During the 60’s and early 70’s the BRS group of companies must have bought more tractor units than any other haulage group. However when I look through Flickr etc I don’t see any pics of either Atkinson and Foden tractor units in the colours of the general haulage fleets - if there are then I have yet to stumble across them… There are lots of AEC, Albion, Bedford, Bristol, Ford, Guy, Leyland and Seddon pics but none of the aforementioned Atkinson and Fodens.
These makes were clearly popular with the private sector so was there any particular reason they (BRS) avoided these marques?
I have always thought that the Scammell Crusader was built with sales to BRS in mind. I don’t know if BRS had any input to the design and specifications but can remember that other, more senior, drivers reckoned it was the case and we would all be running around in Crusaders, eventually.
ChrisArbon:
I have always thought that the Scammell Crusader was built with sales to BRS in mind. I don’t know if BRS had any input to the design and specifications but can remember that other, more senior, drivers reckoned it was the case and we would all be running around in Crusaders, eventually.
Not sure about the Crusader but that wouldn’t surprise me as they were certainly heavily involved in the development of the T45 Roadtrain.
Dennis Javelin:
During the 60’s and early 70’s the BRS group of companies must have bought more tractor units than any other haulage group. However when I look through Flickr etc I don’t see any pics of either Atkinson and Foden tractor units in the colours of the general haulage fleets - if there are then I have yet to stumble across them… There are lots of AEC, Albion, Bedford, Bristol, Ford, Guy, Leyland and Seddon pics but none of the aforementioned Atkinson and Fodens.
These makes were clearly popular with the private sector so was there any particular reason they (BRS) avoided these marques?
There were plenty of BRS Fodens and Atkinsons in the '50s and '60s when I was growing up:
Dennis Javelin:
During the 60’s and early 70’s the BRS group of companies must have bought more tractor units than any other haulage group. However when I look through Flickr etc I don’t see any pics of either Atkinson and Foden tractor units in the colours of the general haulage fleets - if there are then I have yet to stumble across them… There are lots of AEC, Albion, Bedford, Bristol, Ford, Guy, Leyland and Seddon pics but none of the aforementioned Atkinson and Fodens.
These makes were clearly popular with the private sector so was there any particular reason they (BRS) avoided these marques?
There were plenty of BRS Fodens and Atkinsons in the '50s and '60s when I was growing up:
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NMPs.
But also, later in the mid-'70s there were still Fodens and (by then) Seddon-Atkinsons, including this LHD Sed-Atki 400. Ro
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Thanks for your reply. I was however especially interested in tractor units in the period of about 62-72 for which there seems to be very little sign of any of these marques being bought despite the huge surge in popularity with the private sector.
TROOPER2:
Atkinson - (PDU314M) - BRS Parcel Service:
Not wishing to set off a riot but I reckon that that Atky is not an authentic BRS motor ! Cheers Bewick
Quite correct Mr Bewick. Info on flickr states that PDU314M was new to Lathams of Coventry as a car transporter.
TROOPER2:
Atkinson - (PDU314M) - BRS Parcel Service:
Not wishing to set off a riot but I reckon that that Atky is not an authentic BRS motor ! Cheers Bewick
Quite correct Mr Bewick. Info on flickr states that PDU314M was new to Lathams of Coventry as a car transporter.
But it’s rumoured that it’s really a re-cabbed Guy with a 240 in it!
ChrisArbon:
I have always thought that the Scammell Crusader was built with sales to BRS in mind. I don’t know if BRS had any input to the design and specifications but can remember that other, more senior, drivers reckoned it was the case and we would all be running around in Crusaders, eventually.
Not sure about the Crusader but that wouldn’t surprise me as they were certainly heavily involved in the development of the T45 Roadtrain.
Yes BRS definitely had a hand in Crusader specification development. I’m interested in your statement about BRS having an involvement in the T45 Roadtrain development. I’ve spent years researching Leyland and AEC in particular, and I have never found any record of BRS involvement into the T45. Work on the development of the T45 began in 1973. With British Leyland being nationalized (in all but name) in 1975, then it would be feasible that two nationalized companies would work together.
