Carling:
The first brand new scania I saw was back in 64 Parked up in Wm Nuttalls yard Swinton M/c it had been left by Scania on demo but it was never used by Nuttalls at all. It was a bright pink unit . on the front in big letters was Scania Varbis, I think that was the name of Scania at the beginningNuttalls only run Atkinson units with the 150 gardener engine in those days though they ran a fleet of mixted rigid moters, They bought out several compnies in the 60’s in cluding the company I worked for Wm Gee’s transport of Bury in 63. it was around this time i saw the scania varbis in the yard.
one of the companies they bought out had a scammel unit this beast had a gate change gearbox what a thing to drive you had to go through every gear all the way up and down the box, if you stopped it in gear that was it what a job to get in in nutural
with Nuttalls I got to drive every make of truck on the road and what a experience that was. naming just a few here Teames Trader, Dodge AEC Leyland, Forden. ERF, Scammel, Ford, Bedford TK, yes those where the days
around May 63 I was in the office and old man Nut came out and said to me “can you drive an artic” I said “No” his reply was " nows your chance to learn" “take 2921 TF to M/C Docks and load it” I told him I was not old enough to drive it untill August, he said well you look 21 take it and take your time driving there,
so I went out into the yard, asked another driver how to pick up a trialer, he showed me and off I went to the docks, to load with ingots of copper, At the dock I had to back down the Quey side which was a long way to back up. after about 50 attemps a driver from BRS came up to me and said would you like me to back it up to the ships side for you
I said "Yes Please " so he did and also helped me to load,
After I loaded he took me to the timber stock yard on the docks and give me lessons after about 2 hour he left me but told me to keep practissing on my own, I did and by the time I got back to the yard I could put that trailer anywhere.
I met this driver several months later at the sunset cafe on my way to wolverhamton this time I had the chance to buy him a breakfast
Iused to work for ken nutt from 1970/73.Idrove an ex gees motor,it was a 6wheeled albion reiver reg ren 849 red in colour.Am i right.
There are more who missed it then the ferry could hold. 