Gavin McArdle:
any one know where this is? it’s a trick
No. I operated it from 1985 until 1999 then I sold it to a farmer near Penrith (I think) he used it on cattle haulage for a few months but got took for a lot of money and sold it to Steve Horne from Enstone who uses it to pull his truck racer. Up until last year it was still there.
I think that the one you mention was the very first one that Dando’s imported, it came via Switzerland and was road tested in Truck Mag. in about 1977,it was silver then. A lot of people owned this one (I even looked at it myself once, I know it had been in Wales) including Ritchie Thorne , Norman Keedwell & Steve Baker who ran Ashcott Truck stop. It origonally had a Detroit engine which caused a lot of problems, by the time Steve Baker owned it ,it had been fitted with a ■■■■■■■■ Steve sold it to someone in Belgium who wanted to double man it but could not understand that at nearly 30 years old it might need an overhaul. Last I heard it was still in Belgium.
Has any one got any pics of Jan De Ruuy’s wagon and drag with a one piece box mounted on a 5th wheel on the truck and trailer. I saw it on the road once but could not get any pics. It had a hell of a swing both back and front, it was also so unstable it fell over and the Dutch authorities (so I was told) banned it before it could be developed properly.////
It was a wagon & drag caravan type chassis with two turntables on which the box was mounted .The box was classed as an indivisible load to get round the max length law .De Rooy had two or three of them. The first one was driven by a Belgian driver called Catweazel who was on a dedicated route for Phillips. He knew where he was going a month in advance. He took a wrong turn in Italy once & it took a crane to get him out.
I have lost track of 2 items I have seen in the past on Truck Net, before I was able to sign on and I can’t find now.
One was a pic of Duff Websters Transcon asking if he had done M/E. The answer is yes In 1976/77/78 there abouts. Unfortunately he spent too much time doing internals in Saudi which he did not get paid for. IIRC when he came back to UK he had to pack in, seeing that Bromilows name had been take off the door this pic could well have been taken after that time. He a long with Alan Ball & Johnny Robbins were I think the first people to transit Russia (not deliver) in 1976. Duff died of a heart attack in I think the early 80’s.
The other was pics of a Scania and a Volvo in green and white with huge cabs. They did belong to some one working for Davies Turner I think he came from London area but moved out to Sandwich near the power station. We used to take the p##s saying that even the Germans would finally twig that that was a belly tank on the roof. He was very clever, always modifying things but lacked a certain flair! I should be able to find out his name if anyone really wants to know.
Gavin McArdle:
I think that the one you mention was the very first one that Dando’s imported, it came via Switzerland and was road tested in Truck Mag. in about 1977,it was silver then. A lot of people owned this one (I even looked at it myself once, I know it had been in Wales) including Ritchie Thorne , Norman Keedwell & Steve Baker who ran Ashcott Truck stop. It origonally had a Detroit engine which caused a lot of problems, by the time Steve Baker owned it ,it had been fitted with a ■■■■■■■■ Steve sold it to someone in Belgium who wanted to double man it but could not understand that at nearly 30 years old it might need an overhaul. Last I heard it was still in Belgium.
@ Gavin: Maybe I can add some history. You say the KW came from Switzerland and was silver, but some years ago I talked to a Keedwell man (the blue with yellow trucks) in Gaydon and later he sent me a series of photos of this truck since it arrived in England. Unfortunately I lost his address, so I never thanked him, I hope he reads this and forgives me But what is strange: the first photo shows it in the same colors as was yours (although it is a b/w photo, I was told it was red/white) and with licenceplate YHW564V, next photo is from Swiftflight in the same colors, later it went to John Golding and was painted blue/cream. Then it went to J.C.Spencer and was painted green/black. After J.C.Spencer it was repainted blue with red and dark blue stripes. At that moment it was still registered YHW564V, later it went in the same colors to Norman Keedwell and was reregistered NRK750. Then Steve Baker bought it and had it reregistered again and it got licence plate PHU503R. Steve Baker sold it then indeed to a couple, but they were english. As I heard English can start business with a temporary licence, so it was “exported” to Belgium to avoid VAT. They ran Belgium-Switzerland for Ewals Cargo. In the weekends, they went back to England as footpassengers and left the tractor in the Total station in Zeebrugge. That’s where I spotted it.
