Incobulk Contract
Incobulk Bulk Plastic Transportation was formed in Eastleigh Hampshire by Brian Cairns.
Brian approached W & J Riding and asked them if they would haul his containers from Southampton docks to various destinations throughout the UK but mainly the North of England.
The contract began in the late 1970’s with Riding’s own liveried vehicles, but later Incobulk’s own liverey was applied to a number of Riding’s Seddon Atkinson’s assigned to the contract.
After a number of years Brian decided to sell out to Verbrugge Internationale Wegtransporten of the Netherlands who wanted a foothold in the UK market.
Atkinson Borderer 4X2 tractor unit Reg No TTC 490L Fleet No 19 ‘Spirited, (Chassis No FC21257) was purchased new from Atkinson Vehicles Ltd on the 16th of August 1972 at a cost of £5,182 but was not registered until the 6th of October 1972.
Driven from new by the late Jimmy Holden it was powered by the legendary Gardner 180 6LXB engine in line with David Brown box and Kirkstall axles.
It is pictured here while discharging an early Incobulk load at James Hallstead’s factory at Whitefield near Manchester.
Seddon Atkinson 400 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No GCK 870S Fleet 92 ‘Cock o’ the North’ was purchased new from Atkinson Vehicles Ltd on the 4th of January 1978 at a cost of £18,613 63p and was registered on the 1st of March 1978.
Powered by the reliable Gardner 240 eight cylinder engine this Teesside based tractor unit was driven from new by Jimmy Renton and spent most of its life with a non tipping powder tank moving nylon chip on behalf of ICI from Wilton to Pontypool.
The first Volvo F7 4X2 tractor unit to join the fleet was Reg No WCK 27V Fleet No 11 ‘Coeur de Lion’ which was purchased with accident damage from W.H Bowker of Blackburn on the 20th of January 1982 for the sum of £3000 plus vat with an extra £2,864 spent on parts including a Wellworthy WS 9 compressor.
It is pictured here while coupled up to a tandem axle trailer with an Incobulk container discharging it’s load of powder at Wrexham.
The late Tom Riding recalled…
“The driver of WCK 27V was Tony Lee who is seen on crutches at the rear of the vehicle after previously hurting hurt his leg in a car accident.
He had still come to work but his condition worsened so i brought the outfit back home and Tony came home in my car.
Tony Lee later went on his own and set up his own haulage business that lasted a few years”.
After four years in the Fleet WCK 27V was sold to on to Snow Commercials of Bristol, Commercial Vehicle Dismantlers & Recyclers, for the sum of £2000 plus vat on the 6th of June 1986.
Seddon Atkinson 4×2 tractor unit Reg No FGK 582X Fleet No 31 ‘Flamboyant’ was powered by a Cummins E 290 engine and was painted up in the Incobulk brown and yellow livery.
Driven by jimmy McColl it is pictured here tipping PVC paste at Nairns of Kirkcaldy in the contract livery of Incobulk of Southampton.
This was one of five Seddon Atkinson tractor unit’s that Tom Riding bought which were originally owned by Watney Mann of London and had been used for trunking beer.
The late Tom Riding recalled below…
“Having bought the five tractor units for £40 000 they had originally been fitted with Allison 5 speed automatic gearboxes.
We converted them to Fuller 9509 manual direct top gearboxes and coupled to their original 3.7 : 1 final drive ratio they were all superb machines.
They had been previously maintained by Watney’s to a high standard and were very successful for us”.
Another shot of Seddon Atkinson 401 4×2 tractor unit Reg No FGK 582X Fleet No 31 ‘Flamboyant’.
Coupled up to a Metelair built tipping tanker driver Jimmy McColl is discharging the first load of ICI pvc paste grade at Nairn’s of Kirkcaldy .
See this close up picture below
Driver Jimmy McColl is a picture of concentration as he attempts to get the right amount of product and air flow into the discharge line.
This first delivery was very successful and subsequent deliveries to Nairn’s went on for years.
Registered new on the 1st of August 1983, at a cost of £22,209.47p + vat, Seddon Atkinson 301 Series 4X2 tractor unit Reg No A130 HCK Fleet No 77 ‘Sir Tristram’ was at first assigned to the Incobulk contract.
Riding’s ran a small number of these lightweight cabbed 301’s which were actually designed and launched as a 38-tonner.
Driven from new by Mick Mckay A130 HCK came with a Cummins L10 250 engine but Riding’s later rebuilt the engine into a more powerful Cummins L10 290.
After spending a couple of years on the Incobulk contract A130 HCK was repainted into Riding’s standard livery and transferred over to the general haulage fleet.
A final shot of Seddon Atkinson 301 Series 4X2 tractor unit Reg No A130 HCK Fleet No 77 ‘Sir Tristram’ seen here shortly before being repainted into Riding’s standard livery and transferred over to the general haulage fleet.
Seddon Atkinson 4-11 4×2 tractor unit Reg No E40 GFR Fleet No 55 Rising Star, powered by a Gardner 290 LXDT engine, was assigned to the Incobulk contract when brand new.
Jim McColl was allocated this tractor unit when Riding’s took Seddon Atkinson 401 Reg No FGK 582X off the Incobulk job and down graded it to general haulage.
Purchased brand new from Seddon Atkinson Vehicles Ltd on the 31st of July 1987 at a cost of £28,716 plus vat it was first registered on the 1st of September 1987 and it remained in W & J Riding’s fleet for a total of eight years during which time it was later repainted into Verbrugge livery.
