Martin 'Keeper of the Flame' Phippard has been in touch with Biglorryblog to say: "Hi Brian, please find the first of several rather nice bonneted 8x4 tippers or dump trucks from La Belle Province of Quebec in Eastern Canada. I though that they are just that little bit unusual." I agree MP!
Martin continues: "These pictures were all taken by Robert Lafreniere and appeared recently on Hank's Truck Pictures (a CANADIAN site!) Needless to say, I do have the necesary permission to pass to you for BLB provided of course that you credit the source as usual" My pleasure Martin, and thanks to Robert. Martin says: "I will ID the trucks as we go along. The first (attached) is an IH/Navistar with a neat little tandem axle 'pony' trailer followed by a Ford L8000 8x4. regards,Martin."
Next, says Martin "Is a neat little Sterling, successor to the true Ford. Unfortunately we won't be seeing many more of these." And in case you don't get it go back to recent BLB posts on Sterling.
Now a rather tired old International S-Line that Marton reckons "...must be about 20-years old I suspect!"
"I like this chunky Kenworth T-800 8x4 powered by a CAT diesel." says Martin. And so does BLB...
Sturdy old Mack DMM 6866EX still hard at work.
And just for good measure a Peterbilt although I don't have the model number. How about BLB readers? Now click through here vfor a couple more of these bonneted behemoths!
"Et finalment," says martin with a flourish. "Just because we know you like Western Star, a nice example of one of theirs too. Just for the record 8x4 twin-steer bonneted tippers have been popular in Quebec since the mid/late 1970s and most are conversions rather than factory-built although Mack and KW have always offered a factory-built model."
And just to show that we have no favourites, a Freightliner conventional 8x4 tipper....thanks for these Martin. I must say that bonneted eight-leggers do look weird! Give me a cabover any day.
Thanks for the great images, we have run these type of axle set up "down under" a good number of years, started by the concrete haulers to boost the tonnes delivered so the conventional body trucks here also use triaxle drive and more common a tag coaster axle as the third at the rear,.
Once again a few of our ozzie members may provde pictures as I am back out in camp ready of shift first thing in the morning.
Mack truck in the old days when Max Evans and other greats of local truck design where on the front line there where a number of tri axle rears and twin steer conventional truck used here for all sorts of task's, both R and F series Mack had these layouts engineered as did a few Atkinson and Leyland heavy vehicles mostly for north western Qld, the Northern territory and the wilds of western aust'.
R.D.F Roades of Western Aust had a issue with four Scammel Contractors that where said to be heavy over the steering axle thus his every ready shops mounted a second steering axle under these monsters and off to work they went as the only 8 by four to be seen.
Both western transport and Bell bros had tri axle drive R model Flintstone stell front Macks in their heavy haul line up as did Brambles heavy haul..nothing much is new just worked over and reissued.
keeping the lights on
Ray jay
Great looking photos Martin with a lot of spread on some of those twin steer setups. I would like to see photos of those 5 axle Macks Ray if you can get your hands on them.
RayJay - Was that the same Rhodes from Kewdale that built the Rhodes-Ridley? And apparently the bare bones of those 8x4 Scammell Contractors are sitting in a yard somewhere just East of Geraldton on the road to Yalgoo, WA according to some mates of mine.
Pete, any thanks due should go to Robert Lafreniere and Hank Suderman. I am just the messenger on this occasion!
Still around in Ontario (next door to Quebec, Martin) are lots of older Mack ready-mix trucks with the narrower spread between steering axles, as per photo above.
More commonly with bonneted dump trucks in Ont.(tippers to you) an 8X4 comes with a non-steering, lift axle mid-way between 1st & 3rd axles. I'm told the driver has to remember to lift 'em going round corners, or are they putting me on?
However, twin-steer 8-leggers are appearing more often (and about time too, say I).
Yes Akipete Rhodes is the correct spelling, us old timers recall those contractors as qiute the event when comissioned and as you will know the Rhodes Ridley has been restored by one of the fellows that worked for DRF and assembled that huge truck , its on a down under truck video some wheres very impressive unit and more so when you factor the time frame.
Im out on the coal mine that I work on in centeral Queensland so dont have my collection at hand but sure in the stores I will have pictures of some of the older ones.
To my mind one of the most impressive builds was Max Evans of Mack truck Aust' when a set of four super tractors where made in Brisbane Queensland for the Shay gap mine to recover a deposit too far for haul trucks thus these one off Macks where made. On 24" rubber twin steer centre mount R model cab ENDTB866 V8 mack diesels @375 hp three with 12 speeds and ther last with a 750 Allison auto dragging huge 100 ton payload rear dump semi trailers a for runner of modern off road super size dumps. Huge box frames and 60K Mack rears on solid beam camel back .. great stuff
The mystery Pete is a 335. That's an unusually heavy spec for a "medium duty" Pete.
Hey there. I am from quebec city. Twin steer dump truck are not unusual. In my dad compagny there at least 50% of the truck are twinsteer. a compagny in charlevoix (QC) that take truck and add a other axel under the front end. Just google emanuelle simard suspension and you should find some more pic