Saviem:
Evening all, Mk1 Atkinsons.Anyone remember the ultra lightweight 4x2 16ton tanker, run, (and designed ), by Dobson of Edinburgh, (part of Ryland Garages of Birmingham). I think about 1967. Powered by a Detroit, (General Motors), 3.5litre 4cylinder, @ 140hp, Alison auto, with retarder. Net weight 4.5tons, and capable of carrying 3000litres of petrol. Almost as much as the old 8wheelers carried!!
I remember it, John - if only I could just lay my hands on that photo…
240 Gardner:
Saviem:
Evening all, Mk1 Atkinsons.Anyone remember the ultra lightweight 4x2 16ton tanker, run, (and designed ), by Dobson of Edinburgh, (part of Ryland Garages of Birmingham). I think about 1967. Powered by a Detroit, (General Motors), 3.5litre 4cylinder, @ 140hp, Alison auto, with retarder. Net weight 4.5tons, and capable of carrying 3000litres of petrol. Almost as much as the old 8wheelers carried!!
I remember it, John - if only I could just lay my hands on that photo…
There is a black and white photograph of this Atkinson on page 77 of THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF SEDDON ATKINSON TRUCKS AND BUSES,by Nick Baldwin. This Atkinson is in a white livery, with gray relief for the wheels,chassis and rear wings-mudguards. Esso Road Transport is on the sides of the doors,Esso and also Cleveland are on the sides of the fuel load tank,the fleet Number is C 29 and the Edinburgh registration is KFS 573F.
This Atkinson has got the Mk 1 Panoramic Cab,but interestingly,it has pre-emptied the Mk 2 Panoramic Cab in that it has an imitation traditional exposed radiator-style radiator grille,complete with a front-mounted underneath exhaust system and Atkinson ringed big A,Silver Knight and Detroit Diesel badges on the radiator grille.
The model name and designation is probably Black Knight S (short wheelbase) or M (medium wheelbase)1644DD ?
According to Nick Baldwin,a small number of these Atkinson’s were built,and I seem to recall seeing a Peter Davies photograph of one of these Atkinson’s either in a book or magazine and this lorry was in a red livery - was it Total livery?
VALKYRIE.
Evening all, good bit of research VALKYRIE, you know Nick Baldwin is a very much undervalued writer. He has a good grasp of the historical context as well as the factual.
Gardner240, is probably the best bet we have for accurate records of the numbers actually built! Can you throw any light Chris? Certainly, as far as I am aware, these were a particular Ryland/Dobson special. Ryland Group were heavily involved with the oil companys, and had set up Fleet Hire, at Colleshill to cater for their needs.
In charge was Brian Wallwark, a true Gentleman, and I think had a long historic connection to the Petro Chemical sector. I remember handling a number of Mk 1 tractors, ex PetroFina, as well as Leyland Comets. Those, (well worn), Mk 1s, 180 ■■■■■■■■ 6speed ZFs, at 9ft 6in WB, what a spritely ride, bit like one of Jimmy Jones`s Dodgems!!
Happy days, Cheerio for now.
I have been reading this thread with interest, ive had times in the past with atkinson’s, with gardner and ■■■■■■■■■■ point being i got this mounth’s Truck&Driver, on page 64 is a writ up of a Actros, the cab is said to be nearly ""4 meter’s tall “”!!! and has a 510 hp engine,!! makes one wonder how we coped■■?. think i would like a go but the ole atki still has a pull, or is it me?? cheer’s trunker08,
Here is a video about FB Atkins who had a fine fleet of Atkinsons.
fryske:
Whereabouts is that old girl languishing ?
trunker08:
I have been reading this thread with interest, ive had times in the past with atkinson’s, with gardner and ■■■■■■■■■■ point being i got this mounth’s Truck&Driver, on page 64 is a writ up of a Actros, the cab is said to be nearly ""4 meter’s tall “”!!! and has a 510 hp engine,!! makes one wonder how we coped■■?. think i would like a go but the ole atki still has a pull, or is it me?? cheer’s trunker08,
Aye happy memorys early 70s 20ton up and down shap twice a week from m/c to Glasgow.You can do Glasgow in less time than it used to take to get to the rosebank café at Gretna[anyone remember it] but the job still got done
regards dave.
Bewick:
fryske:
Whereabouts is that old girl languishing ?
Here’s a shot of what the old girl would have looked like when it was new,this is an October '73 photo of a new Atki I’d just collected from the paint shop.Cheers Bewick.
dafdave:
trunker08:
I have been reading this thread with interest, ive had times in the past with atkinson’s, with gardner and ■■■■■■■■■■ point being i got this mounth’s Truck&Driver, on page 64 is a writ up of a Actros, the cab is said to be nearly ""4 meter’s tall “”!!! and has a 510 hp engine,!! makes one wonder how we coped■■?. think i would like a go but the ole atki still has a pull, or is it me?? cheer’s trunker08,Aye happy memorys early 70s 20ton up and down shap twice a week from m/c to Glasgow.You can do Glasgow in less time than it used to take to get to the rosebank café at Gretna[anyone remember it] but the job still got done
regards dave.
