moomooland:
**How Tom Riding turned this…**Into this…
Seddon Atkinson 400 Series 4X2 tractor unit Reg No NGD 648V Fleet No 18 ‘Apollo’ was originally registered new on the 14th of January 1980 to C.R.S. Transport Ltd.
Powered by a ■■■■■■■ E290 engine in line with a Fuller 9509 gearbox and group axle it looks quite resplendent in the picture above, but all is not what it seems as Tom Riding explains below…
"I had a phone call off Ken Howard from Translitre at Burton on Trent, from whom i had bought several damaged vehicles off in the past, who went on to explain that he had a Seddon Atkinso 400 Series in their yard that had been in his words ‘knocked about a bit’.
I travelled down to Burton on Trent and on closer inspection decided that, amazingly, there was nothing mechanically wrong with it.
After paying Translitre £4,000 plus vat for the heap on the 1st of December 1982 we loaded it up and brought it home to Longridge for my mechanics to set about the challenge of turning it into a workhorse once again.
Costing a total of £5.354 in parts to sort it out and get it back on the road again to earn it’s keep we ran it in our fleet for six years, until the end of 1988, after which time i sold it on to D.G. McWalters of Balmullo St Andrews for £3,000 plus vat."
Tom certainly knew how to do a good deal. That motor cost £ 9354.00,sold for £ 3,000 = £ 6354.00 Divide
that by 6 = £ 1059.00. Thats cheap a vehicle costing you £ 88.25 per month,or roughly £ 22.06 per week !
Thats the way to run profitable trucks !
The L.A.D. cabbed Leyland Beaver 4x2 tractor unit above, Reg No MTJ 440C Fleet No 5, was right on the cusp of the change from L.A.D. cabbed to Ergomatic tilt cabbed ranges in 1965.
It’s pictured coupled to one of Riding’s four in line Crane Fruehauf 25 foot trailers, capable of carrying a 16 ton payload and ran between ICI Wilton and ICI Kilroot Northern Ireland.
It was later involved in an accident and after being rebuilt by Riding’s it was repainted in this experimental livery below which, after much deliberation, Riding’s decided not to adopt.
Have to say that Beaver suits the experimental livery, wonder what the reasons were not to adopt it, a simpler design than they had so maybe it didn’t catch the eye so much, as you could spot a Riding motor coming way off. Franky.
Thanks for that one Dean not seen that particular picture before.
We covered the story earlier in this thread regarding the late registered Atkinson Borderer JTB 888P HERE
It wasn’t surprising that family firms like Brady’s and Ridings kicked Leyland Motors into touch in the 60’s and changed to Gardner engine Atkis and in Brady’s case Scania 110’s as well. Leyland were well established in fleets such as the two I’ve mentioned but they just “blew it” but expected to still sell their sub standard products into these fleets ! Unfortunately a private haulier in those days didn’t enjoy the financial “patronage” that Leyland had i.e. Labour Government “subsidies” courtesy of the good 'ole British tax payer! So they voted with their feet ! Cheers Bewick.
Sadly Jack Moon, who was one of W. J Riding’s long serving drivers, passed away on Tuesday November 14th 2017 aged 81 after a long battle with cancer. Jack is pictured below in 1969 at the age of 33 along side his brand new Atkinson Mk II 4x2 tractor unit Reg No UTB 370H Fleet No 32 ‘Illustrious’ which was registered new to Riding’s on the 1st of October 1969
Hiya,
I only spent a short spell as a W & J Riding’s, it was a distance from
my home and I spent a large part of my day travelling to and from
the yard But I did on a couple of occasions have a chat with Jack a
real nice person and the same age as me RIP mate and condolences
to your family.
thanks harry, long retired.
