Centurions #8 #9 #14

Posted on July 13, 2014 by truckbloguk

Above are 2 very lucky owner drivers and no doubt very deserved too. On the left with the Olympic blue 143 500 is Maxi Mehrlich and on the right with the white 143 500 is Gorden Ardren. As you are probably all aware by now I’ve been trying to gain as much info on Scania’s original 100 special edition Centurion trucks as I can. This latest flurry of information comes from an excellent source, none other than Nagel Langdons own commercial director, Patrick Griffiths. This is what Patricks first email said;

A couple of corrections for your Centurion list.

J4 MJM was purchased through Langdon Industries Ltd by owner driver Maxi Mehrlich hence the J4 MJM. Copy of the original sales invoice is attached. We dug out a copy of this only a few months ago for the current owner.

J2 GLA was purchased through Langdon Industries Ltd by owner driver Gordon Ardren hence the J2 GLA.

J981BYA was purchased through Langdon Industries Ltd by owner driver Derek Champion. J981BYA it was a Scania R143 MA 4×2 R450 in white.

Myself or Patrick haven’t managed to find a photo of J981 BYA when it was new, so if any of you have then please email it me; ben@truckblog.co.uk – I did managed to find this photo of J981 but I don’t know whose photo it is or who owned the truck at the time, but I’m guessing it might be Plymouth owner driver Peter Orr. There is a slight question mark as to whether this was a 450hp or 500hp when new.

The truck details are as follows;

#8 Scania 143 500 Topline Streamline 4×2 Tractor – new to Maxi Mehrlich – now owned and fully restored by Dessie Mackin at Mackin International in Ireland. Above is the original invoice for the truck. I have cropped out the figures but I will tell you that it was between £60-£65,000 before VAT. I don’t know why but I was a little surprised that there is no mention of the edition number on the invoice. Before and after photos as follows;

#9 Scania 143 500 Topline Streamline 4×2 Tractor – new to Gorden Ardren – the truck has in the last few years been fully restored by Ashley Pearce and is now living in Ireland under the ownership of Donnell & Ellis. I have to say I helped convince Ashley Pearce to repaint the truck in Scania’s 3 Series pro-mo colours of blue with pink strips after giving him some posters an brochures. What a claim to fame! See below for its current condition.

#14 Scania 143 450 (May have been a 500hp?) Topline Streamline 4×2 Tractor – new to Derek Champion – now owned by Shropshire Forrestry Contractors as far as I’m aware. The last photo I have of it was when it was with its last owner Neil Johnson. Again if you have a recent photo of it since Neil Johnson had it please email me a copy; ben@truckblog.co.uk

Thanks again to Patrick at Nagel Langdons for the info and photos. Hopefully it’ll lead to more info about more Centurions. I think it’s amazing that the 3 Langdon Owner Drivers trucks are all still on the road and we can trace there where about’s as I know how difficult it is proving to find out info about some of the others.

Scania Operates Longer Vehicles in Sweden.

Posted on June 30, 2014 by truckbloguk

What isn’t there to like about Sweden?? Does anyone know anything bad about the place?? The trucks are great, the country is full of stunning scenery, the people are beautiful and the government have their heads screwed on!! Read this from Scania’s press department;

By driving with two full-length trailers, Scania reduces fuel consumption by up to 30 percent with an equivalent reduction in harmful carbon dioxide emissions. Following Scania’s request, the Swedish Transport Agency has now granted permission to operate rigs of 31.5 metres in total length between Södertälje and Helsingborg in Sweden.

Scania Transport Laboratory has been conducting research activities on the road for the past six years by transporting the company’s own materials under realistic operating conditions between Scania’s production units in Södertälje, Sweden and Zwolle in the Netherlands. The Transport Laboratory has already been able to demonstrate a halving of CO2emissions per tonne-kilometre from 2008 to 2012, thanks to skilful drivers, optimised vehicles and lower average speed. Another step is now being taken to show how heavy vehicles through new ways of thinking can dramatically reduce climate emissions to 20 grams per tonne-kilometre. The haulage service has been operated to date using rigs of 16.5 metres, which is the maximum permitted length today for the tractor-semitrailer vehicle combination in most European states, with the exception of countries such as Sweden and Finland. For the truck-trailer combination, a maximum length of 18.75 metres applies in most European states, while countries such as Sweden and Finland, permit 25.25 metres.

“There are positive environmental effects of longer vehicle combinations but unfortunately it is difficult to find support for this issue in many European countries,” comments Erik Ljungberg, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations at Scania. “It is really gratifying that the Swedish authorities are taking action to obtain these benefits. To achieve an equivalent climate effect through vehicle development would take several years.”

The decision of the Swedish Transport Agency was preceded by the Swedish Transport Administration’s stability tests on vehicle combinations of 31.5 metres in order to ensure that these vehicles do not present any risk, for example during sudden evasive manoeuvres.

