Leyland Buffalo: What's the Story?

A bit of revision on leyland names; Beaver =4 wheel, Hippo = 6 wheel, octopus= 8 wheel. That was in the heavy range. Comet was altogether a lighter truck. The post war 600 and 680 cu inch motors produced 125 and 150hp respectively until they were upgraded and called power plus producing 140 and 200hp respectively (british hp =american pony or about 10% more). The 680 was lightly turbocharged in the late '60s called the 690 and giving 240hp. The 680 had a further development to 220hp in the 1970's and called the TL11. As an aside was the 6 wheel twin steer Leyland Steer so called the emphasis was on steering or because it was a Bull (a prewar model name) with something missing?

Mammoth,

About the names I agree with you in so far as English Leylands were concerned but in Israel Leyland Ashdod badged trucks in accordance with its own logic and some of the offerings were unique, hence the confusion...

This thing is either a Leyland Clydsdale or Chiftein (depending on GVW rating). Bodywork is GRP.




(all rights to the pics: Haim Shabtai from the Israeli K-W forum i.start.co.il/groups/kenworth/forum/default.aspx - Hebrew only...)

But the thing on the right is also a Chiftein/Clydsdale (with headlight arrangement I believe only seen in Israel). Again, cab is GRP. To confuse matters it also has an Albion badge stuck on. The grill is missing but it was not like anything you'd see on Pommy ones (not slats but a honeycomb pattern)



This is a Leyland Super Beaver (the last model produced. I know it looks a bit like an AEC Mogul but not a drop of AEC in it), most likely with the 200hp 680 (there were some 690 turbos). Steel wings, GRP everything else:



(last two pics thanks to srulik500).

Then (like in Oz) we had Leyland Contractors, Leyland LD55s and Finnish Beavers which were really Scammells, AECs and Sisus...

I'll stop before you get a headache

Cheers

T

Thanks Tatra, some really creative cab work there. I didn't mention Cheiftans etc because they are really Albion. Likewise the boxer is really BMC. Leyland thought they were being clever but the badge engineering only helped to pull em down the slippery slide even faster.
Going back to the Albion 900 motor. It was originally built in 1956 as a industrial/marine engine. By 1958 there was a horizontal version which was aimed at railcar application. Apparently the original design and prototype was by Leyland but Albion did all the development work. Although it had plenty of cubes its design parameters would have made it a pretty unresponsive motor. Has anyone driven one of the existing Buffalos to give us an idea of how they go?

Mammoth,

I totally forgot about the Boxers and the other BMC-cabbed ones which we also had althought these I believe were imports as by that time Leyland's Ashdod plant was taken over by Mack to assemble Flintstones (see here: hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1251663286 ). The strangest thing to come out of the halls of that factory was the... Ashdod which was a Super Beaver chassis and axles but with Mack cab/engine/box :o Only three were made.

To go back to the Leyland 900: I did not realise this was an original Leyland design, I always thought the prototype was by Albion and "Leylandised" when Leyland took over the Scots. I had some correspondence with Atkipete and he reckons the gearing was wrong. I ask myself again whether there reliabilty issues with them also like with the later AEC 1100. The Poms were very good coming out with designs which were basically right but developement was not something they really bothered with...

Cheers

T

I only know of two bonnetted Buffalos still around and both have the original motor so those two have lasted. When trucks were low geared, and most Pommie ones were, it was easy to blow the motor up going down a big hill.

I dont know my buffalo from my elbow, so what was this one we saw at Beaufort last year???



Sarge :-X

Sarge,

That's a Buff for sure - saw a pic of that particular truck before...

Cheers,

T

well, this is a rough snap of the control panel.... and the office space


Sarge :-X

Looks Like it could do with a bit of a detail Sarge

Looks Like it could do with a bit of a detail Sarge,maybe a bit of spray and wipe on the dash,and some Aumourall on the seats.