"Hello Brian", says Gyles Carpenter. "I'm sending you this pic in light of Bob Tuck's mentioning of the first Anglo-Scottish run. Kind regards, Gyles."And look carefully and you can see Tucky in the passenger seat too! Now for a quick pie, it's an AEC but what model and year?

Les Freathy has kindly sent me these pictures of Cliffe Construction's F16 four-axle Globetrotter...but where is it now I wonder?

And click through here for Brown and Mason's Volvo low loaders.

Another FH16 too, based on the 'old' FH....

With a big excavator on the back..

And with the jeep dolly and low loader neck...

It's a trailer Jim...but not as we know it  yes this is for real..and click through here for the full-story and equally over-sized vehicles. Only the weirdest wagons on Biglorryblog! 

Well this should frighten Jerry Burley! "Hello Brian" says John 'Kite Marque' Ormandy who I have to thank for these great shots. "Isolated in the desert of the UAE there is a Motor Museum which can only be described as eccentric..." Well it has a 'Super Kenworth' up against a 'normal' Kenworth for starters! Talk about David and Goliath...

John continues: "Some of your BLB army may know more about this than I do, but I took the attached photos of some of the larger vehicles a few years ago. There is a huge collection of mainly cars, (some specially made, many customised) and they are all the very idiosyncratic choice of HH Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al-Nahyan of the Abu Dhabi royal family. I understand that the trailers (yes - including the globe) have been used for camping(!) and hunting trips in the desert, probably pulled by one of the Kenworths."
 
"The over-scale Dodge Pick-Up is drivable, and entry to it is via the underslung ladder."

John adds: "I don't know why it was built;  I suspect the fact it could be done was sufficient for someone who wanted it done!"
 
"More later, John O." Thanks John---it all helps to maintain Biglorryblog's reputation as being home of the bizarre if nothing else!

"Greetings Brian," says Gyles Carpenter..."Evening Star hooked up to 413 at the 2007 Great Dorset!"

Here's a bit of a 'rare beast'....it's from John Pugh who says: "Hi Brian, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park (in your back yard?) has a fleet of ex military 4x4 trucks, fitted out with seats, to operate their "African Experience" tours around the park. Most of them are British Bedford M-Types, but there are at least two of these French Renaults (at least that's what I presume they are - you can just see where the Renault badge used to be on the grille). I think there might be a Volvo in the fleet too." Now click through here for more...

Take a look at these two steel semi-trailer neck sections....notice anything different about them? And you won't need a pie to see it either says Biglorryblog.

As if I needed to tell you the one immediately above has been fabricated using 'normal' S353 steel and has a 12mm flange and 6mm web. More importantly it weighs 50kg. But the one at the very top (as you have already guessed) is made from DOMEX Swedish Steel comes with an 8mm flange and 4mm web and offers superior strength and stiffness whilst weighing just 35kg. Multiply that down the length of the chassis and you save 314kg on just the two main rails---and never mind the cross members. What's more, if you were to use DOMEX Swedish Steel for the entire chassis you could be looking at saving over half a tonne---and that's the kind of weight-saving that any tipper or tanker operator should be interested in.....How do I know this? Well click through here for more......  

I wasn't the only one there who was impressed as there were a couple of big name trailer makers in the audience obviously taking notice....And it's not just on the trailer chassis where you can save weight, but mixer drums too where the Swedish Steel's product can boost payloads and reduce wear too...so remember those names when you're ordering your next trailer DOMEX and HARDOX.

Meanwhile, here's two pictures showing Biglorryblog performing the famous 'bend test' using two identical-size steel strips---except the one on the outside is made from Ultra-High Strength DOCOL steel from SSAB, while the strip underneath is made out a 'normal mild-steel steel---and as you can see the test is being watched with keen interest by my Cocker Spaniel Bertie....who knows a thing or two about steel fabrications

...and behold,  after appyling an equal bending movement to both note.the rebound and stiffness of the DOCOL strip on top showing compared with mild steel one underneath. Obviously Bertie was most impressed....as was Mrs Biglorryblog who took the pictures... And to find out more about the properties and benefits of SSAB/Swedish Steel products I sugest you visit www.ssab.com It could just take a weight off your mind...

I have Gary 'Hop-along Two Hats' to thank for thisfriday morning frivolity...and should you see it in your rearview mirror I'd advise you to pull over. Heaven knows what 'The Sweeney' would have doen with this. Anyroadup what you see here is the 'Ultimate Police Patrol Car' capable of a top speed of 250km/h, which makes it pretty suitable as highway chase cars....and if you want to see more then you'd better click through here lively like..? Snout Guvnor?

Gary tells me "The interior is chock full of integrated police equipment such as an automatic license plate recognition system, 360 degree exterior surveillance capability, controls for a 130hz to 350hz bass siren....

"....night vision compliant interior illumination, integrated forward looking infrared system....

"....integrated shotgun mounts, 'hoseable' backseat and video and audio surveillance of the rear passenger compartment."

"According to the manufacturer - Carbon Motors - The front seat was made to resemble a 'helicopter-style cockpit'."

"And the company reportedly asked for input from nearly 2000 police officers in a bid to make the car 'cop friendly'."  That's all very well Garry but can it beat a Ford Granada or even better a Cortina 3000 GT eh?