Russian Roulette

[dirty_dan]

robert1952:

Dirty Dan:
Here is one i think you seen for sure. Hope Jamie dont mind me posting his propper daf on here

Danne

That DAF was, IIRC, a Turk-spec version with no mod-cons, but it did have a 13-speed Fuller gearbox which was not offered on Euro-spec 3300s (only on the old 2800 DKS). Robert

Its a great looking truck i think,like the big tanks and it have rear tag so i really think it got the look if you know what i mean?

Danne

[m_amp_c_jamie]

As posted on previous pages, the factory workers sent out to sell what they produced for cash , to pay their wages.

Hi All,and a big thank you to Mick for his book . It is bringing back a few memories of my time as a Kepstowe Subbie, a very professional outfit. Like some others on here, health is not the best, but i am still here which is more than can be said for some. Get the beers in lads and keep me a seat.
Whatever happened to the enamel badges that you had in your cab roof lining Mick, the last time that we spoke of them you reckoned that there were over a thousand on there and some worth up to twenty quid each. best regards Jamie.

[newmercman]

Euromatt off this forum has just done a trip on the Trans Siberia Railway from Vladivostok to Moscow, he’s flying back home from Moscow as I type this. I’ll point him towards this thread, he’s sure to have some interesting stuff.

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

newmercman:
Euromatt off this forum has just done a trip on the Trans Siberia Railway from Vladivostok to Moscow, he’s flying back home from Moscow as I type this. I’ll point him towards this thread, he’s sure to have some interesting stuff.

Hi Newmercman. That would be great if Euromatt posts about his experience. Let’s hope that he does.

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

M&C Jamie:
As posted on previous pages, the factory workers sent out to sell what they produced for cash , to pay their wages.

Hi All,and a big thank you to Mick for his book . It is bringing back a few memories of my time as a Kepstowe Subbie, a very professional outfit. Like some others on here, health is not the best, but i am still here which is more than can be said for some. Get the beers in lads and keep me a seat.
Whatever happened to the enamel badges that you had in your cab roof lining Mick, the last time that we spoke of them you reckoned that there were over a thousand on there and some worth up to twenty quid each. best regards Jamie.

Hi Jamie. Long time no see mate. Glad that you like the book. Yes, it is a shame that some of the old boys have passed. I went to Pete Newlyn’s funeral at the end of 2015. But I only heard that Mike Mudie and Gordon Jones had passed away years after they had gone.
Elena has the badges collection. They are for Margarita. I won’t write a lot about them yet, because it would be better if I can get some photo’s. I will try to get some snaps of them and write a post about them. But you are right. I had over a thousand pinned on the roof lining, back wall and wardrobe.
I know what you mean about ill health. But take care Jamie. Let’s hear some of your stories on here and keep in touch mate.

Best regards

Mick

[newmercman]

I picked up a couple of the old classic lorry magazines at the weekend, they both had a write up of your book Mick, all good too.

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

newmercman:
I picked up a couple of the old classic lorry magazines at the weekend, they both had a write up of your book Mick, all good too.

That’s good to know newmercman. I have seen the reviews in Trucking and Truck and Driver. They were 5 star rated. I have had a lot of feedback from people who have read it and they seem to like it. The best one was what Dan put on with the review from a Swedish magazine. “A great read for the winter darkness”. I presume that they mean it is brilliant if you can’t see it. Ha ha ha.

[harry_monk]

M&C Jamie:
As posted on previous pages, the factory workers sent out to sell what they produced for cash , to pay their wages.

Over 20 years later, I still have my Russian kettle, here it is right now getting ready to fill the hot water bottle on my narrowboat for bedtime

[gordon_50]

Not sure I feel qualified to post on this thread as I never drove to Russia in my 20 years of trucking but I find this thread fascinating, so many interesting stories.
I worked for an exhibition transport company in the 90’s and we had to get an exhibition stand to Moscow and I was half hoping to get the job, but the boss wasn’t too keen on doing it in case we got to one of the borders and had paperwork problems etc and couldn’t go any further, so he subbed it out to Kepstowes and 2 of us flew to Moscow to unload it. I remember the driver was a big fella called Pete and I’m assuming it was Pete Newlyn who was mentioned earlier, the pics look like him anyway, sad to hear that he passed away.
The furthest I ever got was Istanbul, met an old middle east hand on the way and again, felt like I was missing out on so many great adventures, although I can fully understand that the downsides of these jobs can be nightmarish to say the least.
I’m going to see if I can get a copy of this book, sounds like a good read.
Also, does anyone know why Kepstowes had a big snail on the side of their trucks?

[harry_monk]

GORDON 50:
Also, does anyone know why Kepstowes had a big snail on the side of their trucks?

Neil Richardson originally intended to call the company “S Cargo” and the snail was a play on words, “L’ escargot” being French for snail. However, the name was already registered and so he bought the pre-formed company “Kepstowe Freight Services” off the shelf, but kept the concept of the snail due to the slow progress made by the trucks. Or so I was told at the time.

