RAIDER OF THE LOST MARQUE

Sometimes in life, we unconsciously help create our own destiny. However, in many circumstances, it can take decades to realise that fact. Back in the 1980s, heavy vehicle mechanic, Kenny Marchbank, along with a few of his colleagues at Gateside Commercials in Dumfries, unwittingly set the dye for years to come. The object of their fascination was a Diamond Reo Raider recovery vehicle, thought to be the only one of its type in the UK.

“The Diamond Reo Raider was a bit of a celebrity during its day. It even appeared in the local newspaper when it first arrived here in the mid 1970s,” says Kenny Marchbank adding, “Everyone in Dumfries and the surrounding area has a story to tell about it. There was nothing else like it on the road at that time.” Kenny had both driven and maintained the Raider during its working life. Further back in time, Kenny’s first meeting with the American truck, was while out in his father’s lorry. “We had a Dodge that dropped a valve at Kirkgunzeon. The Diamond Reo Raider came out to our aid with George Henderson driving it. The Dodge was suspended towed back to Gateside Commercials and I got a run in the Raider. It was awesome and I can still remember every detail,” notes Kenny.

Kenny started work at Gateside Commercials aged 14 in 1977. His summer holiday job there would last for three years on the trot. “My dad ran Dodge Trucks back then so we were regular visitors to