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Enthusiasts in luck at Brighton

LAST SUNDAY crowds lined the London to Brighton road for the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club's annual rally to Brighton to see old vans, lorries and buses making their way to Brighton's Marine Parade.

Driver's coaxed the old vehicles to the finishing post to receive their commemorative plaques, and upon arrival immediately set to work to remove all signs of road dirt ready for the judges to select the Concours de'Elegance and many other awards.

This year S. D. Fearn's Leyland eaver TSC9 1935 tanker was the outright winner of the much coveted concours award. This was an unusual restoration of the heavuer-weight Beaver chassis converted to tanker form. According to available records, few vehicles of this type survived the heavy use they had during the last war. Runner-up for this award was Victor Bignell's 1932 Beardmore London taxi.

The Commercial Motor Challenge Trophy for Class B vehicle, (vans and lorries between 1-2 tons; was awarded to Richard Peskett's 1918 Fiat 15TER lorry. It was built for the Italian army and brought to the UK in 1919. It is believed to have been sold as war surplus and spent most of the Twenties as a garage service truck. It had been stored until 1977, when it was purchased and rebuilt by the present owner.

The weather was ideal for the run, and for spectators there were many interesting vehicles to be seen.

There were 23 entrants in Class C for vans and lorries of two to three tons. Of particular interest was the 1913 Lacre Model 0 (30hp) boxvan. It was built at the Lacre factory in Letchworth and subsequently went to France in 1914 for the First World War. After the war it was used by William Whiteley, London provision merchant, until the mid-Thirties, when it was laid up with gearbox damage. It then became a pigfood store for 30 years. It was rebuilt over a period of four years to the style of a 1913 demonstration vehicle by Lacre.

Possibly the only Halley commercial still in use is the Halley UL (26hp) laundry van. It was built in 1929 and used by Advance Laundry, London, until 1948, when it was converted into a caravan. It was found after standing up to its axles in mud in a Kent orchard for 16 years and restored by the owner 1966-68.

The Dennis G (17hp) boxvan was a popular chassis for light trucks in the Twenties. A. Brunt's entry was originally owned by John Barker & Co Ltd of Kensington from 1928 to 1960 and was presented in standard but unusual livery of brown with red and yellow stripes.

A regular visitor to Brighton is a 1934 21/2-ton Thornycroft FB4 truck. It is a good example of a typical high-class wellfurnished truck of the Thirties.

Originally it was supplied to Truman, Hanbury, Buxton and Co, Brewers of Whitechapel and it remained on their fleet until 1951. After two further owners, it was found derelict in 1969 with stinging nettles up to its windscreen and restored in the original company colours. This took over 1000 hours of work over a period of 18 months. It is still over 90 per cent original.

An example of a vehicle used by Shell-Mex and BP Ltd was the Dennis 21/2-ton (36hp) tanker. The cab was built by the operators and a 700-gallon tank manufactured by Thompson Bros Ltd mounted on the chassis. It is still in the original livery of red, greeoand black.

A 1951 truck which is still in the hands of the original owners and driven by the man who collected it when new from the factory must be rare. UBM Transport's Commer QX dropside truck covered 300,000 miles in ten years when it was relegated to the status of yard "hack" until its restoration in 1977, The oldest vehicle in Class D for vans and lorries over 3 tons was the 191 7 Caledon Type E 40 hp petrol car carrier. It is possibly the last of the 600 Caledons to survive. These vehicles were made in Glasgow between 1915 and 1926. The vehicle was exhibited as originally used around Warrington. It spent three years as a charabanc before being converted into a chalet in the Lake District in 1926. It was restore in 1973.

Petrol-electric lorries wet popular in the Twenties and th 1924 Tilling-Stevens TS3 model was no exception. Th vehicle making its appearanc in Brighton was supplied ne' to the London Fire Brigade as fire tender fitted with a va body, auxiliary fire pump, firs aid equipment and searchlight.

Many hundreds were built z Maidstone and although mainl used for carrying passengers these vehicles were used wher electricity generated by th engine-driven dynamo was re quired. This first petrol-electri vehicle was developed in 1 901 and worked on the principle o an engine driving an electri, generator, which in turn drive, an electric motor to propel thi vehicle.

The use of drawbar units not new. A 1933 Foden SL (5600cc) dropside truck wal exhibited complete witt authentic drawbar trailer. TN: vehicle was first owned b) Portsmouth and Brightor United Breweries Ltd. It ther changed hands twice before being found in a scrap heap ir 1970.

The first diesel lorry built lo), Fodens was in 1931. It was known as the R-Series 8700ce Worm truck and this year 3yed host to CM's Brian almers-Hunt. Originally the hide was sold to Samuel ckson of Crewe but in later ars it was burnt out. Fodens ught the vehicle back in 1956 d fully restored it for the cornny's centenary. It is estimated have travelled 11/2 million les during its working life.

Visitors to Brighton last year ll remember an old wreck on

? back of a transporter with a omise that it would return next ar in all its original glory. It 3s restored in time for this ar's run and appeared as a 334 Foden R (7000cc) tipping ick. It spent its working life in )rfolk before being found delict on a farm. It has special oving-floor bodywork which

n be used for spreading its ad.

Tate and Lyle used a cornnation unit 53ft long as far ick as 1950. It was based on AEC Mammoth major 600cc) flat truck and Dyson ght-ton trailer. The unit prented at Brighton was built and ;ed all its working life by T & L ?fore passing into private 3nds.

The onlooker may find it hard understand grown men .essed in full fireman's uniform ling around_ on old fire-engine yet the exhibits in Class for open fire engines created insiderable interest.