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

GORDON 50:
Not sure I feel qualified to post on this thread as I never drove to Russia in my 20 years of trucking but I find this thread fascinating, so many interesting stories.
I worked for an exhibition transport company in the 90’s and we had to get an exhibition stand to Moscow and I was half hoping to get the job, but the boss wasn’t too keen on doing it in case we got to one of the borders and had paperwork problems etc and couldn’t go any further, so he subbed it out to Kepstowes and 2 of us flew to Moscow to unload it. I remember the driver was a big fella called Pete and I’m assuming it was Pete Newlyn who was mentioned earlier, the pics look like him anyway, sad to hear that he passed away.
The furthest I ever got was Istanbul, met an old middle east hand on the way and again, felt like I was missing out on so many great adventures, although I can fully understand that the downsides of these jobs can be nightmarish to say the least.
I’m going to see if I can get a copy of this book, sounds like a good read.
Also, does anyone know why Kepstowes had a big snail on the side of their trucks?

Hi Gordon. The thread is open to anyone that is interested in it. Yes, that definitely sounds like Pete.

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

The pictures of the workers selling the family silver are interesting and they were a major part of what went on, outside of the major cities in the ex-Soviet Union.
The main cities generally had a large number of major employers. At these you might find a couple of car plants, ten steel mills and two major power stations. Volgograd and Zhaperozie for example had those kinds of set ups.
But the small towns usually had only one employer. There, the factory was the town and the town was the factory. Because everyone one in the town and surrounding area were employed at the factory. If not directly employed in the factory then they worked supplying the factory or it’s staff.
When the Soviet Union ended, in December 1991 all business’s turned from state control to private enterprises. The board of directors suddenly owned the companies and had to make a profit. They had not needed to make a profit under Soviet rule, because the government subsidised any losses.
Not used to the concept of profit many companies failed due to inadequate managements.
With no money coming in, the firms gave their employees the goods that they produced, in lieu of wages. The workers then set themselves up, alongside the major road and sold the goods for what they could get for them.

[oiltreader]

A few more from a fellow flickrite who shares.
Oily

[dirty_dan]

We need to have Dave mackies iveco on here. Borrowed from the kazak thread hope he dont mind!
BTW were is Dave these days? He used to post on here regular. But havent seen anyting from him lately.
Here seen on his way to the goldmine in zarafshon.

Danne

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

oiltreader:
A few more from a fellow flickrite who shares.
Oily

More great photos Oily. Thanks.

[euromat]

Hi Mick, it was originally Richard Warren i believe who told me about your book, once i am back to work and earning again i will order myself a copy! I have a fascination with Russia for some reason, and like Newmercman says i have just been on the train from Vladivostok to Moscow and flown home. Here is a link to my video ‘diary’ of the trip, also on my page are several trucking trips that i have made to Russia, so far my favourite and longest being Kazan-Samara-Chelyabinsk-Yekarterinburg.

youtube.com/watch?v=pZsPIkJF8kA

also here is a link to my flickr album of Russian truck photos

flic.kr/s/aHskEGcg7A

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

euromat:
Hi Mick, it was originally Richard Warren i believe who told me about your book, once i am back to work and earning again i will order myself a copy! I have a fascination with Russia for some reason, and like Newmercman says i have just been on the train from Vladivostok to Moscow and flown home. Here is a link to my video ‘diary’ of the trip, also on my page are several trucking trips that i have made to Russia, so far my favourite and longest being Kazan-Samara-Chelyabinsk-Yekarterinburg.

youtube.com/watch?v=pZsPIkJF8kA

also here is a link to my flickr album of Russian truck photos

flic.kr/s/aHskEGcg7A

Hi Mat. That was a brilliant journey and video diary that you made on the Trans Siberia railway. That will be of interest to a lot of the people who read this thread. The ice sculptures are extraordinary. Thanks for putting it on here.
I was looking at your Moscow - Newbury video diary as well. I was thinking that I did not recognise the road from Moscow to the border, until you said that you were going into Latvia. Up until then I thought, “The Moscow - Smolensk road had changed a lot”. ha ha ha.
Your photo’s of Russian and Ukrainian trucks are interesting as well. Now they are all kitted out with Volvo’s, Daf’s and Scanias, it is very different to when they ran around in Maz’s, Kamaz’s and Urals.
Just like you, I and a lot of people have a fascination with Russia, so please continue to post on here. We will all enjoy what you share.

[dirty_dan]

Here is a pic of the truck Jeff did the china border with.well almost

Danne

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

Dirty Dan:
Here is one i think you seen for sure. Hope Jamie dont mind me posting his propper daf on here

Danne

Now that looks very much like Alan Johnson’s Daf. Did you buy it off of him Jamie, or is my old Alzheimers kicking in again. And don’t be a Scouse in the Valleys. Front up and give us some of your excellent memories mate.

[vodka_cola_cowboy]

Dirty Dan:
Here is a pic of the truck Jeff did the china border with.well almost

Danne

Interesting Jeff. When I said that it would have been interesting for you and I to have met in Donetsk, etc I did not realise that by the time that you were running through there in 96 -98, I had already lived in Moscow in Moscow from 1990 -95. For me mate, the War was over. I had done my bit