! Not to mention the damage to our fleet profile and of course some of our customers would definitley have started asking questions ! In my opinion the ones we had on demo were (excuse my French )all wind and p**s and wouldn’t have lasted the distance in our fleet .I would not wish to get involved in the fine technical details I am only speaking as a former road haulier !! Please do not take a powder ! Regards Bewick.
The main reason why those old two strokes were and still are so good at truck racing is/was because they’ve got the type of specific outputs that Gardner/Scania/■■■■■■■ and all the other stuff could’nt even dream of.It’s actually false economy to fit a wagon with a big,heavy,14 litre lump of a motor which can only give out around 250 horsepower.Although Scania and Volvo did eventually learn that years after the yanks were fitting 500 horse V12 two strokes in their wagons and then they wiped the floor with those idiot Brit manufacturers who’d listened to British transport managers with the attitude that Gardners are best.But it’s what you’ve said there about the treatment of new drivers which was the reason why I wanted out of Britain and try the states instead.But unluckily for me they would’nt let Brits in back then.But before I’d got on to my first artic job I had to spend 5 years in a very low paid council job driving anything from a 1940’s AEC Matador to Leyland Clydesdales,■■■■■■■ powered Atkis and Rolls Powered Fodens.Followed by 15 years of night trunking in which the at the time 6 year old 1978/9 Daf 2800 I was first given was a better truck than most of the stuff the guvnors gave me later.But I never did get the international work which I wanted because of guvnors with that attitude.The Gardner powered heaps were rightly regarded as (British) guvnors motors not drivers trucks.But there’s probably plenty of old yank drivers out there who’d disagree with you and who,like the trucks they drove, provided their guvnors with years of profitable miles.I 'm sure that you would’nt have heard those drivers saying that a two stroke powered yank wagon was all wind and p**s and that it would’nt have lasted the distance.
It seems to me Carryfast that you got the thin end of the wedge in your younger days and now hate the entire UK transport industry which is unfair but by the sound of it you were probably expecting to run before you could walk !! you mentioned trying to and failing to get a start on European work well we ran a euro division and if you were as interested and knowlegable as you appear to be we would have probably given you a job !! Whats more you wouldn’t have had to train for 5 yrs either!! We ran Scany 420s,450s, Merc 380s& 440s &Renault 420 Magnums but I think we would have put you onto a LHD Scany then you wouldn’t cause mayhem on the Autobahn !! Our trailers were all 44ft Tautliners so there was no nasty ropes and sheets !! However I still have a few doubts about you as anyone who is on nights for 15yrs has got to be a bit strange !! I know because we had few “characters” on our night trunks including Female so we can’t have been such bad emloyers !! Keep shiny side up and don’t take it to heart Bewick.
The main reason why those old two strokes were and still are so good at truck racing is/was because they’ve got the type of specific outputs that Gardner/Scania/■■■■■■■ and all the other stuff could’nt even dream of.It’s actually false economy to fit a wagon with a big,heavy,14 litre lump of a motor which can only give out around 250 horsepower.Although Scania and Volvo did eventually learn that years after the yanks were fitting 500 horse V12 two strokes in their wagons and then they wiped the floor with those idiot Brit manufacturers who’d listened to British transport managers with the attitude that Gardners are best.But it’s what you’ve said there about the treatment of new drivers which was the reason why I wanted out of Britain and try the states instead.But unluckily for me they would’nt let Brits in back then.But before I’d got on to my first artic job I had to spend 5 years in a very low paid council job driving anything from a 1940’s AEC Matador to Leyland Clydesdales,■■■■■■■ powered Atkis and Rolls Powered Fodens.Followed by 15 years of night trunking in which the at the time 6 year old 1978/9 Daf 2800 I was first given was a better truck than most of the stuff the guvnors gave me later.But I never did get the international work which I wanted because of guvnors with that attitude.The Gardner powered heaps were rightly regarded as (British) guvnors motors not drivers trucks.But there’s probably plenty of old yank drivers out there who’d disagree with you and who,like the trucks they drove, provided their guvnors with years of profitable miles.I 'm sure that you would’nt have heard those drivers saying that a two stroke powered yank wagon was all wind and p**s and that it would’nt have lasted the distance.
[/quote]
It seems to me Carryfast that you got the thin end of the wedge in your younger days and now hate the entire UK transport industry which is unfair but by the sound of it you were probably expecting to run before you could walk !! you mentioned trying to and failing to get a start on European work well we ran a euro division and if you were as interested and knowlegable as you appear to be we would have probably given you a job !! Whats more you wouldn’t have had to train for 5 yrs either!! We ran Scany 420s,450s, Merc 380s& 440s &Renault 420 Magnums but I think we would have put you onto a LHD Scany then you wouldn’t cause mayhem on the Autobahn !! Our trailers were all 44ft Tautliners so there was no nasty ropes and sheets !! However I still have a few doubts about you as anyone who is on nights for 15yrs has got to be a bit strange !! I know because we had few “characters” on our night trunks including Female so we can’t have been such bad emloyers !! Keep shiny side up and don’t take it to heart Bewick.
[/quote]
I think it was tough luck more than thin end of any wedge Bewick.But I’ve been out of the industry for a while now and I’ve always been interested in it never hated it.But it was’nt anything ‘strange’ which got me stuck on the council and then on nights it was just a case of get on with it or join the others on the dole in the 1980’s.I worked with other drivers who’d spent a lot longer than me on nights and there was nothing strange about them either.Anyway if I come back to it I’m going to do what I wanted to do then as an owner driver.Then I won’t have any guvnors telling me what I’ve got to drive and where I’m going.But I’ll probably be using a DAF as those always seemed ok to me.
A Daf? they rival Gardners for smoking
newmercman:
A Daf? they rival Gardners for smoking
Maybe but all the ones I drove were a lot faster .But I have’nt driven one with a speed limiter on it yet. 
We had a couple of Gardners this way, "Percy Thrower " at Shrewsbury and " Monty Don " at Leominster.
Hi Guys (!)
Just getting back to the Big J/Gardner 240 debate, a few old Guy Motors employees have mentioned this one to me, and I have spoken to one of them - Phil Rogers - this evening. He says that 37 of these trucks were built (or at least ordered) and he remembers them “going down the track.”
I don’t have any photographic evidence unfortunately, and it appears that my earlier reported comment that one was a show exhibit was mistaken, but my belief is that the 8LXB Big J is not a mythical beast.
I take it this 8 pot gardner was a straight 8 how long would that engine be I am thinking how much of it would stick out the back of the cab, I recall those big guys were not the most comfortable of cabs although I drove 6 legger for a short while and it went like stink had a 5 speed gearbox no spliter and first was a crawler not sure what engine it had though
Richard Stanier:
Hi Guys (!)Just getting back to the Big J/Gardner 240 debate, a few old Guy Motors employees have mentioned this one to me, and I have spoken to one of them - Phil Rogers - this evening. He says that 37 of these trucks were built (or at least ordered) and he remembers them “going down the track.”
I don’t have any photographic evidence unfortunately, and it appears that my earlier reported comment that one was a show exhibit was mistaken, but my belief is that the 8LXB Big J is not a mythical beast.
And just to back Mr Stanier up, have a look through his other photographs 