Photo detectives required.
This weekends challenge is to find a photo of Kentvale Transports Scania 113M Centurion.
By all accounts it looks like they only had it on English plates for less than a year as it shows as being exported 9-10 months after registration. This being the case it probably explains why there are so few photos of it. Do you have a photo of the Kentvale Centurion please? If you do email me; ben@truckblog.co.uk and earn yourself a TB sticker.
Richard P and myself are nearly there with the full list of Centurions. We have had a lot of help from various people recently so thank you all very much. There has been another flurry in the last few days, again you know who you are. Having had this mini flurry, some of this blog may have been superseded already, but I’ll carry on in the hope you can give even more info, so I may generalise a little so as not to repeat things.
J15 EAS – this reg was used on 100 when new but above has been put onto a 113. Now we know SEAS also had 001, which was originally H100 SCA and still had the same reg once converted to the rigid it now is. The above looks a little tired so probably a few years old. So what number Centurion is the above please?
Kelly Trucks. Proving a little tricky to pin point both trucks. Kelly’s had two trucks that we think were both demo’s at some point and both did an aid run to Bulgaria. Can anyone add any further info to the Kelly Trucks Centurions as Mr Kelly himself can’t remember! They used both J606 UOE and also J291 EOP on aid runs, may be the same one? They also used H100 SCA for a run too.
We still don’t know what number J515 JKN was. This was owned by MJ Sewell along with 027 which you can just see to the left. We cant find any other evidence of this reg, so it may have been something else before. Looking at the spec it could have been one of the Robson Road Haulage 5. Can anyone help with this one?
Mr Peckham. A gloriously understated flying machine I’m sure. A 143 500, pictured here with reg number J422 LGA. A cracking truck that we believe met a very sad ending. But looking at the photo we think it must have been 2nd hand when Mr Peckham took it on. What number is it please?
The Millar Transport saga as we have nicknamed it. We know Millers had 5 Centurions (we think!) and we have all 5 against various Centurion numbers, but as sure as we are, if anyone can categorically tell us what reg numbers were which Centurions that would be great:
040 – LDZ 1140
076 – MDZ 3140
079 – MDZ 6140
081 – MDZ 1140
083 – MDZ 2140???
If anyone can confirm the above that would be great. Even an ex Millar driver got himself confused with reg numbers and Centurion numbers!
What ever happened to the most photo non Centurion, the promo truck that was H376 DNK?
Finally, we still have no info at all on; 036, 037, 039, 043 and 054.
If you have any good quality photos that you took, please email copies to me; ben@truckblog.co.uk then I will be able to credit you in the book. We are always after more photos no matter what quality, so again feel free to email or share them on the Scania Centurion Facebook page. The more photos and quality info the better.
Thank you on before of Richard and myself (Ben Sheldrake).
Oh happy sunny days, when we could stay outside without drowning, when we could stand about all evening, enjoying a cool beer and a good yarn with other like minded folk, bring back the summer! The Retro Truck Show at Gaydon is still one of, if not the best Truck Show in the UK. This year was especially good, as I was able to take a beast of truck, in a convoy, with a V8 burbling away and smoke pouring out the stacks!
Myself in the 143 450 Streamline, James from HC Wilson in the 141 and Matt Ireland in the F16. Now there’s a convoy for the truck pervert! Although its not particularly good quality but the photo below is a sight for retro eyes, coming up the M40, probably how the M40 used to be with the Irish running between boats. I know we were spotted by a few, as there were various comments on social media over the show weekend about how people had seen such a great sight back on the UK motorways!
Anyway, my photo talents are sketchy at the best of times, but you can see the rest of my photos by clicking HERE – If this doesn’t float your boat, then have a watch of Matt’s little video of the weekend. Starting off with some convoy action from the drive up. A great afternoon and what a lucky bunch we are to have friends who will let us borrow these fine motors of yester-year. Just for the record I did realise that i am not one of those that gets fed up with the V8 growling through the open sun roof, even in the rain showers. Thanks again to all involved in a top weekend, you know who you are, thanks to Darren and his team for putting on another great show and thanks to all those who came with trucks. In my opinion the widest variety this year of different makes and models. If you have not been to the Retro show before, get yourselves along next year, or get yourself booked in with your retro motor. If you think yours isn’t up to standard or isn’t shiny enough, it really isn’t that kind of show. Those in, shall we say, “working” condition or those needing a little Tcut here and there get just as much attention as the show is full of enthusiasts.
Interesting bit of news from Scania. Something I had wondered about myself, manufacturers who use similar model names to others. Just a thought but I wonder how DAF and Jaguar feel about sharing the “XF” models?? Here’s the info from Scania;
Scania is renaming their most premium trucks, the S-series. Instead of the letter S followed by the actual horsepower, the new trade name will be the horsepower followed by an S, like 450 S or 730 S. The reversed naming order applies only to the sleeper cabs with a flat floor. Behind the change lies an agreement with Daimler AG, parent company of Mercedes-Benz.
Scania’s current way of naming trucks by the cab series followed by the engine power was introduced back in 2004 with the introduction of the PGR series. The new type of trade name for the S-series, with the horsepower figure stated first, will be introduced on S-series trucks ordered from now and does not affect any other trucks.
