ArtistsRifles Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Any one here know anything about these?? We went to the Amberley Museum the other week and they had 3 Tilley-Stevens Petrol-Electric vehicles there under restoration. On the info boards it said some were supplied to the Army hence the interest. The restoration jobs were a double deck bus, single deck bus and charabanc. Strange concept - the mechanical power of the engine is converted into electrical energy which in turn is converted back into mechanical energy to drive the rear wheels. Seemed a bit wasteful to me but talking to the really old guys working on them it seems the gearboxes of the time were less than reliable and this really was a practical solution to the problem. The system died out of use as gearboxes got more reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Any one here know anything about these?? We went to the Amberley Museum the other week and they had 3 Tilley-Stevens Petrol-Electric vehicles there under restoration. On the info boards it said some were supplied to the Army hence the interest. Neil, Tilling Stevens made trucks for the army during the 1930-40's, specifically for searchlights. The truck could be brought to a halt and the searchlight immediately powered up by the dynamo which powered the truck. They were built in Maidstone. There are a few in preservation, two TS19 trucks used to be seen at rallies in the South of England, owned and restored by a gent from East Kent. On demob they found favour with fairground operators for obvious reasons. There was a later model, called a TS20 searchlight truck, but I seem to think this one had a conventional gearbox, but had a generator driven by the engine for the light. I will have some photos here somewhere and post them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 The other issue of the time was that clutches were made of leather, so the petrol electric system overcame this weakness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Thanks lads - knew I could count on the forum for the answers!! Look forwards to seeing those pic's if you can find them Richard. - the unit's I saw looked very interesting!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Look forwards to seeing those pic's if you can find them Richard. - the unit's I saw looked very interesting!! Neil, Here is one that used to frequent the shows in Kent, since the early 1980's. It is a TS19 model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 The other issue of the time was that clutches were made of leather, so the petrol electric system overcame this weakness. It wasn't just the weakness of early leather cone clutches but the fact that they were either in or out and in the case of buses would result in any standing passengers falling over when moving off. One of my friends has completely restored a Tilling Stevens bus and the smoothness of the transmission is amazing, although the solid tyres can rattle your fillings on uneven roads. TS became part of the Rootes group and designed the famous opposed piston TS3 engines as fitted to Commer trucks. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Thanks Richard - I've some pics of the bus variants from last week -will be interesting to compare the two. Mike - the bus had, I think, pneumatic rear tyres.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowtracdave Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Some where I've got an old book full of pictures of fairground lorries and bits -think it's at mum's will try & dig it out next time I'm there - from what I recall quite a lot of the Tillings-Stevens products ended their days on the showgrounds powering rides . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Richard that Tilling of Bill Hookers if iam correct is the one hauled out of Fairground operater John Forrest yard a few years ago, i remember that as a kid on the show circuit in Kent it towed a wooden box trailer mounted on a ex military Eagle chassis the power source had obvious uses on the showground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Richard that Tilling of Bill Hookers if iam correct is the one hauled out of Fairground operater John Forrest yard a few years ago, Les, It was ex-Forrests, but more than a few years ago, Bill restored it in early 1980's, it was at the Tenterden show, pre-Beltring.........time flies you know . He has another that had been dieseled, P6 I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 The Tilling Stevens searchlight truck was at the Dorset steam fair today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted August 27, 2008 Author Share Posted August 27, 2008 This is one of the three I saw at Amberley: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Time does fly by Richard, yes i remember the Tenterden episode when the surrounding houses complained of the diturbance they probably thought it was the midnight sun and did they not get a complaint from aircraft at one time with the beam of light shining in the flight path Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 This is one of the three I saw at Amberley: Mike - the bus had, I think, pneumatic rear tyres.... OK Neil, what pressure would you like in them?:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted August 28, 2008 Author Share Posted August 28, 2008 The one with pneumatic tyres was in the garage Mike! I got a shot of the nose and thats about it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I have been intending to add to this topic for a while, but have been so busy. No let up in the short term it seems. Anyway, these are cracking photos. I know of another one (a bus) that lives not too far away from me. The truck version was used by the French in WW1. This might be of interest to you: I have had a ride on one. When the thing was going up a hill the engine was racing and you cant help but think "for goodness sake, change gear". Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I have had the great good fortune to be able to ride in a Tilling Stevens petrol-electric bus in Bedfordshire and it is a weird experience. There is no gear lever of course but the current in the field windings can be altered manually to vary the load on the engine. Cruising feels quite normal but going up hills gives the effect of a really badly slipping clutch with the engine revving like mad for only slow progress. Taking away is very smooth as you might expect. However, woe-betide you if you stall the thing because you can't bump it. You have to get out and swing the handle again! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I have had the great good fortune to be able to ride in a Tilling Stevens petrol-electric bus in Bedfordshire and it is a weird experience. There is no gear lever of course but the current in the field windings can be altered manually to vary the load on the engine.Cruising feels quite normal but going up hills gives the effect of a really badly slipping clutch with the engine revving like mad for only slow progress. Taking away is very smooth as you might expect. However, woe-betide you if you stall the thing because you can't bump it. You have to get out and swing the handle again! Steve Steve, if you are talking about the superb red one belonging to Barry W, it had the wrong rear axle ratio for the electric motor which made it sluggish on hills. He may have rectified it by now so I may be wrong. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 Yes, Mike. That was the one. I will ask him about it next time I see him. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Hi Mike. I have just spoken with Barry and it seems that all the buses had the same axle ratio, about 10:1, except those for the LNWR which were lower. It is on record that the passengers often had to push on big hills! On the flat, at up to 40mph, they run at about 450V and 75A. On the steepest of hills, this drops to 100V and 350A. The problem then is with the motor turning so slowly, the cooling fan is ineffective and one can cook the lot! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Hi Mike. I have just spoken with Barry and it seems that all the buses had the same axle ratio, about 10:1, except those for the LNWR which were lower. It is on record that the passengers often had to push on big hills! On the flat, at up to 40mph, they run at about 450V and 75A. On the steepest of hills, this drops to 100V and 350A. The problem then is with the motor turning so slowly, the cooling fan is ineffective and one can cook the lot! Steve Hi Steve Thanks for sorting that out; it was Barry that suggested the diff ratio shortly after he finished restoring it many years ago. Have a look at this which I came across while searching for an answer to Tim's campervan. http://www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/pixv/halford%20petrol%20electric.jpg It seems that petrol/electric was a Kentish fad. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Hi Steve Have a look at this which I came across while searching for an answer to Tim's campervan. http://www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/pixv/halford%20petrol%20electric.jpg It seems that petrol/electric was a Kentish fad. Mike Forgot to mention it is a Hallford from Halls of Dartford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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