Well what can i say A/J, thanks for those fantastic photos of the ■■■■■■■ Race cars ,I will amend the wrongly named Green Hornet that I had put on earlier !! How crisp and sharp they look proudly ,competing against the petrol cars ,they certainly made the ■■■■■■■ Diesel engines name stand out and be counted ,to enter this race car in those days, tells us of the trust in there engineering and proved it , well done to ■■■■■■■ . I have aways been a supporter of Jaguar cars and was a member of there club in Coventry time gone by !!so much that I painted a picture in oil of there record breaking. XK120 this car achieved a speed of over 100mph for one week ,7days &. 7nights completed 16851miles at at an average at 100.31 mph at a circuit called Montlhery saucer near Paris, Ron
Wow, there is competition for BMA Finland (Bennku) with your artist-competences!
■■■■■■■ has a very rich history in testing and racing as well as the need for excellent
coverage for service and delivery of spares. I guess you have been presented a lot in
training-classes.
Nice evening and a good start of the weekend!
This picture tells its own story at a glance , The A series ERF, they where just a fibre glass shell covering the heart of a lion .The 205 ■■■■■■■ engine, these second hand trucks were refurbisht at S Jones and sent out to JEDDAH to start this trucking adventure along with the local lads from Aldridge and the surrounding area how long will they last ?the trucks I mean? the drivers where up for it, all good men ," straight and true , But this would be a test of the men and the machine !! JEDDAH will try to break not only the trucks ,but the men as well , The culture shock itself was a double take ,the heat the smell and the flies the trucks loved it , the men had no choice they had to put up with it , the ERF trucks had enormous loads on there backs ,the roads where littered with wrecks that had failed along with the men who lost there lives, playing there hand in this god forsaken hole , but with the skill of our lads and the strength of the ■■■■■■■ engines ,TRANS ARABIA TRUCKING was born !!and still lives on thanks to the ■■■■■■■ engine and all our lads involved with them. Ron
Talking of which, I had the privilege of driving this wonderful old S Jones B-series ERF, belonging to Jerry Cooke, round the arena at the ERF gathering at the Kelsall show this weekend. It has ex-Trans Arabia Saudi number plates on the bumper! Robert
Does anybody remember “BREAKFAST BEEF” … and eggs ■■?
Backsplice you do come up with some Gourmet Dishes !!! it just so happens I have a photo of the very dish , and hope you are still enjoying the same today . Ps Jerry,s B looks very good hope he got the Cross scimitar badge. Ron.
ronhawk:
Backsplice you do come up with some Gourmet Dishes !!! it just so happens I have a photo of the very dish , and hope you are still enjoying the same today . Ps Jerry,s B looks very good hope he got the Cross scimitar badge. Ron.
It’s beautifully maintained by Jerry and has a 250 ■■■■■■■ with 9-speed Fuller. Robert 
ronhawk:
Backsplice you do come up with some Gourmet Dishes !!! it just so happens I have a photo of the very dish , and hope you are still enjoying the same today . Ps Jerry,s B looks very good hope he got the Cross scimitar badge. Ron.
I can’t make out what that black, circular burnt thing is on your plate Ron - surely not black pudding!!!
We did buy ‘replacement’ pork items! Not usually successful. I suspect we were luckier on the east coast, if you knew anyone on the massive Aramco compound, they would always sell you bacon, the real stuff, not your ‘breakfast beef’, Backsplice.
Also, ‘Siddiqi’, the ‘friend’ of the westerners was fairly readily available too, since a lot of it was brewed on Aramco.
And then, we had Aramco TV and radio. I’m sure there were compensations for living in Jeddah, but I can’t remember what they were!
John
Talking about “Siddiqi” (friend) I seemed to recall our darts team from SARAMAT went over to Trans Arabia ,s villa for a match …I was designated driver so we all piled into the VW combi bus and headed over for the match … well on our way back to the terminal a few of our lads had one glass to many and were a bit boisterous and loud …quite frankly I was a bit windy as I had not long spent the few days in the Tief nick and certainly did,nt want to get locked up again especially for drink ■■?
I would like to add that I never tried the stuff !!!
I saw in an earlier post a mention of Zahied Tractors a mate of mine (Ed Quirie )from SARAMAT drove for them after SARAMAT but then again it may have been Saudi Tractors ■■ ( the memory) maybe some of you may have come across him on your travels and as I said before its good to be able to reminisce with lads who were there
Mah Salam
House Of The Rising Sun comes back to mind ? as I said before this was the over spill Villa. For the Philos ! Just across the rd They where our new found friends and Invited My mate and me over for a drink? Well the liquid had the constituency of Hp140 and tasted the same ,made out of tined grapes ! This was Jeddah not so sophisticated as the east side , with Dry fish on top of there lockers !! It was different to say the least , I think we both had the King Fiizeils after but that’s Jeddah , over in Dammam the TV we could pick up some more civilized programs but still censored ,the raidio I remember picking up Aramco programs like The Glums with Ron & Eth Jerry and me re fuelled up the fridges in Damman port laughing at this light humour coming over the radio Ron
backsplice:
Talking about “Siddiqi” (friend) I seemed to recall our darts team from SARAMAT went over to Trans Arabia ,s villa for a match …I was designated driver so we all piled into the VW combi bus and headed over for the match … well on our way back to the terminal a few of our lads had one glass to many and were a bit boisterous and loud …quite frankly I was a bit windy as I had not long spent the few days in the Tief nick and certainly did,nt want to get locked up again especially for drink ■■?
