Leyland Octopus


Topic author
essexpete
Posts: 4059
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:43 am
Real name: essexpete
Has thanked: 849 times
Been thanked: 680 times

Leyland Octopus

Post #1 by essexpete » Tue Apr 28, 2020 12:40 pm

https://ok.ru/video/1309621881488

Go to about 1hr 10 mins for some footage of classic 1950s icon (Miss Dors apart!)

User avatar

FOWLER MAN
Posts: 2358
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:28 pm
Real name: fred evans
Has thanked: 1295 times
Been thanked: 1111 times
Flag: Wales

Re: Leyland Octopus

Post #2 by FOWLER MAN » Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:58 pm

Thanks Pete,
Great video. :bow:
The old multi pull handbrake and that large diameter steering wheel brings back memories. :think: You needed the big steering wheel then, the only power steering was your arms. :lol:
I worked on these back in the mid 60s and occasionally got to drive them. :thumbup: The firm I worked for back then had some Octopus flats and a couple of the slightly older model Ex BRS. These had servo brakes and I converted them to the more efficient "hydrovack" system like the later model.
All a very long time ago. :doh:
Fred


Topic author
essexpete
Posts: 4059
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:43 am
Real name: essexpete
Has thanked: 849 times
Been thanked: 680 times

Re: Leyland Octopus

Post #3 by essexpete » Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:30 pm

How did the multi pull work Fred?
I never understood Dad's AEC with a ratchet that was air operated.
Would that Leyland have really pushed over that rough ground or was that 1950s photoshop?

User avatar

FOWLER MAN
Posts: 2358
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:28 pm
Real name: fred evans
Has thanked: 1295 times
Been thanked: 1111 times
Flag: Wales

Re: Leyland Octopus

Post #4 by FOWLER MAN » Thu Apr 30, 2020 5:51 pm

essexpete wrote:How did the multi pull work Fred?
I never understood Dad's AEC with a ratchet that was air operated.
Would that Leyland have really pushed over that rough ground or was that 1950s photoshop?


Hi Pete,
I thought after I posted that someone may ask questions about the multi-pull brake.
The multi-pull was a rod operated hand brake with no power assistance, it therefore required a long lever to multiply, (gear down), the force exerted by the driver.
The lever, above its pivot, needed to be roughly eight or ten times the length of the short end below to achieve the pull required which meant that there was not enough travel at the short end to apply the brake.
The multi-pull allowed the driver to take about three pulls to build the amount of travel required without loosing effort. I'm struggling to explain the workings so I drew this rough sketch to help.
Image
There is a quadrant linking the lever to the rod which operates the brakes. The quadrant has two pawl and ratchet arrangements.
The top one in the sketch engages the quadrant when the lever is pulled and the whole thing moves as one, pulling the brake on.
The quadrant, (bottom), pawl then prevents the quadrant slipping back keeping the brake on whilst the other pawl allows the lever to slip forward and latches on ready for another pull.
There is obviously a release mechanism. This operates when the lever is banged forward to the front of its travel. The release sounded like a gun going off.
I hope you can follow my ramblings.
Fred


Topic author
essexpete
Posts: 4059
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:43 am
Real name: essexpete
Has thanked: 849 times
Been thanked: 680 times

Re: Leyland Octopus

Post #5 by essexpete » Sat May 02, 2020 12:49 am

Amazing how engineers overcome a problem in a given era.

User avatar

XS650
Posts: 1969
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:22 pm
Real name: craig
Location: North Yorks
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 373 times
Flag: Great Britain

Re: Leyland Octopus

Post #6 by XS650 » Wed May 06, 2020 9:21 am

Funnily enough The Long Haul was on the freeview channel Talking Pictures last week. Great channel for old British films and tv series on channel 85.
I enjoyed the film , first time I have seen Diana Dors in a film and thought she acted well.

Anyway back to Leyland Octopusi, on all the rough track scenes I noticed it had been fitted with military Trakgrip tyres on the rear bogie so I would guess it went up into the hills.
Craig
Not all those who wander are lost.


Return to “Trucks/Lorrys”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests