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Old 29th Jun 2019, 8:44 pm   #1
PaulM
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Default ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Hello.

It never ceases to amaze me who lurks out there on this forum, so this is a longshot, but you never know . . .

Last year, we rescued (yet another) TV outside broadcast truck. This one may have lived on without us, but probably as just a jumbo camper van as she's been for the past 25 years on the Isle of Wight.

OK, those that know about our activities will say - ' . . . but you haven't finished Project Vivat yet!'. That's true, but we're close and you have to think about the next one! For the latest on that one, see: www.projectvivat.co.uk

Back to ABC-Thames as we now call her. This was a knee-jerk 'save it' reaction, but we now know rather more about her history and what a history! It turns out that she was one of three built for ABC TV and the 'middle one' of the series, all substantially similar. Pic 'as now' attached. The design of these trucks was the first longitudinal layout truck (like a corridor train) and carried up to six Marconi MkV Image Orthicon cameras. Now, over and above that, it seems that this was the first all solid-state equipped vehicle and the first of the series was ITV's contribution to the World Cup final at Wembley in 1966. First ask - does anybody have a copy of the ITV/BBC booklet of which we only have a scan of the cover picture (attached), please? This booklet would be very revealing.

'Firsts' are dangerous - somebody will always prove you wrong - but, hey, so far that's not happened and the third 'first' claim is that of being the first HDTV equipped vehicle in 1986. After being re-worked for colour with Marconi MkVIIs by Thames TV after they took over ABC, she eventually passed to Sony who re-equipped for HDVS. Fortunately, within my collection I have one of the very early 5:3 aspect ratio cameras and monitors of the type that would have been fitted. What we don't have is any pictures of the interior from that period. Anybody out there know/have anything, please? She spent sometime in Italy doing demos of HDVS and that could yield a lead.

The first of the three was scrapped, ours became a camper van, and the third is sitting in a scrap yard in New York complete with 'Green Cross Code' decals. How that came to be, we have no idea.

One can picture the BBC's reaction to this sleek 'Lady Penelope' twin steer pulling into Wembley for the World Cup. What a quantum shift in design compared to BBC Main Fleet of the day and just a few years between them. The man responsible was Howard Steele, ex-Marconi who moved to ABC and then from Thames went to the IBA and then on to run Sony Broadcast, tragically dying quite young. To have 'his' vehicle built, he pulled strings with his old colleagues at Marconi's and as good as forced them to build on the Bedford VAL twin steer coach chassis (body by RTS of Hackney). The weight distribution problems were huge, but they did it and it set the trend for decades to come.

The above is just a condensed version of what we know so far, but what a game-changer for OBs! We've started by ripping out the camper van kit and the Sony false floor. See: www.becg.org.uk under 'projects' and GNF 951E.

Any photos, information and stories most welcome!
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Old 29th Jun 2019, 10:22 pm   #2
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

I'm very puzzled as to how one of them finished up in New York. It must have cost a fortune to ship it over there, and it obviously wouldn't have been much use as an OB truck in the US. If somebody just wanted a bus sized truck for conversion, there are plenty of those already there, and LHD too. I can only think that it must have been imported by a TV enthusiast who wanted a British OB truck and planned to restore it, and the plans came unstuck somehow.
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Old 29th Jun 2019, 10:37 pm   #3
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Here's the other picture we have that's supposed to be in New York. That one went to Racecourse Technical Services after Thames.

Also attached, a contemporary magazine article. The BBC must have been gob-smacked! Really quite a machine and we had no idea until recently.

Best regards,

Paul M
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Old 29th Jun 2019, 11:20 pm   #4
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Does anyone know for sure what's inside the truck in the New York scrapyard? If of course it's still there! It would seem strange it just sitting there still with it's British number plates- surely somebody would have had them away as a souvenir of a British vehicle?

Cheers
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Old 29th Jun 2019, 11:46 pm   #5
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Are you sure it wasn't New York, near Boston in Lincolnshire?
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 12:02 am   #6
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Oh yes, I know of New York on the way to Boston - I'm Lincs born and bred!

We don't know for sure that it's New York state, but that's come from a reputable source. We also have some pics of the inside and it's clearly an OB truck with mains distro at the back (where it should be on these units). If somebody has seen this in the UK, we're all ears, but at the moment we're going with USA.

Wherever that one is, doesn't help with GNF 951E very much and it's that one which we're really interested in as it's sitting here near Lincoln for sure . . .

Best regards,

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Old 30th Jun 2019, 12:20 am   #7
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

There was something about the vegetation surrounding that truck that somehow looked more like Lincolnshire fen land scrapyard than America.

I've often wondered given your name whether you're a son of the chap that used to have a TV repair shop in a village not far from Lincoln? If you are, I well remember the lattice aerial tower you had in your garden with a GPE27 antenna or similar on top.
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 12:27 am   #8
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

No, sorry. I'm from Scunthorpe originally (somebody has to be . . .) and son of a Customs and Excise officer - a long way from TV!

Our 'source' on this is from what you might call the 'vehicle fancy' and is in a position to know (but could be wrong, of course).

Having spent a lot of time in the USA, I find that vegetation looks pretty much like that in the UK - at least in the 'green' bits of the country!

The pics are quite old, so who knows. In any case, there's unlikely to be anything useful as the internal pics show advanced decay and little left.

Best regards,

Paul M
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 12:37 am   #9
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Ah, the chap of your namesake was a well respected TV engineer back in the day and had two sons as far as I remember.

