Aberdeen Booster

[billyboy]

how many of you older drivers remember using the "Aberdeen Booster" in them far off days?

When you truck was struggling to make 35mph with a screaming Gardner. Suddenly, a downhill bit of road, Knock it into neutral and let her roll down the4 hill at anything up to 50 mph (fast that was after hours at 35 mph)
And, did any of you come unstuck by doing so

[Mr Scammell]

Also known as Aberdeen overdrive.

[dmackay]

Used to be a bit north of Perth we called it the "electric brae"

[les turnbull]

i remember in the mid 80s driving an old bristol double decker were the steering wheel would shake your false teeth out at any thing over 45mph. Also remember an old bristol RE dual purpose with a big engine that would do 70 but the steering shake would soon have u drop back down below 60mph.

Theres a downhill streatch on the m74 after lockerby were i used to get up close to 70 with the clutch diped when i used to go up to newlands in the middle of glasgow 4 times a week
This is in modern trucks with modern brakes of course.

[Mandator]

Also known as "silent seventh" and yes I came unstuck somewhere between Bridgend and Porthcawl on the old A48.I had an AEC MK3 8-legger tanker and I let her go down a bank so I could have an easy run up the other side.

Should have kept a better lookout. The police car that stopped me must have been right up my a***,and the copper told me I was doing 62 mph which was 22mph over.He gave me the biggest bollocking I've ever had and let me go! I couldn't believe it.Maybe he felt sorry for me in that old AEC.
Sometimes the gods were with you,more often than not they weren't.

[billyboy]

Heard a story once of a driver who had a small glass pannel in the cab floor and a mirror on the front axle so he could see the copper hiding in his blind spot. Think the old Gardner men used to stick a mirror in the cab roof vent to spot patrol car roofs in the blind spot too

[Mandator]

Originally Posted by les turnbull

i remember in the mid 80s driving an old bristol double decker were the steering wheel would shake your false teeth out at any thing over 45mph. Also remember an old bristol RE dual purpose with a big engine that would do 70 but the steering shake would soon have u drop back down below 60mph.

Theres a downhill streatch on the m74 after lockerby were i used to get up close to 70 with the clutch diped when i used to go up to newlands in the middle of glasgow 4 times a week
This is in modern trucks with modern brakes of course.

I seem to recall that sometime in the 70s the courts were fining speeding wagon drivers £1-00 for every mph over 40mph on the A74,anybody recall that?