To suggest an answer for your main question, Foden was an expensive truck to buy, ditto Atkinson.
ChrisArbon:
I have always thought that the Scammell Crusader was built with sales to BRS in mind. I don’t know if BRS had any input to the design and specifications but can remember that other, more senior, drivers reckoned it was the case and we would all be running around in Crusaders, eventually.
Not sure about the Crusader but that wouldn’t surprise me as they were certainly heavily involved in the development of the T45 Roadtrain.
Yes BRS definitely had a hand in Crusader specification development. I’m interested in your statement about BRS having an involvement in the T45 Roadtrain development. I’ve spent years researching Leyland and AEC in particular, and I have never found any record of BRS involvement into the T45. Work on the development of the T45 began in 1973. With British Leyland being nationalized (in all but name) in 1975, then it would be feasible that two nationalized companies would work together.
To suggest an answer for your main question, Foden was an expensive truck to buy, ditto Atkinson.
Thanks for the info regarding the costs of Atki’s and Fodens. It makes sense given BRS’s parsimony. Regarding the T45 I was given a marketing book that Leyland produced about the development of the T45 (I think it also had a section about the B15 bus as well). Hopefully it will be somewhere in the loft. If it is I will try and scan it and put it on (it’s about 25 pages from memory)
TROOPER2:
Atkinson - (PDU314M) - BRS Parcel Service:
Not wishing to set off a riot but I reckon that that Atky is not an authentic BRS motor ! Cheers Bewick
Quite correct Mr Bewick. Info on flickr states that PDU314M was new to Lathams of Coventry as a car transporter.
But it’s rumoured that it’s really a re-cabbed Guy with a 240 in it!
Suedehead:
There were a few Fodens based at the Swindon depot on the UBM/Glaseal contract.
I appreciate all the replies that are being given but the period I am concentrating on is 62-72. Does anyone have any information on how many (if any) Atkinson and Foden tractor units were purchased during these dates. This was a time of huge change in the haulage industry with the move away from 8 wheelers to artics. All the Foden pics are from mid/late 70’s.
I was at BRS Gateshead 1970 - 72 and can’t recall seeing a Foden or Atkinson in BRS colours in the depot never mind the workshop. It was a very large place though. I think the first Scania’s started to appear in the Gateshead fleet about late 70 early 71.
Tyneside
Suedehead:
There were a few Fodens based at the Swindon depot on the UBM/Glaseal contract.
I appreciate all the replies that are being given but the period I am concentrating on is 62-72. Does anyone have any information on how many (if any) Atkinson and Foden tractor units were purchased during these dates. This was a time of huge change in the haulage industry with the move away from 8 wheelers to artics. All the Foden pics are from mid/late 70’s.
I can’t give an answer about Foden, as they were a reasonable sized company in the period you are interested in, so there must have been another reason apart from price and lead times for delivery. Atkinson (and ERF) in the early 60’s were still relatively small producers in terms of annual chassis built, so lead times from order would have been a problem. On the other hand BRS had an agreement with AEC, for example, that they bought directly from the factory and not through a dealership or regional depot. The agreement also allowed BRS to place orders as and when they required the vehicles no matter how busy the factory was. They were built on receipt of order. Harold Wood was another important customer with this facilty and there was a well-documented order for 43 Mammoth Major Mk.V eight-wheelers that were built on a weekend (overtime shifts) for Harold Wood.
DEANB:
With regard to Foden’s it may well have been price related. They were expenisve !
See prices below. Nearly £1500 more than a Leyland Octopus and over £2000 more than a Scammell Routeman.
Click on page twice.
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There are two manufactures missing off the list which did feature very prominently in the BRS fleet —Seddon 32/4 and Guy Big J and they were the nastiest , cheapest 32 ton units with the RR 220 engine available !! Cheers Bewick.
Cheers Bewick
Cheers Bewick.