Hey pensionadas…ex-Jonesy!
Good to see you alive and kicking Jonesy (with Mrs. Pike?) and keep up the structure despite covid-19!
Less to share on the TransArabia nor Jones…I however follow this thread with great pleasure!!!
Let the BSA, Norton and even the Foden-brass yell their sound, NOTHING beyond ERF and ■■■■■■■■
Take care Jonesy and rest assured that the OLD Dad’s Army makes the story around TA!
Bless you, stay healthy, happy and active!!!
A-J
Backsplice ! There’s more in that photo that meets the eye , ■■ I can’t see the load ,but it must have been high and heavy ,Hard over on steering U Turn or left on the duel carriageway would rock the 5th wheel ■■? ( But was the King pin locked up )? How was it that the unit did not tip over ,Your 6x4’s were some truck , T/A, 4x2’s carried gross heavy but only one that I can recall tipped over ,
Merry Christmas Ron! Love the star 
@ Ronald F. Hawkins:
Found for you…a 1938 Brough Superior SS100 which did GBP 224k at auction…something for your TA-shed?
Happy days!
ERF-Continental:
@ Ronald F. Hawkins:Found for you…a 1938 Brough Superior SS100 which did GBP 224k at auction…something for your TA-shed?
Happy days!
. Wow AJ you certainly know how to kick start my enthusiasm!!
Trans Arabia the lads where all of that adventures type to go where no white man had been Been Before , nice to see Jerry Cook in KBs photo . Getting back on 2 wheels , some years back at the county show ground Stafford I saw the SS 100 at Bonhams Aucion my eyes filled up with the thoughts of such a machine as the Brough Superior I had no small change in my pocket , that was way before T/A Ron
Looks a though Trans Arabia has been shut down permanently - quite sad really - a lot of memories with more good than sad ones.
Our memories will live on though
Ken Broster
Shot in the dark here, that witnesses like Jerry Cooke, Ron Hawkins or Ken Broster might just be able to answer so I’m popping this request on both the ERF 1975 thread and the Trans Arabia thread.
I’ve been trying to fathom out whatever became of KDM 460N. It was an ERF demo NGC and famously took part in the 1975 Euro Test that Pat Kennett conducted for TRUCK magazine. After that all trace of it seems to disappear.
Now, we know that ERF supplied six new NGCs with ■■■■■■■ NTC 290s and 13-sp Fuller boxes to Trans Arabia. They were fleet numbered TA 105 to 110. They were the only new NGCs they had, all the rest being second-hand.
However, we also know that one of them – TA 107 – had been an ERF demo unit that had been accident damaged on its way to a show.
Can anyone remember if Trans Arabia 107 had a 9-speed ‘box rather than a 13-sp ‘box and a ■■■■■■■ 335 rather than a 290? If so, it just may be that it was KDM 460N that crashed on its way to the show. Of course, it’s possible that when it was rebuilt it was given a 13-sp ‘box. And in any case a 9-sp box wouldn’t prove it was KDM itself! However, it might set in chain some memories among the NGC army of contributors.
ERF-NGC-European:
Shot in the dark here, that witnesses like Jerry Cooke, Ron Hawkins or Ken Broster might just be able to answer so I’m popping this request on both the ERF 1975 thread and the Trans Arabia thread.I’ve been trying to fathom out whatever became of KDM 460N. It was an ERF demo NGC and famously took part in the 1975 Euro Test that Pat Kennett conducted for TRUCK magazine. After that all trace of it seems to disappear.
Now, we know that ERF supplied six new NGCs with ■■■■■■■ NTC 290s and 13-sp Fuller boxes to Trans Arabia. They were fleet numbered TA 105 to 110. They were the only new NGCs they had, all the rest being second-hand.
However, we also know that one of them – TA 107 – had been an ERF demo unit that had been accident damaged on its way to a show.
Can anyone remember if Trans Arabia 107 had a 9-speed ‘box rather than a 13-sp ‘box and a ■■■■■■■ 335 rather than a 290? If so, it just may be that it was KDM 460N that crashed on its way to the show. Of course, it’s possible that when it was rebuilt it was given a 13-sp ‘box. And in any case a 9-sp box wouldn’t prove it was KDM itself! However, it might set in chain some memories among the NGC army of contributors.
0
I think i will leave the answers to Ron and Gerry
I now it was heavy on front tyres and ate steering pumps like sweets!!
Yo Yo Broad was its 1st driver, so it was given the hard right foot!!
Over to you R & G
Ken
In response to the above ^^^^ Well, it seems I drew a blank on that one! Dear old Cookie emailed me to say:
Hi Rowena I hope that you are keeping well we are all ok here about 107 she was the same spec as the other 5 ■■■■■■■ 290 and 13 speed she could not have been KDM460N because the one that was damaged was not registered at the time it was on its way from S Jones Aldridge yard to the Post House hotel just off junction 7 M6 at Great Barr and collided with a other vehicle on Bosty lane Aldridge it was recovered to S Jones Garages and later on trailored back to Sandbach the show that it was going to was in mid to late 1975 fleet number 107 sold have been delivered to S Jones in early 1976 and the whole fleet were operational in October that year I hope this helps you cheers Jerry
Kenb:
Looks a though Trans Arabia has been shut down permanently - quite sad really - a lot of memories with more good than sad ones.
Our memories will live on thoughKen Broster
The memories still flood back , I was watching a TVs program about Wild Arabia and I saw a water irrigation truff that I beded down for the night alongside after a strip down wash , that felt marvelous after a red hot drive going due south for 2 days
It certainly was Wild Arabia well it was when we were around Ronnie Me boy I,m glad seeing you back…I have,nt been on much myself however not a lot of us left is there I just can,t understand how there were,nt more joined in anyway its a wee bit early but all thew best for the coming festive season and stay down in the shed !!!and off the bike
Mah Salaham my old Sadiq
Recent pics come to light; apparently off Facebook. They show Trans Arabia No.108, which if you remember was one of six brand new NGCs with ■■■■■■■ 290s and 13-sp Fullers. The driver, alas no longer with us, was Ernie Hathaway. Pictures will have been taken in Saudi (as S Jones’s yard was a bit short on palm trees. 
). Great pics, as I think you’ll agree!
backsplice:
It certainly was Wild Arabia well it was when we were around Ronnie Me boy I,m glad seeing you back…I have,nt been on much myself however not a lot of us left is there I just can,t understand how there were,nt more joined in anyway its a wee bit early but all thew best for the coming festive season and stay down in the shed !!!and off the bike
Mah Salaham my old Sadiq
Good to see you backsplice thank you for that photo that brings us closer , SARAMAT & TA will stand the test of time , I finished the bike as you can see, .all the best for Christmas Ron
ERF-NGC-European:
Recent pics come to light; apparently off Facebook. They show Trans Arabia No.108, which if you remember was one of six brand new NGCs with ■■■■■■■ 290s and 13-sp Fullers. The driver, alas no longer with us, was Ernie Hathaway. Pictures will have been taken in Saudi (as S Jones’s yard was a bit short on palm trees.
Thanks for the fresh photos NGC there is an area in down town ( Jeddah ) that is full of palm & fig trees where we parked up sometimes mosty cover in sand dust and looked fresh after a humid night. Ernie was a lovery man ,the last time I saw him was in the Dilk pub Aldridge many years back, sorry to Cookie for missing the S Jones reunion , me and my wife had a very bad bout of the flue or was it covid ? Ron
