Did ACT have dry boxes on freightliner trains in late 80s, early 90s?

[ChrisH-UK]

ACT are strongly associated with the Anchor Butter train which used reefers, I thought I had seen standard dry boxes with their logo on but I can't seem to find any evidence to back this up. Does anyone have pics or have knowledge to confirm or deny this? I would have thought that ACT was a big enough operation that they would have brought more than just butter to the UK, did everything else go by road maybe?

 

Thanks

Chris H

[Fat Controller]

ACT are strongly associated with the Anchor Butter train which used reefers, I thought I had seen standard dry boxes with their logo on but I can't seem to find any evidence to back this up. Does anyone have pics or have knowledge to confirm or deny this? I would have thought that ACT was a big enough operation that they would have brought more than just butter to the UK, did everything else go by road maybe?

 

Thanks

Chris H

A dig in 'Freightliner Life and Times' shows one or two  CACT boxes on workings around the UK on workings such as Leeds- Tilbury. They were corrugated, so 'dry', rather than reefer, I think. This link might be of interest:-

https://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/The-Humble-Box/TheHumbleBox-Operator

[Ravenser]

On 28/09/2018 at 12:40, ChrisH-UK said:

ACT are strongly associated with the Anchor Butter train which used reefers, I thought I had seen standard dry boxes with their logo on but I can't seem to find any evidence to back this up. Does anyone have pics or have knowledge to confirm or deny this? I would have thought that ACT was a big enough operation that they would have brought more than just butter to the UK, did everything else go by road maybe?

 

Thanks

Chris H

I started my career with ACTA between 1987 and the P+O takeover in 1991

 

Yes, other things moved

 

Obviously the northbound porthole reefer trade , both NZ meat and NZ dairy (=Anchor butter) was a major element , but we carried plenty of dry cargo. SB was almost entirely dry cargo, and a larger volume than NB.

 

But there was an extremely aggressive programme to shift empty 20' porthole (blown-air) reefers SB with dry cargo. OCL were less committed to it than ACTA , who were ANZ specialists

 

Now can I do you a nice 20'INS /NOR for that shipment , sir? 18% off the freight rate? And a discount THC at both ends. And 10% off your haulage? Perfect for your heavy cargo . Firebricks not a problem . And if you are moving your house - ideal for you sir. Most of the removals trade use them . 20'NOR  anyone?  Pretty please? Go on.... You know you really want it.   (I think there was an in-house target of 30% of SB in NOR . And it was normally hit)

 

(Sorry, must stop wearing my Commercial Dept hat...)

 

Nearly as many 20'NOR (remember these were 8' high boxes) as 20'GP . Some 40'GP . But NO 40'HCs  (I got my knuckles rapped by my manager for telling an agent I'd check if we could quote a 40'HC rate)

 

I'm pretty confident that ACTA used trains to/from Leeds. Manchester or Liverpool and Glasgow. I remember the reckoning was that you could get hard-frozen lamb (-17 C)  up on the train to Liverpool without active reefer, and without compromising the cargo. Any further and a gen set was required

 

However operations incl rail were in the hands of ACT(S)  (colloqially "Services" ) , a joint company handling the operations for ACTA, EHCL (SA trade), Ben Line Containers  (FE trade) and Blue Star.

 

Also bear in mind that ACTA had a container pool with Blue Star Line and HSDG in NZ , so their boxes would appear from time to time

 

And up to 1987 ACTA managed Australian National Line's involvement in the trade, so ANL boxes would have been in the mix as well. But not out of NZ - for obvious reasons - so not on the "special" Anchor Butter train Tilbury/Swindon

Edited March 1, 2019 by Ravenser

[Satan's Goldfish]

Short answer: yes. I've modelled some based on pictures I've seen of them on freightliners... just don't ask me what or where those pictures are as I can't remember!