Howard Shanks joined Andrew Hickey on a run to collect four decks of cattle from a station east of Croydon, Victoria, near the head of the Gilbert River. Andrew was to truck them to the port at Karumba in Queensland.

After changing a flat tyre on his rear trailer, Andrew was tightening the wheel nuts when Howard snapped this picture.

Up the front of the road train is a first-generation T950 powered by a Cat C15 that punches out a healthy 410kW (550hp). The Cat is coupled to an Eaton RTLO22918B transmission with Dana D52-190 rear axles.

Back on the black top and the big Cat under the hood purred effortlessly northward. Meantime, Andrew added that he reckons his original T950 is one of the best models that Kenworth ever made. “That’s not merely due their reliability, but the simplicity of their design makes them easier for outback operators like me to maintain,” he said.