Bewick:
It wasn’t surprising that family firms like Brady’s and Ridings kicked Leyland Motors into touch in the 60’s and changed to Gardner engine Atkis and in Brady’s case Scania 110’s as well. Leyland were well established in fleets such as the two I’ve mentioned but they just “blew it” but expected to still sell their sub standard products into these fleets ! Unfortunately a private haulier in those days didn’t enjoy the financial “patronage” that Leyland had i.e. Labour Government “subsidies” courtesy of the good 'ole British tax payer! So they voted with their feet ! Cheers Bewick.
Ridings reluctantly dropped support of Leyland Motors due to nothing more than having to wait for chassis. After their first Ergomatic Beaver was delivered in 1965, such was their happiness with the vehicle they ordered 40 to be delivered in phases, but after the first 5 they were told that the oil companies had priority due to sheer numbers they’d ordered and that Ridings would have to wait. It was at that point the allegiance was broken, orders were cancelled and Atkinson got their business. There was no political sideline - it was purely down to Leyland Motors not being able (or willing) to delivered chassis when they wanted them - and it was Tom Riding who told me.
Bewick:
It wasn’t surprising that family firms like Brady’s and Ridings kicked Leyland Motors into touch in the 60’s and changed to Gardner engine Atkis and in Brady’s case Scania 110’s as well. Leyland were well established in fleets such as the two I’ve mentioned but they just “blew it” but expected to still sell their sub standard products into these fleets ! Unfortunately a private haulier in those days didn’t enjoy the financial “patronage” that Leyland had i.e. Labour Government “subsidies” courtesy of the good 'ole British tax payer! So they voted with their feet ! Cheers Bewick.
Ridings reluctantly dropped support of Leyland Motors due to nothing more than having to wait for chassis. After their first Ergomatic Beaver was delivered in 1965, such was their happiness with the vehicle they ordered 40 to be delivered in phases, but after the first 5 they were told that the oil companies had priority due to sheer numbers they’d ordered and that Ridings would have to wait. It was at that point the allegiance was broken, orders were cancelled and Atkinson got their business. There was no political sideline - it was purely down to Leyland Motors not being able (or willing) to delivered chassis when they wanted them - and it was Tom Riding who told me.
Given the choice I know which Chassis I would have preferred and it wasn’t a Leyland Ergo ! Cheers Dennis.
Lance Biscomb:
Told me the same story when we were out last Saturday night
Yes just got off the phone with Tom and he told me the same in depth story which i have really not got the time to type out on here as it would be like a rendition of War and Peace.
He had 36 on order but Leyland could not supply them!
The last one of the five he managed to get was YTD 360D which was in fact one that Esso had ordered.
Hiya,
When I started for W & J Riding’s I never progressed to being entrusted
with anything larger than a LAD cabbed Leyland Comet, this was not a
problem I’d rarely driven four wheeler’s and in fact being one of the
first drivers in Britain to hold the then new HGV all groups licences, I
left Riding’s simply for the reason It was such a long travel and a lot of
my day was spent in getting there and back I moved to Jos Walsh which
was only a short walk from my then home after my first week with
Walshy on the Friday I took a widish longish load of structural steel to
Blyth in Northumberland and was told to return empty so on my return
trip called into Longridge for my wages and accrued holiday pay parked
up not to cause disruption as you do and went for my dues wages to my
pocket, when the yard foreman approached saying by Hell Harry you’ve
been sharp getting your class one1 licence you only left here a week ago
and you’ve got a class 1 already,seemingly the office girl who had taken
my particular had misread my “black book” and I was only listed as a four
wheeler driver and unless Riding’s offered to upgrade my licence I was
likely o be be a rigid driver had I become a “lifer”.A great firm though.
thanks harry, long retired.
This photo shows the very last tanker that was loaded leaving the depot.
It was one of Swains tractor units sub contracted to pull a Van Benton tank that had been loaded for delivery to A S Creations Wiehl Bomig Germany.
What a sad end to what must rate as one of this country’s finest hauliers and run by someone ( Tom Riding ) who himself must rate as one of the finest ambassadors connected to the haulage industry .
So they voted with their feet ! Cheers Bewick.
