David Miller:
And he made it all the way down without setting the brakes on fire. Clearly a highly experienced AbiDavid
To be fair, I think that long-haul Abis, just like UK long-haulers, were in a bit of class of their own (even if they had started life as home-grown tonka pilots!). And at least the Turks, having set their brakes on fire knew how to install new ones by the roadside; which is more than some of us did! (Some, not all, that is). Robert 
Youâre right Robert. just having a bit of fun.
David
Customs post Istanbul. Just found the picâ so put it up. Regards Chris
Has anyone on here got any photos of Ray Tours Scammel with the big home-made pod on top, I ran with him a couple of times when I was on promotors.
SUPERCUBE:
Has anyone on here got any photos of Ray Tours Scammel with the big home-made pod on top, I ran with him a couple of times when I was on promotors.
You donât state whether itâs Crusader, an S26, a Highwayman or whatever. Is this the one youâre looking for?
Or was it this one?
This perhaps?
Robert
Or this?
Surely not this?
Whilst on the subject of home made roof extensions, here is one that i made for one of my customers, that some of you may recall.
Owned by a rather âunusualâ chap called Ian Snodgrass, and as such was soon nicknamed the âSnodtrotterâ.
This was the Mk1 version which he had to abandon in Iraq when the first war against the Sadam regime broke out. He then asked me to build a Mk2 version on a 22-321 MAN twin-steer, which he then run for many years on Europe / M.E. But alas i have no pictures of the ârefinedâ Mk.2 modelâŚ
In both versions âSnoddyâ could stand up straight and still have maybe 15" clearance above his head.
( Many thanks to Laurence Kiely for the use of his picâs )
SUPERCUBE:
Has anyone on here got any photos of Ray Tours Scammel with the big home-made pod on top, I ran with him a couple of times when I was on promotors.
Thanks Robert, very impressive collection you have there.
SUPERCUBE wrote:Has anyone on here got any photos of Ray Tours Scammel with the big home-made pod on top, I ran with him a couple of times when I was on promotors.
But it was not a Scammell that Ray drove Supercube, it was an Atkinson Borderer with the home made, plywood, roof mounted nesting box. What you may be thinking of was the blue and yellow Crusader that I drove because I often ran with Ray.
David
David Miller:
SUPERCUBE wrote:Has anyone on here got any photos of Ray Tours Scammel with the big home-made pod on top, I ran with him a couple of times when I was on promotors.
But it was not a Scammell that Ray drove Supercube, it was an Atkinson Borderer with the home made, plywood, roof mounted nesting box. What you may be thinking of was the blue and yellow Crusader that I drove because I often ran with Ray.
David
My memory is getting hazy after a lot of yrs David, I loaded with Ray and Micky Fitzell at Ordu one time, I just recalled that great box on the top,it was a bit of a monstrosity but it worked so itâs good. I recall Micky getting into an argument with a Tonka driver at the bosphurous ferry, the Turk clumped his mirror so he went to the Tonka and was trying to get money off him, no joy of course. I was with him a couple of times after that. Is he still about?
We are all getting hazy Iâm afraid mate - itâs a whole lot of years ago.
In answer to your question I really donât know. I was sorry to have lost contact with ray a lot of years back - shame because he was a really great bloke. I also lost touch with Mr Fitzell but was less sorry about that!
David
Davies Turner, Whoops! Regards Chris
I pulled my wallet out of my pocket today (no sarcastic comments please) and found that a coin had gone into it a while ago and was still there. The imprint of the coin was visible through the leather.
I was reminded that a âpenny valveâ that I kept in my wallet made exactly the same imprint.
Iâm having a memory lapse here, because as I remember, it was the Scania that needed the penny valve. Suddenly the clutch would lock in the up position and could not be pushed down until you replaced this tiny rubber faced, penny sized, valve.
Whatâs troubling me is that my memory of using it was when I was driving the f88 for Douglas Freight, at Bab el Hawa. So, did I need it for the Volvo, or did I get someone with a Scania out of the dark and sticky?
I had previously driven Pete Robbinsâ 140, so may have still had it in my wallet from then.
