Tulyar

I remember the yard disappearing: I commuted to London from 1984 to 2012.

 

According to my notes, yes.

 

Easiest thing to do (and what I did) was to right-click on the slideshow and select "copy video URL".

Try it

Edit: I see you've mended it

 

The sidings just north of Cadwell crossing on the up side? The site is in use by a portaloo supplier these days! The sidings were on the right hand side in the very background.

https://flic.kr/p/oL4W4t

There was also the gasworks at Hitchin which had oil tankers.

https://flic.kr/p/smq9H1

It was actually a pair of 6-wheel milk tankers near Hornsey. Both fortunately are now preserved - the GWR one at Bodmin, the LMS one at Midsomer Norton.

http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2568

http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=2669

Wildly off topic, sorry!

 

Yes, it's a bit O/T but so what? I'm really pleased to learn those milk tankers have made it into preservation

 

Preserved Deltics in action:

 

Thanks for sharing @5944 - the Chris Burton album here has some superb images covering my old patch https://www.flickr.com/photos/28178727@N08/albums/72157632682503940/

 

The Deltic sound is unique....bit like a Commer TS 3...love em both...

 

I've done many hours with a TS 3 when I was but a lad. Did a little bit with a screaming Foden 2 stroke. Happy days.
Us fellas that lived through the Deltic era have a lot to thank Gerry Fiennes for.

P.S. The Paxman 'Vallenta' was a decent bit of kit. And now we have the 16 cylinder Caterpillar.
Our cup runneth over.

 

For Victor.

 

If I have one regret in life it's the fact that I never did 'master' that 12 speed gearbox. I suppose it's easy when you know how, but it had me beat. My excuse is maybe I didn't have enough time with it. I could handle all the other HGV gearboxes easy peasy, but the Foden
9 speed Fullers............for men.

 

A technical question...what sort of power bands did those 2 strokes have ...just curious..

 

Sorry, I've no idea, I just drove em. They were only 3 litre ish but they (the TS3 and the Foden) had stonking great superchargers nailed to them. The TS3 had a party trick, after a prolonged period of service they would, unannounced, de coke themselves, something like Mt Vesuvius,. It happened to me one dark snowy winters night coming over the Brecon Beacons, bloody terrified me (I was only a young lad, I didn't know what was happening). I shut it off only to learn later that the correct thing to do was to rev the k nackers off it until the volcano subsided, it seem as though it did the engine a power of good, gave it a good clean out. Lesson learned.
Happy days.

 

Taking the Foden FD6 Mk VI of the 1960s as a basis, they will put out 175 bhp @ 2200 rpm with the maximum torque @ 1500 rpm. The snag with 2-stroke Diesels is the power rapidly falls off once you below this maximum torque figure unlike 4-stroke ones which tend to 'lug on' better, so you have got to keep the revs up. Thus with the 2-stroke one has to make more use of the gearbox as can be seen in the video.

 

Deleted.

 

Victor, when the weather improves perhaps you'd like to make a visit to the wilds of Buckinghamshire and I'll give you a demonstration of the 12-speed in action. From the gear change chart below it looks complicated but it's really not so bad. For starters, 1st is only used in low range as the pinion for it does not have much metal between the outside diameter of the internal splines and the bottom of the external gear teeth and not unknown for them to crack in two. If this happens the bits get pushed through the bottom of the main gearbox casing.....so avoid use of 1st other than in low range!

On mine, with no load in tow, I normally start off in 2nd Direct (or 6th, if you like!) , if loaded then possibly 3rd low, to 4th low, pre-select Direct and a quick double-declutch change to 2nd Direct then zig-zag up to 4th Over-drive. Being a "crash" 'box (meaning there is no synchromesh) clutchless gear changes can be done. Indeed at times gearchanging without use of the clutch or gear lever can be done, sometime with using either of them.......

The 9-speed Fuller is a good 'box, we've got one in a 1972 ERF much modified over the years 8-wheeler replacing a David Brown 6-speed. Also fitted with a Gardner 6LXCT 230 when the 180 wore out, plus a 'faster' 2-speed differential. reputedly capable of 80 mph, I've had it up to 70 mph and there is still more. Something that adds to the fun is that the Fuller was coupled to the original DB gear change 'box which swapped the gear change planes over in that 1st and reverse are nearest to the driver and 8th and 9th over away by the engine cover. The last time I took it to Otley (just along the road from Harry Ramsdens world famous fish & chip parlour!), we left here at 7 a.m., a leisurely unload at Otley and were back here by 7 p.m. - this included stops at Motorway services in both directions.

 

The diagram explains that noise I could hear of something that was clearly air-operated just prior to gear changes in the Foden video.

 

Correct. You can see the air valve being operated by the driver's right hand just below the steering wheel. As built there was a length of plastic pipe fitting on to the air valve exhaust port that went down the steering column and under the cab floor in which case one didn't hear it exhausting.

 

Super... you've confirmed my thoughts. Some of the 2 st motorcycles of the sixties had power bands in the hundreds. I remember well the tiny Japanese 50cc bikes having 20 speed gearboxes...it was a challenge just keeping the engine on song as well as riding them....

 

Richard (Eightpot), by posting that diagram, has re-kindled the trauma I suffered when trying to follow it (the diagram is usually a small metal plate riveted to the bonnet cover).
As for his kind offer of a 'tutorial', thanks but no thanks. My mobility now is very restricted so I avoid venturing much further than local. And I'd never get mounted now........in any lorry.The mind is willing but the flesh is weak.