After reading the article i tend to agree that there may have been more than 2 NGC’s within the Camel
fleet. One gets the impression that if there were only two they would have said that rather than “a number
of steel - cabbed ERF export model tractors with ■■■■■■■ NTC 335 engines for such work”.
I assume the 350bhp ones they are talking about would have been the B series.
I was talking to someone yesterday whos mate drove for them in 1976,so hopefully we may get
some definate information soon.
Although some of the entries my register are a little tenuous and may need further verification, we basically have 90 of the 91 entries required to complete the quest. For the moment, I am entering 91 as follows:
No. 91+ The probable rest of the CAMEL NGC fleet - NB We know of the two at 57 & 58 on this list. We know that there were ‘a number’ of NGCs in the fleet.
‘Cookie’ to the rescue! He’s just given me a bit more background info about the CAMEL operation. He remembers visiting their Jeddah premises in about '78. Apparently it ceased trading in about 1981. Four of the six B-series 6x4s went to a bloke from Preston called Jimmy Milson who ran his own ‘internals’ outfit in north Jeddah - he used 3 and kept the 4th one for bits. The day-cabbed B-series shunters went to Trans Arabia where they were cannibalised for parts. Apparently quite a lot of their stuff went for scrap so the NGCs probably didn’t make it to new lives and in any case they would have been getting on a bit, given the harsh terrain. Having said that, no one seems to know what became of them. Much of the actual work went to Trans Arabia. I love these conversations as they add colour to our strange quest for NGCs! Cheers, Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
Presumably the UK end of the operation. Robert
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Hi Robert,
You have certainly set yourself a task !!! and have done a great job so far, well done you.
Bit heavy for me at times but I understand what you are doing, would be hard enough if only in the uk, but “out there” great detective work.
Proof in your picture that the SELF steer did exist, gave up telling people about it years ago, know one believed me, ha!!
Good luck, Harvey
ERF-NGC-European:
Presumably the UK end of the operation. Robert
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Hi Robert,
You have certainly set yourself a task !!! and have done a great job so far, well done you.
Bit heavy for me at times but I understand what you are doing, would be hard enough if only in the uk, but “out there” great detective work.
Proof in your picture that the SELF steer did exist, gave up telling people about it years ago, know one believed me, ha!!
Good luck, Harvey
Thank you! Glad to be of assistance on the Volvo front Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
Presumably the UK end of the operation. Robert
0
ACL operations wouldn’t have involved the Middle East.That reads like the Atlantic Cognac with was one of their six G2 Atlantic running fleet which included the unfortunate Atlantic Conveyor.Ironically they could probably have massively increased their traffic if they’d have matched the ro-ro rates on their mixed ro-ro/container ships with the container rates.To the point where ‘accompanied’ or at least fly/drive Europe-North America TIR operations would have been viable.
ERF-NGC-European:
Presumably the UK end of the operation. Robert
0
ACL operations wouldn’t have involved the Middle East.That reads like the Atlantic Cognac with was one of their six G2 Atlantic running fleet which included the unfortunate Atlantic Conveyor.Ironically they could probably have massively increased their traffic if they’d have matched the ro-ro rates on their mixed ro-ro/container ships with the container rates.To the point where ‘accompanied’ or at least fly/drive Europe-North America TIR operations would have been viable.
Yes, the article refers to ACL movements in UK rather than in Saudi. A brief glance through all my Jeddah container pictures (Trans Arabia etc) show no ACL containers. Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
Yes, the article refers to ACL movements in UK rather than in Saudi. A brief glance through all my Jeddah container pictures (Trans Arabia etc) show no ACL containers. Robert
Unsurprisingly CAMEL seems to have been a totally different and seperate operation,to ACL which specialised/es in trans Atlantic traffic,and seems to have chartered lesser Hustler class ships from Sea Containers in the day.
ERF-NGC-European:
Yes, the article refers to ACL movements in UK rather than in Saudi. A brief glance through all my Jeddah container pictures (Trans Arabia etc) show no ACL containers. Robert
Unsurprisingly CAMEL seems to have been a totally different and seperate operation,to ACL which specialised/es in trans Atlantic traffic,and seems to have chartered lesser Hustler class ships from Sea Containers in the day.