Aye the Rosebank was a great clean transport cafe,top grade food, The building was still there the last time I was up that way 2 yr ago, Regards Larry.
Saviem:
Just for you “ROF”,a shot of an absolute “GEM” of a motor,this 20 geared Borderer could “walk past” the early F88’s effortlessly ! Honest ! and the drivers on the “new fangled” F88’s did not like it one bit,they sometimes disputed the “load weight” until you showed them the notes!!!,then on one occaision a Volvo driver insisted that the Atki must have an uprated engine !! It was hilarious on the odd occaison you got to grips with an 88 on some of the M/way grades !! Happy days,Bewick.
Evening all, Dennis, you must have been the only man in the UK to run a 10speed Fuller, with a two speed axle! I have never come across that combination before, but a gear for every occasion no doubt!! (providing you could remember which ratio/gear you were in)!! Needed a skilled driver to get the best from it , no doubt.
I remember demonstrating a Rolls 220/Fuller 10 speed to Eric Fletcher Garages at Amblecote, Stourbridge. They were big Mandator users, and their yard was at the botom of a short sharp climb. The Mandators tackled this in first, the Seddon, 32tons all up, went up four gears, without a pause, and took hi, first at the top! They never bought another AEC, What a b…, I left the next month, to sell Volvos, so never “earned”, my just rewards!!
Boy I loved those Fuller 10speeds, so quick and easy, all the advantages of a twin stick transmission, but so easy to use, and I think better ratios than in the later 9speeds.
Another great combination was the 6.600 David Brown, 6speed, with an Eaton 18802 two speed axle. What flying machines that combination made, either if it was in an Atkinson, (superior quality), or an ERF, (sadly inferior quality)!!! Gordon Cadwallader, he always insisted that Russell chose that spec on their new Atkinson`s. But the day that I supplied Trevor Morris, just down the road at Morda, with the same lorry,…boy it was as if Oswestry was consumed by a Nuclear explosion!!!
Oh such happy days, Cheerio for now.
[/quote]
CJA1:
Hi Bewick, I Remember that 20 speed combination well, had a atki and an Erf at wilds/ Hbh earlstown/ newton Both motors run 180s, ■■■■ off shovel springs to mind Regards Chris.
Hiya “CJA 1”,OJM 480L sure ranks as the finest Atki we ran out of many,and it was,without doubt,the most consistant as it worked hard all the time it was on the fleet right into its “teens” when we finally pensioned it off.In fact,in it’s last years of revenue earning it would have been our most profitable motor with the intensive local operation it was on ! Cheers Dennis.
milkmantom:
is them two akies any good
Aye,course they were,proper motors them Tom!!!,Gardner 150LX/David brown 6 spd/Kirkstall BDR axle.There’s a good chance the H & M.E. tractor would have been supplied by J.W.Graham of Bass Lake as they were Atkinson dealers for a good number of years until George left to start the Scania dealership in Carlisle.Bass Lake would lose the Atkinson dealership in about 1970 when Scotts of Nottingham opened as Distributors in Penrith.Oh! and I’ve loaded on the Rail bank at Wukin’ton a gay few times eh! Have you ? Cheers Dennis.
This is one of 3 Mk1’s we ran at Bewick Transport,this one was the ■■■■■■■ 180 engined tractor,pulled like a train,it had the ZF 6 spd box in it,now that box could sort out the men from the boys,once you’d mastered the gear change though it was like a knife through butter changing gear !Cheers Dennis.
Here you are Tom,a McGuffie Big J (before it got its headboard fitted) just pulled into Crooklands straight from Wukin’ton loaded with Rail,there’s a couple of loads of drums in the background,the black ones will be for Marchon (A&W) Whitehaven but the yellow ones could have been for Teeside or mebe Grangemouth,not too sure eh!Cheers Dennis.
only couple times int 70,s rails ower t teesport was at harrison,s then sometimes tipped broken moulds at dec when h@l was about cant tell you ower much it might be boring all the best tom
Hi Dennis,
I do think your spec with the 2-speed axle was spot on but why only the one 
?, mind you back in the 70`s
you had to take what you could get some times great engine poor drive train or the other way round how diffrent it
could have been if you could have got what you required not what they had made.
milkmantom:
only couple times int 70,s rails ower t teesport was at harrison,s then sometimes tipped broken moulds at dec when h@l was about cant tell you ower much it might be boring all the best tom
What you mean is you have difficulty typing mare than two lines eh! Cheers Dennis.
Evening Dennis, ZF AK680, what a drivers box, as you said once mastered, like a knife through butter! (hey, and we had them on the Saviems, and the later 690, with splitter).
On recollection, that 180 ■■■■■■■■ revved and went like a rocket, what a power house. Mind you the lads of today with their 500hp motors would laugh at that…like I had to smile at the lad today, rigger boots, “truckers cap”,mega horsepower Mercedes Actros, and could not reverse into our farmyard, (and he had 10spotlights)!! Told me it was the gearbox!!
I`m getting old! Give me the Atkinson Mk 1, even with the off centre steering wheel. Cheerio for now.
