hi there guys i came across this post looking for Mack trucks on the net. I read about the Mack named “midnight zulu” and the coloured lad that used to drive it it was my Dad “Mike” .
As kids we used to take turns at going to work with him and loved going in the trucks specially “zulu” and midnight star both macks. I was only 5/6 years old at the time and am now 40!.
As for the Political Correctness of the name and driver Zulu is a name for an African people and not a derogatory term and i would think not as my dad “Mike” named the Mack himself as he was the main driver of Zulu. It was a surprise to read about Bob Normans trucks on the web and even my old dad getting a mention anyway my dad posted a pic of him and Zulu on FB and i took it and posted it on Twitter. @baldylox74 thanks lads
jerry truckartist:
Another firm i remember well, from a time when the vast majority of trucks on, or around the M1 in south yorkshire were either carrying steel products, or coal !!!
all R J Norman’s trucks were artic-tippers, bright orange with bright green trim, and fancy scrole writing, all the units were named.
Atki Borderer’s
Detroit powered Bedford TM,s
and best of all…
Bonneted Mack’s.
I remember seeing the Macks nearly every day, not many trucks had chrome stacks back in the seventies.
They were a very common sight around sheffield and barnsley back then, I’m not sure if they were carrying coal produce, or scrap.
pretty sure i once saw one at orgreave, so i would imagine they were carrying coke( not the fizzy stuff or anything illegal)
would love to see any info or pic’s
I did a painting of one of there Atki’s a couple of years ago.
will put a few of my paintings on when i get time.
thanks
Photographed very few Macks in my time, but this ‘Midnight Hobo’ taken in Robinson & Birdsell’s yard, Leeds, 1984, then 12 months later same truck, plain colour scheme and plus sleeper pod in Spennymoor
jerry truckartist:
Another firm i remember well, from a time when the vast majority of trucks on, or around the M1 in south yorkshire were either carrying steel products, or coal !!!
all R J Norman’s trucks were artic-tippers, bright orange with bright green trim, and fancy scrole writing, all the units were named.
Atki Borderer’s
Detroit powered Bedford TM,s
and best of all…
Bonneted Mack’s.
I remember seeing the Macks nearly every day, not many trucks had chrome stacks back in the seventies.
They were a very common sight around sheffield and barnsley back then, I’m not sure if they were carrying coal produce, or scrap.
pretty sure i once saw one at orgreave, so i would imagine they were carrying coke( not the fizzy stuff or anything illegal)
would love to see any info or pic’s
I did a painting of one of there Atki’s a couple of years ago.
will put a few of my paintings on when i get time.
thanks
Photographed very few Macks in my time, but this ‘Midnight Hobo’ taken in Robinson & Birdsell’s yard, Leeds, 1984, then 12 months later same truck, plain colour scheme and plus sleeper pod in Spennymoor
Barry/Gloves
Jerry
Interesting pic, the trailer is an ex Chelmarsh (Colin Booth) of Barton on Humber.
I used to park up with one at J35 M1 every night I was at home, he parked every night a he didn’t do nights out his name i can’t remember I think it was Mick He was the one with the dark Charles Bronson moustache any one remember him
Another firm i remember well, from a time when the vast majority of trucks on, or around the M1 in south yorkshire were either carrying steel products, or coal !!!
all R J Norman’s trucks were artic-tippers, bright orange with bright green trim, and fancy scrole writing, all the units were named.
Atki Borderer’s
Detroit powered Bedford TM,s
and best of all…
Bonneted Mack’s.
I remember seeing the Macks nearly every day, not many trucks had chrome stacks back in the seventies.
They were a very common sight around sheffield and barnsley back then, I’m not sure if they were carrying coal produce, or scrap.
pretty sure i once saw one at orgreave, so i would imagine they were carrying coke( not the fizzy stuff or anything illegal)
would love to see any info or pic’s
I did a painting of one of there Atki’s a couple of years ago.
will put a few of my paintings on when i get time.
thanks
Somewhere on one of the posts on here I mentioned something about R J,s bonneted Macks as one was driven by a coloured lad and his Mack was called (it,s true) “Midnight Zulu” as in this day and age of PC you wouldn,t get away with that name anymore.
The lad who drove it also worked for Hansons of Flockton for a while before going to R J,s as he drove an Atki artic for them.
Incidentally one of the Bonneted Macks was saved and is in preservation but is now in Blue & White colours and I think it was “Midnight Zulu” as it was in an article in a Classic Mag (I don,t think I am allowed to name the mag ) as that might be classed as advertising?
NEJ:
as it was in an article in a Classic Mag (I don,t think I am allowed to name the mag ) as that might be classed as advertising?
I’m sure that’s allowed NEJ (mentioning the title of course, not stealing their copyright by reproducing here ), as long as you have no commercial connection with the said publication.
Here goes with the name it was “Heritage Commercials” magazine last year and they ran an article on the Mack which I saw on th A1M a couple of months before going to a rally.
