Here in the UK we had the Scania Golden Griffin, but over in the Benelux countries they have just launched today, their own special edition……Silver Griffin. In my opinion it looks better and appears to have more thought put into it than it’s British cousin. Only 100 trucks available so if you want one you better get your passport out!
Show season is upon us once again! Whether you are thinking of one of the many Truckfest events, or one of the independent shows such as the Peak Truck Show, the Barnard Castle show, Full of the Pipe in Ireland or one of the smaller up and coming shows such as the Cornwall Truck Show, the Evesham Truck show or even the only single marque show in the UK, The Gathering of the Griffin held for Scania owners, drivers and enthusiasts alike, what ever your show the season has begun. If you run your own show then please email, tweet or some how send me show details so I can put it on the blog for you.
There are shows up and down the country and it is high time that all dates and locations were in one simple easy location for everyone to find, but as yet, even on the blog, we have all failed to compile a singular list of all shows. The list in Trucking International magazine is about as comprehensive as it gets. Speaking from my simple show experience, it doesn’t seem to matter if you are entering a truck or just a day visitor there is a show for you some where. My days of entering trucks in shows are some what over unless some one is kind enough to loan me one. Even as a day visitor I still don’t get round to as many shows as I’d like, we specially the independents where there seems to be an increased sense of atmosphere and a smaller number of trucks. The Retro truck show at Gaydon in September is the best example of this and incidently according to a Poll I did here on the blog, the Retro Show was also your favourite truck show of 2014.
The effort that drivers, owners and their families are putting in to keeping the trucks in top condition gets better and better every year. Just look at the well known Fallen Heros Scania above. I saw this truck up close for the first time at the Gathering of the Griffin last year. It’s a stunning truck, a rolling tribute to all the fallen soldiers in Afganistan, so it deserves to be well looked after. Therefore it isn’t possible to question the amount of effort Kian Humphreys and his family put in to keeping it clean. This does allow me to publish one of my favourite photos from last year. The following photo sums up the effort required to maintain a top custom truck………
I do have a hand in the Gathering of The Griffin, held in Ipswich every September. I am known as a Scania fan amoung other things, so I take great pleasure in judging the Best 3 Series Scania every year. There is no other one marque truck show in the UK, never mind the fact that last year there were over 115 Scania trucks all in one place. Including for the first time ever, at least one truck from very series sold in the UK. I can email you an entry form if required. All I ask is that if you enter please turn up as the parking for the weekend is all arranged in series order and does give the organiser the odd head ache when trying to make the final plan, so drop outs or should I say those who can’t be arsed to turn up, certainly aren’t flavour of the weekend!
This year myself I will be trying to attend a few events, most of the time I’ll be wearing a Truckblog Polo shirt, so feel free to come and say hello. I am currently planning on going to the following shows for the day or the weekend;
Yes Interlaken! I can’t wait for that one. I am a lucky man as Mrs Blog allows me a weekend away every year on the continent to endulge myself in plenty of continental trucking! Sorry I meant in a manly way, I tell Mrs Blog I’m going!! I’ve wanted to go to Interlaken for a number of years now, but Truckstar Festival in the Netherlands has always been first choice mainly for logistical reasons and my weird wanting to be Dutch! As for the rest, they are my annual mainstay of shows, but I’m always keen on trying some thing new if I can or if time and family commitments allow.
As it’s physically not possible for me to get to all shows this year, although it would be some challenge for a single person, I’ll happily accept any show reports written by you lot to publish on the blog, so you can tell us all what we missed out on. All I’d need are some photos and a good write up. Email me at ben@truckblog.co.uk and I WILL publish all reports I receive, you’ll also get a free TB sticker for your efforts! So where ever you’ll be showing or visiting please share your show with us all. Keep on trucking! – These are all my own photos.
Première of the MAN TGX D38- “100 Years Edition” – Stainless steel bars, flaming lion and fully equipped for comfort
For fans of MAN trucks, I suggest you visit the Dutch MAN dealer website; www.man-dealer.nl it gives details of me MAN trucks that have been supplied across the Netherlands. Being a lover of a TGL LX I was pleased to come across this new TGL that has been supplied to Kortmann Art Packers and shippers.
Type:TGL 8.180 BL en TGM 12.290 BL
Klant: Kortmann Art Packers & Shippers
Vestiging: MAN Hoofddorp
“The vehicles will be used for the transport of art throughout Europe. The trucks are being supplied with LX cab, automatic gearbox, large fuel tanks, GPS and alarm, the closed container is equipped with cooling, heating, tailgate and security. We wish Kortmann lot of fun with the new guys!”
