288:, being able to face in either direction. Their controls were a screw handbrake on a prominent cast-iron pillar in front of them (moved rearwards on diesels), a long gear lever and a foot-operated clutch. The throttle was operated by a pedal using the driver's right foot. The original model 'R' Rail-Truck was fitted with the same 600 cc JAP engine of 4–6 bhp as the Auto-Truck. A later 'RT' model was fitted with a 980 cc v-twin engine of 9.8 bhp, later, 1, 2 & 3 cylinder Lister diesel 'LD series' engines were fitted from new without engine bonnets, and with the brakewheel moved to the driver's right hand side.
237:
60:
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197:, the Lister single cylinder LD1 or twin cylinder LD2 engines of 3.5 or 7 bhp @ 1800 rpm. The LD engines were already shrouded around their flywheel, cooling fan and the cylinder head fins and so there was no longer any need for the distinctive Auto-Truck engine cover or front plate. These late machines also used leaf spring front suspension, where the bearing ring was supported on the engine group by a pair of leaf springs. This gave much better isolation between front wheel bumps and the chassis, but the high
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after long wear. A ring of rolled channel girder was attached to the engine group and rollers on the chassis carried the load upon this. On early Auto-Trucks this bearing is set very low, in line with the chassis members, and is covered by thin steel plates. The front panel of the engine cover is distinctive with large ventilation holes and a Lister signature cut through it. Strangely this panel is made of thick
144:. Controls included a hand throttle, a gear lever with two forward and one reverse gears, and a large handbrake lever. The engine unit rotated freely for a full 360° rotation. When used in reverse, the Auto-Truck could either be driven from the saddle, looking backwards over the driver's shoulder; or they could dismount, swivel the engine unit around and control it as a pedestrian-controlled truck from behind.
259:
and Lister were keen to gain a share of their post-war market. With suitable gearing, even a small engine could pull a usefully heavy load on rails, although with limited speed. The "Rail-Truck" locomotives that Lister produced were some of the lightest locomotives available and so were particularly
75:
and the stationary engines for which Lister were already known. These were tricycle vehicles, with the single leading wheel used for both drive and steering. Their simple construction carried most of the mechanism on this wheel as a single unit, the chassis with the trailing wheels being little more
119:
The Auto-Truck was designed for use in factories or other places with smooth surfaces of concrete or tarmac. This allowed the use of small solid-tyred wheels with only simple suspension, making the vehicle simple, cheap and lightweight. They had little ability on soft surfaces though and could even
50:
petrol engine). A narrow-gauge rail version of the Auto-Truck (the Rail-Truck) was made along similar stylistic lines as regards the bonnetted engine, and its light weight made it popular for temporary and lightly laid tracks such as used on brickworks, peat bogs, and construction sites. Production
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which could be moved under a wooden platform before lifting it off the floor to move it. Tipping hoppers were also made, although owing to the limitations of the small wheels, these were not intended for gardens or construction sites, as has often been claimed, but were mostly for collecting waste
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Their design was a compromise between the top-heavy nature of the tall engine grouping above its wheel and a well thought-out chassis for stability. The bearing between them was a large diameter ring roller bearing, mounted at the lowest part of the chassis. This gave rigidity and stability, even
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of the time. The Auto Mower Co. were Lister agents and when Lister heard of this 'Auto-Truck' they bought one for use in their own factory. It was used to carry heavy engine castings from the foundry to the machine shop. Lister customers saw them and there was such interest in wanting to buy them
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Road performance of the Auto-Truck was improved by fitting larger rear wheels with pneumatic tyres. Several tyre and suspension spring options remained in production throughout its history. An early development even offered the Auto-Truck as a lightweight tractor for use on roads, sold to local
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From 1928 up to 1956, around 350 Rail-Trucks were built. Production continued into the early 1970s, although Lister's records were later destroyed by the 1983 fire. The oldest known surviving Rail-Truck, No 873 of 1928, is preserved in a Dutch museum. Around 90 Rail-Trucks survive in total.
422:
A vast number of Lister engines have been preserved, including many Auto-Trucks. Some Rail-Trucks are still in use and working with their original owners on peat bogs and clay pits. As for other
Listers, the spares availability is still good, encouraging their easy restoration.
295:, there was no shelter and so the locomotives were also available with a fitted roof. This was a simple wooden canopy on four poles at the corners, with canvas dodgers or side-screens that could be rolled up. This canopy also provided some weather protection for the driver.
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Variations of the basic Auto-Truck were soon produced. These included lifting platform bodies with a hydraulic pump and a long hand lever alongside the driver's saddle. They were used either for moving heavy loads around factories, to avoid lifting, or else as a
220:. The old Auto-Truck shop at Dursley became the apprentice training school. There appears to have been some overlap though, with chassis production continuing in Dursley until 1975 when production ceased. The design was sold to DP (David Proctor) Engineering of
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Many detail changes were made over the years, and a major change from JAP petrol engines to Lister's own diesel engines. The bearing ring was moved above the chassis members and no longer enclosed. This gave better access for greasing and adjusting the rollers.
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bicycle saddle, which in recognition of the lack of vehicle suspension, was carried on the end of a cantilevered bar that acted as a leaf spring. A wide handlebar on the engine group was used for steering. A squeeze bar the width of this handlebar engaged the
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too. Soon after this, Crompton produced a battery-powered electric version of the Auto-Truck. Different battery capacities, using 24V or 36V batteries of the same size cells, were offered according to the demands of the working day.
