Actros - number 3

There was a third Actors hiding in the Fairview terminal that I didn't see yesterday. It emerged today, also being hauled by a Mills Western Star.

This Actors has an enclosed/tarped box and a big knuckle boom crane on the back. It was also being transported cab facing ahead, unlike yesterday's so that the Merc star is a little more visible. At one time towing trucks facing ahead was a no-no due to unwanted intake into the air filters, but I suspect if this truck was fitted out for Afghanistan it can take just about anything.

Sorry about the light pole shadow, but you don't have much choice with a one chance rolling shot.



Actros rolling out

Two Canadian military Mercedes Actros rolled out of Fairvew today after arriving by ship earlier in the week. The trucks did not roll on their own tires however. They were securely chained down to a pair of Mills Heavy Hauling's trailers and Western Star tractors.
First out was a short chassis, fifth wheel variant, presumably the tank transport version which was ordered to haul the Leopard tanks. Originally Canada rented tanks for use in Afghanistan and some Dutch tractors to haul the tanks until it could get its own.

Next out was the original type, this one with flat bed fitted. While I call these trucks, the military refers to them as the Actros Armoured Heavy Support Vehicle System. The system incorporates several different interchangeable functions on the long wheelbase chassis. The initial order was for 86 of these.

No matter what they are called, they are still impressive 8x8s.

Western Star hauls Simba

Not the future lion king, but a mine drill. This Western Star leased to Fastrax has a newly imported Altas -Copco Simba on deck today. There was some snow on the trailer. None here yet, but it is cold enough and it is coming.

For more on the Simba line see: http://www.atlascopco.ca/caus/news/productnews/120315_atlas_copco_launches_simba_quartet_---_20120320_09_13.aspx

Leyland DAF - a blast from the past

The once proud Leyland Truck name has all but vanished from the world, and it has been many moons since Leyland gave up on the Canadian market in the 1950s . However the name does live on in a very small way.

In 1987 Leyland Trucks Division of the Rover Group merged with DAF Trucks of Holland trading as Leyland DAF in the UK, but still DAF elsewhere. Unfortunately that merger flopped and was declared insolvent, and the two companies spun back off through management buyouts.

In 1996 Paccar Inc (parent of Kenworth and Peterbilt) bought DAF and continued to produce DAF trucks in Eindhoven, Netherlands. In 1998 Paccar bought Leyland, to produce DAF trucks in their Leyland, UK plant. They have since expanded to Brazil, with operations in Belgium.

The Leyland name was obliterated from trucks, except for British military vehicles.

And so the two brand new Leyland DAFs that arrived in Halifax by ship last week must be British military. As the second one left the terminal this morning I was able to identify the body as a glycol recovery unit, manufactured by Beam A/S of Denmark.

No idea what powers the truck (likely a Cummins) and the Beam unit is separately powered, usually with a Mercedes package.  

The truck is right hand drive and is apparently destined for a British military airfield in Canada, just in time for winter. But where would such a base be? The RAF does not acknowledge any base in Canada, but does participate in a NATO training plan, but that is run jointly by the Canadian military and Bombardier. The British Army has a large establishment at CFB Suffield in Alberta, but has no fixed wing aircraft there.
So this is a Truckspotters Alert to keep an eye open for these two units. Today's track was being hauled by Clarke.

White - still going strong

1. Good for getting into tight plasces, this White Road Boss LCF had just delivered asphalt directly to spreader. 

2. Short wheelbase, and set back axle, but still a good sized dump body.

The late lamented White Motor Co has not been producing trucks for a long time. Even after the merger with GMC in 1987 and then takeover by Volvo the name lived on for a time as White/GMC, but to see a truck with the White only badge is certainly a rarity amongst working trucks these days.
The Xpeditor line was developed by White as a lower cost alternative to its more costly Autocar line (thus effectively competing with itself) and produced both conventionals and Low Cab Fowards (LCFs). The Road Boss line were also lighter weight, using a lot of fibreglass components, and also had an LCF, but it was considered to be heavy duty. The White and Autocar shared the LCF cab and were usually seen as trash compactor trucks, but the White Road Boss I saw yesterday has a dump body, and a very short wheelbase for a tandem. It was being used by Ocean Construction in a paving job, and was hauling asphalt. It did look a little out of place with Ocean's usually pristine Volvos.
The White and Autocar LCFs shared the same cab, and it was eventually sold off as the Autocar line by Volvo in 2000 and is still produced by the now independent Autocar LLC.

3. Ocean's usual shiny Volvo is a much bigger truck.

4. Asphalt can be delivered through small pocket doors or the whole tailgate, into the spreader seen in the background.

Is winter coming

This KW from Express Mondor is hauling out of the Fairview Cove container terminal today with a de-icing truck imported from Europe. Winter must be on its way.
The Volvo F-7 is fitted with a Kilfrost de-icing system, with an "elephant" extendable boom and control cab, perhaps bound for an airport in Quebec.

Pete takes a break

I spotted this Pete taking a break at the Aulac Irving Big Stop on Saturday. One of the last generation of non-streamlined Pete COEs, it appears to have seen service as a North American Van Lines tractor at one time. It now runs for Admiral Merchants Motor Freight Inc of Minnesota- a large O/O fleet with an interesting history, see: http://admiral.ammf.com/wps/portal
It is amazing to see some of these old COEs still running, even if they do have some body filler around the headlights.