All dollies were the same hieght !!! ( Thank god for blurred old photos LOL) nothing worse than a flapping sheet!
When I went on to artics used to load Carbon Black out of Sevalco Avonmouth for Searoute but they only had old tilt covers, pig of a job to make it look right and you got black doing it (except Denny Hume of course!) plus being used to a rigid was twice as much to do! Then when you had a shower there go on your way then look in the mirror to discover that it looked like yoou had mascara on LOL Happy days!!
newmercman:
So what’s your votes on the best/worst bunks?
Best for me: Scania 4series Topline (once you got in!)
Worst: Merc 1625 1/2 sleeper.
Best for me was Scania 112
Worst was FH12 Globetrotter with the ‘Office Pack’,bottom mattress was in four pieces (to make two armchairs) (?) and was damned uncomfortable.
Anglo Continental Transport, Kent ran 2 of these (sisters) with the V8.
This pic taken at the World Trade Fair in Tehran 1968.
Ray Scutts can be seen sitting on the bumper. He worked for Asian Transport who were also delivering to the Fair.
1971 and this example shows Hightrack Corby who subbed for Patricks of Kettering.
and check out the interior. The top bunk hinges down from the roof and what about those flowery curtains? Your mum would have been proud of those hanging in her lounge
Carl:
great pics ash not a bad cab for the era it makes me wonder why they wernt more popular
They were very popular at the time, but a clue to later disillusionment might be in that great big engine hump perhaps?
Mind you, it was very convenient for resting your elbow on on a long trip.
The nice thing about Mandators though was you could see the road through the floor after a couple of years…
Great pics though of the AECs, when I saw the first one I thought it was a dustbin lorry but they really existed as far back as 1968 - you live and learn.
ps IMHO a Jennings on B series is much the same as a Bedford TK for a tall bloke. It barely qualifies as a sleeper.
The Mandator engine hump was also the perfect height for a young newmercman to rest his head on while the old man did all the hard work I’ve gone from the blackwall tunnel to glasgow with the 760 roaring away, funny how I could tune that racket out but I can’t do the same with er indoors & her nagging!!!
I can remember when the Mandator was replaced by an F88, one of the early ones with the wipers at the top of the screen, chrome grill etc, what a machine, I could do glasgow & back tucked up in bed in that baby:!:
Easy two boards across from the window ledges onto the engine cover you had to make sure you locked both the doors for if someone opened one you shot out like a sack!!
I got fed up of that arrangement so in 77 converted my AEC Mercury flat into a sleeper felt like I was driving my frontroom around for a couple of weeks!! LOL
Regards Pat
Thats quality - did you have some nice patterned old carpet over the engine hump? Thats a proper 70s conversion, no doubting that.
The pic’s of the sleeper cab Mandators brought back memories but not with the engine cover in the cab. I think you will find that cab was really designed for the V 8 Mandator , that had a walk through cab. The V 8 Mandator won the cab design of the year ( I think '70 or '71 ) Paris commercial motor show. There has been quite a bit posted on these trucks on another thread.
charlie one:
What planet are you on son.Carpet indeed! A nice hopsack and a tartan rug over with Two bungee straps holding it down.Now that was class
Can you remember in the mid 80s Truck tested the T45 against a ten year old Mk1 Marathon that was still in service? The Marathon had the grooviest bit of orange flowery carpet you have ever seen, and curtains to match. Bet todays discrening young Truck driver man wouldnt be seen with such a monstrosity.
personally I always like the maroon velour and diamond stitched leather of the yank rigs, although I doubt the latter was much cop when it was cold.
TIR Original:
The pic’s of the sleeper cab Mandators brought back
memories but not with the engine cover in the cab. I think you will find that cab
was really designed for the V 8 Mandator , that had a walk through cab. .
Surely not TIR, I thought the first walk through Leyland cab was the
Marathon, if you don’t count the Crusader of course - or that Austin with the
angled engine.
TIR Original:
The pic’s of the sleeper cab Mandators brought back
memories but not with the engine cover in the cab. I think you will find that cab
was really designed for the V 8 Mandator , that had a walk through cab. .
Surely not TIR, I thought the first walk through Leyland cab was the
Marathon, if you don’t count the Crusader of course - or that Austin with the
angled engine.
David,trust me the Mandator (Ergomatic Cab) was the first British walk through cab. I actually purchased one YTR 272J, built at Southall in 1971. The Marathon wasn’t even on the drawing board then. I was never interested in the Marathon so would never have bought one but no doubt someone will tell you when they were first introduced.
wouldnt happen if it had betz on the front… 
I’ve gone from the blackwall tunnel to glasgow with the 760 roaring away, funny how I could tune that racket out but I can’t do the same with er indoors & her nagging!!!
