It’s got to be the Atkinson for me, others may have a different opinion ! probably because they never had the privilege of running/driving one
Cheers Bewick.
It’s got to be the Atkinson for me, others may have a different opinion ! probably because they never had the privilege of running/driving one
Cheers Bewick.
With due respect Bewick, The Thread is "The best British built long haul truck ever■■?" Not best British Trunker
Not many Atkinsons survived one trip on ‘long Haul’ their carcases were strewn along the road between the UK & Tehran
Did any ever make it to Saudi & back??
AND if I ever had to take a British built truck on long haul- the only one that came even close to that "I might just make it out & back feeling" would be ERF- no others
Crusader freezing up / Marathon breakdowns / all the others just sheds left in laybys
whisperingsmith:
With due respect Bewick, The Thread is "The best British built long haul truck ever■■?" Not best British TrunkerNot many Atkinsons survived one trip on ‘long Haul’ their carcases were strewn along the road between the UK & Tehran
Did any ever make it to Saudi & back??
Oh! my apologies “ws” horses for courses I suppose so I wouldn’t dream of sending an Atki out of the UK let alone to Tehran 
Cheers Bewick. PS where’s “CF” he’ll put you straight !
I only drove an Atkinson once Bewick - think it was one of Stothert & Pitts
Similar to one of those old Skodas:- like slipping into a well worn carpet slipper or driving a bowl of Ambrosia cream rice 
whisperingsmith:
I only drove an Atkinson once Bewick - think it was one of Stothert & PittsSimilar to one of those old Skodas:- like slipping into a well worn carpet slipper or driving a bowl of Ambrosia cream rice
As I bought and operated many Atkinson Borderers both new and second hand I suppose I am biased but they did me no harm they were great motors for our operation in the 70’s plus I sold them for good money from time to time when they had to be replaced. We had one Atki that survived into preservation with us ONL 482 M which was twelve months old when I bought it in Jan '75. We ran it on double shift for three years and it performed faultlessly covering about 450,000 miles in that time it then dropped onto day work and continued to give excellent service.
Bewick:
whisperingsmith:
With due respect Bewick, The Thread is "The best British built long haul truck ever■■?" Not best British TrunkerNot many Atkinsons survived one trip on ‘long Haul’ their carcases were strewn along the road between the UK & Tehran
Did any ever make it to Saudi & back??
Oh! my apologies “ws” horses for courses I suppose so I wouldn’t dream of sending an Atki out of the UK let alone to Tehran
My main memory of driving an Atki was a gritter with a binding brake which managed to set fire to the paint on the wheel and burnt the tyre wall but unfortunately didn’t take the rest of the heap with it. 
That was just Hampton Court bridge on the long haul from Ewell to Sunbury motorway depot.
While you’d have to be some type of masochist to want to drive an Atki rather than a decent Foden regardless of distance.
Carryfast:
Bewick:
whisperingsmith:
With due respect Bewick, The Thread is "The best British built long haul truck ever■■?" Not best British TrunkerNot many Atkinsons survived one trip on ‘long Haul’ their carcases were strewn along the road between the UK & Tehran
Did any ever make it to Saudi & back??
Oh! my apologies “ws” horses for courses I suppose so I wouldn’t dream of sending an Atki out of the UK let alone to Tehran
My main memory of driving an Atki was a gritter with a binding brake which managed to set fire to the paint on the wheel and burnt the tyre wall but unfortunately didn’t take the rest of the heap with it.
While you’d have to be some type of masochist to want to drive an Atki rather than a decent Foden regardless of distance.
You are some sad ■■■■■■■ “CF” how can you compare a poxy Foden with an Atkinson ? Come on own up you ■■■■ you have only done it to get up my ■■■■■■■ nose, well ? haven’t you ? 
Bewick.
Bewick:
Carryfast:
Bewick:
whisperingsmith:
With due respect Bewick, The Thread is "The best British built long haul truck ever■■?" Not best British TrunkerNot many Atkinsons survived one trip on ‘long Haul’ their carcases were strewn along the road between the UK & Tehran
Did any ever make it to Saudi & back??
Oh! my apologies “ws” horses for courses I suppose so I wouldn’t dream of sending an Atki out of the UK let alone to Tehran
My main memory of driving an Atki was a gritter with a binding brake which managed to set fire to the paint on the wheel and burnt the tyre wall but unfortunately didn’t take the rest of the heap with it.
While you’d have to be some type of masochist to want to drive an Atki rather than a decent Foden regardless of distance.
You are some sad [zb] “CF” how can you compare a poxy Foden with an Atkinson ? Come on own up you [zb] you have only done it to get up my [zb] nose, well ? haven’t you ?
