I will pop some stuff on tomorrow about the Rotinoff Patrick. From everything i have read it was a good motor specifically built for heavy
haulage and at the time the “most powerful production truck” in the world apparently. Remember we are talking the 1950’s and its main
competitors were the Diamond T, Scammell Constructor and Antar Thornycroft. The designer was actually Russian and died in 1959,and the
company then ceased trading.
The one thing i did get wrong was thinking that there were only about 50 built. Apparently there were only 35 built ! Amazing that some
have survived really. It makes Robert’s European look like a mass production truck !
DEANB:
I will pop some stuff on tomorrow about the Rotinoff Patrick. From everything i have read it was a good motor specifically built for heavy
haulage and at the time the “most powerful production truck” in the world apparently. Remember we are talking the 1950’s and its main
competitors were the Diamond T, Scammell Constructor and Antar Thornycroft. The designer was actually Russian and died in 1959,and the
company then ceased trading.
The one thing i did get wrong was thinking that there were only about 50 built. Apparently there were only 35 built ! Amazing that some
have survived really. It makes Robert’s European look like a mass production truck !
1
0
There’s a book opportunity for you there Dean! Niche market reading Robert
DEANB:
I will pop some stuff on tomorrow about the Rotinoff Patrick. From everything i have read it was a good motor specifically built for heavy
haulage and at the time the “most powerful production truck” in the world apparently. Remember we are talking the 1950’s and its main
competitors were the Diamond T, Scammell Constructor and Antar Thornycroft. The designer was actually Russian and died in 1959,and the
company then ceased trading.
The one thing i did get wrong was thinking that there were only about 50 built. Apparently there were only 35 built ! Amazing that some
have survived really. It makes Robert’s European look like a mass production truck !
1
0
There’s a book opportunity for you there Dean! Niche market reading Robert
Vestey’s Rotinoff Viscount at Maryville Station NT - YouTube
In this classic old road train video, we get to see one of Vestey’s original Rotinoff Viscounts in action as well as a classic EK Holden ute. Over the years, much has been written about Vestey’s Rotinoff Viscounts, here is some of it and a nice video of them working. Hope you enjoy. If you want to see more of these old classic trucks that helped form Australia’s trucking heritage drop into your nearest Kenworth dealer and ask for one of their Kenworth Country DVDs. If you want to see the truck drop into the Road Transport Hall of Fame. In the years following the Second World War Australians were keen to take advantage of the huge supply of surplus US military trucks made available to them through massive Disposal sales at very cheap prices and, usually in quantity lots. Existing and would-be transport operators, many of whom were freshly demobbed from the military and armed with newly acquired transport and logistic skills, attended the sales and bought up any and everything. Operators of these vehicles had to pull together all sorts of resources, given the distinct lack of a ready supply of replacement spare parts to design, adapt and modify them to suit civilian applications in just about every sector of the road transport industry and every geographical location in the country. No-where in Australia was this trend more profound than in the Northern Territory where huge ex US Army 980 Diamond T Tank Transporters and Federals were adapted to suit multi-trailer combinations. Men, the likes of Kurt Johannsen and Dave Baldock, with their massive road trains were hailed as heroes by their interstate and international counterparts, branded as idiots by the non-believers and envied severely by their competition. The sight of these huge heavy transports, complete with seven to twelve trailers, on the roads of the outback gained international legendary status and people literally came from all over the world to inspect them. The UK based Vesteys Brothers organisation were no exception.The military disposal sales had caused a gluttony of American marques, albeit second hand ones, to flood the market subsequently reducing the demand for new trucks from other countries, particularly England which, until that point had held the largest share market in Australia. However, as the second hand ex-military fleet diminished over the next ten years, mainly due to the unavailability of a good spares supply, there emerged an increase in both the availability and choice of more brand new, powerful heavy transport trucks.English and American marques vied for market share in Australia and it seemed for a time that the big Fodens and Leylands and other English marques would hail victorious. It wasn’t long before the Americans took the country by storm and the B Model Mack and R Model Internationals reigning supreme in the tougher, off and on, road applications. Many operators put the demise of the English trucks down to failure of the Gardiner engine to keep momentum with the power and durability of their USA equivalents. Whatever the case, if you wanted a sturdy truck for a big job you bought American. The exception to this rule was the arrival in of two purpose built English trucks into Central Australia in 1957. Built at the instigation of beef barons, Vesteys Brothers, it was hailed as a new era in cattle transportation. The Rotinoffs were considered to be the most progressive units on the road at the time. Their coming into being was no mean feat, and many people played key roles in ensuring they made their mark in the Australian Outback cattle industry.