This was the Volvo, still from the video (link below) courtesy of Bjorn Jensen, which I was delighted to find some months ago on this site.
John
John West:
I pulled my wallet out of my pocket today (no sarcastic comments please) and found that a coin had gone into it a while ago and was still there. The imprint of the coin was visible through the leather.I was reminded that a âpenny valveâ that I kept in my wallet made exactly the same imprint.
Iâm having a memory lapse here, because as I remember, it was the Scania that needed the penny valve. Suddenly the clutch would lock in the up position and could not be pushed down until you replaced this tiny rubber faced, penny sized, valve.
Whatâs troubling me is that my memory of using it was when I was driving the f88 for Douglas Freight, at Bab el Hawa. So, did I need it for the Volvo, or did I get someone with a Scania out of the dark and sticky?
I had previously driven Pete Robbinsâ 140, so may have still had it in my wallet from then.
This was the Volvo, still from the video (link below) courtesy of Bjorn Jensen, which I was delighted to find some months ago on this site.
0
John
Talking of imprints and Scanias, John; when I was doing Morocco a very entertaining driver from Liverpool called Jedd told me heâd parked outside a cafe dog-tired and fallen asleep with his head against the steering wheel of his series 1 Scania. When he staggered into the cafe for some coffee to wake him up he caused a lot of amusement because he had âScaniaâ embossed in reverse across his forehead! Robert
robert1952:
John West:
I pulled my wallet out of my pocket today (no sarcastic comments please) and found that a coin had gone into it a while ago and was still there. The imprint of the coin was visible through the leather.I was reminded that a âpenny valveâ that I kept in my wallet made exactly the same imprint.
Iâm having a memory lapse here, because as I remember, it was the Scania that needed the penny valve. Suddenly the clutch would lock in the up position and could not be pushed down until you replaced this tiny rubber faced, penny sized, valve.
Whatâs troubling me is that my memory of using it was when I was driving the f88 for Douglas Freight, at Bab el Hawa. So, did I need it for the Volvo, or did I get someone with a Scania out of the dark and sticky?
I had previously driven Pete Robbinsâ 140, so may have still had it in my wallet from then.
This was the Volvo, still from the video (link below) courtesy of Bjorn Jensen, which I was delighted to find some months ago on this site.
0
John
Talking of imprints and Scanias, John; when I was doing Morocco a very entertaining driver from Liverpool called Jedd told me heâd parked outside a cafe dog-tired and fallen asleep with his head against the steering wheel of his series 1 Scania. When he staggered into the cafe for some coffee to wake him up he caused a lot of amusement because he had âScaniaâ embossed in reverse across his forehead! Robert
ƧĆAĐIA Rules!
John
Found a really interesting âfilmâ on youtube. youtube.com/watch?v=YcqYA_gXSHA
Actually not a film but rather a collection of excellent and evocative photographs on the Middle east job from 1965 till 1980 put there by a group of drivers from Limburg in Holland. It raises a few interesting points;
At 8:41 there is a Volvo F88 chrome grille in the colours of and lettered up as Asian Transport. There has been a lot of comment raised over the picture I posted of a Volvo cab in Astran colours abandoned on H4 after an accident. I have been variously told that I was a â â â â and Astran / Asian Transport never at any time owned a Volvo. This picture would seem to question that and support my rapidly failing memory.
There are also 2 pictures that tend to throw into question the oft repeated statement, when we are engaged in worshipping the Astran memory, that they were the first ever, ever to go east of Dover. At 7:36 there is a Van Rumpt Daf 1500 which were in production from 1957 to late 1960âs. Then there is an even earlier picture at 9:40 of a N.V.Nedu Hanomag - complete with proud driver - that certainly dates from the 1950âs. I will contact the 2 companies and try to get an actual date.
There is also a nice picture of one of the drivers from when I was on Altrex at 7:28. The driver is Jan known as Jan de neuker which is rude and describes what he spent a lot of time doing. He wasnât the full shilling but the company had all our tachos analysed to determine who got the new Scania and, supposedly, he was the best Driver on the fleet. Since it was the only Scania and the Mercedes were being replaced with Macks (!) several of us, including Pat Searl (RIP), got the hump and left!