“Our long haulage services will not cause any disruptions to the pace of traffic and we will quite easily be able to maintain the legal speed limit of 80 km/hour,” assures Anders Gustavsson, Managing Director of Scania Transport Laboratory.

Transam Truck Spotting

Posted on June 25, 2014 by truckbloguk

Truck spotting at 0730 on a Wednesday morning?? Well it’s got to be done. A good friend of mine drives one of these black beauties and as you can imagine I very rarely get to see him and truck together. Off round Europe most of the year until this weekend when he is on tour 5 miles from my house in Colchester, but as you’d expect I’ll unlikely to see him. Transam arrived at Colchester Stadium in the early hours of this morning, so when I popped in this morning they were still asleep. Later today while I’m at work the drivers are all off home for a few days as the Gig isn’t til Sunday night. But I’m away this weekend til Sunday afternoon. Typical. Any way the black trucks were looking stunning as usual in the early Essex sun. Luckily for me they were accessible and I could get a couple I photos without disturbing anyone, although the increased Police presence at the stadium at the moment certainly gave me some funny looks!

Still Looking….

Posted on April 27, 2014 by truckbloguk

I’ve still not found the owner of this little gem. Can anyone work out what the name is on the side??

Rigbys Easter Surprise

Posted on April 21, 2014 by truckbloguk

Owner driver Tim Rigby from Somerset was a well know truck on the road a couple of years ago and will soon be again judging by his latest good looking wagon. This Scania R620 6×2 twin wheel tag came originally from Finland but is now at a well loved home in the heart of Cider country. To keep the tradition running the truck came back to the UK via VSB Groep in Holland for a few small touches, then it was a long and tedious 6 month wait for VOSA and the DVLA to get the trucks documentation in order.

This first trip in a couple of years for Mr Rigby should be good one as he has a full load of machinery up-to to Sweden, back to the trucks native home land! I’m not sure which way he is shipping but I think this V8 will be become a popular one with all the spotters and photographers down in Dover, so keep your eyes peeled.

Houghton Parkhouse Celebrates Production Milestone

Posted on April 14, 2014 by truckbloguk

Thirty years on from the launch of the first – and award winning – 4 deck Professional livestock transporter that was showcased at The Royal Highland Show, Houghton Parkhouse have delivered the 1000th and 1001st production series to MacTaggart Bros Limited, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire.

Model numbers 1000 and 1001 at Parkhouse Coachworks, Milnthorpe Cumbria. Collected by two of MacTaggart Bros simply stunning Scania R620’s.

Never a Company to rest on it’s laurels, Houghtons Parkhouse have recently developed a totally new model The Platinum. A sister stable mate to the ever popular Professional – a mainstay on the livestock transport scene – the Platinum has been designed to revolutionise the carriage of multi-species for the livestock transport specialist and offer even greater driver efficiency, safety and ease. The Platinum has control of ventilation for all tiers from ground level, individual lifting trays per bay to allow different species to be carried with variable settings for parting division heights and openings. The lifting trays have no internal side barriers to optimise volume and the entire design is arranged to facilitate fast and easy washing.

Recently a special height model was designed for client Ewen Bowman, Fort William. The Platinum model was built at 13ft height to allow access locally without having to detour around a low bridge. The Platinum trailer offers many lifting deck height options to allow a variety of species and ages of livestock to be carried. Previously the upper deck of Mr Bowman’s transporter had to be broken down before negotiating the bridge restriction.

The same features and benefits of truck based quality have been designed in to the 4wd towed T35 Platinum trailer. Capable of being towed by a farm 4wd, the trailer has a load ride height for ease of loading, stability and fuel efficiency. Tri-axle and tandem axle versions, painted and liveried for individual client’s identity (and security) have been sold in 12 / 13 and 14ft lengths across the UK. Two deck models have a lifting deck; making fast loading with ease. Uniquely, the tray lifts high enough to facilitate walk-in washing of the ground floor after use. The smooth sides of the T35 are especially appreciated by the show cattle community and and this has led to the first sale in Eire. At the same time a T35 lifting deck Platinum trailer is being constructed for a sheep farming customer in Belgium

For more information on Houghtons, please contact @JP1 Jeremy Perkins.
Written by Jeremy Perkins from The Farming Forum
Twitter: @livestocktrucks

http://www.twomillsconsultancy.weebly.com

Mass David Scarff Photo Collection Upload

Posted on April 13, 2014 by truckbloguk

You should be aware by now that I am very slowly scanning David Scarffs very large photo collection. Its taking ages but today I finally found the quick scan button for my scanner, so I ploughed through nearly 500 photos in just about 2 hours. As usual I found some absolute belters.

