Judging by these two pics, even these old A-series ERFs were not spared ‘road-train’ duties! Robert
robert1952:
Judging by these two pics, even these old A-series ERFs were not spared ‘road-train’ duties! Robert10
Robert
They are empties!!! On the yard to port shuttle - with a York single axle dolly - useless
M Cooke look young and handsome !!
Ken
Kenb:
robert1952:
Judging by these two pics, even these old A-series ERFs were not spared ‘road-train’ duties! Robert10
Robert
They are empties!!! On the yard to port shuttle - with a York single axle dolly - useless
M Cooke look young and handsome !!
Ken
And a handsome NGC lingering in the background ready to do the real work! Cheers, Robert
robert1952:
Kenb:
robert1952:
Judging by these two pics, even these old A-series ERFs were not spared ‘road-train’ duties! Robert10
Robert
They are empties!!! On the yard to port shuttle - with a York single axle dolly - useless
M Cooke look young and handsome !!
Ken
And a handsome NGC lingering in the background ready to do the real work! Cheers, Robert
The A series does not appear to have a Saudi number plate!! Just a dirty U K one - expensive paint job but old number plate? That says a lot!!
Technical Q. - what does NGC mean??
Regards. Ken
ronhawk:
Well thanks for that ,John & Backsplice , that’s what I like about Mirlins thread it’s so divers but still holds the interest in our truckers in that desert land , I wonder what the secret name is ■■ They do make cheese and Yogurt from a mixture of camel milk and fresh urine ,this is a fact !! I am not taking the p —, Mirlins yogurt was aways Ronay Sorry runny ■■ Ron
Picture taken by David Hughes ( S Jones Director) whilst waiting in a traffic que (6hours) on the New Jizan coast road to Abha mountain road under construction
Regards
Ken b
Kenb:
ronhawk:
Well thanks for that ,John & Backsplice , that’s what I like about Mirlins thread it’s so divers but still holds the interest in our truckers in that desert land , I wonder what the secret name is ■■ They do make cheese and Yogurt from a mixture of camel milk and fresh urine ,this is a fact !! I am not taking the p —, Mirlins yogurt was aways Ronay Sorry runny ■■ RonPicture taken by David Hughes ( S Jones Director) whilst waiting in a traffic que (6hours) on the New Jizan coast road to Abha mountain road under construction
Regards
Ken b
In ERF-speak, N = 7MW ‘European’ steel cab; G = export special specification; C = ■■■■■■■■
As for the number plate on the A-series: the unit had been acquired by S Jones when they took over a small company and they shipped it out to Jeddah on shunting duties. My guess is that in the picture it has only just arrived off the boat and not yet received it’s Saudi plates - OR, it was only used as a yard shunter and never used on the road. Someone on here will remember - Cookie, no doubt! Talking of Cookie, here’s what he had to say about that unit in his article in REVS International magazine some time ago. Robert
Hi Johnny , Trans Arabia you understand was a venture backed up by S Jones of Aldridge ,this was already a successful haulage company in the Midlands With the ERF Franchise they had workshops and comprehensive store, supplying all parts in our area ,new trucks etc ,and most importantly the expertise of good drivers and mechanics from the shop floor ,So with proved ERF and ■■■■■■■ power ,they where bound for succeed S Jones shipped out rolling Stock with all tools to maintain service the trucks and trailers , the experienced drivers then flew out , Trans Arabia trucking started in Jeddah ,with men coming on leave after three months , they would collect parts required and take them back as excess luggage , some times heavy 1/2 shafts planet gears clutches etc etc , this was after about 18months when the truck started to break down due to over loading There main Mechanic Was John Davies hard working and very conscientious lad , he needed help as the work load increased , Mac engines Jake brakes etc ,it was An incredible filthy place to work in the heat and smell of Jeddah , I went out as a driver mechanic and John & myself made up a great team , every breakdown was a challenge on my own to survive days away from base repairing trucks was incredible out there under the sun ,dehydration was the Killer , always heavy work relining All brakes removing wheels and hubs riveting on new shoes etc , breaking the wheel nuts with a scaffolding tube you can imagine the effort involved but I personallyLoved the challenge , there are lots to tell , but our Drivers where the back bone of Trans Arabia ,and for some one on this thread to say the Philos where better than the Brits in an injustice to our hard working lads , I worked alongside both Ron " ps thanks for the jump start Backsplice "
Thanks Ron for the overview. I somehow can’t imagine trying to fix a lorry in some remote place with only the limited tools and parts you took with you. All this in + 40 C. No mobile phones back then either.
