I got this Marathon new early 1974, it was one of the first six to go into general use and was maintained by Leylands. We were Leyland dealers and not too far from Leyland.
Not very good photos but the best I have got, it’s a pity I didn’t bother to take lorry photos in those days.
The one below was taken as a publicity shot for the firm, I had just got a new Marathon and tank and was sent to Blythe Chemicals near our depot to pose for the camera. It is Mk 2 model with proper brakes, not like the Mk 1 with a cable from the pedal to the brake cylinder on the rear chassis member.
Did any or most of these have TL12s in them and if so did you rate them.My dad got 1 of the last Marathons with a 290 ■■■■■■■ in it JCP 49W which was a good motor but i always wanted to know how the TL12 compared with the other options
ramone:
Did any or most of these have TL12s in them and if so did you rate them.My dad got 1 of the last Marathons with a 290 ■■■■■■■ in it JCP 49W which was a good motor but i always wanted to know how the TL12 compared with the other options
ramone Chris Webb had one with the TL12 in so he would be your man to ask ( when he is sober ) I know it went like the clappers but did not like stopping
cheers Johnnie
I had the TL 12 and they would really fly, they were the AEC uprated with a blower on and a bit too stressed for their own comfort but they could catch pigeons.
In fact the first Marathon I got (pictured above) was registered as an AEC and before it went into the paint shop there were plenty of panels with AEC stamped on them. The tax disc said AEC as well.
I never drove one with a ■■■■■■■ in, the only other engine I had in one was a 290 Roller. more of a plodder.
If you want to know what the dash like see below.
Which was an improvement after the Scammell Handyman I had just been driving.
Both pre tacho days but the photo in the handbook shows one, mine didn’t have one until the day they became a legal requirement.
ramone:
Did any or most of these have TL12s in them and if so did you rate them.My dad got 1 of the last Marathons with a 290 ■■■■■■■ in it JCP 49W which was a good motor but i always wanted to know how the TL12 compared with the other options
ramone Chris Webb had one with the TL12 in so he would be your man to ask ( when he is sober ) I know it went like the clappers but did not like stopping
cheers Johnnie
My regular motor was the TL12 version but I did drive one with the 250 ■■■■■■■ now and again.The TL12 would p*ss all over the 250 ■■■■■■■ and would really trap on as to be expected with more BHP.The only other problem I had with it was a leaking power steering pump.
Like Johnnie says,stopping 'em was a problem,mine was eventally fitted with a Foden type footvalve and it was a different motor brakewise.A lot of criticsm has been chucked at the Marathon but when coming off a AV760 Mandator onto one,it was like “heaven wi t’door shut” as they say.
Tankerman*:
I had the TL 12 and they would really fly, they were the AEC uprated with a blower on and a bit too stressed for their own comfort but they could catch pigeons.
In fact the first Marathon I got (pictured above) was registered as an AEC and before it went into the paint shop there were plenty of panels with AEC stamped on them. The tax disc said AEC as well.
I never drove one with a ■■■■■■■ in, the only other engine I had in one was a 290 Roller. more of a plodder.
If you want to know what the dash like see below.
Which was an improvement after the Scammell Handyman I had just been driving.
Both pre tacho days but the photo in the handbook shows one, mine didn’t have one until the day they became a legal requirement.
Russell.
The 1 my dad had was a W reg and by then the Leyland badge in the middle of the steering wheel had disappeared and replaced with a plain peice of plastic,mind the Marathon was designed and built at Southall with very limited funds so it should never have had Leyland on in the first place.
There is a thread dedicated to the Leyland Marathon on here somewhere with loads of photos and stories.This photo was passed on to me by numbum,one of the many Marathons which my old company used to run.
GS I remember Chiltons they done some Box work for me at Tilbury in the early 90’s remember Jamie in the office there used to get on well with him.Their yard near the Popular Bus garage was a bit of a site tho.
Hi there!! thanks for the photo, Here’s one leyland sent me as a boy. I saw the BRS OVERLAND marathon come thru my town Potters Bar it looked like new i’ve always had a soft spot for them. Are you really in the Caribbean ■■ weather here in Essex is like Dull Damp November
Hi Rob
Yeah I was there when Jamie was TM at Chiltons and what a fantastic TM he was. He knew exactly what was going on and he also knew what was do’able and what wasn’t…!
I got m first HGV 1 job with Chiltons, Bobby Fox gave me a break, after going for an interview on the Tuesday, (21yrs old) no experience.He said “but you aint got no experience " I told him “how the f#@k can I get experience when no body will give me a start to get some experience !!!
He said” when can you start” I said “Thursday”…so I loaded reels of paper out of Convoys for Alesbury (see Seddon posts)
And the rest is history.
Nicholas
Yes I am really in the Caribbean, see Ex-Pats Forum.
Ex Middle-East driver …
The Marathon was a real tool, 22yrs old driving a motor that could do 80mph with 22 tons on, up and down the road and it had a bed behind the drivers seat, so that when you got to Watford Gap, you could have a kip for an hour without getting numb elbows from kipping over the steering wheel.
Only drove Scania’s after that when I started going over the water.
GS
Thanks for the photos mappo, is that a special edition marathon?
Hi gs overland I did wonder about the marathons some people didn’t like them but when they wern’t breaking down they seemed to be as good as the rest!! Tesco had one marathon amongst mainly Buffalos at cuffley depot and they used it on a night trunk to manchester because it could do the trip there and back in the night, unlike the Buffalos.
Mappo i’m really jealous, as i said i saw the brs one come thru my town when i was a kid it looked really good in the red and white, was it reliable when you had it? where did it go after you?
all the best Nicholas.
I know it went like the clappers but did not like stopping 
Hi there!! thanks for the photo, Here’s one leyland sent me as a boy. I saw the BRS OVERLAND marathon come thru my town Potters Bar it looked like new i’ve always had a soft spot for them. Are you really in the Caribbean ■■ weather here in Essex is like Dull Damp November
