What a classic picture! Lovely old MAN on its way into Dover with a load of JCB’s bound for Europe. This is another one of Neil Jarrolds gems. If you are a fan of old pictures, new pictures and any other truck pictures visit Neil’s site at www.euro-wheels.com for all your picture needs! The 1970’s and 80’s galleries are just priceless, you’ll love them.
Now you know i have a little affection for a mini artic, over the last few weeks and months a have been sent a few and found a few on the www. Not had many spots from my trusty spotters, although Steve Marsh saw an Activ Cars at Frechen last week but wasn’t quick enough with his camera, shocking! Any way in case you are like me here are a few for you to perv over.
How about this one used by Bickers Actionfor filming those in car scenes you see on all you fave TV programmes. The car goes on the flat and the cameras go on the neck, then the truck drives about and makes it look as though the car being filmed is actually on the road.
And of course, who can forget the Tom-Car MAN. I wonder if its still for sale??
Although there is no Super badge on this V8 i think it qualifies for one! Owner Driver Tim Rigby drives this on mainly international duties, pulling fabrications or farm machinery. Tractors are also a regular load to and from the continent, he popped in our yard today as he has done a German reload for us this week. This old girl is up for renewel soon. A 2 year old R620 6×2 midlift is the new apple of Tim’s eye, no doubt it will be kept just as tidy.
Amongst the few photos i have from my relation Dick Snow (yea really), there are a number of faces that have no identity, well to me anyway. Have you got any ideas who they are?? Can you put a name to a face?? If so please let me know. The current or ex Middle Easters may be one step ahead of the rest of us! Email me at ben@truckblog.co.uk or leave a comment below. The first one is the man himself Dick Snow.
Surely you all know who thi slast one is??? Be funny to see his picture in return!
Not that any of you mind i’m sure, but this month is looking fairly Astran mungus! I have recently had a strange but true coming together with ex Astran driver Tony Soameson. This man was one of the original drivers starting with Astranback in 1969 firstly as an employed driver then later becoming an owner driver for them. I have spoken to Tony and he is willing to send me some pictures to use on the blog. I am hoping most of them will be different to those used in Ashley Coghills book, The Long Haul Pioneers. The picture below is one of Tony’s, if you look in the book there is a picture of this truck being loaded. I’ll post some more pictures as and when they come through. Please acknowledge the Copyright on this photo.
End of the week, you’ve been given you weekly penny packet, are you are AstranPerv? Do you wish you were off to the Middle East? Each time you hop out of your cab you hope your in Baghdad or Bandar Abbas not Biggleswade? Do you wish to work for the UK’s 3rd place all time favourite haulage company?? Well now’s your chance to pack those feelings away for good. You could be the proud wearer of an official Astran Polo shirt. Currently in stock in M, L, XL and XXL, yellow with red writing including Arabic!!! ……………..Selling like hot-cakes at £19.99 inc p&p!!!!! If you want one then email, kevin@astran-cargo.comand title your email “Can i have a Polo Shirt Mr Letham?”
Here you go, just so you know i do have a little bit of history in the trucking world. I don’t just write about stuff i dont know! Back in May 2003 I was the subject of a Truck & Driver article. Due to the artwork, owner driver-ness and sort of one off appeal of a slightly customised little rigid, they wanted to do an article, so who am i to disagree. I think you may just be able to read the article from the pictures, if not and if you really want to you will just have to find yourself a back issue! Apologies for the terrible picture of me and the silver shirts, my only bad decision when it comes to uniform, they only lasted a few months. Last i heard of the truck it was working up north doing charity shop collections, i’ll dig out the pictures some time.
It seems to me that 1:50 scale models are the most common and probably most detailed. The likes of Tekno, WSI and now even Corgi provide some excellent models in all European liveries. For many a year now since i was knee high to a Giraffe i have been collecting 1:87 scale models. Mainly from German manufacturer Herpa, but Wiking, AWM and some others also make models in this scale. Herpa are the best and seem to lead the others in detail and quality of product. I still collect them today and amazingly have some thing like 300 models, well so my parents keep telling me as they are still in the spare room!! Some of the better things about collecting a smaller scale are the fact they take up a lot less room and they are considerable cheaper, all good points to keep ‘er in doors quiet! To try and impress you here are a couple of Herpa New Releases for the first few months of this year.
1st – 158329 Scania R 09 TL with silo trailer “Urs Bühler”
2nd – 158176 Mercedes-Benz Actros L 02 low boy semitrailer “Friderici”
One thing you will notice about 1:87 scale is that nearly all models are European liveried, some English ones do come up but quite rarely as you may imagine. Still they do happen now and again when some one over here has a flash of inspiration. Any way if your like me you wont really care and you’ll be interested in anything smart and realistic!!
Happy New Year bloggers! I’ll start this year as I mean to go on, with a good blog that’ll hopefully entice you all into coming back over and over again!
To start us off Steve Marsh is back….. Twas the week before Christmas and all was quiet, well that was until the Warrington MAN fired up and headed south for a pre-Christmas dash to Malta. Load detail as follows; “Load Manchester and Frankfurt airports for delivery to Luqa airport, Malta. Reload Luqa airport for Heathrow. Plus 2 collections ex Milan for Ashford and Birmingham.” Sounds like a cracking little outing. The boat back from Malta arrived in Genoa on Wednesday 22nd December, so there was a lot to be done to beat Father Christmas back to Warrington!
Great picture!
In the pic below, note the well worked Eurostar and Streamliner poking its nose in.
On the road to Luqa Airport. Excellent advertising for the blog!! (Look Carefully!)
Unloading at Luqa.
Back on the boat ready leave Valetta, having completed part 1 of the trip.
Hopefully the Marsh will continue to supply some excellent blog material throughout the year, just as long as he is home long enough in between trips to email the pictures over! Having made it home for Christmas day, Steve spent New Years Eve on the Kiel to Gothenburg boat, heading for delivery to Sweden. Pictures to follow!
We are currently also exploring avenues to get some live streaming video from the little MAN on its trips across Europe so you never know by the end of this year you may be able to follow Marshy on his travels.
This post was expertly edited by Mrs H Reeder BA (Hons).
So the festivities are nearly over, how many cards did you get? more to the point how many were truck related?? Ether the truck pic with computer generated snow or the real snow pic taken and abused by a rubbish camera, is it possible to create a good authentic looking Christmasy Christmas card??? We had a good selection in so i decided to share a few with you.
First up the good ones. Genuine pictures taken in snowy surroundings, although they can still have a hint of photoshop just for that final festive look! Charles Russell in the Alps and Frosty in his yard in deepest darkest, Suffolk ba.
The next catergory is the, pick your favorite picture and add a festive slogan to it. Not a bad idea shows you at your best at least!! Thanks to Big Al for the classic British Stack. The Scania is Owner Driver Tim Rigby from Taunton.
Then you get your down right, bugger we’ve forgotten to order Christmas cards, awful.
Can you beat these??? email ben@truckblog.co.uk
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