I could also be wrong on this, but I think you've been on TV on the Antiques Roadshow demonstrating a vintage TV camera some time ago, IIRC?

I love the TV outside broadcast trucks and always enjoy watching your progress as you've documented it.
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 1:13 am   #10
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

I have just looked on google maps and there is indeed a large vehicle with a light blue roof up against the hedge on the edge of the car park associated with a car part importers warehouse. It is between RAF Conningly and Boston.
Perhaps a scout could be sent to see if it is indeed there.
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 8:57 am   #11
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

The vehicle with the blue roof doesn't look long enough and if you look on Bing maps it's no longer there.

Peter
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 10:12 am   #12
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

The other New York may be a little harder to search....

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Old 30th Jun 2019, 12:05 pm   #13
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

How lovely!

What's the platform? I'm guessing Bedford.
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 1:04 pm   #14
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

She's a Bedford VAL 14 with the Leyland 500 engine. Our 'Southern' truck is a also a Bedford VAL, but the later VAL 70 with the Bedford 466 engine. That one has the 'standard' Plaxton coach front. See: https://becg.org.uk/projects/southern-television/

The twin-steer VAL is a particular favourite in the vehicle world, having associations with the Beatle's Magical Mystery Tour coach and the Caetano bodied one hanging over the cliff in The Italian Job

Lady Penelope's Rolls Royce with twin steer is also from that period and associations are made with that.

It's an interesting chassis and very distinctive. At the moment, as an empty shell, it goes very well . . .

Plans are now being made as to what will go in it in terms of the tech re-fit. Much of the rear-end racking is still there and had been the kitchen area when a camper van, so we're not starting from complete scratch. Amazingly, all the air con is still there too and it seems to work a treat.

Best regards,

Paul M
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 2:53 pm   #15
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

I think the southern one is better looking with the cheerful "we are going on a nice trip" styling from the coach front.
The twin-steer chassis is not the easiest for getting off a muddy show ground though with its single driven axle.
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 3:30 pm   #16
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

"Chinese Six" axle disposition was popular with brewery trucks where there was the problem of successive drop-offs shifting weight distribution progressively forwards and unfavourably loading a single set of steered wheels already carrying heavy engine and gearbox. Quite a few OB trucks also adopted it where it seemed to be part of the design brief to push weight capability to the limits in the days of traditional linear 50Hz PSUs...
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 4:52 pm   #17
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Some responses -

Yes, it was me on Antiques Roadshow at Lincoln Cathedral with a Marconi MkIII and a MkII as used at HMQ's Coronation in 1953.

'Southern' is a very <friendly> truck to look at and easy for visitors as the through traffic can be managed as people move 'down the bus'. Lots of people smile when they see the Plaxton front end!

The problem with the longitudinal layout is the lateral (side to side) balance with all the monitor stacks against one side. They are balanced by all the AVRs and aircon being on the opposite side under the floor. 'Southern' is, we now realise, the company's own in-house interpretation of ABC's radical design. BBC Type 2s (and beyond) also copy this longitudinal, compartmentalised approach.

This link takes you to Sony HDVS days - down at the docks in Dover: https://www.***********/photos/55286387@N05/22827636575

Somewhere along the way, she lost her Marconi/RTS skirts with the classic Greyhound Bus style ribbing. They're gone in this picture and how she is today with just flat aluminium (the originals were Duralumin). Why the removal? Cheapskates fitting aluminium instead too! 'Southern' is nearly all fibreglass. The reason given is that the Northam Studios OB base was built on reclaimed land and quite damp. Fibreglass doesn't corrode. Our Yorks Tyne Tees is all Duralumin but Project Vivat (ex-BBC MCR23) is just plain aluminium and has had some rot issues, especially where it meets steel.

Best regards,

Paul M
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 5:31 pm   #18
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

Although on the same site, Southern's OB workshop/garage was built next to the original cinema - this was not reclaimed land. The studio building was built on the 'far side' of the railway line that ran through the site and all that land is reclaimed.

I'm not sure I'm understanding references to the van you've obtained becoming an HDTV demo van. Is this the van that was driven around the country to various ITV sites to demonstrate HDTV? The one that had 4 Sony 1" VTR machines locked in sync during replay each giving a quarter of the displayed picture?
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 6:37 pm   #19
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

The reclaimed land is still very close to the OB garage and that was the reason we were given for fibreglass plus the general proximity of the sea on a lot of jobs.

We do not yet know what was on board the truck when in Sony service beyond 'HDVS' on the side and some information gleaned from some paperwork still on board relating to dates:

09/02/1984 Registered to Sony
11/10/1984 to 10/11/1984 Insurance Card to Sony with Driver Mr A. Payne (possibly to Italy)
19/04/1985 Import Licence for HD demo goods
15/09/1986 Dept. Of Roads, Trieste area; Permission to transit a long, heavy vehicle
16/10/1986, Permit to Demonstrate during visit of President, in conjunction with RAI up to 19/10/1986
12/11/1990 registered to John Collins (i.e. sold by Sony)

What we're looking for is a picture of the inside in this period and some clues as to what they were doing with it. I had heard a rumour about 4 locked VTRs but that's not confirmed.

Best regards,

Paul M
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Old 30th Jun 2019, 7:39 pm   #20
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Default Re: ABC OB truck rescued - GNF 951E

If its a Bedford VAL 14 it will have the smaller brake drums compared to the VAL70 so you might have to think about that with the weight in it, luckily it having a Leyland 400 the engine parts are sort of still easy to get and sometimes if I remember you can use a 401 as well
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