Paul, i must say its unbelievable the information that Tom kept for each truck. I particularly like that he can quote the price
paid for a vehicle and also the selling price.
DEANB:
Paul, i must say its unbelievable the information that Tom kept for each truck. I particularly like that he can quote the price
paid for a vehicle and also the selling price.
It goes without saying Dean Tom is a mine of information and his knowledge of Gardner engines is astounding. 
The Gardner 6LW engine knocked out No 5 big end on the way down to a rally near Shrewsbury in Shropshire.
The cab was taken off and the engine removed and sent to Paul Gardner Engineering for a complete rebuild to as new standard.
The picture above shows the engine in the process of rebuilding with Tom Riding operating the block and tackle while Mr Paul Gardner (right) is locating the front cylinder block. Tom Riding pictured with the newly rebuilt Gardner 6LW engine back at Longridge
shortly before installation into his restored Scammell Rigid 8 Reg No FJH 102.
The engine at this point still needed dressing ie the air compressor needed fitting as did the flywheel and clutch housing.
The complete history of Tom Ridings Scammell Scammell Rigid 8 - Reg No FJH 102 which was was brand new to Albright & Wilson of Widnes in October 1939 can be found HERE
Day cabbed Seddon Atkinson 4-11 Series 4x2 tractor unit Reg No F340 SHG Fleet No 14 ‘Firth of Clyde’ was registered new on the 1st of September 1988 at a cost of £27,781 plus vat.gazsa401:
Where they the last 2 Gardner powered 4-11s at Ridings Moomooland ?
Thanks Gary
Powered by a Gardner 6LXDT engine this particular tractor unit along with Reg No F110 SRN, which was registered on the same day, were the very last Gardner engined vehicles to leave the Seddon Atkinson factory.
They were bought specifically to haul lime from Shap quarry in ■■■■■■■ to the British Steel Corporation plant at Ravenscriag in Scotland running 24 hours a day 7 days a week. When Ravenscraig closed F340 SHG was transferred to Riding’s Thornaby depot and it was here that it met its end after coming to grief on the A59 just east of West Marten when it hit a tree and was written off.
Question for Tom ! How did the Shap to the 'Craig job operate, did you base the tanks at Shap and use local Drivers or was it operated by Scotsmen from the top end ? Regards Dennis.
moomooland:
Pictured below are two occasions on which our Crane Fruehauf four in line trailers came to grief in Northern Ireland
while being pulled by Northern Ireland Road Transport Board Leyland Beaver tractor units which were on contract to ICI Ltd.
Spot the pre-ISO Northern Ireland Trailers box in the background - that rather dates it!
moomooland:
gazsa401:
Where they the last 2 Gardner powered 4-11s at Ridings Moomooland ?
Thanks Gary1Day cabbed Seddon Atkinson 4-11 Series 4x2 tractor unit Reg No F340 SHG Fleet No 14 ‘Firth of Clyde’ was registered new on the 1st of September 1988 at a cost of £27,781 plus vat.
Powered by a Gardner 6LXDT engine this particular tractor unit along with Reg No F110 SRN, which was registered on the same day, were the very last Gardner engined vehicles to leave the Seddon Atkinson factory.
They were bought specifically to haul lime from Shap quarry in ■■■■■■■ to the British Steel Corporation plant at Ravenscriag in Scotland running 24 hours a day 7 days a week.0When Ravenscraig closed F340 SHG was transferred to Riding’s Thornaby depot and it was here that it met its end after coming to grief on the A59 just east of West Marten when it hit a tree and was written off.
Thanks again for your in-depth reply again it’s such a shame neither of them were saved for preservation
Thanks Gary
Just found this on social media nmp
Taken in the 80s on the Trans Pennine run
Bewick:
Question for Tom ! How did the Shap to the 'Craig job operate, did you base the tanks at Shap and use local Drivers or was it operated by Scotsmen from the top end ? Regards Dennis.