Hiya,
I’ve never driven Foden’s for work but have had many lifts in them
on dodgies “you know what I mean Harry” just one question I must
ask I never got chance to ask the driver, too busy picking my teeth
out of the footwell Oh’ did they have suspension, bloody hard ride
and those screaming two strokers which put driver into whirling
Dervish mode with the gearstick when his cart hit a pimple.
thanks harry, long retired.
whisperingsmith:
With due respect Bewick, The Thread is "The best British built long haul truck ever■■?" Not best British TrunkerNot many Atkinsons survived one trip on ‘long Haul’ their carcases were strewn along the road between the UK & Tehran
Did any ever make it to Saudi & back??
AND if I ever had to take a British built truck on long haul- the only one that came even close to that "I might just make it out & back feeling" would be ERF- no others
Crusader freezing up / Marathon breakdowns / all the others just sheds left in laybys
I’d go along with that, especially as ERFs were quite successful on the TIR-trail at one time.
But with regard to Atkinsons, I think it’s a pity that no one ever took one of those Atkinson CLTs down to the Middle East. You know, the LHD Krupp cabbed Silver Knights of the late '60s with Rolls Royce Eagle 220 (or optional 260) lumps and constant-mesh 6-sp ZF AK.6-80 'boxes. Alas, they never caught on and only 10 or so were produced. Robert
Well said “H” ! and you could always tell which were the Robson drivers in the café, they all had necks like Ostriches with a U bend in it for looking under the header in the Foden cabs. Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
You are some sad [zb] “CF” how can you compare a poxy Foden with an Atkinson ?.
Good question Bewick.I thought I’d already done that in the Foden’s favour.Unless you’re saying that one of your Atkis did it first.
Bewick:
Well said “H” ! and you could always tell which were the Robson drivers in the café, they all had necks like Ostriches with a U bend in it for looking under the header in the Foden cabs.
Hiya,
LOL PMSL
thanks harry, long retired.
At least Foden fitted cab suspension, not like some makes with the cab bolted solid to the chassis!
Pete.
Bewick:
whisperingsmith:
I only drove an Atkinson once Bewick - think it was one of Stothert & PittsSimilar to one of those old Skodas:- like slipping into a well worn carpet slipper or driving a bowl of Ambrosia cream rice
As I bought and operated many Atkinson Borderers both new and second hand I suppose I am biased but they did me no harm they were great motors for our operation in the 70’s plus I sold them for good money from time to time when they had to be replaced. We had one Atki that survived into preservation with us ONL 482 M which was twelve months old when I bought it in Jan '75. We ran it on double shift for three years and it performed faultlessly covering about 450,000 miles in that time it then dropped onto day work and continued to give excellent service.
0
Back in the day Atkinson was judged to be the ultimate “Gaffer’s” lorry, but they had some very committed operators, many of whom double-shifted them. They have a very loyal following even to this day, so you can’t say fairer than that.
As to the title of this particular thread, then personally I wouldn’t have any idea what to put forward. Sending trucks to the Middle East, for example, never appealed to me. To quote the legendary Brian Harris, when he was once asked why he didn’t do International work, (in pre-satellite tracking days) “I have enough problems knowing where they are in this country without sending 'em overseas”.
windrush:
At least Foden fitted cab suspension, not like some makes with the cab bolted solid to the chassis!Pete.
Hiya,
Pete, from my experience of the buckshee rides in the Fodens they
didn’t feel like there was any suspension at all and the noise was a
bit much for my delicate ears, the Foden wouldn’t have been idea
of a daily workhorse, reliable yes because of the all Brit (in most
cases) running gear, that was their only good point a bosses motor.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
windrush:
At least Foden fitted cab suspension, not like some makes with the cab bolted solid to the chassis!Pete.
Hiya,
Pete, from my experience of the buckshee rides in the Fodens they
didn’t feel like there was any suspension at all and the noise was a
bit much for my delicate ears, the Foden wouldn’t have been idea
of a daily workhorse, reliable yes because of the all Brit (in most
cases) running gear, that was their only good point a bosses motor.
thanks harry, long retired.
The newer ones were very good imho
Can I put forward this, E320, Fuller 1109, rubber rear suspension. Roomy cab, comfortable drive (when loaded) and reliable.
Jarvy:
Can I put forward this, E320, Fuller 1109, rubber rear suspension. Roomy cab, comfortable drive (when loaded) and reliable.
You certainly can , I had a 4 x 2 version without the high roof and loved it same cab though , 320 Gardner and a 9 speed Fuller with a Rockwell back end . It pulled like a train
ramone:
Jarvy:
Can I put forward this, E320, Fuller 1109, rubber rear suspension. Roomy cab, comfortable drive (when loaded) and reliable.
While I thought that the S85 with Rolls 265 24 tonner was one of the nicest trucks I ever drove and quite capable of more than matching anything which the imports could throw at it.I’ve got no doubt that the bigger power Rolls/TX and later type cabs would have been another example of the plastic cabbed assembly model Foden being another example of exceptions proving rules v the metal cabbed in house imports.Added to the Crusader and the Scammell S26 I’m going with Scammell and Foden being a draw for this topic.
Didn’t the Globetrucker Foden do a dozen or more trips deep into roadless Eastern Asia? And that was after Fredereici had finished with it!