Non-pedal powered vehicles you drove

[Arch]

I was just prompted to dig out an old photo in another thread, and it got me thinking about stuff I've driven. Like these:

The longer one, at the back, was my favourite. She was called Miss Piggy (they were all named after Muppets, as the first one was christened Kermit due to the colour). She was the biggest vehicle I ever drove, an ex-mobile library. We used to imagine we were Kings of the Road, letting HGV's in on the motorway and exchanging light flashes. Then we'd pull in at services, and realise we were still tiny in comparison. Even pulling the trailer with the 7 seater Circle Cycle on it. We drove hundreds of miles between gigs, and sometimes arrived without having broken down.

But, as two of my colleagues once discussed, you know you're properly grown up when you drive a vehicle, and when you pull up, the brakes go Ker-chssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

The sad thing is that after many years of non-car ownership, I've got very rusty and lost confidence, and NT is very patiently re-training me while he can't drive himself due to his bad leg. Even his estate car seems huge now.

 

[Night Train]

Not the ones in the photos but some of the range of odd vehicles I have driven:

Alvis Stawart

A Churchill tank.

Thorneycroft Antar

AEC Matador timber tractor

A community transport bus

A Thwaites 5 ton 4x4 dumper

A mini digger

A Bobcat

A Crown forklift

I did my Cat C+E lessons in something like this.

My first car was a Ford Escort Mk1 followed by a pair of1970 MGB GTs.
And then a variety of long and short Land Rovers of Series 1, 2, 3 and 110 V8, a selection of Ford Escort Vans of Mk1 and 2 varieties, and numerous other random cars and a Harley Davdson Night Train.

Strangely, as much as I love them, I have never driven a Scammell!

 

[Arch]

Good lord, I didn't realise you'd never driven one!

 

[HovR]

A Caterpillar Skidder (used for dragging/skidding trees from where they've been cut to the trucks for loading). This is just a pic off the internet, but I've driven the same model.

And a SevTec Surveyor hovercraft. (Ever wondered where my screen name comes from?)

I've also driven a 70's(?) Ford fire engine, however I have no pictures of this.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Night train

My father-in-law was an instructor on Stalwarts when he was based in Germany during his time in the Army (some point in the 70's)
He's also driven the Antar

I'd love to have a go at the Antar, or the Matador myself, but sadly I doubt I'll get the chance.

Most enjoyable vehicle I've driven was probably either a friends Land Rover 101FC (both on & off-road), or the JCB 3CX my NHS employer paid for me to be trained in.

As for 'normal' cars, it's a difficult decision between the Jaguar XKR we owned, or a TVR Griffith 500 (still my dream car!!) & a Sagaris

 

[Night Train]

Night train

My father-in-law was an instructor on Stalwarts when he was based in Germany during his time in the Army (some point in the 70's)
He's also driven the Antar

I'd love to have a go at the Antar, or the Matador myself, but sadly I doubt I'll get the chance.

I owned a Matador for a while. It sat on my driveway and the neighbours were not impressed!

The Antar is hard work. The one I drove was a Mk1 with the 18 litre V8 petrol and air assisted power steering. Taking a corner meant having to double declutch down several gears to get the engine revs up so there was enough air to help haul the steering wheel around. Then, as the steering straightened up you have to get back up all the gears to carry on driving before it lost momentum.

Much of the time corners were taken standing up to haul on the wheel while dancing on the pedals and stirring the gear stick!

 

[smokeysmoo]

Cars aside I don't have a particularly exciting driving history TBH

However, +1 for the Thwaites Dumper. Frighteningly powerful when your 16

I've driven a scissor lift like this

and I'm a qualified counter balance FLT driver for my sins, but sadly that won't be getting renewed.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Night-TrainI take it you know about this site??
http://www.the-antar.co.uk/

As for 'off the record' driving (private land/farms/etc...)
The most intriguing, in terms of mechanical oddity was a Field-Marshall tractor
4 litre, single-cylinder, 2-stroke diesel
Started with a (blank) shotgun cartridge, lighted Rizzla paper & a hammer
MAN 8x4 tipper (years ago, when I was about 18, so not sure of the model)

 

[Night Train]

Night-TrainI take it you know about this site??
http://www.the-antar.co.uk/

Not seen that before, thank you.

Arch would like this photo from that site.

Run Mini, run!!!!

 

[mcshroom]

Not as fancy as some above, but this* is the first road vehicle I ever drove, while soing work experience with Yorkshire Traction buses aged 15: -

*Well one like this, a Leyland Leopard

 

[Arch]

Night-TrainI take it you know about this site??
http://www.the-antar.co.uk/

As for 'off the record' driving (private land/farms/etc...)
The most intriguing, in terms of mechanical oddity was a Field-Marshall tractor
4 litre, single-cylinder, 2-stroke diesel
Started with a (blank) shotgun cartridge, lighted Rizzla paper & a hammer
MAN 8x4 tipper (years ago, when I was about 18, so not sure of the model)

I saw that on a TV show a few months back!

Cool Antar pictures!

 

[Arch]

Not seen that before, thank you.

Arch would like this photo from that site.

Run Mini, run!!!!

Spot on, I did love that picture, and my thought was exactly the same as yours!

(I had Mini that colour. Must find the photo!)

I was once riding my bike home from the Chinese Takeaway in York, and pulling away at some lights was aware of A Noise behind me, getting closer. I looked back, and there was an armoured personnel carrier coming down the road behind me, heading for Fulford barracks, complete with chappie sticking out of the turret on top. There wasn't room for them to pass for a while, so I pedalled like hell until there was and then moved left, illiciting a thumbs up from the chappie on top as they rumbled by....

 

[threebikesmcginty]

A small selection, don't drive these any more as I've long since been elevated to the clique.

The last one's a bit of an exaggeration as I was only riding pillion, they wouldn't let me drive it...bah!

 

[Arch]

The last one's a bit of an exaggeration as I was only riding pillion, they wouldn't let me drive it...bah!

That looks fun!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

That looks fun!

S'great, grabs a tree, chainsaws it, strips the branches and cuts it into logs, in about a minute.