In the mid 80’s truck & driver did a feature on w&j riding ,it was about a night run ,and I think it was a seddon atkinson 400,does any one have a copy they could maybe scan and get it on here 
,cheers.
Hi gaz70,
From memory? It was a day cab 401 on a regular night run to Glasgow.i have every edition of TRUCK.the date would help if possible.
Regards andrew.
Sorry pal I don’t know the date,the article just came to mind after looking at the riding website. 
Moomooland (Paul) is the lad who will be able to tell you when it was.
I do recall it, a night rub in a SA401 day cab with a Gardner 8LXCT 300. Seem to recall it was Longridge to Heinz Kitt Green swap trailers, load of beans to Wishaw depot, swap trailers, empty coiler into Ravenscraig load a big single coil and back to Longridge. Was it Truck and Driver, or Truck?
It was truck & driver pal,pretty sure it was 85.
acd1202:
I do recall it, a night rub in a SA401 day cab with a Gardner 8LXCT 300. Seem to recall it was Longridge to Heinz Kitt Green swap trailers, load of beans to Wishaw depot, swap trailers, empty coiler into Ravenscraig load a big single coil and back to Longridge. Was it Truck and Driver, or Truck?
Your secret’s safe with us mate! 
Robert 
Brilliant article, wish I’d kept it. I could tell you it from memory virtually word perfect. I think it was mid 1984, both Seddatks had the Gardner 300, one of the best engines ever IMHO. Both trucks are on the W&J Riding website (look at A reg 401s, both day cabs). The journo went up from Preston to Wishaw with the late Tom Fryer, tales of learning to drive in the 1940s, at one time he was delivering coach chassis, he had thermos flasks of coffee freeze solid. He naturally rated a warm wagon very highly, the 401 scored very highly with him. Tom was also very keen on fuel economy, Riding’s own records showed the 8LXCT being 0.6mpg better than a ■■■■■■■ E290, multiplied across the whole fleet this equated to over £1million saved over a year. Return trip was with Thurston Greenall (proper character name I think!) who as well as driving for Riding’s had tuned IOM TT motorcyles, he had the E290 down as the best engine but had a lot of respect for the turbo Gardners. He recalled frightening times and a sad story from when shap fell was the only way up, and further back before the war to when Tom Riding’s father (son of the founder) was driving, used to take all day to get up from Preston to Glasgow with just 6 tons, leaving him absolutely exhausted. Tom had the more economical driving style, Thurston said Tom would use about 48 gallons for the round trip, Thurston would be in the low 50’s, he liked to hear the engine working, helped him stay awake, wondered how the BRS boys stayed awake at 40mph. How’s that off the top of my head after 30 years!!!
Well done pal,I was only a year out with 85 ,we just need a nice person with a copy of it now
Just found a picture on the riding website, reg B240VCW, fleet number 25,name on the truck was " NIGHT HAWK".cheers gaz.
You might be right with 85, my memory has it as T&D March 84, but it could have been Feb or Mar 85. It was definitely written in the winter as the journalist nearly lost his hand in an airstream that was way below zero when cleaning the near side mirror, Tom had laughed and said one year he had been able to reach out and grab whole handfuls of snow from the airstream, he recalled they had to dig their way through Lesmahagow that night. This left an impression on me of a professional pride, of getting the job done no matter what, the other impression I was left with was utmost respect for the drivers who routinely took on Shap Fell in all weathers, in the likes of Gardner 180 Atkis at 32 ton with power assisted nothing. If they phoned me now with the offer of a Gardner 300 401 at 38 ton to Scotland I would be there like a shot, for nothing! 401 lovely looking lorry, turbo 8 cylinder Gardner music and a nine speed fuller to play with, happy Driver! We might have digital euro 6 electronic GPS Sat nav auto everything now, but have definitely lost something along the way, which I guess is what keeps us all logging into this Site.
robert1952:
acd1202:
I do recall it, a night rub in a SA401 day cab with a Gardner 8LXCT 300. Seem to recall it was Longridge to Heinz Kitt Green swap trailers, load of beans to Wishaw depot, swap trailers, empty coiler into Ravenscraig load a big single coil and back to Longridge. Was it Truck and Driver, or Truck?Your secret’s safe with us mate!
Are you sure it didn’t have PEGASO 360 engine in and a 16 speed zf
Lance Biscomb:
robert1952:
acd1202:
I do recall it, a night rub in a SA401 day cab with a Gardner 8LXCT 300. Seem to recall it was Longridge to Heinz Kitt Green swap trailers, load of beans to Wishaw depot, swap trailers, empty coiler into Ravenscraig load a big single coil and back to Longridge. Was it Truck and Driver, or Truck?Your secret’s safe with us mate!
Are you sure it didn’t have PEGASO 360 engine in and a 16 speed
Wasn’t that a sleeper
NO 
:
gardner180:
You might be right with 85, my memory has it as T&D March 84, but it could have been Feb or Mar 85. It was definitely written in the winter as the journalist nearly lost his hand in an airstream that was way below zero when cleaning the near side mirror, Tom had laughed and said one year he had been able to reach out and grab whole handfuls of snow from the airstream, he recalled they had to dig their way through Lesmahagow that night. This left an impression on me of a professional pride, of getting the job done no matter what, the other impression I was left with was utmost respect for the drivers who routinely took on Shap Fell in all weathers, in the likes of Gardner 180 Atkis at 32 ton with power assisted nothing. If they phoned me now with the offer of a Gardner 300 401 at 38 ton to Scotland I would be there like a shot, for nothing! 401 lovely looking lorry, turbo 8 cylinder Gardner music and a nine speed fuller to play with, happy Driver! We might have digital euro 6 electronic GPS Sat nav auto everything now, but have definitely lost something along the way, which I guess is what keeps us all logging into this Site.
