SSJ 334Y parked at South Mimms was an Ayr owner driver who’s name I cant remember but he would be loading back from Southern Transport who had an office there. Eddie.
SSJ 334Y parked at South Mimms was an Ayr owner driver who’s name I cant remember but he would be loading back from Southern Transport who had an office there. Eddie. Oooop’s must have hit it twice Sorreeee.
great pics glen well nice motor, but any chance you could make em abit bigger mate 
cheers
gaz
Parking on the beach at Sete. The only restriction for trucks was ‘No Radioactive Material.’
Photobucket has been murder this afternoon!
Looking for someone on this thread to help my ageing brain cells recollect some details from about 1978/9… I worked for Rylands of London, the Sed Ak dealer in Hendon… one day an RC2 turned up for use by our rental division, Fleet Hire, for which I was the mechanic, and I’m trying to remember the details of the internal connection.
I seem to remember being told that Rylands had formed a dealership or partnership “up north” and was importing the RC2 and this was a demo unit, 2 axle with a Cat engine, brown button trim and left ■■■■■■. We took it for the customary road test and it was my first ride on the wrong side of a truck cab.
Only one rental happened and all I remember is the driver stating how thirsty it was. Then one evening it was used by the FH delivery driver, Mike, to get to one of our customers to pick up a truck we needed for servicing, well, it was stored well out the way but their night shunter decided it wasn’t parked properly and off he went for a spin, straight into a wall… the higher ups were not amused.
We also got the RC2 sales brochures for the office, the rental manager Sue Reed and I liked the factory paint so much we all pitched it to head office to have the design with the arrow head and angle stripes put on our Sed Aks and Volvos and they actually did it.
So, if anyone can lend me a few brain cells or can fill in the blanks as to the name of the Ryland dealer I will finally be able to sleep better…!!!
thanks
yvrbrit
harry:
Photobucket has been murder this afternoon!
It sure was 
And i thank you for it great pics Harry what a great looking fleet That Blue scheme on yours was a gem, we couldn’t keep the paint on ours more than 3-4 years.
harry:
glen; This one was probably a lemon. It had a 350 ■■■■■■■ & airbags on the rear.
Yeah every badge has them now and again!
harry:
At times I thought the windscreen was going to fall out with the terrible front suspension.
yeah i here ya those front springs were so small they looked like they should have been on a transit
We had some softer leafs made and i bought the cab air suspension ( cush n air i think was the co) and all became good.
harry:
The wheel studs were hollow,
Yeah another pain in the a#$& we had new wheels made with the normal euro pattern 
harry:
she was great & the old Jake Brake worked a treat
Yeah Jake brake bloody magic wasn’t they you could just about run all day with out hitting the brakes
harry:
One thing I will ask you -did you ever drop down into Hi-Range crawler? It goes in like butter but it was fingers crossed the first time I did it.
No i never did make that change, but i could imagine your anticipation
tetragaz:
great pics glen well nice motor, but any chance you could make em abit bigger matecheers
gaz
I’ll see if i can dig some more out and do a better job next time - what’s a good size to alter to on P’ bucket!
And i thank you for it great pics Harry what a great looking fleet That Blue scheme on yours was a gem, we couldn’t keep the paint on ours more than 3-4 years.
They were finished in the factory in USA before they arrived in Swiss. My Blue one was tarted up for the Geneva Truck Show…one off…but it broke down nearly every trip. I guess the old roads shook her to pieces?
You see the driver of the red one. He was Finnish working in Swiss & he jacked same time as me because the truck was so uncomfortable.
I must say that the UK ones seemed stripped down,shorter chassis & cabs?
That light blue & yellow one was one I drove earlier & had many probs with that too. Once in Barna in the evening rush hour I was straddled across the road in the centre when the gear stick came away in my hand & I was stuck…good bed tho’.
Found these hiding on the hard drive.
Anyone got a picture of the Ellerpack liveried White ?
YVR Brit:
Looking for someone on this thread to help my ageing brain cells recollect some details from about 1978/9… I worked for Rylands of London, the Sed Ak dealer in Hendon… one day an RC2 turned up for use by our rental division, Fleet Hire, for which I was the mechanic, and I’m trying to remember the details of the internal connection.I
So, if anyone can lend me a few brain cells or can fill in the blanks as to the name of the Ryland dealer I will finally be able to sleep better…!!!thanks
yvrbrit
Hi YVR Brit, the names you are requiring…Fleet Hire, Colleshill, (Ryland Group subsidiary), Directors, W (Bill) Whale, Brian Wallwark, Gordon Cox. Ryland Group, Ryland St Birmingham. Vauxhall Bedford main dealer, Atkinson and Seddon Dealers. Fleet Hire was the subsidiary to cater for the hire of Pet Reg tractors, rigids and trailers into the Petroleum Companys.
