Another set of pictures from my French travels, this time some trucks climbing the road leading past Chamonix towards the Mt Blanc Tunnel entrance. No running commentary on these so hope you enjoy the pics, which vary in quality!
Nice pix mate. Yr weather was obviously better on holiday than what we had on sunday at crowfield! 
I was thinking of you all though!!
Interestingly, and I’d like to hear from anyone who has driven up and through the tunnel, they reckon an engine loses up to 20% of its power at this altitude (1200m at Chamonix). These trucks have just slugged up the viaduct from the lorry holding area at Salanches, about 13 miles of steep, steep gradient. No wonder I saw so many V8 Scanias!!
Going down the other side, there are streches where the limit is under 20 mph for trucks, as it’s steep and very windy road!
chorcheela:
I was thinking of you all though!!Interestingly, and I’d like to hear from anyone who has driven up and through the tunnel, they reckon an engine loses up to 20% of its power at this altitude (1200m at Chamonix). These trucks have just slugged up the viaduct from the lorry holding area at Salanches, about 13 miles of steep, steep gradient. No wonder I saw so many V8 Scanias!!
Going down the other side, there are streches where the limit is under 20 mph for trucks, as it’s steep and very windy road!
Chorcheela,
Driven up many times and down the other side with Scania 113 330 & DAF 3300 Aah !! them were the days - plenty of gear changes !! also went with my Dad back in the early 70’s in Guy Big J but that was just hard work anyway as there was no motorway after Macon and before Aosta - life got better for him when he had an F89 - 340 - even harder in the snow with chains, must be easy work with a V8 620 these days ■■
Regards
Ant
Ant, cheers for your comments…but let me get this straight…2 of you went from the UK over the alps in a Guy big J■■? You deserve a medal!! I’ve sat in the cab of one of those and thought I’d done well!!!
That bit going up the viaduct from Sallanches to Les Houches is hairy in any modern motor (leaving aside the descent!!! ), tho’ I don’t know if it wasn’t the single carriage mountain road in the early 70s■■?
chorcheela:
Ant, cheers for your comments…but let me get this straight…2 of you went from the UK over the alps in a Guy big J■■? You deserve a medal!! I’ve sat in the cab of one of those and thought I’d done well!!!That bit going up the viaduct from Sallanches to Les Houches is hairy in any modern motor (leaving aside the descent!!! ), tho’ I don’t know if it wasn’t the single carriage mountain road in the early 70s■■?
Yes the road you come down now used to be 2 way - very scary at night - in the snow and fog, and I was only a passenger then !!!
Some photos on the Old timmers thread I’ve posted below
http://trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=31143
Regards
Ant
It’s a sad state of affairs that there are no British lorries going up the hill, 10yrs ago you couldn’t keep both hands on the wheel for more than 5mins as you were constantly waving to your mates heading home, sad…
newmercman:
It’s a sad state of affairs that there are no British lorries going up the hill, 10yrs ago you couldn’t keep both hands on the wheel for more than 5mins as you were constantly waving to your mates heading home, sad…
To be fair, that was probably my fault! I saw quite a few going past - but in the main the ‘northern’ europeans I saw were Irish or Northern Irish - a few Montgomery Transport Scania 164’s, and a mini convoy of Irish cattle wagons which I failed to snap, all 164 4x2 classics.