I would like to add that I never tried the stuff !!!
I saw in an earlier post a mention of Zahied Tractors a mate of mine (Ed Quirie )from SARAMAT drove for them after SARAMAT but then again it may have been Saudi Tractors ■■ ( the memory) maybe some of you may have come across him on your travels and as I said before its good to be able to reminisce with lads who were there
Mah Salam
Hi
You mentioned Zahid Tractors they had joint venture with Heanor Haulage from Detby moving some of the big machines about - not a lot of trucks but all heavy stuff
Ken Broster
Now Ron
What’s the make model engine and gearbox of the red one? And the year?
Mine in Koblenz Germany last weekend
Cheers
Ken
I’ll come back to Jaguars, my favourite car, and also Siddiqi. Not my favourite drink, but a bit ‘any port in a storm!’ A very rough vodka!
At Caravan, we carried quite a lot of heavy equipment for (I think) Zahid, but it may have been someone else, the memory fades after all the years.
One of our Americans came to our a villa at about 9.00 one night. Zahid had a crane that they could sell in Riyadh - the only drawback was that it had to be in Riyadh, 300 miles away, by 9.00am.
I was volunteered. The only trouble was, we had had two low loaders until the previous week. Geoff and Ginger, who had probably stolen them in the first place, had sold them to crescent/sealand.
So I set off to load with a flat trailer. The yard was tight. I loaded the crane from their bank, but had to do a 180 to get out. I could feel that this crane was very top heavy, and I felt very uncomfortable when the fifth wheel was close to the point where it could tilt, but did actually manage to get it facing the gates!
Unfortunately 3 days before, I had watched an American guy back a similar crane down a bulldozered bank, it had sunk into a soft bit of the man made bank and in slow motion it had turned over.
The driver had been quite gung ho about it until I pointed out that if it had gone the other way, the cab being on one side, it would now be lying on top of him! He went very quiet.
As I moved forward on the unmade yard, one of the wheels on the tractor dropped into a small dip. I could feel the crane sway behind me.
It was now nearly midnight.
I was not a popular man when I said I wasn’t taking it. I just had no confidence that I could deliver it without turning over at some point.
You only had to dip off the Tarmac an inch or two to give a huge twist to the trailer, and there were many reasons between Dammam and Riyadh to sometimes have to dodge off the Tarmac.
Camels sleeping on the road. Someone having stopped and left tyres burning on the Tarmac - long after they’d gone. Trucks overtaking coming towards you, but not prepared to give way to you.
I took quite a lot of ‘dodgy’ loads in Saudi, but I lost my bottle with this one. I was pleased to find next day that no one else was prepared to take it either!
I guess they lost the sale, but I didn’t ‘wipe out’ in the desert!
John
KB very nice Austin 100/4 !! I. Guess 4speed with over drive ? 1956 ? I aways fancied a Healey but with my resources finished up with MG , still great fun , I have recently sold that one, story of my life ? But Hay life’s always a challenge to me , Good to know you drive it abroad how did you protect the paintwork on the N / S with the square heads passing at high speed on the auto ban ? I know they tried to blow the MG off all the way from. Zebruger to Sicily and back !!! If you want an experience go down the A17 on a Friday afternoon in Naples ? Red hot with the heater on trying to keep the engine cool, with a cooking stove fastened to the manifold with chicken and spuds cooking !!! As we slowly made our way down this chaotic road the Italians where sniffing the air !!! This is as aways, the Gospel Truth . Ps I forgot to say we called in at the Ferrari factory in Modana and had an ordinance with Pope John Paul on the Wednesday In Rome a fantastic Holliday all in the MG that cost 200 pound with no engine ■■? Ron
John West:
I was not a popular man when I said I wasn’t taking it. I just had no confidence that I could deliver it without turning over at some point.I took quite a lot of ‘dodgy’ loads in Saudi, but I lost my bottle with this one. I was pleased to find next day that no one else was prepared to take it either!
John
Well, I don’t call that losing your bottle: I call it common sense. Your tale is a sobering reminder that the key to survival wasn’t just about knowing your own limitations, it was about knowing those limitations under the prevailing conditions (and knowing when to say ‘no’!). Salute. Robert
I doubt if Trans Arabia did experience this sort of external service as in the attachment…
under the severe conditions in Middle East (heat, sand, dust) GCC and TA-workshop did
a hell of a job to keep the fleet and country running!!! ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ dates from 1960.
Unfortunately only US-marques are stated on the back of the leaflet.
