Vulcan » Mk.II
At the 1950 Earls Court Show the company unveiled their Mk.II range. The most important Mk.II model was the Gardner 4LW engined 7GF 7-tonner which used a Tilling Stevens five-speed gearbox and hypoid rear axle instead of worm drive. These new models embodied many improvements including a more stylish cab with greater comfort. The removable nearside wing idea was dropped except on the 9PFA tractor unit for Scammell automatic coupling, which was carried over from the old range. Alongside this there were two new Mk.II tractor units for 10-ton (10PFA with Perkins engine) and 12-ton (12GFA with Gardner engine) nominal payload ratings.
The frame design on the MkII was completely new and featured tubular crossmembers along similar lines to Albion’s. On both long wheelbase models and tippers the braking system was of the Lockheed ‘continuous low’ type, servo pressure being provided by a radial pump which was belt-driven off the back of the gearbox mainshaft. Such systems were sometimes criticised for poor low-speed braking performance but Vulcan offered a spring-type pressure accumulator to overcome the problem. This had the function of maintaining some servo assistance via a relay valve when the pump pressure diminished at low speeds.
The MkII cab was available in three forms – as a traditional ash-framed coachbuilt unit or as an all-steel or light alloy structure. The latter options were favoured by export customers. The 7-tonner came in two wheelbases – 13ft 6in (4.11m) for haulage and 10ft.3in. (3.12m) for tipping work, both powered exclusively by the Gardner 4LW. For a while the old models continued alongside the new Mk.IIs but over the next couple of years a number of models were phased out. By 1953, near the end of production, the range consisted of the 7GF long and short wheelbase, the 10PFA Mk.II tractor unit and another MkII tipper chassis designated the 6MF. This 6-ton payload machine had a 10ft.5in. (3.2m) wheelbase and was powered by a Meadows D.330 5.43 litre 4-cylinder diesel.
In late 1950 Tilling Stevens’ independence came to an end when, together with its Vulcan Motors subsidiary, it was taken over by the Rootes Group which also owned Commer Cars and Karrier Motors. The MkII range proved to be Vulcan’s last. It had a relatively short production run – by 1953 production of Tilling Stevens and Vulcan vehicles was closed down.
