Some B/W heavy haulage. always goes down well, so here are a few…
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Evening all,
Fergie, those pictures from 10 June are a veritable treasure trove from the past of one of my favourite heavy hauliers, Dessirier H Zucconi, from Vitry sur Seine… But why does the signwriting say Dessirier only? Simple, Dessierier was founded back in 1912 in the 12th Arrondisment of Paris. Traffic mainly came from the cargo of Péniches, (Seine barges), wood and coal. Favoured vehicles were P5 Latils with the 4.9 litre 35hp engine, with its "Crocodile " bonnet, and radiator behind the engine.
Dessirier modified these by replacing the engine with a 7.4 litre TAR 40 hp unit, which necessitated replacing both the bonnet and radiator. This gave a modest power increase, but pulling power was really little improved with a 13 tonne trailer behind this 5 tonne rated machine. One of these TARH machines is the subject of Fergies first picture transporting what seems to be a mobile crane body fitted to a Renault 35 Tank chassis. The second picture, again a Latil, but in this instance a heavily modified P5, carrying , as Froggy 55 says a Dion- Bouton railcar. Dion Bouton were a major vehicle producer, armaments, aircraft engines, lorries and buses, as well as railcars. Most were for the metre gauge lines, such as the 500kms Saint Brieuc headquartered Chemin de Fer des Cótes du Nord rail network, (1905/1956), that extended throughout Finistaire and Ille et Villain. But as Froggy says that , (OC2 type)? looks to be standard gauge.
Dessirier departed this life suddenly in 1937, but his wife maintained the business, which during the 39/45 period was dramatically curtailed. The company was registered in 1939 as Veuve Dessirier et Cie, and operated 5 Latils, which were converted to Gazogene power with Imbert plants.
1946, the operation was re-located to the 20th Arrondisment, in the Rue de Plaine, and the fleet grew to 7 units. Then came the ex US surplus “heavies”, as shown in picture 3, & 4. This magnificent machine was a White 1064, 6x4, fitted with a ■■■■■■■ HB600 12 litre with a Rootes type Supercharger, (later to be replaced with a 12 litre NH 220). The picture with the rail carriage load is worth some study, because on the Sceta trailer is one of the early RAPT, (aParis underground network), pneumatic tyred units that ran between concrete guide channels , not on steel rails.
There was a policy decision to concentrate on non standard haulage, and along side the remaining Latil, and Renault AHS tractors came the ex US Diamond T 980, and 981s, along with several Rogers M9 24 wheel, (15 inch), 45 ton Sherman tank transport trailers. Fergies pictures show two of these, one with a “home built” wooden cab, the other with the standard steel unit.
And to cement Dessiriers move into heavy haulage, Mme Dessiries daughter married M Humbert Zucconi… A heavy Hauler of some repute…and the company now became Dessirier H Zucconi. Acquisitions followed, a Pacific M26 A1 (non armoured cab), fitted quickly with an HB600 ■■■■■■■ diesel, a “little” 9.5 litre TLM10 Berliet, then 5 of the big bertha TBOs firstly with the straight 15 litre Berliet 240 hp engine, then the turbo charged 320 hp version, and lastly , (perhaps the finest combination), ■■■■■■■ 335 power and Allison Torque converter boxes. But it was not all ultra heavy kit…an ultra low loading height SINPAR modified Renault Golette, a Berliet “Tekel” ultra low loading 6 wheeler, and mobile cranes by Italy`s Ormig, as well as a massive 8x4 Berliet crane carrier.
In 68 came the move to Quai Jules Guesde, at Vitry sur Seine, which is where I first encountered them. The major players in French Heavy Haulage were being brought together in the National interest to serve in the modernisation of the Nations Electricity industry. Firstly Dessirer H Zucconi, and STAG, (Societe Transports Automobiles Gennervilliers), into GIE, (Groupement d`interet economique), to be joined rapidly in 1978 by my friends at Robert Leyx, (later SCALES), and Mayer from Nancy. What equipment they acquired, PRP-Willeme 200 tonne 8x4s, 250 tonne 8x8s, Delattre et Levivier 12, & 16 line modules for up to 500 tonne payloads, then a second, but with 600 tonne potential, followed by the Dessirier H Zucconi Berliet TRH 350TS 150/180 tonners, plus a good few TR280 266 hp, and a couple of our new TR305s.
By the 80s even allowing for the French fiscal legislation of 5 tonnes per metre length, Dessirier acquired a rather long wheelbase R360 6x4 with a torque converter transmission, rated at 35 tonnes gvw, and 180 tonnes gtw, (the latter weight, and more it handled with ease), and still had a good “empty” road speed as well, along with R310s, and even a Major 6x4.
Lovely company, very professional, whose used equipment would end up all over the globe…in the most surprising places!
I’m away for a glass of Bollinger to lubricate my little grey cells…because Ive just seen Fergies STSI pictures…now there is a really interesting groupement…
Cheerio for now.