The Daf SSC in the background is from Colin Dearden, maybe they ran together. After their temp licence expired, they sold it in Belgium and returned back to England. As I was told more, plans were there to use it to haul from Morocco to Belgium with a fridge trailer. As the trailer was being fitted with “double bottom”, guess what they wanted to haul!!! But they were caught or something, so not any transport was done. Instead, they ran away and left everything in a shed. As the rent was no longer paid, the owner of the shed asked a local craneman to pull everything out of the shed and just leave it there. The morning after the KW had disappeared. Then some time later somebody spotted it not far from Bruges and it was for sale. That was about 5 years ago. It has been sold then and is since waiting in a dry shed for its registration back on the road as oldtimertruck (in Belgium they have to be at least 30 years).
Gavin McArdle:
I have lost track of 2 items I have seen in the past on Truck Net, before I was able to sign on and I can’t find now.
One was a pic of Duff Websters Transcon asking if he had done M/E. The answer is yes In 1976/77/78 there abouts. Unfortunately he spent too much time doing internals in Saudi which he did not get paid for. IIRC when he came back to UK he had to pack in, seeing that Bromilows name had been take off the door this pic could well have been taken after that time. He a long with Alan Ball & Johnny Robbins were I think the first people to transit Russia (not deliver) in 1976. Duff died of a heart attack in I think the early 80’s.
The other was pics of a Scania and a Volvo in green and white with huge cabs. They did belong to some one working for Davies Turner I think he came from London area but moved out to Sandwich near the power station. We used to take the p##s saying that even the Germans would finally twig that that was a belly tank on the roof. He was very clever, always modifying things but lacked a certain flair! I should be able to find out his name if anyone really wants to know.
Hi Gavin
Was that a company called Technical Transport used to buy some Scania spares off me ‘Dave’ seems to ring a bell
ezydriver:
I am also thankful it never took off. What is the name of the manufacturer? What is the truck called? I would like to search for more information about it.
Thanks.
It looks like a Mercedes development vehicle as it has the 3 pointed star on the front, but look at the axle configuration on the trailer, we are already using a similar layout now on the 4 axle splitters. The walkthrough box with doors on each end looks as though it could easily be converted to an airport supply truck to replenish the aircraft with duty free Toblerone
I managed to find out a little bit more about the manufacturer. Drogmoller was partly owned by Mercedes Benz and was formed out of the old coach company Setra.
I have found some other pictures going back to 1954 of a coach body built as a semi trailer and then just back an artic unit under it, this is just a reversal of that. Even the shuttle bus at Brittany Ferries in Poole is a derivitive of this system
Hi Pat yes that rings a bell Technical Transport I’m sure thats what he called himself.
the two pics of the KW 's with and without the aerodyne are of two different trucks,mine always had the aerodyne , the other one belonged to Terry Brown from ST. Neots who used to work for DT’s.
As for the other one I don’t think that that is all the same truck John Golding did have some involvement with Dando’s when they imported the first ones but afterwards he used to import his own.
Gavin McArdle:
As for the other one I don’t think that that is all the same truck John Golding did have some involvement with Dando’s when they imported the first ones but afterwards he used to import his own.
As far as I know (and some english friends confirmed me this), the licence plate in England stays on the vehicle, no matter who owns it. All the photos I have show the very same KW, first having licence plate YHW564V at first without lettering, then the same color with “Swiftflight” lettering, then in Golding colors, and then in the J.C.Spencer livery. Finally there is one photo with YHW564V in this blue, the next one is with the personalized number of N.R.Keedman, hence NRK750, and when Steve Baker reregistered it, it got number PHU503R and this blue color and number is still on it until today.
I talked to Steve Baker a couple of years ago, there was definitely only one KW but he also didn’t have any explanation why DVLA did not give him the original plate when reregistering it. There has also been one owner who traded agricultural machinery in Wiltshire, as the shadows of his lettering can still be seen on the sides of the cab when in the good angle with the sun.
And I remember having seen in magazines more photos of Golding KWs, also flat roofs and with the longer sleeper. I think Golding had more than this one. On this one Golding painted on the back of the cab “The Volvo Muncher”, which disappeared when Spencer painted it green. I have got all this photos from that R.T.Keedwell man in Gaydon, but I am not sure if I can post them here without his agreement. I just posted the ones I took myself.