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We had good mechanics at SARAMAT …I,m led to understand that when the company was started the fleet came out to Jeddah accomanied with 2 wreckers and about a dozen containers full of nearly every spare that may have been needed these were set in such a way that they were virtually a store made up like it was a dealership ■■? but when I got there the operation was over a year old and possibly through a lot of driver neglect ( Brits /Greeks and Arabs ) perhaps a cavalier attitude easy come easy go there were a big line up of F89,s on the fence ( see photo ) some of them had been cannibalized …spare wheels … long range fuel tanks … the stereo systems had been… ratted you name it however I would guess that from about 80 tractor units 60 plus were operational anyway that did,nt come into my personal attitude I saw an opportunity to make a quid but enjoy the experience at the same time I think the secret was to take it steady perhaps the more trips you did the more dollars were earned but there was an increase in risk at the same time so 3 trips to Riyahd in 2 weeks was plenty 4 was stretching it…I know that it was possible but … it was good to have a couple of days off get the AC gassed up have a night down the souk with the lads …head over to T/A for a game of darts and things like that …another thing I was never hesitant when stopping for and omelette in some village even while traveling Solo… a great adventure
thats enough …
.More… Mumkin bad bukerah mah Salahms
I’must say Backsplice your outfit sounds like a well oiled machine ,smooth running with Recovery trucks what a luxury air con and fridges "we had home made cooler boxes , on the trailers with blocs of ice !!! this kept the OS. 1st axle brake cooler than the rest as it melted going up the mountain Har Har the few A Cs we had could not cope in that heat and where off more than on, the villa walls where red hot .Trust Trans Arabia to have a corner spot in full Sun the day time temp was sweltering the green curtains gave a dead look to the place as we came in from the bright Sun for a well earned cupa that was welcome , but cooler outside , the food we had was “adorable” I mean edible ,you could only have one small box of cornflakes for breakfast ? The drivers threatened to kill Henry this was our pet gecko he kept the flies in check ,we where always looking for more ,we felt like Oliver Twist at times !! The manger put a chain round the Fridge ■■? Can you BELIEVE that !! But all we did unknowing to him, we cut the chain link at the back and linked it back together ■■ That was nothing to me the "Safe cracker of Dammam " Taffy Bill loved his food and late night suppers , not that this amounted to much ? One night he fancied some chips but we had no oil to fry them up , the Mazola oil had gone to burn out 114 Mac up the mountain !!! So he used butter,!!! well the chips eventually cooked and did not have any crispness about them and became a yellowish ? Colour , they tasted like chips that had been fried In BUTTER !!! Ron
Thanks for your memories. Fascinating! I think the heat would have killed me. I was in India for 3 months, but I had air conditioning. What was the temperature range, summer to winter?
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Hi Johnny , Temp in Jeddah ? , well let me put it like this ,? when I first walked down the steps of the BA Try Star passing the Jet engine on the Wing ? I thought bloody hell that engine is really hot , but of course it was not the engine it was the Temp in Jeddah , it felt as if my ears where burning , this was quite a shock , about 11oclock at night , then I thought what’s it like when the sun comes up ,looking back to the men who greeted me when arriving at the villa , the AC was on but the atmosphere was sticky and uncomfortable , this was late July ,I was trying to sleep when the AC was turned off ,well the day broke and I met all the lads at breakfast ,welcome to jeddah , they looked as if to say this is it ,It won’t get any better only worse ? !!! And this was true ,going to work just outside the gate, then driving A series ERF down to the docks to pick up containers I could not believe the smell of this place ,dead cows about on the dock rd just rotting ,and they where there until the leather skin sunk into the skeletons it was the biggest surprise of my life !!! But this was it for the next 2 1/2 years , however getting back to the Tem I would say in the summer time it was 40+ and winter 35+ however bad this sounds IT was ten times worse ,hitching up to 40 + ton was also a shock , Ron
hi ron
snap
arrived in Jeddah 26th of july 1976 1st day of ramadam by Syrian air from damascass had been stting in damascass airport for 2 days sleeping on the floor waiting for a conection to Jeddah I arrived at 8 pm and was taken to a hotel in the middle of the sueq first thing that came to may head was GET ME OUT OF HERE then I sat down and had a swamme and one those cold banana drinks and all that gold I think I woke up 5 years later when I left
I think if we had all sat down and took notes while we were there just think of all them tales that weve forgot
rememder the floods?