“By making this adjustment, we fulfil an agreement we have made with Daimler, says Alexander Vlaskamp, Senior Vice President, Head of Scania Trucks. We are keen about protecting our brands and recognise why Daimler, with their long-standing S-class passenger car history, had an issue with the S-series trade name.”
I’m always up for helping a fellow truckers d in this case it’s an old customer. I’ve restored an old Scania and many nights I had the thought of “I’ll never get this done”. Sadly in this case there are plenty of other priorities and the restoration project has to be shelved. At this stage details are a little sketchy but this is or will be once again, a Scania 143 6×2 rear lift. It is up for sale but needs sensible offers please, it’s not a straight forward project. Info as follows;
“I’ve attached pictures of the 143 V8, think it’s a 1993 or 1994. 95% of the parts should be there but can guarantee a few will have been lost. If you know of any one interested or someone who can give me a fair valuation so we know what we should be asking for that would be really useful please as I will quite happily hold my hands up and say I don’t have a clue!”
Honesty is the best policy people! This is likely to be an incomplete kit so does need a home with some know how. The truck is in dry storage near Ripon, Yorkshire. If you are seriously interested and willing to help then please email me directly; ben@truckblog.co.uk
More photos to follow. It looks good to me but is beyond my capabilities and also I’d never have the time. That said a tag axle, flat top 143 does sound very tempting!! 
Here we go people, a new blog contributor and what a belter of a blog cherry popper we have for you. Some of you may know this particular character, he’s one of those quiet, keeps himself to himself and gets on with the job in hand types, well he certainly gets on with the job that’s for sure. Away for over seven weeks working for one of the best international hauliers in the country. Essex International need no introduction what so ever, 100% an international haulier from the roots up, now part of the Grampian Continental group, they cover all four corners of Europa every week. To be fair this particular trip has pretty well covered three of the four corners. To start I’ll put up the map of the “outward” leg, but please ignore some of the route as bloomin Google maps wouldn’t take the boat routes that were actually used.
Starting point was head office in Aberdeen, down to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to load for Motrin in Southern Espania. An easy enough run down to Portsmouth to catch the ferry across to Bilbao, please ignore the map for the ferry part! The good old days were back, with a six truck convoy and much to our mans joy all six had CB radios so you can imagine the banter, just like 1986! Off the ferry boat in Bilbao and straight down through the glorious middle of Spain to Motril. A decent enough trip for most of us but this was of course only the first leg of this one.
Having tipped Motril, sadly the convoy dispersed in various directions and we are off to Bourg en Bresse, France for a trailer change, destined for the Greek / Turkish border. From the middle of Spain’s southern coast across to the Turkish border, very nice. Add another couple of weeks to the tally but off we go. Living the dream springs to mind, well for those who dream of weeks away behind the wheel, covering the whole of Europe. What the old school saying?? “You’ll never earn a living looking out of a window son!”…… balls to that, what a way to earn your living. Anyway trailer swapped and keep heading east up and over the Alps (always stop for a photo going over the top) to the Italian port of Ancona for the Minoan Lines ferry to Igoumenitsa, Hellas.
The motorways of Greece look awesome although surely not enough traffic for us Brits. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take to a motorway network, like Spain and Greece that aren’t rammed packed with traffic, idiots and whatever else, so you can just get on and get your days Kilometres under you belt before a pleasant evening meal and a bottle of wine for €15……sorry I was close to getting all romantic there. Once into Greece it was head yet further east across the north of the country to the Turkish border town of Kipoi. Due to the nature of the load, it was virtually a single lift off at the delivery point and job done. Lovely jubberly.
Reload details are through and it’s time to head back across Greece to Igoumenitsa for the same ferry back to Italy (ignore the map for this bit again!) Once off the boat, it’s reload in Ancona itself and then northbound and down. A full load of pipes destined for………. Aberdeen. The whole way round Europe and reload back to your home town. Awesome. Perhaps a little easier as an awful lot of oil related work comes in and out of Aberdeen, but even so, that must have been nice to hear for our man Stan. I’m sure the big Scania S730 must know it’s way back to Scotland from most places in Europe by now, so back over the Alps, stopping for the obligatory photo of course, then back up through France to Calais. I have no doubt at all that after a few thousand KM’s of fairly trouble free trucking, with in an hour or so of getting off P&O’s pride and back into Blighty, the wheels would have ground to a halt for some reason or another, most of this reason being the M25.
If you’re lucky enough to have a job like this, you will get to see the whole of Europe. This of course does mean lots of time away from home and the loved ones. That said if you are going to do it, do it with a professional firm such as Essex International they will look after you and of course you’ll end up piloting a top of the range motor for your troubles. If your going to do proper old school European trucking, then do it like they do at Essex International, it’s the only way………
Another weekend and I’m back at Londra Camp or perhaps even the Hotel National in Belgrade. Loads of the best retro trucks in the UK and a growing number from Europa and all the kings of the road you could ever hope to meet and listen to stories from. The shows this year have become more and more social but combine this with trucks from my childhood and once again an awesome weekend was had by all. For me meeting these Kings of the road is what it’s all about, the stories they can tell, the places they have been and the trucks they have driven, my generation can only dream. To name a just a few people I stood and chatted/listened to this weekend;