Approx 400 photos were Volvo and approx. 100 were Whites. I don’t think I will ever get bored of scanning photos and I don’t think I will ever get bored of an F12 Globetrotter!

For David Scarffs Flickr page click HERE.

Or if you want easy access to all the different manufacturers sets, then click HERE.

The other awesome thing about all these photos taken from the 1970’s and 1980’s is everything that is going on in the background. I have no idea on how many twin wheel Transits and Bedfords I have seen and also just look at the price of a litre of diesel….35.9p!!

Renault AE Magnum = 1990-2013

Posted on March 9, 2014 by truckbloguk

Last Wednesday I put up a quick photo of a pair of Renault Magnums that I was loading at work. Surprisingly nearly 600 of you looked at it and it generated a load of comments, mostly positive but a couple of negative. I’ve always felt like the Magnum was a bit of a one-off if you know what I mean. It was always an individual truck not like the rest, with its huge block of a cab and a flat floor, it was unique almost right through to 2013 when production of the big French tower block ceased. Some of the comments were:

“An Icon”
“One of the best trucks I have driven on European work.”
“Good riddance to bad rubbish!”
and the best of all;
“We had 14 people in one at Truckfest once!”

Production of the Renault AE Magnum, as it was first know, started in 1990 (the same year I started secondary school!) at Renaults Bourg-en-Bresse plant. The truck was designed to be for long haul operators and by all accounts it did become a firm favourite with a lot of international operators. I can’t remember his name but there was a German owner driver who used to run right across Russia, an Astran subbie had a red one running to Middle East to name a couple of famous ones. Also Norbert Dentressangle ran them from Spain and with Aston Clinton Haulage. Eddie Stobart had some, I think long haul operator Ralph Davies had one. Countless F1 Grand Prix teams have used them as the flagships for the team and sponsors. All in all they have always been seen as something a bit special. These days you can pick them up for a few thousand pounds, perhaps they could become a collectors item in years to come??

Personally I never had the Magnum experience and didn’t get to drive one (perhaps there is still time) but it seemed to always be a truck that divided drivers. Either you loved it or hated it. Those who weren’t fans often claimed they felt sea sick, due to the cab being one of the first to be fully air suspended by I think 4 air bags. I’m sure you’ve all see a Magnum leaning well to one side when the air bags had gone. I can actually only remember sitting in a Magnum once, which was just a few years ago at the IAA Show in Hanover. I was a bit surprised that the cab didn’t feel a bit bigger, but then I guess if I had got in one back in 1990 it would have felt huge compared to most other cabs on the market then. Saying that I still got the feeling of a big cab, flat floor and a very high seating position, which along with the huge coach like windscreen, made for pretty good forward vision.

The AE Magnum was voted International Truck of the Year in 1991. At the time the truck was the first in production from Renault with disc brakes, along with some other mechanic firsts, it was thought that it was the trucks flat floor cab with its 1.87 metres of head room (this was over 2m when production stopped) that gave it the edge to win the ITOTY. The truck was known as the Renault AE Magnum, Renault wanted the range to be known as the Renault AE. This was the case for the 1st 7 years, then in 1997 it was decided that all trucks in the range would be named some thing beginning with the letter “M”, so from then on it was known as the Renault Magnum. A number of special editions over the years have almost gone by without notice, the Magnum Vega, the Magnum Route 66 to name a couple and the last was the Magnum Legend, which was a limited run of 99 trucks produced to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the truck.

Well that’s about all I can tell you about the Magnum, but I think its fair to say that the Magnum may be gone but I don’t think it will ever be forgotten. It was the truck that pioneered the way to big cabs and big living space for the driver. It was an eye catcher no matter whether in a good way or a bad way, it all depends on your own taste. I was a fan and will miss the big Frenchie, it’s a sad fact that the new Renault truck range just doesn’t have any outstanding about it. Good trucks they are yes, but they will no way near fill the legendary shoes left by the Magnum. A truly unique truck.

Renault AE Magnum R.I.P. 1990 – 2013.
Click this link for all you need to know about the Magnums life: CLICK HERE.

DAFt Farmer

Posted on February 2, 2014 by truckbloguk

Every now and then I do get to keep my hand in. As it was my Saturday to work and we had no trucks to load, it made sense for me to tip a local load of fertiliser to a farm about 5 miles away. Can’t be that hard can it?! I rang the phone number just to check directions and off I went in the big DAF. Apparently they have big trucks at this farm all the time….
Anyway into Kersey village (this is sort of deepest Suffolk village type roads!) turn right follow it along to the old white rose pub, turn left. Down the hill up the other side then take the first Tarmac road to the left, follow it along for 1/2 a mile and the farm is on the left. Easy peasy. Well if only it was as easy as that. It was ok upto the pub and turning left. Just after the left turn was a parked car outside a house and a very full ditch. I eased along side the car, keeping closer to the car than the ditch due to the amount of rain we’ve had. It might be that the rear marker light stalk on the trailer touched the car but I like to think it was well planned!

