Solrec Contract Heysham
Over the years W & J Riding had a number of contracts which required their vehicles to be painted up in the customers own livery.
One such contract acquired in 1982, and lasting 15 years until March 1997, was with Solrec of Middleton Road Heysham and as the name implies the company were in the solvent recovery business.
Today the company are still operating from the same location at Heysham, although they now go under the name of SRM (Solvent Resource Management Limited)
Seddon Atkinson 400 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No GAT 246T ‘Mons Meg’ (Chassis No 40122) was powered by a Cummins 290 engine and driven on a regular basis by Dave Eastwood.
Registered new on the 1st of July 1979 GAT 246T was originally operated by TDG group company Gilyot & Scott Ltd of Hull.
Purchased secondhand in November 1981 from Yardley Commercial Vehicles of Kidderminster at a cost of £9,250 plus vat a further £2,189.93p was spent on painting and installing pumping equipment to the vehicle before it entered service.
The purpose built trailer above was used to collect dirty product in drums from the users and after cleaning it was sent out again to customers in the stainless steel tank located in the middle of the trailer.
Once it’s time was up on the Solrec Contract GAT 246T was sent back to the paint-shop and repainted in Riding’s familiar blue and silver livery and returned to the general haulage fleet.
After a total of nine years service with Riding’s GAT 246T was finally sold on to a Mr J. Williams of Blackrod on the 13th of June 1988 for the sum of £3,000 plus vat.
Seddon Atkinson 400 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No TUN 111T Fleet No 19 ‘Flying Dutchman’ (Chassis No FC 33986), driven by Eddie Dixon, is seen here coupled to a vacuum tanker that was used to collect dirty solvent in bulk at customers premises who had this facility.
This particular tractor unit was purchased second-hand by W & J Riding on the 30th of September 1982 when four years old for the sum of £5,500 plus vat having been originally registered new, on the 7th of September 1978, to Torridge Transport of Devon.
Fitted with a 240 Gardner 8 cylinder engine Reg No TUN 111T duly had a third life after being with Riding’s, when John Killingbeck of Blackburn bought it for the sum of £2,200 plus vat on the 30th of June 1987 and turned into a very successful double drive 3 axle tractor unit.
Close up shot of the tandem axle vacuum tanker that was used to pump out dirty solvent in bulk from customers premises who had their own used solvent storage facilities on site.
Normally hauled by Seddon Atkinson 400 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No TUN 111T Fleet No 19 ‘Flying Dutchman’ it is pictured here in Longridge depot after undergoing an MOT and service.
In the foreground, of this line up of Seddon Atkinson tractor units parked in Longridge depot, is Seddon Atkinson 400 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No TUN 111T Fleet No 19 ‘Flying Dutchman’ (Chassis No FC 33986).
Driven by Eddie Dixon, and powered by a Gardner 240 eight cylinder engine Reg No TUN 111T was purchased second-hand by W & J Riding on the 30th of September 1982 at a cost of £5,500 plus vat when it was four years old.
Originally it had been registered new to Torridge Transport of Devon, seen here on the right, on the 7th of September 1978.
Seddon Atkinson 401 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No C490 JHG Fleet No 10 ‘Relentless’ (Chassis No 79713) was purchased new by Riding’s from Seddon Atkinson Vehicles on the 27th of October 1985 at a cost of £26,528.62p and registered for road use a month later on the 1st of December 1985.
Allocated from new to the Solrec contract a further £3,128.49p was spent on fitting pumping equipment which was necessary to do the job.
Driven from new by Dave Eastwood it was powered by a Gardner 6LYT 320 engine and replaced Seddon Atkinson 400 Series Reg No GAT 246T already on the Solrec contract
In September 1991 when six years old it was taken off the Solrec contract and repainted into Riding’s familiar blue and silver livery and put to work on the general haulage fleet.
After three years on the general haulage fleet it was sold onto J C Commercials of Bootle when nine years old on the 25th of July 1994 for £2,500 plus vat.
This particular photograph of Seddon Atkinson 401 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No C490 JHG Fleet No 10 ‘Relentless’ (Chassis No 79713) appeared in the November 1989 edition of Commercial Motor.
At the time the tri-axle Solrec trailer was brand new replacing the one of the previous design that had been used for a number of years.
Built by Lancashire Trailers of Bamber Bridge Nr Preston the trailer had a 23,000 litre triple sectioned stainless steel tank mounted centrally between twin-decked compartments.
The 3.0m-long end structures housed 40 drums each had hardwood aluminium-lined none-slip flooring with safety frames and internal straps while the aluminum doors slide alongside the tank on full length rails to allow loading from either side.
Storage compartments were also built into the structure with trays which were designed to hold the discharge hoses.
Seddon Atkinson 401 Series 4×2 tractor unit Reg No D950 XFV Fleet No 19 ‘Flying Dutchman II’ (Chassis No 81859) was purchased new by Riding’s on the 6th of January 1987 at a cost of £27,094 plus vat and was first registered some two months later on the 6th of March 1987.
Driven from new by Eddie Dixon it was powered by a Gardner 270 engine and was one of several in the Riding fleet that were assigned to the Solrec contract and painted in the company’s striking yellow livery.
In April 1995 D950 XFV was withdrawn and scrapped after suffering accident damage.
Photograph courtesy of Marcus Lester.
Seen here when brand new in 1991 Seddon Atkinson Strato 4×2 tractor unit Reg No J510 KCK Fleet No 31 ‘Flamboyant’ (Chassis No 88044) was powered by a 365 Cummins engine, and purchased new from Seddon Atkinson Vehicles by Riding’s on the 30th of August 1991 specifically for their Solrec contract at a cost of £34,459 which included fire screening.
First registered for road use on the 10th of September 1991 it is pictured above coupled to a brand new tri-axle suction tanker which was built by Vallely Tanker Engineering Ltd of Leeds, who today are known as Clayton Vallely Tankers (UK) Ltd operating from their manufacturing premises on Pepper Road Hunslet Leeds..
When the contract came to an end six years later in March 1997 Riding’s sold J510 JCK on to Solrec themselves for an undisclosed sum who then used it in house for a further three years until March 2000.
This shot of Seddon Atkinson Strato 4×2 tractor unit Reg No J510 KCK Fleet No 31 ‘Flamboyant’ shows it coupled up to a newer version of a Solrec trailer than the one of the previous design pictured at the very top of this page.
This trailer had sliding doors to prevent any possible spillage from any leaking drums of dirty solvent which in some cases could be quite harmful.
Photograph courtesy of Chris Richards.
Aother shot of Seddon Atkinson Strato 4×2 tractor unit Reg No J510 KCK Fleet No 31 ‘Flamboyant’.
Powered by a 365 Cummins engine and first registered for road use on the 10th of September 1991 it is pictured here when two years old while parked in the depot at Longridge on the 29th of August 1993.
Photograph courtesy of Chris Richards.
The final shot of Seddon Atkinson Strato 4×2 tractor unit Reg No J510 KCK Fleet No 31 ‘Flamboyant’.
Registered new on the 10th of September 1991 it is seen here on the 9th of April 1994 hauling an empty tanker while heading for the workshop in Longridge depot.
When the contract came to an end three years later in March 1997 Riding’s sold J510 JCK on to Solrec themselves who then used it in house for a further three years until March 2000.
Photograph courtesy of Chris Richards.