Great story that I can remember that article very well
We at Stirlands inherited some of the Seddon Atkinson 401s from Ridings as we were a sister firm within TDG
We had them as we were waiting for new 401s to come
They gave us tremendous service on our general haulage fleet
All our 401s were a mixture of Gardner 8LXCTs and 6LXCTs
And as with Ridings fuel was our biggest cost and nothing could match them on fuel economy or reliability
Here’s my restored 401 in Stirlands livery
acd1202:
Lance Biscomb:
robert1952:
acd1202:
I do recall it, a night rub in a SA401 day cab with a Gardner 8LXCT 300. Seem to recall it was Longridge to Heinz Kitt Green swap trailers, load of beans to Wishaw depot, swap trailers, empty coiler into Ravenscraig load a big single coil and back to Longridge. Was it Truck and Driver, or Truck?Your secret’s safe with us mate!
Are you sure it didn’t have PEGASO 360 engine in and a 16 speed
Wasn’t that a sleeper
Yes it was - B131TND, Fleet No. 6 - named ‘El Capitan’ in honour of the engine’s heritage.
I’ve often wondered if anyone would be able to put to-gether a book on the rise,and rise. of the origional TDG group which was created by the driving force of Sir James Duncan and J.D. Lockhart up until the time the Group went “pear shaped” when it was bought out by the Laxey people.I realise it may be “mission impossible” because of the “jigsaw” of companies that made up the TDG group and the way each company operated on their own with minimal interference from HO in London (well in Mr.Tom’s case at Longridge I suspect!!).If a book was possible I would think it would be a best seller in the Transport world as the TDG as a PLC was a very solid share to invest in over the years from what I was told. Bewick.
Hiya Dennis the start of the downward spiral regarding TDG began when Sir James Duncan stepped down and a certain Alan Cole took over the reigns in the late 80s early 90s
Jack Stirland was a founder group member within TDG he sold out in 1964 fearing another Labour government were considering a re nationalising of the Road Transport industry
(Jack Stirland started out in 1925 his business Robin Hood Transport was nationalised and he became BRS Nottingham depot manager
When de nationalisation came around he bought some ex BRS lorries and set up again as Robin Hood Transport later selling up to Barton Transport of Middle Eastern fame
Jack Stirland then went into partnership with Rex Marshall (A R Marshall and Sons )another well known Nottinghamshire haulier to form M and S Transport
They parted company in the mid 50s
Once again Jack started up his own transport company buying “A” licences and having some dedicated lorries contracted to Boots the Chemist in Nottingham
He built up some very good traffic within Nottingham
Boots Raleigh bicycles John Players and sons Pedigree pet foods Stanton pipes just to name a few he built up a large fleet which became well known)
Jack decided to sell out in 1964 to TDG but remained MD until his retirement in 1978
Stirlands we’re autonomous as were many other TDG companies running as separate individual companies other than when big purchases were required ie new warehousing/ depots etc
Each company had their own liveries own vehicle purchasing powers we even ran into each other’s depots for back loads and fuel
In the early 90s when Mr Cole took over he decided to centralise everything and came up with the idea of the awful scarab green livery with the even worse juggler logo
Each company was allowed to have their own name on the vehicles ie Stirland Harris Beck and Politzer Williams Distribution to name a few but sadly some good old names and liveries vanished when that happened
It got worse when the graduates starting coming in buying up long established firms such as Drapers of Thurrock McPherson of Aberlour Spiers of Melksham Tuffnel Parcels then gradually through bad management and decisions these good firms were closed down
Lucky enough Tuffnell and McPherson went on to have management buyouts and went on to thrive again
Beck and Politzer are still going strong without the graduates interference
I left Stirlands in 2003 but my Dad stopped their until our Nottingham was closed down in 2005 by the graduates after they’d gave away and lost a lot of our long established customers whom we had worked with for over 50 years
Stirlands was the second most profitable company within TDG
After that I didn’t have much to do with TDG so post 2005 I’m not to sure
Lastly I may be wrong but I think Ridings were allowed to keep their livery due to the fact that Tom Riding still owned 51% of his company and TDG the other 49%
I also meant to say they had a bad habit in later years in buying up good profitable companies for the contracts they had
Got rid of the experienced management put in graduates who in turn completely ruined the good work the founders did
Just look how long Ridings lasted after Tom retired
David Williams went on to set up Great Bear Distribution after the head honchos of TDG ruined his great firm
Towards the end of my time with Stirlands wherever I delivered to TDG became Transport Disaster Group because anything they touched went ■■■■ up
marky:
acd1202:
Lance Biscomb:
robert1952:
acd1202:
I do recall it, a night rub in a SA401 day cab with a Gardner 8LXCT 300. Seem to recall it was Longridge to Heinz Kitt Green swap trailers, load of beans to Wishaw depot, swap trailers, empty coiler into Ravenscraig load a big single coil and back to Longridge. Was it Truck and Driver, or Truck?Your secret’s safe with us mate!
Are you sure it didn’t have PEGASO 360 engine in and a 16 speed
Wasn’t that a sleeper
Yes it was - B131TND, Fleet No. 6 - named ‘El Capitan’ in honour of the engine’s heritage.
B131 TND was a DAY CAB not a sleeper 