Jack Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Interestingly on 'Dave' channel tonight J Clarkson ( who smokes B&H and has an Lightning interceptor in his garden) was in Oz and interviewed the guy who built the first 'Road train' which composed of 4 trailers that each took 6 months to build. Each trailer could carry 25 beef cattle :shocked: Pulling this road train was a Diamond T prime mover... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Interestingly on 'Dave' channel tonight J Clarkson ( who smokes B&H and has an Lightning interceptor in his garden) was in Oz and interviewed the guy who built the first 'Road train' which composed of 4 trailers that each took 6 months to build. Each trailer could carry 25 beef cattle :shocked: Pulling this road train was a Diamond T prime mover... Jack, That would have been Kurt Johanssen. The trailers were self tracking with a 4-wheel bogie at each end. The DT was a prime mover with lengthened chassis, so that it could also carry a load. He re-engined it with a GM 6-71 two stroke diesel, apparantly after the war, there were heaps of these engines in the surplus sales in Darwin. I will dig some photos out, one of Kurt's DT's is in preservation at the Road Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs. The last time I was there, they fired it up, the silencer is a huge bomb casing ! Kurt wrote a book about his life in the outback and the transport pioneering days, fascinating. He has converted a car to run on wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 The first photo is of Kurt's truck, Bertha being restored in the museum, they were cutting it fine as it had to be in a parade in two weeks time. The second photo is of another Kurt's DT trucks, the outer rear wheels are missing. The body is a flat tray, with cattle body clamped on to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julezee001 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 What's the name of the second DT? After Bertha ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 What's the name of the second DT? After Bertha ?? Jules, It might well be "Wog", although it was not written on the truck, he mentions it in his book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynx42 Rick Cove Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Interestingly Richard, Bertha has a Mack rear end as well as the GM6-71. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I think the book is called "Son of the Red Centre", a fascinating tale. Read it, and then remember it next time you curse the main dealer for having to wait until the next day for your truck parts delivery :whistle: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Interestingly Richard, Bertha has a Mack rear end as well as the GM6-71. Hi Rick, I was not aware about the Mack back end, but not surprised, those old truckers would do anything to keep the vehicles going. Kurt built his own trucks in the pre-war days assembling them from parts off Thornycroft, AEC, Leyland, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I think the book is called "Son of the Red Centre", a fascinating tale. Read it, and then remember it next time you curse the main dealer for having to wait until the next day for your truck parts delivery :whistle: Thats the book, really opens your eyes to the conditions they had to endure, with climate, no roads and less than suitable trucks at the time. There is another book, which I lent to someone and lost track of who, called "To the Back and Beyond" (?), Rick will no doubt correct me on the title. It is about the mailmen in southern Australia, who were hauliers contracted to carry the mail to outlying properties and communities. Mainly prewar, the tricks they got up to to get a broken truck going again while stranded in the bush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I think the book is called "Son of the Red Centre", a fascinating tale. Read it, and then remember it next time you curse the main dealer for having to wait until the next day for your truck parts delivery :whistle: Have you a number for this book :??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 Have you a number for this book :??? Sure have, Mark ISBN 0 646 13304 7 paperback ISBN 0 646 13303 9 hardback A Son of "The Red Centre" by Kurt Johannsen Published in Australia 1992 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 OK - that is impressive Richard! Never would of thought someone would of actually of known about it, let alone seen it! The DT that you have a picture outside is the one that was on the TV. Would like to know what the total weight of the road train was, loaded. How many miles to the gallon it done and how many diffs he went through...............! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Would like to know what the total weight of the road train was, loaded. How many miles to the gallon it done and how many diffs he went through...............! Jack, I cannot find any weights in the book, there is a photo of Bertha and three trailers, loaded with 1,150 45 gallon oil drums on. All empty, but they were collected from wartime airfields in the North for re-use by the oil companies. Other photos show steam railway engines and rolling stock loaded. He had a Rogers tank transporter trailer, which he lengthened to 75 feet for large loads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Cubed Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 Found these some more big road trains, see the youtube one as well.. http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/02/huge-off-highway-road-trains.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.