Maybe, but I also want to know all the history behind this truck. Until now nobody could tell where it came from when it arrived in England. The rest of the history I put here is what I was told (and proved with photos) as fas as its english time, for its time in Belgium: personally I know the craneman that pulled it out of the shed and at that moment I have seen inside the cab CMR documents stating that it was doing transport for Ewals Cargo. Plus the photo I took before in Zeebrugge.
If anyone can tell me the true story you are very welcome!!!
What is also strange about this truck: everybody says they know this truck, but nobody has photos of it (except this R.T.Keedwell man). Since 20 years I visit the CVRTC show in Gaydon (first time I went was in Crick, then moved to Rugby) and there are many photos for sale there. But I have NEVER found any photo of neither YHW564V, nor NRK750, nor PHU503R. Instead I found lots of other KW’s, but never this one!!! So to all those persons here in this forum: photos please !!!
Heres YHW564V first just after John Golding bought it,he said its detroit engine was blown up,taken out and actually inside the cab when he got it.lt was re-engined with one out of a Bedford TM from a H.T.Gardners in Plymouth.
Then J.C.Spencer had it
Then Chris Craddock had it
Then Norman Keedwell had it
As its been posted before l know…but just thought l’d put my pics on to help
Marc, these pics of YHW564V are exactly the same ones that I got from that man in Gaydon that I spoke to near an oldtimer truck of R.T.Keedwell. Maybe you are the same person. On the photo of Chris Craddock you can see the sticker of the tractor. Anyone more photos■■?
Hi if you look at the thread for ECT transport near this one you will see a pic of this truck when it was new if I am correct. I think you will find that Ritchie Thorne also owned it before Norman. I looked at it in a scrapyard in Paulton when tthe engine was, as someone has said , in bits in the cab. it was red and white then this was some time before I bought mine in Jan 1985. I think that the main reason no pics exist of it was the engine was so unreliable it did not do much work. Another point this one had a special cab interior the bottom bunk was fiitted out as a kitchen it was called an Interstater. Perhaps some one who new it when ECT had can confirm.
Who are you PHU do you own it now?
bubbleman:
Probably was PHU l was a t Gaydon with my F86,my pal has the Keedwell 88. Cant remember parting with photos though…
Cheers Marc
Yes Marc, that must have been you. I heard the name Keedwell from Steve Baker and I saw the Keedwell 88 in Gaydon, so I went there and talked to the group. I didn’t know there were several Keedwells. And I remember the man who knew the KW was not the man of the 88. He promised to send the photos to me after Gaydon and indeed a few weeks later I got an envelope with them. Unfortunately I mislaid the (empty) envelope with the sender’s address so I could never thank this person for the photos.
And Yes Gavin, I own it now, hence my interest in the history of it. It is still waiting for its belgian oldtimer registration.
Gavin McArdle:
A lot of people owned this one (I even looked at it myself once, I know it had been in Wales) including Ritchie Thorne , Norman Keedwell & Steve Baker who ran Ashcott Truck stop. It origonally had a Detroit engine which caused a lot of problems, by the time Steve Baker owned it ,it had been fitted with a ■■■■■■■■ Steve sold it to someone in Belgium who wanted to double man it but could not understand that at nearly 30 years old it might need an overhaul. Last I heard it was still in Belgium.
What is Steve Baker up to now? The last time I saw him he had a lift tank behind an old Scania and was still parking it at the pub. We have a couple of mutual friends in John and big Kevin from Gilberdyke
I have had some good nights with Steve when he still ran the truckstop.
I suppose it must have been me PHU because l sent some pics of YHW to a belgian chap and didnt get a conformation that they arrived safely…glad they did
But they were caught or something, so not any transport was done. Instead, they ran away and left everything in a shed. As the rent was no longer paid, the owner of the shed asked a local craneman to pull everything out of the shed and just leave it there. The morning after the KW had disappeared. Then some time later somebody spotted it not far from Bruges and it was for sale. That was about 5 years ago. It has been sold then and is since waiting in a dry shed for its registration back on the road as oldtimertruck (in Belgium they have to be at least 30 years).
