This happened down the road from me.
Cheers
Fred WB
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[Edited on 14/10/05 by Fred W B]
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OH LORD WONT U BUY ME A MERCEDES BENZ!
First day on the job?
Funniest thing I ever saw was on the highway between Jo'burg and Durban.
There was a chassis of a coach, complete with engine in the back and all the running gear, but with absolutley no bodywork or lights, driving down the
road.
The driver was way up high in the seat, holding onto the steering wheel, wearing full leathers and a helmet.
Only in South Africa?
Mike
they still do that on long bus chassis- cheapest way to deliver 'imported new chassis from coast to inland bodybuilders as they wont fit easily
on the back of another truck
Cheers
Fred WB
[Edited on 14/10/05 by Fred W B]
Driving buss's chassis to the coach works was common in the UK, it's how they deiliver the chassis... I suspect it's not done anymore
as we don't build em anymore??
[Edited on 14/10/05 by Bluemoon]
A few years ago i saw a transporter on it's side laiden with new (not so new now!) cars in Leatherhead right next to a roundabout. Going too fast maybe???
Ouch!
Serves em right 
I came across an overturned sheep transporter in a place called Wool (Dorset) funnily enough on my way home from work last year. Although another
wagon was there to recommence the transportation they were still rounding them up as I was passing!
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Funniest thing I ever saw was on the highway between Jo'burg and Durban.
There was a chassis of a coach, complete with engine in the back and all the running gear, but with absolutley no bodywork or lights, driving down the road.
The driver was way up high in the seat, holding onto the steering wheel, wearing full leathers and a helmet.
Only in South Africa?
Mike
Fred may remember the Train that derailed at Nottingham road with a few hundred new Toyotas that got trashed.
They just lined them up in the local school playground and did an auction there on site. Bet theres a fair few of those still running round africa
.
As you say only in africa
To save costs in 1996, Spoornet removed the guards’ vans. Soon afterwards, some vehicles on the last wagon of a train near Elandsfontein had
its lashings loosened in what was believed to be a hijack attempt. It would have been fairly straightforward to use planks as a ramp. Fortunately, no
further attempts were reported. Stopping the train en-route, either due to derailments or accidents, always caused headaches, as they were extremely
vulnerable to pilferage, concentrated stoning or sheer vandalism.
From 1987 until 1991, a type of spasmodic staining occurred to the vehicles loaded on the top decks behind the locomotive on the Aloes trains. For a
period of two years, an empty SCL wagon was fitted as a buffer. It was eventually established that grease from the overhead cable lines was collecting
on the locos, only to be trailed onto the front vehicles when it rained. Cleaning the loco roofs and reducing the grease application eventually
resolved this frustrating problem.
Rusty decks also caused damage with the rain washing off the upper decks and smearing the new vehicle’s carried below. Sagging overhead power
cables occasionally shorted out and caused nasty burn marks on the cab roofs, especially at tunnels and during summer. Appeals of bad maintenance were
always made and reimbursement was sometimes successful. There were three occurrences when the loading ramp came loose during the loading operation
although only one vehicle was badly damaged when it fell through the gap.
There was a major derailment on 15 January 1982 at Nottingham Road, Natal. Two more followed over the years, one of which was fortunately an empty
train.
[Edited on 14-10-05 by mangogrooveworkshop]
quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
Fred may remember the Train that derailed at Nottingham road with a few hundred new Toyotas that got trashed.
They just lined them up in the local school playground and did an auction there on site. Bet theres a fair few of those still running round africa .
As you say only in africa
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Funniest thing I ever saw was on the highway between Jo'burg and Durban.
There was a chassis of a coach, complete with engine in the back and all the running gear, but with absolutley no bodywork or lights, driving down the road.
The driver was way up high in the seat, holding onto the steering wheel, wearing full leathers and a helmet.
Only in South Africa?
Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Funniest thing I ever saw was on the highway between Jo'burg and Durban.
There was a chassis of a coach, complete with engine in the back and all the running gear, but with absolutley no bodywork or lights, driving down the road.
The driver was way up high in the seat, holding onto the steering wheel, wearing full leathers and a helmet.
Only in South Africa?
Mike
A local company used to build bodies on bare chassis's was a regular site at one time to see drivers in the open in the middle of winter. Also a few years ago, maybe 5 or 6 there was a ship that sunk in the English channel that was loaded with I think several hundred new BMW cars . The wreckage was later hit by another couple of ships.
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Funniest thing I ever saw was on the highway between Jo'burg and Durban.
There was a chassis of a coach, complete with engine in the back and all the running gear, but with absolutley no bodywork or lights, driving down the road.
The driver was way up high in the seat, holding onto the steering wheel, wearing full leathers and a helmet.
Only in South Africa?
Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Russ-Turner
First day on the job?
How about this - trailer full of vintage Porsche speedsters totalled at a railway crossing:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=182285&perpage=20&pagenumber=1
If your on the a64 on a monday morning chances are youll see several chassis jokeys travelling up to Plaxtons from the midlands, I used to see them regular in the winter months with about six coats on and motorcycle helmets whilst i was on my way to work
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Funniest thing I ever saw was on the highway between Jo'burg and Durban.
There was a chassis of a coach, complete with engine in the back and all the running gear, but with absolutley no bodywork or lights, driving down the road.
The driver was way up high in the seat, holding onto the steering wheel, wearing full leathers and a helmet.
Only in South Africa?
Mike
quote:
Originally posted by robertwa
How about this - trailer full of vintage Porsche speedsters totalled at a railway crossing:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=182285&perpage=20&pagenumber=1
ChrisJLW,
Never saw the chassis's being driven, though did see a rather amusing? mishap on that road. Dead straight road with lorry on it's side.
Figure that one out.
Did you live there - I was out there from Dec '73 - Jan '75.
ATB
Simon
Lived in Kenya from 79-83 ish and have been back a number of times since. I saw the trucks when I was there in 2002.
Mishap was probably due to the chunks that are usually missing out of the sides of the road.
[Edited on 17/10/05 by ChrisJLW]