Robert, Thanks for posing the above post and link to the video of Vestey’s Rotinoff !
The video and info was sent to me by “DIG” and he also sent this pic of one of Vestey’s old Rotinoff’s.Really intresting bit of
film Dig,really good find chap.
DEANB:
Robert, Thanks for posing the above post and link to the video of Vestey’s Rotinoff !
The video and info was sent to me by “DIG” and he also sent this pic of one of Vestey’s old Rotinoff’s.Really intresting bit of
film Dig,really good find chap.
0
You’re both welcome. It was worth it to see that video clip! R
DEANB:
Robert, Thanks for posing the above post and link to the video of Vestey’s Rotinoff !
The video and info was sent to me by “DIG” and he also sent this pic of one of Vestey’s old Rotinoff’s.Really intresting bit of
film Dig,really good find chap.
You’re both welcome. It was worth it to see that video clip! R
Dig mentioned that hopefully at least one if not both may be restored.
DEANB:
Robert, Thanks for posing the above post and link to the video of Vestey’s Rotinoff !
The video and info was sent to me by “DIG” and he also sent this pic of one of Vestey’s old Rotinoff’s.Really intresting bit of
film Dig,really good find chap.
You’re both welcome. It was worth it to see that video clip! R
Dig mentioned that hopefully at least one if not both may be restored.
Click on page.
I took these last year at the transport museum in Alice Springs.
DEANB:
Robert, Thanks for posing the above post and link to the video of Vestey’s Rotinoff !
The video and info was sent to me by “DIG” and he also sent this pic of one of Vestey’s old Rotinoff’s.Really intresting bit of
film Dig,really good find chap.
0
You’re both welcome. It was worth it to see that video clip! R
Thanks Robert good to know we have a computer Guru to go to.
DEANB:
Robert, Thanks for posing the above post and link to the video of Vestey’s Rotinoff !
The video and info was sent to me by “DIG” and he also sent this pic of one of Vestey’s old Rotinoff’s.Really intresting bit of
film Dig,really good find chap.
1
You’re both welcome. It was worth it to see that video clip! R
Dig mentioned that hopefully at least one if not both may be restored.
Click on page.
Thanks DeanO the one in the film clip was called Julie and is now fully restored the other was named Jacky and is an ongoing project I.m told.
Cheers Dig
DEANB:
Robert, Thanks for posing the above post and link to the video of Vestey’s Rotinoff !
The video and info was sent to me by “DIG” and he also sent this pic of one of Vestey’s old Rotinoff’s.Really intresting bit of
film Dig,really good find chap.
4
You’re both welcome. It was worth it to see that video clip! R
Dig mentioned that hopefully at least one if not both may be restored.
Click on page.
3
I took these last year at the transport museum in Alice Springs.21
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An interesting video indeed, but a couple of points that spring to mind. A good job those were not intended for local use with multi drops, with that handbrake lever to clamber over each time, but the seats do look comfy from what I can see.
Also, the driver was very lucky to keep his windscreen intact, with that camera car racing along the shoulder and no doubt kicking up the stones.
When I was there there was a belief amongst drivers that shattered screens were caused by vibration from a hit and that minimising that would preserve screens longer. When passing an oncoming vehicle first thing to do was take to the dirt and give him the clean bitumen, and the stones. The 2nd thing was to press the spread fingers of the left hand against the screen.
Is there any evidence it worked Dig, and do drivers still do it on such roads?
R