Rylands also owned Dobson of Edinburgh, (where they ran Atkinson 4x2s Detroit powered that could carry almost as many litres as an 8 wheeler!!
Brian Wallwark , Fleet Hires M.D. was a super fellow, cultured, calm, and a good business man. Ex Oil Industry. Very strong and profitable operation, ran a lot of Black oilers, behind Atkinson ■■■■■■■ 180s, painted in blue and white. Also a number of MK11s , 9ft6in WB, Gardner 180s,for Bass Brewery at Burton on Trent.
The Whites were all prepared for D.O.T. by Richard Cage, ex military, and a first rate man. One bonneted Road Commander was exhibited at the CV show, ended up at NET bulk transport.
Ryland had a very large Furniture van operation , using Bedford chassis, Derek ■■? ran it.
Bloomin good company, made good returns, and gave a lot of us pointers for the future!!!
But those Whites…“Road Commodes”… flimsy rear axle…common mod an F89 axle…the ride…as Harry says, bumpy…even worse than a Reyco sprung Kenworth!!!
Cheerio for now.
Thank you Saviem
I remember Bill Whale but we were at the far end of the ‘empire’ and mostly worked with the Fleet Hire office at the Volvo dealer in Chingford which was Rydale Trucks if my memory is correct… been on the other side of the planet in Vancouver for over 30 years so it’s getting hard to recollect.
I seem to remember Leaderfreight as being another associate company which dropped in for repair by the main dealer occasionally, we saw two Detroit powered Bedford TM’s every week for bad brakes!!!. Rylands Birmingham modified the Sed/Ak 400 to petreg and we then built quite a few in the London shops mostly for rental to Shell/BP or to Crow Carrying at Silvertown hauling black heating oil, and what a mess they were when they came back for servicing… we had to polish them up good for rent to Watneys and Coke in the summer.
Never got to play much with that White, I didn’t think too much of it… looked pretty in the brochure though and that’s why we copied the stripes in later new vehicles, maybe it needed a longer chassis as the UK 4x2 was very choppy riding solo. We also had a fleet of F88/290 which I enjoyed working on and two F10-240’s which were orphans from sales and slugs to drive.
again, thanks for the info
yvrbrit
Hullo Harry,
I was talking to one of my Sons today, we got on to the subject of running to Swiss, I did’nt do much of that, just about a year just before I started to wind down (about 1993). This particular Son of mine was round tripping for Keone (Franke). We got to talking about people, we were wondering what ever happened to a bloke called Chris . We think he came from Nottingham, he was on for a Swiss firm, we’re not too sure where they were from, he thinks it was just South of Basle, he had a turquoise Merc and round tripped UK every week, back to Muttenz. Have you any ideas, please.
Cheers, Archie.
Archie Paice:
Hullo Harry,
I was talking to one of my Sons today, we got on to the subject of running to Swiss, I did’nt do much of that, just about a year just before I started to wind down (about 1993). This particular Son of mine was round tripping for Keone (Franke). We got to talking about people, we were wondering what ever happened to a bloke called Chris . We think he came from Nottingham, he was on for a Swiss firm, we’re not too sure where they were from, he thinks it was just South of Basle, he had a turquoise Merc and round tripped UK every week, back to Muttenz. Have you any ideas, please.
Cheers, Archie.
Can’t recall a Chris from notts, Archie but that colour truck could be Dreier of Suhr or Shiebler of Unterenfelden. The Dreier UK drivers were Mack & Rudi, who was a German. Shiebler drivers were from Manchester .
It’s a dog & I don’t mean the b0ll0xs!
harry:
Can’t recall a Chris from notts, Archie but that colour truck could be Dreier of Suhr or Shiebler of Unterenfelden. The Dreier UK drivers were Mack & Rudi, who was a German. Shiebler drivers were from Manchester .
Hullo Harry,
Thanks for the reply mate. Kev, my Son said it was definitely Shiebiers that Chris was on for, but we can’t agree where he came from. He was a really Happy bloke, very fair hair.
Cheers, Archie.
Taken by Trucker Ash in Dover sometime in the early eighties