128:, providing substantial weight high on the engine and only adding to its top heaviness. To improve visibility of moving vehicles in noisy factories, this panel was often painted white, the rest of the vehicle being Lister's usual
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The same engine and cover was used, with chain drives to the axles from a Lister-built gearbox with two speeds in each direction, for a top speed of 6 mph. The driver sat sideways on a fixed pressed-steel
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Under the engine cover were two equal diameter tanks, a fuel tank for petrol and a shorter oil tank. Engine and chain-drive lubrication used a total-loss oil system, controlled by a small pump and
201:, a drawback for all monowheel tractors, meant that they were still not high speed or effective road vehicles. By the mid 1950s, all production was diesel engined.
34:
built for moving light loads around factories, railway yards and similar sites. They were based on a design originally by Auto Mowers Ltd, and were built by
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An Auto-Truck is on display at the
Dursley Heritage Centre, together with other exhibits on the important place of Lister's within the town.
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The Auto-Truck was one of several monowheel tractors to appear in the 1920s and '30s, with the availability of small, reliable
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than a trailer for balance. Simplicity was a key feature. The engines were single-cylinder and air-cooled. Ignition was by
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280:. Several hundred had been built by 1940, an exceptionally large production run for British narrow gauge locomotives.
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In urban situations the locomotives could be stored under cover at night. In remote and nomadic locations, such as
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materials around factories. Another variation shortened the body and the truck was used for towing trailers.
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councils and the like for street cleaning. Many Auto-Trucks were registered for road use and carried a
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suitable for use on poorly laid or temporary tracks. They were used for construction sites,
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had provided a large number of its robust and reliable "Simplex" locomotives for service in
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and unsuitable for vehicle use. Lister remained with the JAP engine for the Auto-Truck.
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One of these designs was produced in the 1920s by George Grist of the Auto Mower Co.,
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of both the Auto-Truck and the Rail-Truck extended from the 1920s to the 1970s.
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In 1973 all Auto-Truck production was transferred to the
Crompton works at
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659:"Preserved Lister Rail Auto Truck Historical Notes and Current Locations"
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Later, 1964, diesel-engined Auto-Truck with long chassis and road wheels
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From 1928, the Auto-Truck mechanism was also used to make a small
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Group bought Lister and in 1968 the electrical equipment company
108:. Although Lister were already well known for their small petrol
224:, later becoming MWM Powertrucks and finally DPR Engineering at
641:"Locomotive No.25 van the Decauville Spoorweg Museum - DSM"
80:, rather than requiring a battery and electrical system.
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An Auto-truck is also on display in the foyer of STEAM
42:, Gloucestershire, well known for their range of small
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The
British Internal Combustion Locomotive, 1894-1940
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that Lister negotiated with Auto Mower to build them
228:. Production finally ended completely in the 1990s.
609:"Prototype Numbering of the Lister Rail Auto Truck"
120:topple over if driven carelessly across slopes.
112:, these were heavy cast-iron engines with water
473:"The Lister Auto-Truck Refuse Collecting Truck"
433:, situated in one of the original buildings of
623:"Fire at the Lister's Factory, July 27th 1983"
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477:Municipal Journal and Public Works Engineer
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380:3 ft 9 in (1,143 mm)
364:7 ft 6 in (2,286 mm)
353:6 ft 6 in (1,981 mm)
431:Museum of the Great Western Railway
95:600 cc four-stroke air-cooled
22:Early Auto-Truck, with small wheels
390:2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
372:3 ft 1 in (940 mm)
63:Engine compartment of a Rail-Truck
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240:Narrow gauge Rail-Truck, at the
46:(although the Auto Truck used a
455:"Swivelling Tipping Autotruck"
1:
536:"Lister 'R' Type Rail Truck"
251:locomotive or 'Rail-Truck'.
677:Dursley Gloucestershire web
627:Dursley Gloucestershire web
459:Dursley Gloucestershire web
411:20 ft (6,096 mm)
135:The driver was seated on a
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645:Decauville Spoorweg Museum
540:Mill Meece Pumping Station
673:"Dursley Heritage Centre"
483:(2130). 24 November 1933.
401:12 in (305 mm)
242:Amberly Chalk Pits museum
566:"The Industrial Railway"
707:R A Lister and Company
584:"Eclipse Peat Company"
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36:R A Lister and Company
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435:Swindon Railway Works
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407:Minimum curve radius
546:on 13 December 2014
512:David & Charles
91:. The engine was a
71:, as developed for
702:Monowheel tractors
570:Twyford Waterworks
514:. pp. 70–71.
303:Typical dimensions
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210:Crompton Parkinson
193:Late vehicles had
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110:stationary engines
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44:stationary engines
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32:monowheel tractor
28:Lister Auto-Truck
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591:. Retrieved
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544:the original
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418:Preservation
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286:tractor seat
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266:peat cutting
249:narrow gauge
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204:In 1965 the
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179:number plate
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170:pallet truck
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149:needle valve
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101:small engine
99:, a typical
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66:
30:was a small
27:
25:
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504:Webb, Brian
333:610 mm
278:gravel pits
257:World War I
232:Rail-Trucks
73:motorcycles
55:Description
696:Categories
593:4 December
550:8 December
521:0715361155
441:References
262:waterworks
253:Motor Rail
155:Variations
386:Wheelbase
328:2 ft
293:peat bogs
126:cast iron
97:sidevalve
506:(1973).
397:diameter
270:quarries
268:, small
222:Aldridge
218:Tredegar
89:Somerset
377:Height
360:buffers
340:Length
226:Cannock
78:magneto
40:Dursley
588:Flickr
518:
395:Wheel
369:Width
307:": -->
142:clutch
137:Brooks
48:J.A.P.
358:over
349:frame
347:over
322:Gauge
595:2014
552:2014
516:ISBN
309:edit
274:clay
272:and
26:The
276:or
93:JAP
38:of
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331:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