This is the entrance to the farm as I was driving out. I approached the farm from the road to the right. It was a narrow single track with the trailer wheels brushing the banks of the lane as I came up to the farm. I stopped in the lane as the left turn into the farm was slightly back on myself. As I hopped out the farm hand came out to tell me I was in the right place and also to see me in. I backed up slightly, pulled as far right and forward as I dare before jack-knifing round to the left. As I did so I had to make sure the left side trailer wheels didn’t catch on the large concrete block that had been put there to protect the grass, never mind the large vehicles you might expect on a farm! As I swung in I stopped and jumped out to move a tree stump protecting the grass on the right hand side, I hand to move this so I could get the bumper round as my steer wheels were just touching the seemingly precious grass. As I edged round the farm hand said nothing apart from ok as the trailer cleared the concrete block. Slowly forward past a barn and round into a large open farm yard. “Pull up any where and open 1 side”. That was all he said so I duely obliged and the 19 bags of fert soon started coming off the trailer.

It was about this point 2 dirty Jack Russell’s and a grumpy farmer appeared;
Farmer: “can you not drive over the grass on your way out again”
Me: “oh did I catch it on the way in? It was a bit tight”
Farmer: “yes you did, we have trucks in here all the time and they have no problem”
Me: “it is pretty tight….”
Farmer: “well your supposed to be qualified to drive this thing”
Me: “I am, but I’m happy if you want to drive it out onto the road so I don’t catch the grass again”
Farmer: “No that’s your job”

What can you say to that?? All in a days work, to expect some one not to understand. Once empty I asked the farm hand if I made a mess and he said “no not really the farmer just assumes that all trucks are the same size!” I asked if he wanted to see me out as I had to drive out the way I came. Turning right out the entrance back on myself with the concert block on the drivers side this time.

Crawling along I went as far forward as possible before going left into the entrance, again to avoid the trailer wheels catching on the grass on the left. I hung out my window to make sure the tyres were not touching the blooming grass. This time, before turning right out if the entrance and onto the lane, I went as far forward as possible before turning right, so I just edged over the road into the soft gateway on the other side of the lane, I then turned hard right, making sure the trailer wheels on the drivers side missed the concrete block while also making sure the front passenger side of the trailer swung back quick enough to miss the telegraph pole. Once back on the lane I jumped out the cab and replaced the tree stump I had moved on my way in. As I climbed back in the cab, pleased eased with myself for not touching anything, I noticed the farmer had been watching my exit from a hidden spot next to the barn, so just to make sure he knew I knew he was there, I gave him a honk and a wave as I drove off.

No matter how hard you try as a driver there will ways be those who you just can’t please. I don’t think I could have done much more on my way into the farm especially as the farm hand was helping me in. It didn’t bother me that the farmer had a moan, but it does make me wonder why they bother, especially as he declined my kind offer of driving the truck out onto the road for me! Funny old boy.

Anyway I always enjoy a farm delivery as It does usually provide some sort of a challenge. Next time I think the boss man, Big Dave, should take the challenge and make the next farm delivery. At this point I will just congratulate my bosses on reaching the 10 year anniversary of Kersey Freight Ltd. While I was messing about in the mud, 10 years earlier David and James were busy starting the company from a small room in Kersey Mill. Congratulations boys!!

Cool Runnings

Posted on January 26, 2014 by truckbloguk

I like a Spanish fridge. Fact. I have no idea why, as in the grand scheme of things they are just a box and you’d think there is no real difference between them. Each time I load one they just catch my eye. Could be because the Spanish ones seem to be a bit tidier than the ones from the rest of Europe.

Does anyone else see what I’m talking about?? No, same as normal then! Campillo Palmeras are regulars at the moment and I think they are set apart from the rest of the Spanish as you don’t see many black Spanish trucks, but then again they still have plenty of white tractor units and they look equally as tidy.

Perhaps the old Spanish style liveries are more appealing than the modern, but even so they still look smart. Both Palmera above and Transportes Las Maravillas come with new sleek modern and old tradition style livery and I can’t decide which I prefer.

Traditional Spanish or Sleek Modern??

I can’t decide which is best but I know the Spanish are some of the smartest on the road. Probably because they have had years of experience in the frigo market. Year after year bring us our oranges, strawberries, broccoli, cucumber and what ever else. The Spanish have long been big fans of Renault Trucks, both Magnum and Premium since the demise of Pegaso. I wonder if the love of Renault will continue with the Renault T range?! If it does or not I think a Spanish frigo will always catch my eye, they look even better with a TB sticker on!!

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