Skip to main content

Leyland Super Hippos

More
11 years 11 months ago - 11 years 11 months ago #80350 by Mairjimmy
These Hippos belonged to The North Australian Pastoral Company out Boulia Qld way ,would have being big gear back in the 1950s .Wouldnt mind one of them now
:) :)
Spent 3 nights with one of the drivers at Boulia and Winton after the last big Alice Springs truck show one and half years ago.
Colin

Time to get up andd get going.......todays bad decisions aren't going to make themselves!!!
Last edit: 11 years 11 months ago by Andy Wright.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80351 by atkipete
Replied by atkipete on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
A good looking fleet, Leyland seemed to have their act together in the 50s. Those crates look like something copied from the railways, are they set up for side loading?

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80352 by mammoth
Replied by mammoth on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
That No 6 is a bit odd. The cab looks like it uses the front of Leyland's forward control cab and the bonnet is parallel sides instead of tapering out to cab width at the rear. maybe it is a rebuild of a forward control???

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago - 11 years 11 months ago #80353 by Mairjimmy
Replied by Mairjimmy on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
athipete,They were set up as road trains and it was easier to pull along side of ramp.they were modelled on the railway cattle wagon.Depending on size of the cattle the truck would hold about 12 head and trailer 13
mammoth, 6 of the Hippos are late 40s, ,but looking at truck No 7 in first photo that might be a latter model ,I could be wrong about that ,if so I am sure some one will correct me :-? :-? :-?.
Colin

Time to get up andd get going.......todays bad decisions aren't going to make themselves!!!
Last edit: 11 years 11 months ago by Mairjimmy.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80354 by mammoth
Replied by mammoth on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
The bonnetted version of the Hippo was called the Super Hippo and was introduced around 1948. The cab on No 7 was standard all the way though the 50's until the early 60's when a (slightly) more modern style of front was introduced

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80355 by oldfulla
Replied by oldfulla on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
AtkiPete

The side loading doors/ramp are double - the same as the railway K wagon. And there is no doubt the crates were modeled on the railway cattle wagon of the era.

Even later when they changed over to Mack body trucks - they kept the same style of crate on the truck - but the more convential type on the dog trailers - which I think were 45ft McGraths.

Note - some of the Leylands have single drive wheels/tyres and winchs on the front.


Oldfulla

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80356 by oldfulla
Replied by oldfulla on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
Photo courtsey of Old Australian Macks facebook collection.

While this photo is described differently on the facebook page - I believe these to be the NAP Co fleet of Macks that replaced their Leylands.

A similar partial photo of the same trucks is in the Leader book.

Note - the crates on the trucks are similar to the Leyland ones - and the new dog trailers are unusually long (for the day) - I suspect they are 45 footers. There was of course a few 45ft self tracking dogs operated in the NT.



Oldfulla

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80357 by atkipete
Replied by atkipete on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
Thanks for the info on these. Now one more Leyland question..
What made a truck a "Super" I know we had Hippos and Super Hippos, Comets and Super Comets but what was it just a marketing thing?

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80358 by oldfulla
Replied by oldfulla on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
Pete

While I havent heard of Super Comets - but I know there were Beavers and Super Beavers. And I dont know the difference either - but could it be an engine change (bigger motor = Super)??

Was it the difference between the bonneted and COE versions??

What I do remember is - they were bloody big trucks for their time - not to mention the HUGE steering wheel.

Now getting back to the different cab designs on the NAP Co trucks - there is something deep in my mind about these bonneted Leylands arriving in Aust with only part cabs - floor, firewall, seats and dash, etc - and a Brisbane company called Athol & Hedges being contracted to make and fit the rest!!! And they may well of been wooden framed too. This may have only applied to the earlier version - like NAP Co No6.

Like always ISTBC on this.

Oldfulla reliving the past (again)

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
11 years 11 months ago #80359 by oldfulla
Replied by oldfulla on topic Re: Leyland Hippos
PS to last posting.

That BIG steering wheel can be seen in the first photo. An average sized driver actually looked thru the wheel rather than over it.

Oldfulla - recovering from a seniors moment.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.518 seconds