Trucking 1960

10-08:
I like the inspectors hat.

Where those the legs that picked up when he hooked underneath it or were there another set somewhere? Looked very interesting :smiley:

That was the Scammell Automatic Coupling, no other legs, they were used on most of the lighter range of artics up to approx 22 tons Maximum Train weight. You still had to release the trailer handbrake manually and swap the numberplate, but the lights were activated by contacts automatically.

Oops, didn’t see the last posting! :blush:

Pete.

Thanks guys I’ll have to look into it more now :slight_smile:

edit;

How were the brake and light couplings made/flex?

10-08:
Thanks guys I’ll have to look into it more now :slight_smile:

edit;

How were the brake and light couplings made/flex?

The lights had rubber mounted brass contacts, a set on the unit and t’other on the trailer. Simples! :wink: Not sure about the brakes though, 40+years since I had dealings with them.

Pete.

Sorry, being a pain.

Were they underneath? Just trying to get my head around how they stayed connected when turning?

Re the Scammell coupling, when you reversed underneath the landing wheels folded up and a pair of arms came up and held it in place. the brakes were operated on the trailor by a plate which rose up when the foot brake was pressed in the cab, this in turn operated a series of rods which ran under the trailer operating the brakes. You had a separate lever in the cab with which you could operate the trailor brakes on their own if required, handy if going downhill on an icy road, because you could make the trailor drag giving you less chance of jack knifing. The only problem with the brass contacts that operated the lights was that when they became worn when you turned a corner they sometimes went out.

Re the Scammell coupling, when you reversed underneath the landing wheels folded up and a pair of arms came up and held it in place. the brakes were operated on the trailor by a plate which rose up when the foot brake was pressed in the cab, this in turn operated a series of rods which ran under the trailer operating the brakes. You had a separate lever in the cab with which you could operate the trailor brakes on their own if required, handy if going downhill on an icy road, because you could make the trailor drag giving you less chance of jack knifing. The only problem with the brass contacts that operated the lights was that when they became worn when you turned a corner they sometimes went out.

Thanks Norfolk :slight_smile:

The only problem with the brass contacts that operated the lights was that when they became worn when you turned a corner they sometimes went out.
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An old penny behind the clip kept them tight. :wink:

It certainly did !

Love it, everyone wore a brown dust coat and had a short back and sides hair cut and smoking heavily was compulsory.

No Iso Trak no speed limiters and drivers actually socialized in stead of sitting in their cabs, that trailer coupling looked a bit mad and how many of us still flick the lights on and off when we are flashed in.