If your a Facebooker then there’s a good chance you’ve seen the project being undertaken by all at Phillip Judge International. The above Scania R620 is being fully converted to flat bed wagon and drag for carrying straw bales, tractors or what ever else you can carry on a flat bed (that’s quite a lot). The driver will be the one and only Will Pringle, yes he of other notable custom truck fame. As you can see the truck started life as a hydraulic loader and was bought from well known Dutch truck dealer VSB Groep.
Over to Mr Pringle to tell us all we need to know;
“VSB stripped and fitted the new facelift grill and it had been to Steves Place (truck customiser in Holland) for the fitment of the changeover valve and pipe work also side pipe. Then James Burrow did the fitting of streamline corners additional lighting headboard roof rack and ladders,also rear bumper! The body was made by Euro Axles at Stoke on Trent. The chassis was extended by Northwest Commercials at Preston. The full paintwork was done by Ian Bone & sons and of course the airbrush work was done by Matt the painter. All the electrics done by Kev Larkin. Once finished at Bones’ it is going Coles Customs for full interior rebuild and the fabrication of lockers, tank wraps and various other little tweaks.”
What a change from how she started life back in 2008, a different country and a different way of life by all accounts;
“Yeah I know, it’s originally from Norway and I think it was a fridge motor. VSB had just finished putting the cable lift side skirts bulbar and everything on it when we went to look at it in Holland.”
The truck is nearing completion and does now look close to what the finished show ready article will look like. Knowing a little bit about Will in sure he’ll be doing all he can get all the little touches done to the truck that will make it a cut above most of the rest. I look forward to seeing it when it comes out if the Coles Customs workshop. I will do another update as and when it appears and before it hits the road to claw back some of the cost of creating such an awesome working truck.
p.s. The 3 series sun visor is a perfect match to the High Line cab.
I know I know it’s another blooming BlueStream, but I just can’t help it. You know I get these infatuations with certain trucks and I certainly have the blues at the moment. On my way home down the A12 to Colchester and just as I’m about to come off at my junction there is this lay by which is where the 300 yard marker is for the junction. The lay by was empty and it’s a very clear night, I saw the back end of a very smart frigo trailer and the unmistakeable blue shine at the front end.. I went home and told the wife that I would be pooping out about 10pm once the traffic on the A12 quietened down. For what ever reason Mrs Blog doesn’t bat an eyelid when I say I’m going back to a darkened lay by, she knows why. For what ever reason my passion for trucks over takes and I just have to go back and try and get a photo.
Now a truck photo in a lay by isn’t too much of a problem, or so you would think;
I managed to get some tips on how to use my camera through the Canon G12 group on Facebook. I still,have Mr Jensen Chua’s instructions saved on my phone and as you can see he knows his sh*t. They have come out quite well. All these photos have a 15 second exposure as there was no light at the front of the truck. Placing my camera on a tripod on the outside edge of the kerb of the lay by was the greatest idea nor was putting the camera in the middle of the drive through lane of the lay by………..but it was worth it, I’m very pleased with the results. Thanks Jensen and thanks to Neil Jarrold who suggested using the car lights to help, so I put the reverse lights on the car, in order to put a little light on the front grill.
I think the reason why I love the BlueStream so much is purely the colour. I seem to get blinkered by a gorgeous shade of blue and it seems to just lure me in. Romance isn’t dead Richie! Helped by being attached to a 730hp Scania V8 in this case, it really is a top looking motor. My only thoughts are it must look even more awesome all lit up, pity the driver was already in bed. The BlueStreams are available worldwide, but I wonder if this is the only one operated out of Czech Republic??
Wilson Wednesday is back! Back with bang as well, a lot of entries this week from a lot of HC Wilson’s drivers including the illusive but awesome Arnie in R80 HCW. Now Arnie has a bit of a reputation for not hanging around for much so I was dead chuffed to get his photo in today, although please note that R80 seems to already be on its way out of its own photo! Seen here in France today heading down to Belfort.
Next up is the “White Wilson”, WIL2217 driven by Matt Lamb. Seen here in Wilson’s yard loaded with Caterpilar D6 heading upto to Cannock. Seeing as it’s the only white truck on the fleet, Matt is often mistaken for being an owner driver, but I can confirm he is a fully fledged, long serving Wilson driver. The Scania R620 was already heavily customised when Wilson’s bought it off the South Wests original owner driver Tim Rigby, but driver Matt has added his own touch and keeps the red wheeled V8 is tip top condition.
N5 HCW driven and co piloted by husband and wife team, Dave and Sue Ramm. Quickly, happy belated birthday to Sue. The big Scania R580 was on relative locals today but never the less still earning her keep and pulling some big machinery about south Essex and North Kent. The lump below is and industrial press weighing in at 110,000kg and standing at 4.38m tall, it was slightly more taxing than the 15,000kg piece above.
