Leyland Landtrain

The truck was initially powered by a range of four different six cylinder diesel engines, all of 14 litres (854 in³) capacity. Two were produced by Leyland and two by Cummins, with each range including a less powerful naturally aspirated engine and a more powerful equipped with a turbocharger. The least powerful was a Leyland L12 rated at 158 kilowatts (212 bhp) at 2200 rpm.^[9] The engine was an adaptation of the larger TL12, which had been previously used in the Marathon 2. The TL12 itself was the second engine available in the Landtrain, but in a lower revving version rated at 210 kW (280 bhp) at 2000 rpm and providing ten per cent more torque.^[6] The less powerful of the two Cummins engines was the NHC250 rated at 190 kW (250 hp) and the more powerful the NTE290 rated at 220 kW (290 hp).^[5] The Cummins design featured a "big cam" design that provided better fuel economy.^[9]

Different gearboxes were used depending on the engine fitted. The L12 was matched to the six-speed Eaton 0403 gearbox with overdrive, while the nine-speed Fuller RT09509A or B range-change was used with the TL12 and NHC250. Both were constant-mesh designs.^[6] The NTE290 was initially mated with a six-speed ZFAK6-90 gearbox, but this was replaced by the Fuller unit during production. A Dana Splicer twin plate clutch was fitted.^[8]

Power was transmitted to the wheels in the two axle version through a hub reduction design derived from that used in the Marathon, rated at 13 tonnes (13 long tons; 14 short tons). The three axle version had double reduction to both rear axles. The axles were each rated at 6.5 t (6.4 long tons; 7.2 short tons). The three-seat cab was simple and was not fitted with air conditioning or other modern conveniences.^[6]

Initially, the Landtrain was produced at the Guy Motors factory in Wolverhampton. Production was expected to be 1000 vehicles a year.^[9] Production subsequently moved to the plant in Bathgate in August 1982, which led to the closure of the Wolverhampton plant.^[10] Subsequently, when the Bathgate plant closed in June 1984, production was moved to the Scammell plant in Watford.^[11] In addition to complete trucks, the plants produced Complete Knock-Down (CKD) kits. These were partially completed vehicles which were exported widely to be assembled locally into vehicles.^[12] The Leyland plant in Thika, Kenya, and Ibadan, Nigeria were two of the main plants to receive CKDs.^[13] Vehicles were produced with combinations of engine power and GVW as 19–24, 19–29, 30–24, 30–29, 36-24 and 36–29. These designations were inscribed on the cab door.^[7]

The trucks were popular in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe.^[8] They were used for a wide range of tasks, whether general operations or more specialised work like providing emergency relief in Sudan or helping to rebuild the runway in Port Stanley after the Falklands War.^[14][15] A Landtrain came fifth overall, and first in its class, in the gruelling 1,800-kilometre (1,100 mi) three-day Argungu rally. The sponsor, an Alhaji Chanchanji, gave the prize money to an orphanage near the Leyland factory in Nigeria.^[16]

In February 1987, Leyland merged with the Dutch firm DAF Trucks to form Leyland DAF. Bonneted trucks were dropped from the range and production of the Landtrain stopped following the merger.^[17]