John , Discretion is the better part of Valour that decision you made was not a clime down ,it was made because you where an Experienced driver , knowing the pit falls along the way In this land of high heat sunken tarmac , crazy drivers and over loaded trucks probably saved your fate , that’s why I like men who know the score ,the Abqaig rd , was a flat straight road to hell For the uninitiated Ron
ronhawk:
KB very nice Austin 100/4 !! I. Guess 4speed with over drive ? 1956 ? I aways fancied a Healey but with my resources finished up with MG , still great fun , I have recently sold that one, story of my life ? But Hay life’s always a challenge to me , Good to know you drive it abroad how did you protect the paintwork on the N / S with the square heads passing at high speed on the auto ban ? I know they tried to blow the MG off all the way from. Zebruger to Sicily and back !!! If you want an experience go down the A17 on a Friday afternoon in Naples ? Red hot with the heater on trying to keep the engine cool, with a cooking stove fastened to the manifold with chicken and spuds cooking !!! As we slowly made our way down this chaotic road the Italians where sniffing the air !!! This is as aways, the Gospel Truth . Ps I forgot to say we called in at the Ferrari factory in Modana and had an ordinance with Pope John Paul on the Wednesday In Rome a fantastic Holliday all in the MG that cost 200 pound with no engine ■■? Ron
Hi
Yes AH 100-4 BN1 1955. 3 speed gearbox with overdrive but actual a 4speed with N1 blanked off but this one is open - to low to use really unless in trouble on steep climb!!
run up from Bonn this morning to Sth Amsterdam to the Healey Museum - you might added what hell its doing here when the car was made in Warick!! Money and someone with the passion - should interesting though. Running very hot today with outside temp (35c) not low enough to keep her anything like cool enough - stop and she overheats
Might see you one day? Must get Martin organised
Cheers
Ken
John West:
I’ll come back to Jaguars, my favourite car, and also Siddiqi. Not my favourite drink, but a bit ‘any port in a storm!’ A very rough vodka!At Caravan, we carried quite a lot of heavy equipment for (I think) Zahid, but it may have been someone else, the memory fades after all the years.
One of our Americans came to our a villa at about 9.00 one night. Zahid had a crane that they could sell in Riyadh - the only drawback was that it had to be in Riyadh, 300 miles away, by 9.00am.
I was volunteered. The only trouble was, we had had two low loaders until the previous week. Geoff and Ginger, who had probably stolen them in the first place, had sold them to crescent/sealand.
So I set off to load with a flat trailer. The yard was tight. I loaded the crane from their bank, but had to do a 180 to get out. I could feel that this crane was very top heavy, and I felt very uncomfortable when the fifth wheel was close to the point where it could tilt, but did actually manage to get it facing the gates!
You were a wise man not to go - would have turned to sh-t. And then trouble with the law. We all carried stuff that should have been on lowloaders - fortunately TA got away with it - only one real near miss and that was Johnny Mathews with a 60ft plus cabin cruiser going back into Jeddah port for a ship to Dammam ad I had refused to take it overland especially when we had a ship coming in that do it much safer and cheaper in the end - no medal for ■■■■ ups!!
Good man
Cheers
Ken Broster
Unfortunately 3 days before, I had watched an American guy back a similar crane down a bulldozered bank, it had sunk into a soft bit of the man made bank and in slow motion it had turned over.
The driver had been quite gung ho about it until I pointed out that if it had gone the other way, the cab being on one side, it would now be lying on top of him! He went very quiet.
As I moved forward on the unmade yard, one of the wheels on the tractor dropped into a small dip. I could feel the crane sway behind me.
It was now nearly midnight.
I was not a popular man when I said I wasn’t taking it. I just had no confidence that I could deliver it without turning over at some point.
You only had to dip off the Tarmac an inch or two to give a huge twist to the trailer, and there were many reasons between Dammam and Riyadh to sometimes have to dodge off the Tarmac.
Camels sleeping on the road. Someone having stopped and left tyres burning on the Tarmac - long after they’d gone. Trucks overtaking coming towards you, but not prepared to give way to you.
I took quite a lot of ‘dodgy’ loads in Saudi, but I lost my bottle with this one. I was pleased to find next day that no one else was prepared to take it either!
I guess they lost the sale, but I didn’t ‘wipe out’ in the desert!
John
Think about it lads …leaving Riyadh late afternoon hot and dusty .keep going for a couple of hours looking for a nice hill away from the highway just before dark leaving the tarmac and thinking of parking up !!! oh ! oh!..strike a bit of soft sand manage to bounce the F89 over it slowly find the spot in the headlights and open the doors put the kettle on make a nice cup of tea well a kraft cheese glass of tea make a bully beef sandwich on the fresh loaf bought before leaving town sit back listen to “The Shadows” while watching the lights flash past away down on the highway …lonely yes but sometimes someone would pull up and join you but not often … then after a few hours kip head back to Jeddah before the sun gets up and it gets to hot should manage it back before nightfall ■■?
on something else do any of you remember the Finnish mob with the big SISU trucks ■■?
Mah Salam