The 1914 Dennis fireIgine was supplied new to

e Coventry City Fire Brigade id was its first mechanically -opened appliance.

The body of this 41/4-ton N,pe appliance designed to carry ;yen firemen was in almost oriinal condition. The massive .4-litre four-cylinder White and oppe engine uses fuel at the

rate of 7 mpg with a maximum vehicle speed of 30 mph. The driver must have had nerves of steel since it has no front-wheel brakes. The foot-brake actuated external contracting shoes on the transmission drum behind the gearbox and the handbrake, which operates on the wheel drums.

In 1936 it was sold to the General Electric Company of Coventry where it was used as a works fire engine until 1958.

The 1918 American La France Type 75 (105 hp) pumper fire truck demonstrated that American chain-driver fireengines are vastly different from the British ones_ The one exhibited was used in North Carolina until 1963. It was imported to the UK in 1978.

The 1936 Leyland TLM (49.5hp) 101ft Metz turntable ladder was built for Willesden Council, London and used for 25 years, Of particular interest was the Metz ladder. The whole unit is considered by preservationists to be probably the best example of a 1930s fire-engine remaining today.

The mid-Thirties saw comfort for fireman and Class F for enclosed fire engines encouraged eight entrants to join the 1979 run.

Of particular interest were the two Dennis Ace 3770cc fire engines. FPC448 was the Dennis works fire-engine from new in 1936 and is still operational. The design was considered to be an intermediate one between the older open engines and the modern fully enclosed ones BBL 872 was the first totally enclosed gas-tight fire engine. It was constructed to a design by the Sonning Volunteer Brigade and retired from active service in 1968. Residents from Southall, London, will probably have recognised the 1958 Dennis F12 pump and escape carrier. It was used there until 1973. The Rolls-Royce eight-cylinder engine gives a fuel consumption of 4 mpg. The unit is now used for fund-raising projects for the Fire Services Benevolent Fund.

With over 40 buses and coaches on show, passenger transport enthusiasts had plenty to talk about. The oldest vehicle in Class G (for buses and coaches under 20 seats) was the 1904 Panhard et Levassor 10seat wagonette. It was bodies by Coward of Maidenhead and is claimed to be one of the earliest examples of a multi-purpose vehicle because the rear body can be changed to suit a particular job. The wagonette was last used in 1926 and found derelict in Scotland during 1960. The vehicle featured in the BBC-TV series The Duchess of Duke Street.

The National Motor Museum's entry in the class was their 1922 Maxwell 20.9 hp 14-seat charabanc. It was used in the Midlands up to 1929 and then stored in a garage until 1962. It is now regularly used by the Museum. These coaches were extensively used after the First World War but withdrawn during the early Thirties when enclosed coaches were introduced.

The 1928 Scania-Vabis 840 5780cc 40-seat city bus was the oldest entry in Class H for single-deck buses and coaches. It was driven to London from Scania's museum in Sodertalje, Sweden. The vehicle was built for the City of Stockholm bus fleet and apart from restoration work is claimed to be original throughout.

The Welsh Historic Vehicle Trust 7700cc 30-seater 1934 AEC Regal coach is another regular visitor to Brighton. The English Electric-bodied coach was designed for long-distance work by its original owners William Salisbury and Son Ltd. It was then used during the war for troop transport but returned in such bad condition in 1946 that it needed to be totally rebuilt and fitted with the body of a mid-Thirties Leyland. After a while as a training vehicle, it was finally retired in 1964.

From coach to tea-room is the history of the 1949 Crossley SD42 /7 8600cc 33-seat Burlingham-bodied coach. This vehicle was originally operated in the North until it was retired as a "tea-room" for shooting parties. The oldest double-deck bu in Class J was the 1920 Ley land N21-seat bus fitted with Short Bros body. It was built fo Southdown and first used a Worthing with a charaban body. The double-deck bod was fitted in 1928 an remained in use until 1935. I was sold and built into a house It even had a tiled roof! It ha been rebuilt over the last 11 years.

Probably the oldest double deck bus in regular service an( owned by a National Bus Corn pany subsidiary is the Bristc K5G 7000cc open-top bus Originally it had an Easter' Coachworks covered top bu was converted to open-top i 1960. It is now used b Southern Vectis at Shanklin an visits the Derby annually.

Besides over 150 histori trucks, buses and coaches bein spread down the London t Brighton road, there was also host of small vans, London taxi: military and specialised vehicle representing many thousands ( manhours of restoration work b members of the Historic Con mercial Vehicle Club.

If a haulier wanted a heav duty truck fifty years ago, 1would probably have chosen steamer, whereas ten years lati the purchase of one would t considered madness.

The development of 9. diesel engine and the excessir weight of a steamer may har been the demise of these attra tive vehicles but there are mar still in operating order.

The joint oldest steamer Class 8 for steam wagons w the 1914 Mann five-tc vehicle (number 1120) fitfi with a furniture box on a ph form body. It was sold new Frampton's of Farnham ar after two subsequent owne retired during 1932.

The Yorkshire six-ton (number 652), also built 1914, was considered in its d to be most unconventional, w a transverse boiler and engi located under the driver's se. The model seen at Brighton yr originally used in Lancash and then lay derelict for over years' until restoration.

John O'Groats to Lands E in a steamer can be no me feat, but the 1934 Sentinel SI GS (number 9105) platfol wagon exhibited completed t 2100-mile run in 1976 with any problems. Only nine these eight-wheelers were bt and this is the sole survivor. was once the manufacture demonstrator and later used heavy haulage in South Wale