Above is SW51 HCW driven by little Terry Alderton. Seen today on UK manoeuvres from Felixstowe to Pershore. Looks to me like this was lifted from a flat rack onto to Terry’s trailer as that’s clearly not Terry’s high standard of sheeting!
Another R480 Topline below driven by Nick Garlick. I bet Nick was dead chuffed to see the delivery point for his packing cases was near the Dead Sea. Unfortunately it’s only going as far as Felixstowe although I know Nick would have been more than happy to take it overland, it’s only 22 ton and 3.3m wide, a boys load. Well if Nick had started heading east it would have made a great tale. I quoted on a number jobs out to Turkey and even Azerbijan in my time at Wilson’s. For me that’s when it all start getting romantic, big red truck heading east, crossing the Bosphorus into Asia, dust in your air vents and cook ups with the locals, random animals in the road, oh the romance of the road!………………..Pity nick was only heading to Suffolk.
Above and below is part time driver turned office Waller James Cartwright out and about in HC Wilson’s gracefully ageing V8 HCW. More packing cases heading for Felixstowe, at least the UK seems to exporting something. The big case stands at 4.05m high on the floor so one of Wilson’s super low step frames was required to keep it under the UKS height limit of 5 metres. Wheels need a polish JC!
Above and below we have 2 of Wilson’s finest engaged on importing packing cases this time. Both loaded from Felixstowe to Melksham at 4.25m wide. As you can see they were escorted by an accompanying van as the law dictates for all loads over 3.5m wide in the UK. Both Doris DAF and the European Charger have their own Facebook pages, so click on the links and like the pages to start following their activities. Great photos taken by driver Steve Pattison below, with the moody skies against the red trucks it almost looks a bit arty.
Not all the trucks are on UK work, two of the big boys are out on the continent bringing a pair of transformers back from Germany to Hertfordshire. N50 HCW is a 150ton GVW tractor unit driven by Graham Daniel and WIL 2580 is a 250ton tractor driven by the one and only John Stocks. WIL 2580 is a bit of legend in my own book. The best part of my time at HC Wilson saw WIL 2580 tramping to and from Austria with 90 odd ton of cargo on her back every few weeks. Bearing in mind every time she entered Germany from Austria both truck and trailer had to pass a German TÜV test (MOT type test carried out by the Germans) at the border before the long run back up through Germany, this truck has well and truly earned her name of European Giant.
Two great photos of N6 HCW driven by Garreth Rowlands, loading out of a multi million pound development in London SW18 today. Great photos showing the dismantling of a tower crane, note the chap in his high viz right above the counterweight at the top of the tower crane. Some view from up there I reckon. N6 is one of the newest vehicles on the Wilson fleet. The truck is an R560 V8 Scania, which by day looks like another in the long line of red trucks with the big white “W” on the front. But by night she looks a real treat, LED lights to the front, a fully lit big white “W” on the front grill, rear cab perimeter lights and a smaller red “W” mounted at the top of the back of the cab.
Escort driver Sully sent the photo below in today. Three of the Wilson trucks loaded here in Immingham heading to Lesmahagow, Scotland. All loads over length and over width.
Last but by no means least we have 3 photos taken by Simon Wilson himself. I have to say they are pretty good photos SW. Especially good is the one of N7 HCW below. A good looking truck with a well matched trailer and load, all colour coded too. Even though they weren’t all taken today the following 3 photos were taken by Simon Wilson himself. In my book that covers any technicalities over not being out on the road as they are all his trucks anyway!
Great photos all round today and a big thank you to all drivers who participated, as always it’s much appreciated.
Last night I found the only positive to the ridiculous roadworks on the A12 just south of the Copdock interchange at Ipswich. As I joined the southbound A12 in the stupid 40mph zone I found the only positive thing about it, I had to sit next to this gorgeous Italian Scania R730 with matching frigo semirimorchio. As I opened my window to listen to the purring V8 I turned the radio off and enjoyed the sound. I have to say as it was a 730 I have no idea if it was loaded or not but who cares it made the roadworks far more bearable. The front of the truck had various lights and spotlights but what I love about the Italians is the 3 sidelights in the Italian flag colours, a nice little touch! Really was an Italian with style and when she’s clean I bet she looks even better. Anyone know who’s she is??
Name the film & character;
“Here’s the plan: When we get to the pass, we’re gonna put on our fish costumes, pass out the Vaseline® an’ an extra ration o’ rum for the men. That should do it.”
www.truckblog.co.uk 