ronhawk:
Hi Johnny , Temp in Jeddah ? , well let me put it like this ,? when I first walked down the steps of the BA Try Star passing the Jet engine on the Wing ? I thought bloody hell that engine is really hot , but of course it was not the engine it was the Temp in Jeddah , it felt as if my ears where burning , this was quite a shock , about 11oclock at night , then I thought what’s it like when the sun comes up ,looking back to the men who greeted me when arriving at the villa , the AC was on but the atmosphere was sticky and uncomfortable , this was late July ,I was trying to sleep when the AC was turned off ,well the day broke and I met all the lads at breakfast ,welcome to jeddah , they looked as if to say this is it ,It won’t get any better only worse ? !!! And this was true ,going to work just outside the gate, then driving A series ERF down to the docks to pick up containers I could not believe the smell of this place ,dead cows about on the dock rd just rotting ,and they where there until the leather skin sunk into the skeletons it was the biggest surprise of my life !!! But this was it for the next 2 1/2 years , however getting back to the Tem I would say in the summer time it was 40+ and winter 35+ however bad this sounds IT was ten times worse ,hitching up to 40 + ton was also a shock Ron
Hi Ron, JS and Backsplice. I spent several months in Jeddah and can confirm how hot it was… But the humidity was the killer if you were sleeping in the cab. The Mosquitos down by the lagoon were fierce, so you closed the doors and windows and sprayed the ‘raid’. Then sweated! Someone asked earlier why we didn’t have mosquito nets. I don’t know, but it was just about as hot with the doors open. Poor johnnie Longhorn once stopped overnight at the bottom of Taif (they would only allow you up a t certain hours, I forget which now) and there wasn’t a square inch of his body without a bite on it! I guess we were lucky not to catch malaria.
Jeddah is in the tropics.
Different story once you’d climbed Taif. Even in Summer it was usually bearable to sleep, because you could have the doors open and there wasn’t the heat or humidity of Jeddah at 6,000 feet.
Riyadh was very hot in summer, but quite pleasant from about November to March. - a bit like a nice English Summer. I was amazed to wake one morning to find frost! It soon melted.
Dammam isn’t in the tropics, but could be as hellish as Jeddah from May to October. Again, terrible humidity from the gulf. Before we got a villa and A/C, when we loaded on the port we headed to or beyond Hofuf Corner, about 50 miles away to get away from the humidity before parking up for the night. No frost in Dammam, it never got that cold. Swimming in the gulf in November was like being in a warm bath.
Bear with me if I’ve told this one before, but I was walking with my stepbrother and Val, his wife, in Barrow one afternoon when I was home on leave from Dammam and it was a hot summer’s day. She wiped her brow and asked ‘phew, is it hot like this in Saudi John?’ I laughed and replied ‘Not even close. In summer, it never gets as cold as this, even in the middle of the night, this is like winter!’
This was greeted with silence and I could tell she didn’t believe me, but it was true.
John
JS, actual temperatures! Jeddah hottest, as Ron says 40 + in summer and not that much colder (about 30? In winter).
Riyadh, 40+ in Summer, down to 20/25 in winter. Sometimes actually cold at night! No humidity unlike the coasts.
Dammam, 40+ in summer, sometimes as hot as 50. Winters like Riyadh, 20ish, sometimes colder. We had rain in Dammam in winter. Occasionally very heavy.
I smuggled some whisky into Dammam on an overland trip in summer and met an Arab (it was only later that I realised how foolish this all was) who transferred it to the boot of his Cadillac. I noticed water pouring from underneath the car - he’d left the engine going to keep it cool inside - and said something like ‘I think you’ve blown a hose.’ He just looked at me and said ‘its the a/c’ . I of course had never seen anything like that before.
Also in summer it was usual to see condensation on the outside of the windscreen rather than the inside, if you had a/c.
John
In our billets at the depot we had water coolers at intervals along the corridors but when they were filled up it was first in best dressed everybody would fill their storage containers from them for a trip inland … we had cafeteria style mess room and Sudanese cooks and the grub was,nt to bad …I have mentioned before the "breakfast beef "in lieu of bacon …we also had a rec room with table tennis and darts etc so we were well catered for ■■? when we headed off to where ever it was customary to leave the room A/C going so that it would be nice and cool when you got back (whenever )…normally leave a half dozen cans of " Vimto " ( that had "fell "out of some container in the yard ) sitting in front of the A/C so that would be nice and cold too …if me and my room mate were going at different times it was arranged who left last set things up ■■ … after a few weeks in Jeddah you got used to the smell etc
Thanks for the insight into the conditions. +30 in winter!!! Amazing that the lorries survived so well when you also consid
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Consider the weights carried as well. (Oops sorry, I pressed the enter key by mistake)
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Somebody said “remember” the floods ■■?
Thinking back to the good old days ■■? When the trucks broke down ! Where about is it I asked ? looking at the driver inquisitively , its just up the road Ron , the trailer hubs collapsed and it dug into the axle ,don’t worry it’s off the road, I found some hard sand OK where is it , This side of Riyhad you can’t miss it !!! On The left , is it loaded was the next question ? Of course was the answer ? The breakdowns that happened where because of the weight we carried 9 times out of 10 but do you know I loved it , just to get away from Jeddah , however daunting the breakdown sounded , I will be away from this hole , Then having got the job done ,I could not get back quick enough to Jeddah ? Still 2days away To Jeddah , ? That can’t be right can it !!! To have a bed and some food , it was job satisfaction I suppose ? This was only one tale in the hot Sun that never sets until the earth turned round , the driving was the best ?!! although this was just frightening at times feeling the loads trying to push the truck sideways Down the mountain ,It was and still is rememberable. Ron
