Page 2. Shelvoke & Drewry Enthusiasts' Club Magazine - Spring 2010.
THOSE SHELVOKE CABS. Part 3.
By The Editor.
Shelvoke's Fibreglass Shop around 1970. Photo: Bill Smith.
In the 1950's S&D began experimenting with fibreglass which had been developed during the Second World War. Wooden patterns were made and glass fibre matting laid onto them. Resin was then added. It was a pretty labour intensive operation and the smells were strong. The photo above shows a radiator cover being finished off.
By using fibreglass the angular lines of the 'W' type could be replaced by more pleasing curves and for the 'T' type of 1959 fibreglass was used for the cab front, the radiator cover and the cab roof. Old hands at the works wondered about the durability of this new introduction, but time showed that the wooden framed cabs gave as lengthy service as the previous steel clad cabs had done.
For narrow bodied vehicles the fibreglass cab front was continued until the advent of the 'P' series in 1978.
This photo of Clive MacDonald's TZ breakdown vehicle shows the lines of the 'T' series cab. Photo : Peter Jarman.
The 'N' series introduced in 1972 involved a new departure for S&D with a much reduced requirement for the joiners' skills. This is recalled in Part 4 of this series.
Driver's View from the cab.
Looking a bit worse for wear in 2009 this fibreglass fronted cab is still operating in Malta. Jaap Mikkers took the photograph whilst on a visit to the island.