BIRD'S EYE VIEW
Page 65
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BY THE HAWK
• During the summer we asked readers to hawk around for a name to grace the last Scarnmell to roll off the production lines at Watford. Leading heavy haulier, Econofreight United Transport, had put the 298kW (400hp) charge-cooled Scammell 50.40 S26 beast into service and wanted to celebrate its distinguished position in the company fleet, with a special name.
My nest was crowded-out with replies and the ingenuity of your imaginations astonished me. Econofreight boss Tom Llewellyn sifted through the entries and whittled it down to a shortlist. Mike Grant of Little Billington near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire won the day with his suggestion, "Evening Star."
Tom liked the name because it summed up a sad air of finality and darkness mingled with the promise that things will rise again.
True to Econofreight's word, Mike Grant was summoned to the company's Stafford depot and given a champagne day out plus a trip in the truck.
Runner-up W H Watkinson of Chatham in Kent also went along for the day on the strength of his offering "King Harold." Like Grant, Watkinson won a bottle of champers and a copy of Bob Tuck's book Mammoth Trucks.
Econofreight also made sure that both men got a framed picture of Evening Star on her first job.
Other suggestions which nearly made it were "Colossus of Roads" (the favourite in Commercial Motor's offices) from B V Martin of Edmonton in North London and "Cleveland Clydesdale" from Peter White of Sedgefield.
The honourable mention has to go to the five members of the Newton family in Crowborough, East Sussex, who sent in a magnificent set of 12 suggestions, including "The Tusker," 'Titan," "Kong," "Challenger" and "Anaconda." "Cyril" took the biscuit as the most peculiar suggestion.
So far, the truck is going well and Econofreight is delighted to have secured a registration plate with "300" in it, because the unit has been ballasted at 300 tonnes.
As an afterthought, Tom Llewellyn points out that the last steam locomotive was called "Evening Star." 1 can't wait for the Watford Valley Scammell preservation society to produce its first video of clouds of diesel smoke disappearing into the distance with soft background music. The epitome of a bygone age.
1=1 A calendar with 12 pictures of "the best Scammells on the road today" is now available from the Scammell Owners and Enthusiasts Club. The front cover shows a United Dairies artic, circa 1947, and there is a foreward by Bob Tuck. For information contact Julie at Auto Spares and Salvage, Station House, Raunds, Northamptonshire, (0933) 626166.