I had also written a letter to them the previous year in the letters page as well about “Midnight Zulu” as the lad who drove it was a real happy go lucky character as he used to do odd nights out in it and when he did have a night out he used to sleep sat upright (like in an armchair) as he couldn,t stretch out because the cab was to narrow but as he said he could easily outpull the “Hansons Atkis” and they were flying machines as we were told they had a fiitter at the depot on nights whose job was each night to “tweek” the ■■■■■■■ engines on a regular basis to keep them in tip top condition and to get good fuel economy as well.
jerry truckartist:
Another firm i remember well, from a time when the vast majority of trucks on, or around the M1 in south yorkshire were either carrying steel products, or coal !!!
all R J Norman’s trucks were artic-tippers, bright orange with bright green trim, and fancy scrole writing, all the units were named.
Atki Borderer’s
Detroit powered Bedford TM,s
and best of all…
Bonneted Mack’s.
I remember seeing the Macks nearly every day, not many trucks had chrome stacks back in the seventies.
They were a very common sight around sheffield and barnsley back then, I’m not sure if they were carrying coal produce, or scrap.
pretty sure i once saw one at orgreave, so i would imagine they were carrying coke( not the fizzy stuff or anything illegal)
would love to see any info or pic’s
I did a painting of one of there Atki’s a couple of years ago.
will put a few of my paintings on when i get time.
thanks
Jerry
I presume that they bought this Atki secondhand, since it has a Lancashire reg. It also has what appears to be a Riding’s sleeper conversion, although I don’t recognise it as being an ex-Riding vehicle.
It may have been one of “Hansons of GT. Harwood” as there were 2 Hansons of Gt. Harwood one who used to do the majority of salt from ICI Winsford was the one who ran Maggie Deutz,s (Red & Silver) and the other Hanson again from the same area used to run Atki Borderers in Gold & White colours.
I wonder if this one was from the Gold & White stable as I was led to believe that they were brothers although they were 2 separate companies and sadly the one with the Maggie Deutz,s (so I was told) developed cancer and had a leg amputated and sadly the (in them days ) prognosis wasn,t very good.
Also as far as I know they were the “preferred” haulier for the whole of England for ICI with the road salt contract as everybody went through them for salt to anywhere and everywhere as salt only paid fuel money to get you to a main load or return load to get you home.
There was also another Hanson called “I,Hanson” who ran an animal feed mill somewhere around Accrington or Clayton - le - Moors he again ran red Maggie Deutz,s but they were I think plain red !
NEJ:
It may have been one of “Hansons of GT. Harwood” as there were 2 Hansons of Gt. Harwood one who used to do the majority of salt from ICI Winsford was the one who ran Maggie Deutz,s (Red & Silver) and the other Hanson again from the same area used to run Atki Borderers in Gold & White colours.
I wonder if this one was from the Gold & White stable as I was led to believe that they were brothers although they were 2 separate companies and sadly the one with the Maggie Deutz,s (so I was told) developed cancer and had a leg amputated and sadly the (in them days ) prognosis wasn,t very good.
Also as far as I know they were the “preferred” haulier for the whole of England for ICI with the road salt contract as everybody went through them for salt to anywhere and everywhere as salt only paid fuel money to get you to a main load or return load to get you home.
There was also another Hanson called “I,Hanson” who ran an animal feed mill somewhere around Accrington or Clayton - le - Moors he again ran red Maggie Deutz,s but they were I think plain red !
“There but for the grace of God go I”
The Magirus Deutz Hanson was MF Hanson from Great Harwood - they did indeed have a good deal for delivering rock salt to local authorities. I worked at West Lancashire District Council in the mid-eighties and they used to run into all their yards with rock salt very regularly.
I remember “Midnight Zulu” NEJ and the Atki “Midnight Phantom”, complete with fleet number on side of roof. And you’re right about seeing them in Orgreave as I used to run in there myself.
NEJ:
It may have been one of “Hansons of GT. Harwood” as there were 2 Hansons of Gt. Harwood one who used to do the majority of salt from ICI Winsford was the one who ran Maggie Deutz,s (Red & Silver) and the other Hanson again from the same area used to run Atki Borderers in Gold & White colours.
I wonder if this one was from the Gold & White stable as I was led to believe that they were brothers although they were 2 separate companies and sadly the one with the Maggie Deutz,s (so I was told) developed cancer and had a leg amputated and sadly the (in them days ) prognosis wasn,t very good.
Also as far as I know they were the “preferred” haulier for the whole of England for ICI with the road salt contract as everybody went through them for salt to anywhere and everywhere as salt only paid fuel money to get you to a main load or return load to get you home.
There was also another Hanson called “I,Hanson” who ran an animal feed mill somewhere around Accrington or Clayton - le - Moors he again ran red Maggie Deutz,s but they were I think plain red !
“There but for the grace of God go I”
the hansons at flockton used to do most of the salt out of winsford,my father used to drive for hansons in the late 60s to early 70s + they still have the contract now even though hargreaves now own hansons,i was at winsford last year collecting salt & it was on hansons account + i remember the macks that bob norman had as i used to live in barnsley upto about 12 years ago.
anyway my dad posted a pic of him and Zulu on FB and i took it and posted it on Twitter. @baldylox74 thanks lads
), as long as you have no commercial connection with the said publication.
