cruiseliner64

Yes I did drive Gardener powered trucks.A Dennison with an 8LXB and an ERF with a 6LXB.The ERF was a little underpowered but the Dennison was right on the money.Coupled to a 13 speed Fuller the Dennison pulled like a train and went like hell.Maximum torque came up at 975 rpm and stayed untill 1800 rpm.The slow reving nature of the Gardener matched the Fuller perfectly and was a joy to drive.All Gardener engine crankshafts were vertically and horizontailly braced and bottom end failures were almost unheard of.However Gardener were stuck in their ways and stedfastly refused to turbocharge their engines.It wasnt untill the business was sold to the Hawker Siddley group that turbo Gardeners became availible.It was too late,they had lost to much market share.Renowned for long life and as GW said sipping fuel it is well reported that more than half of gardeners ever made are still in service.A work of art to look at,I too would love to have one just to take to shows.The Skipper of a fishing trawler I once serviced told me he would not go to sea in anything but a Gardener engined boat.I will now tell a story which most would not believe and I would find hard to believe but I was there I saw this...One frosty morning I was asked to go to a saw mill were a Gardener engined hyd.power pack would not start.I got there and was shown to the engine.I quickly found the battery was finnished and fitted a new one.The engine started first push of the button and I checked it was charging.With all being good I just had to ask where is the rad??? With out blinking the owner said it never had one.I was amazed as he explained the 6LX ran from morning untill night for 16 years at about 450 rpm and never had a rad.I stood watching it tick away and shaking my head wondering how just how is that possible......Hard to believe but I can swear on all my loved ones lives its true.... Paul

Wow that Pete took a battering.You know you hear about the flooding on the news but its only when you see the pictures someone like yourself took that brings it home how bad it was,not a 3min clip on the news... Paul

Great to see your recovering from the horror you all faced 6 months ago.Ever upwards and onwards is the saying here in Ireland.The LJ is fantastic and looks none the worst for what happened.Your helper is gonna keep that LJ perfect...well done!!! Paul

Great pictures Paul.Mack looks class.A lot of my mates went to Austraila in the 80s when there was no work here.Some came back and the rest I lost track of.....Im thinking I should have went but thats water under the bridge now......oh how old is your Mack? Just interested..... Paul

Me too.I still have truck magazines from 1974 and all my toy trucks,some perfect some not so good but still have them🤣 Paul

It looks fantastic Joey...If I had it I couldnt sell it,its just too nice..... Paul

Happy Birthday Mech...and have many more of them.How do you feel now your 21 plus tax??? Paul

Yeah,the sound of an EMD is something to behold.When I started driving there were still some old locos with 8V645s.We worked them in pairs and the sound of a pair in full cry was pure class.... Paul

Cant say I ever seen one of these engines.In fact CAT sold very few engines over here apart from in their own machines.Foden ERF and Dennison trucks plus all the American trucks were offer with Cat engines and apart from the US makes very few CATs were sold.In fact I believe although offered Dennison never sold a CAT powered truck.Although a great engine they were regarded as a premium product and few would pay the asking price when Cummins Gardener and Rolls Royce offered great engines much cheaper.... Paul

Actualy no we didnt!!!! When I started driving trains the locos had 12V645s and we had no ear muffs but later the company made ear muffs mandatory,even getting moulded ear muffs made for us.New Health and Safety laws were introduced makeing ear protection law.The later locos had 12V710s and "Wisper Cabs" makeing ear muffs redundant.Still love the sound of a Detroit..... Paul

Dont know Paul...I will confess to loving the sound of a Detroit...when I drove haul trucks in a quarry they were Aveling Barfords with 16V71s...and air starters..... Paul

Hard to say no to an R model with that mileage for 5 grand...I'd be tempted !!!! Paul

Starting at the bottom is the best way to learn I think.However with Health and Safety the way it is the way I learned would not be allowed to happen in todays world. Its very important,for me anyway,to not forget where I started and pass on what iv learned to those willing to learn.Also to remember no one knows it all and every day brings new knowledge.... Paul

The honor would be all ours.Yes BMT has been such a postive in our lives too.From meeting great folk like yourself to all the guys who helped with advise and encouragement with our Cruiseliner we dont think we could have done it without you all.Best of luck with your trip to the cardio DR..... Paul

Ah Mech,you have a friend for life.The Princess said we all need to meet up at Macungie some year and have a few cold ones..... Paul

Yeah my Princess loves the Mack.She would go for a trip in it anytime...However she has said a Mistress would be much cheaper🤣 Paul

We are married 36 years today and the Mack rolled off the assembley line 43 years ago today.....Im am very lucky she loves the Mack as much as I do!!!! Im 61 on Sunday and my better half is a year younger than me...... Paul

Hi all, Today is a cause of great celebrations over here.In the picture can be seen the two great loves of my life.One Iv'e been married to for 36 years today and the other is 43 years old today.Guess which is which????

I think one has to be around heavy vehicles/equipment for some time before learning to drive/operate them.In my own case my best friends father owned a bus company.When I was around 11 years old he employed me at weekends/school holidays to wash/clean out the buses.After some time I was shown how to check oil water and grease them.At 12 years old I was allowed to take them from the parking area,wash clean them out check them over fill diesel then park them up for going out to work.It was the best training I ever got.It set me up for life.I now train new train drivers.When a new driver starts,they go through the training school and then come to an appointed mentor driver like me.They work my shifts under my supervision and only after 250 hours and my approval can they take their driving test.Something like this should be applied to truck driving in my opinion.... Paul

Most of Asia too.Vietnam Cambodia Philippines India Sri Lanka Japan Austrailia...Im sure theres a few more.I once read that more than half the world is RHD.Dont know if thats true.....Some of South America was RHD too.My son is married to a Panamanian woman.We went out to stay with her folks 3 years ago and her Dad remembers Panama being RHD... ...to me they drove any side🤣🤣🤣 Paul

I second that....There is no issue running LHD vehicles in Ireland or the UK (only RHD countrys in the Europe) but it sure does make junctions and roundabouts very interesting as Nathen said..We get ,and Im sure the UK gets a lot more,but we get a lot of LHD vehicles over from mainland europe.Everybody just gets on with it....Sadly there is always at least one bad accident every year,usualy involving a tourist who forgets and drivers on the "wrong" side of the road.Many years ago it was proposed to convert to LHD but it hasent happened yet...... Paul

Yeah id say theres a lot of that too.... Paul

They havent done that in the EU...YET but they have made it so expensive few will do it.A big part of that 45%tax is a smoke tax....I mean come on a vintage vehicle doing 2/3000 miles a year is goona ruin the planet.....yeah right... Paul

I agree 100% with you Paul.Its way outta my pocket range....and itd cost 6000$ to ship to Ireland then 45%tax to import.That 45% is payable on the price paid for the truck and the shipping....75k+6k=81k plus 35k tax=116k......OUCH PAUL

I know Joey but its the heart ruleing the head in this case..... Paul