Of course it was different: it was a specialist niche - the words ‘Arabian’ and ‘Middle East’ in the CAMEL acronym are surely a dead giveaway ! Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
Of course it was different: it was a specialist niche - the words ‘Arabian’ and ‘Middle East’ in the CAMEL acronym are surely a dead giveaway ! Robert
Which obviously meant that the ‘UK end’ of CAMEL’s operation had nothing to do with ACL’s operations nor any ACL ship.
While if they’d have just equalised that ro/ro rate with the container rate that article could very well have been along the lines of the first vehicle running a new TIR service between Europe and North America,offering more volume and improved service levels than containers,reverses onto the ro ro deck of the Atlantic Cognac bound for Halifax. Although it couldn’t have been a Volvo pulling a UK spec trailer.
ERF-NGC-European:
Of course it was different: it was a specialist niche - the words ‘Arabian’ and ‘Middle East’ in the CAMEL acronym are surely a dead giveaway ! Robert
Which obviously meant that the ‘UK end’ of CAMEL’s operation had nothing to do with ACL’s operations nor any ACL ship.
Didn’t you read my post? I saw the sense in your observation and concurred as follows:
Yes, the article refers to ACL movements in UK rather than in Saudi. A brief glance through all my Jeddah container pictures (Trans Arabia etc) show no ACL containers.
Have been scanned the original photo of the Preval unit and after double checking with the
photographer i can confirm the correct registration number is 2758 W92.
DEANB:
Have been scanned the original photo of the Preval unit and after double checking with the
photographer i can confirm the correct registration number is 2758 W92.
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1
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Again, nice detective work Deano! And good to have this pic without the overprinted words.
I’ll change the register to show 2758 instead of 2751. However, bear in mind that this registration number is only a temporary import number as the ERF is believed to have been a demonstrator at Preval. I suppose it is possible that they kept it, in which case we’d need to establish its permanent reg no.
Hi robert . you mentioned that you didnt realise Bromilows got down as far as jeddah, i can tell you that they certainly went to many saudi destinations, i myself have been to Riyadh in a bromilow transcon reg TYA 188R, All bromilows transcons were l/h drive & all owned by subbies
bazztrucker:
Hi robert . you mentioned that you didnt realise Bromilows got down as far as jeddah, i can tell you that they certainly went to many saudi destinations, i myself have been to Riyadh in a bromilow transcon reg TYA 188R, All bromilows transcons were l/h drive & all owned by subbies
Ah! Thanks for that Bazztrucker. I did know they went to Saudi but, as often happens with M/E hauliers of that time, I didn’t know they went down the Red Sea coast - it’s always tempting to assume everything went to the Gulf! Cheers, Robert
At last! Here are the latest pictures of Ashley’s finished model of an ERF NGC. This man is a genius. He’s now completed the trailer. This is truly a Middle-East spec trailer to match the very high standards of the ERF unit. The detailing is phenomenal. I draw your attention to the highly detailed double spare wheel carrier with its swing-out gate complete with toggle and padlock; the quality of build on the trailer boxes; the belly-tank; the lager keg complete with hose for water; the pipe for thrusting into the running tank and pumping ‘cherry’ through on the red air-line using the tap on the connector (alas no taps on real units anymore, or belly-tanks for that matter!); the alluminium sideboards on the drop-sides, the superb signing… It’s better than Christmas on that trailer! Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
At last! Here are the latest pictures of Ashley’s finished model of an ERF NGC. This man is a genius. He’s now completed the trailer. This is truly a Middle-East spec trailer to match the very high standards of the ERF unit. The detailing is phenomenal. I draw your attention to the highly detailed double spare wheel carrier with its swing-out gate complete with toggle and padlock; the quality of build on the trailer boxes; the belly-tank; the lager keg complete with hose for water; the pipe for thrusting into the running tank and pumping ‘cherry’ through on the red air-line using the tap on the connector (alas no taps on real units anymore, or belly-tanks for that matter!); the alluminium sideboards on the drop-sides, the superb signing… It’s better than Christmas on that trailer! Robert
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Ashley has done a great job making that model for you Robert ! Looks sweet.
Robert
! Robert
Although it couldn’t have been a Volvo pulling a UK spec trailer. 