There is also a lovely picture in there somewhere of Bobby Vallias in a most unlikely hat!
David
David Miller:
Found a really interesting âfilmâ on youtube. youtube.com/watch?v=YcqYA_gXSHAActually not a film but rather a collection of excellent and evocative photographs on the Middle east job from 1965 till 1980 put there by a group of drivers from Limburg in Holland. It raises a few interesting points;
At 8:41 there is a Volvo F88 chrome grille in the colours of and lettered up as Asian Transport. There has been a lot of comment raised over the picture I posted of a Volvo cab in Astran colours abandoned on H4 after an accident. I have been variously told that I was a [zb] and Astran / Asian Transport never at any time owned a Volvo. This picture would seem to question that and support my rapidly failing memory.
There are also 2 pictures that tend to throw into question the oft repeated statement, when we are engaged in worshipping the Astran memory, that they were the first ever, ever to go east of Dover. At 7:36 there is a Van Rumpt Daf 1500 which were in production from 1957 to late 1960âs. Then there is an even earlier picture at 9:40 of a N.V.Nedu Hanomag - complete with proud driver - that certainly dates from the 1950âs. I will contact the 2 companies and try to get an actual date.
There is also a nice picture of one of the drivers from when I was on Altrex at 7:28. The driver is Jan known as Jan de neuker which is rude and describes what he spent a lot of time doing. He wasnât the full shilling but the company had all our tachos analysed to determine who got the new Scania and, supposedly, he was the best Driver on the fleet. Since it was the only Scania and the Mercedes were being replaced with Macks (!) several of us, including Pat Searl (RIP), got the hump and left!
There is also a lovely picture in there somewhere of Bobby Vallias in a most unlikely hat!David
Thatâs a very good link, David! It appears to be a compilation / pastiche of pics borrowed from all sorts of albums littered about the internet, so I recognised many of them. But there were lots Iâd never seen before. Very effective and, as you say, evocative. Refreshing to have classical Arab or Persian music instead of that mind-numbing C & W truck draavinâ stuff!
The Hanomag you mention is on Istanbul plates. Thereâs an almost indiscernable BRS Marathon wreck. Lots of Rynart. The Asian Trans F88 picture also appears in Long Haul Pioneers and I think it was one of four on hire from Avis truck rentals - so in that sense I suppose Astran didnât actually own them.
Thanks for sharing! Robert
Hi David.The NEDU Hanomag was owned by John Ende and Piet van Ess.They drove from Rotterdam to Tehran with it in 1963\4.It was a big event in Holland at the time.Even the Mayor was there at the start.Later John split from Piet and went on to establish NEDU BV which was first in Den Haag then later in Vierpolders from the late 60s to about 1980 when they moved to Vlaardingen.NEDU done one more trip in 1970 to Tehran with 4 trucks but due to one of them having an accident it was not a profit making trip so they did not do any more but concentrated on Europe with veg from the Dutch markets.
John showed me the cutting from the paper one day in the office as he knew i had done ME.John now lives in retirement in the ardennes.
When they Went to Tehran in the early 60s John was considered one of the ââold schoolââ hard men.
David Miller:
At 8:41 there is a Volvo F88 chrome grille in the colours of and lettered up as Asian Transport. There has been a lot of comment raised over the picture I posted of a Volvo cab in Astran colours abandoned on H4 after an accident. I have been variously told that I was a [zb] and Astran / Asian Transport never at any time owned a Volvo. This picture would seem to question that and support my rapidly failing memory.David
On my Astran Calendar, the March picture, which I wonât copy here, has 2 silver grille K reg 88s on. I hope they wonât mind me reproducing the text
âHire Profileâ
Volvo F88s from Avis Truck Rental.
Company rebrand. Astran is born!
John
Good old Mike! I should have known that you would know the answer. Thank you for the additional information. I remember Rijk Voskuil telling me about it but the poor old brain had lost it somewhere!
Great set of pictures anyway and especially Jan de neuker looking all proud with his Scania. (I know that we found before that the automatic swear cancelling machine on this site does not work for non-English words )
Trust all is OK with you in the frozen north. Take care.
David
