Mike Humble
Following a recent discussion with our Editor, Keith Adams, it has been mooted that AROnline would benefit from expanding into the realms of commercial vehicles. Initially, the plan is to take a look at the 1980s era and cover the well-known T45 range of trucks. I have plenty of technical information about these vehicles, but I’m somewhat short of pictures, especially of inside the cab.
The 1980s was a very important and fascinating era for Leyland following a huge capital investment in new production facilities, proving grounds and product. If anyone out there can help with pictures or anecdotes on these good looking machines, please contact me via the e~mail address below.
If you like what you see, tell us. We may even expand into Leyland Bus & Coach as well as it’s all related to British Leyland and the Austin Rover Group.
Many Thanks!
- Essays : Selling the brand - 18 November 2023
- Review : Land Rover Discovery – first off the line - 15 September 2023
- Events : Leyland National 51 gathering, Whitehaven 29-30 April - 5 April 2023
Mike, I will mail you some nice stuff!
@Andrew Elphick
Many thanks, Andrew.
I have just received it all – brilliant stuff.
Here’s to opening a can of worms!
Mike.
I would like to hear about more from the BL empire.
You did a feature on the Leyland National bus a while back which I particularly enjoyed. It brought back memories of busing to school.
A history of the Leopard and Tiger buses would be interesting.
Oh, and a RoadRunners update, too! 🙂
An excellent idea Mike. Trucks and buses are another chapter in the BL empire worth exploring.
I have some T45 pictures from my days at Tesco’s at the Crick RDC – will send them on if I can find them. I look forward to another interesting read.
Pete.
I was at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum just last week:
http://www.bcvm.co.uk/
Surely these guys would help… They’ve got the T45-based Popemobile (!) as well as a few other Leyland examples.
You could include Fodens as well – another lost British lorry brand…
Mike – a friend is driving a T45 for harvest work at the moment. I’ll get him to take some snaps.
Oh, and by the way, Heritage Commercials mag have a feature on T45 Landtrains in their current issue.
Hi Mike,
Great idea! The T45, especially as the heavy Scammell, is the most beautiful truck ever. Do you know that there are even pictures of the T45 with “DAF” instead of “Leyland” or “Scammell” under the windscreen? These pics were taken just before Scammell closed on Tolpits Lane. I think they are in a 1986 or 1987 issue of the Dutch Truckstar monthly magazine.
I have all the brochures of the T45, so I could make some pictures of the interiors from these brochures if you like (but only if you really do proceed).
Kind Regards,
Karel Hupscher
Netherlands
we bought a TL12 engined T45 low cab roadtrain in 1980 and ran to
the death we never touched the engine or gear box it had a new clutch
fitted only because the spicer ajuster ceased up it was areal work horse . I can recall in the winter months doing 6 loads of coal up to scotland ( perth, stirling, edinburgh, glasgow, & loaded back with scrap engines to keighley. we were based at skipton.
leyland workshops were very interested in this truck in its early
days as it did such a high mileage. it used to go in to there workshop on occasions for them to have alook at her and one weekend
stripped the engine down just to see how it was doing what a machine