Hi Dennis,
The outfits were based at our Motherwell depot and crewed by local drivers.
Three outfits each did two loads every 24 hours carrying 25 tons.
It was quite an easy shift for the drivers either on nights or days.
On a previous question all our new sheets were supplied by either Mayor of Preston or M&S tarps of Rossendale.
Leach of Liverpool had a good system of collecting and delivering sheets for repair so they got all that business.
As you can imagine with the amount of steel plates we carried there was quite a lot of repairs.
Regards,
Tom.
pete smith:
Hi Paul, Would this have been one of Ridings on contract? Cheer’s Pete
No Pete after Riding’s finished they had a number of owner drivers hauling for them and later took their transport in house.
moomooland:
pete smith:
Hi Paul, Would this have been one of Ridings on contract? Cheer’s PeteNo Pete after Riding’s finished they had a number of owner drivers hauling for them and later took their transport in house.
Thanks for the reply Paul,
Not the best quality pic Paul.
DEANB:
Not the best quality pic Paul
Thanks anyway Dean here’s a slightly better copy…
Atkinson Mk II Silver Knight 4X2 tractor unit Reg No TTC 750H Fleet No 68 ‘Eager’ was registered new on the 1st August 1969
at a cost of £3,976 18s 6d.
Powered by a Gardner 180 engine in line with a 6 speed David Brown gearbox and Kirkstall BDR rear axle this was the standard Riding spec at that time.
The on the road picture above shows it hauling a 33 foot Crane Freuhauf trailer loaded with 20 tons of Heinz products.
TTC 750H spent a large part of its life on 24 hour running between Riding’s Teeside and Longridge depots transferring trailers.
After eight years service in the Riding fleet it was sold on to John Killingbeck of Blackburn on the 22nd of August 1977 for £2,500 plus vat.
I have got to say that IMHO those sheets on the Riding trailer have seen better days so I hope it didn’t rain “torrentially” between Kitt Green and Middlesbrough otherwise there would have been a GIT claim for a few quid off Heinz ! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
I have got to say that IMHO those sheets on the Riding trailer have seen better days so I hope it didn’t rain “torrentially” between Kitt Green and Middlesbrough otherwise there would have been a GIT claim for a few quid off Heinz ! Cheers Dennis.
I could tell you a tale about Heinz GIT claims, Dennis, going back to my Pandoro days…
240 Gardner:
Bewick:
I have got to say that IMHO those sheets on the Riding trailer have seen better days so I hope it didn’t rain “torrentially” between Kitt Green and Middlesbrough otherwise there would have been a GIT claim for a few quid off Heinz ! Cheers Dennis.I could tell you a tale about Heinz GIT claims, Dennis, going back to my Pandoro days…
Aye I have no doubt you could Chris as some “customers” used to think that the weakest link in the chain was the Haulier ! Wrong ! well it wasn’t as far as Bewick Transport was concerned ! I could smell a “scam” a mile away and always stood our ground via the Insurers. Although I’ve got to say that our most valued customers never “pulled a stroke” because there was never a claim. Cheers Dennis.
Intresting clipping Paul.
Click on pages to read.
This particular photograph of Seddon Atkinson 401 Series 4x2 tractor unit Reg No C490 JHG Fleet No 10 ‘Relentless’ appeared in a 1991 edition of Commercial Motor.
At the time the tri-axle Solrec trailer was brand new replacing the one of the previous design that had been used for a number of years.
Built by Lancashire Trailers of Bamber Bridge Nr Preston the trailer had a 23,000 litre triple sectioned stainless steel tank mounted centrally between twin-decked compartments.
At the time the tri-axle Solrec trailer was brand new replacing the one of the previous design that had been used for a number of years.
Built by Lancashire Trailers of Bamber Bridge Nr Preston the trailer had a 23,000 litre triple sectioned stainless steel tank mounted centrally between twin-decked compartments.