I was reminiscing in the canteen at our Wells depot the other day with a driver there who worked as a tyre fitter for Motor Way Tyres in Bridgwater back in the early 70’s and he was telling me that he had a ride in a flat fronted Seddon wagon belonging to Wheeler’s transport at Catcott which had a selector for the gears which was 90 degrees different from the usual style. ie you moved the stick left and right to select the gears and forward and backwards across the gate in neutral. I said that I had never heard of such an arrangement and was wondering if anyone on here had come across such a system, or even if you are an old driver from Wheeler’s who can tell me whether this guy was winding me up, (which I think he was, but he was adamant about it).
Hmm… I can remember in the mid 80’s driving old Seddon Atkinson’s that had ‘backwards’ shift patterns, and shift patterns that went in a logical circle (although still in an H configuration). Is there any possibility that that is what he meant??
A Sudden Accident was opposite way round to an ERF but still in an H pattern.
2 and 6 and 3 and 7 were reversed iirc
Thanks for the comments chaps.
He definitely stated that that the gate went from side to side.
I said I have driven wagons with the gear positions back to front from where you would expect them but he insisted that they went from side to side, eg first would be forwards and then to the side to select the gear from the neutral gate. This to me is totally at odds with what the logical movement of the gear shafts would be doing on a gearbox mounted in line with the chassis (I might agree if the gearbox was mounted crossways like in a Mini, but I have never seen this in a wagon!).
I will tell him when I see him next that he must have been on the “Waccy Baccy” at the time and was hallucinating, and a good job he wasn’t driving it at the time.
I believe when you jacked up the cab on a SedAkt the gearstick went up with the cab as it fitted into a funnel type of cup on the top of the engine so a forward movement of the gearstick in the cab made a backward movement to the gearchange ie it had two swivel points if that makes sence 
Regards Pat
ainacs:
I believe when you jacked up the cab on a SedAkt the gearstick went up with the cab as it fitted into a funnel type of cup on the top of the engine so a forward movement of the gearstick in the cab made a backward movement to the gearchange ie it had two swivel points if that makes senceRegards Pat
That sounds like a good enough reason, although I thought that was only the 2 + 2 gears in the left plane that were reversed. But then again it could be senile dementure and Im just senile
I believe that the sideways movement was opposite aswell! Not sure as I only drove one once and that was a nightmare didn’t know what gear I was in 
Regards Pat
I remember driving two types… it was a long time ago now but
1/5 4/8
H
2/6 3/7
and
1/5 2/6
H
4/8 3/7
are what I remember. These were “crash” gearboxes too. I remember using one while I was on for an agency at Vine Products.
I explained to him about the "different from the usual " as described by Zetorpilot, but they were still forwards and backwards to engage the gears from neutral. Some of the old Bristol LoDekker buses I drove in 1979 had this type of arrangement where 5th was over and back from 4th. An ERF A series with a 240 Gardner & IIRC a David Brown Box which I drove for High Street Transport in the middle 70’s was also back to front on some of the gears. He insisted it was from side to side. This was on a Seddon NOT a Sed Atki. The type used by a lot of BRS depots in the late 60’s & early 70’s. I still think he was trying to wind me up!
I suppose I could always go to the horses mouth as it were and ring Gerry Wheeler, he is still in business hauling plant etc in Btridgwater.
On a DAF 2600 1st and 2nd were nearest your leg on a RHD with top being furthest away 
Also on some early 2800 and i believe 232 Maggies. the box worked away from you.
Zetorpilot:
I remember driving two types… it was a long time ago now but1/5 4/8
H
2/6 3/7and
1/5 2/6
H
4/8 3/7are what I remember. These were “crash” gearboxes too. I remember using one while I was on for an agency at Vine Products.
vine products !.didnt they have a yard in kingston upon thames ?
I remember the Sedd Atki gear lever that used to fit in a “Funnel” when you dropped the cab down after tilting and what a beast it was because when you went round a corner because the cab was on suspension springs the ball used to come out of the socket and when you straightened up and the cab dropped down so to speak, the gear lever was missed the funnel and you were stuck in whatever gear you were in ! 
The only way to get it out was to jack up the cab to let the ball drop back in to the socket again and drop the cab down bit of a pain in somewhere like central London on a roundabout etc. as you were stuck with the gear you were in you might be trying to drive away in something like 5th or 4th gear. 
seem to remember looking inside an old hanomag henschel back in the 80’s
it was an older truck then but still being used… i think it had a sideways shift pattern… 6 speed with splitter iirc…
1st was forward and to the left,acroos to the right for second and so on… with 6th being back and to the right…
memory isnt what it used to be though…but that did stick in my mind,lol