The Atkinson 'View-Line'

Since Dean has been badgering me to set up a View-Line thread, here it is!!

The Atkinson View-Line was first launched at the 1966 Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court - pre-dating the Renault Magnum by a quarter of a century!

When I can regain access to my archives, I’ll scan the article in the Atkinson house magazine from that time, but some of the thinking behind the design is explained as offering “freedom of front axle location for overseas territories”, ease of access for engine maintenance (referring to tilt cabs as something like, “one of those troublesome fads which plague the industry from time-to-time” :laughing: ), interior space and, of course, visibility. Not to mention the steering column, pedals and driver’s seat all being aligned!!

Although many people associate the View-Line with the RTITB, Pickford’s Heavy Haulage division was the largest buyer by far, largely 6x4 tractors plated for 45T gross, but there was also a batch of 4x2 ballast tractors, rated for 42T as an artic or 55T as a drawbar tractor, and a solitary 4x2 artic unit on the Westfields fleet.

In fact, it was listed as the standard cab for 6x4 heavy haulage tractors in 1968/9, but the newly-introduced Mk.2 cab could be had as an option with a cost reduction of £150

I owned one for 19 years, and still regret parting with it. It was very comfortable to drive and, despite apocryphal views, I had only one unbearably hot day in it.

Anyway, here are a few to kick off with…

One of the prototypes, ready for its show appearance:

GTB 616F Atkinson “View-Line” by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

A rather unfortunate advert in Comical Motor’s 1966 Commercial Motor Show edition:

Atkinson “View-Line” advert by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

The pair of View-Lines operated by the Ribble Valley training group in Penwortham - BVB 457H was new to Ribble Valley, whilst CJJ 408H came secondhand from North Manchester Group at Failsworth

Atkinson Viewlines by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

After being cannibalised for spares, the skeletal remains of CJJ were acquired as a source of cab spares for BVB:

Atkinson Viewlines by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

BVB 457H during restoration:

Atkinson Cabriolet! by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

BVB 457H post-restoration, and coupled to a trailer which helps mask its ungainliness!

BVB 457H Atkinson ‘Silver Knight’ T3046X by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

Early production version, still without the remote header tank on the back of the cab:
Atkinson Viewline by Gardner 8LXB, on Flickr
Atkinson Viewline by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

“A modern, forward-thinking, original design… parked next to a Renault Magnum, at least 25 years its junior” :laughing:

Ethel & The Frog by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

Finally, a taste of the ‘View’ itself

Atkinson View-Line BVB 457H by Chris Gardner, on Flickr

Found online. Robert

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Here’s what Nick Baldwin had to say about it in his book, ‘Trucks in the Sixties and Seventies’. Robert

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Here’s what Nick Baldwin had to say about it in his book, ‘Seddon Atkinson - Trucks & Buses’. Robert



Here’s what Pat Kennett had to say about it in his book, ‘Seddon Atkinson - World Trucks 3’. Robert

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Here’s what Mike Forbes & David Hayward had to say about it in their book, ‘British Lorries Since 1945’. Robert

Thank you Robert!

Photos of the Net (NMP)

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To be honest; for many years, I thought Atkinson made the Viewline specially for lorry-driver training schools. Thanks for the insight to this vehicle.

This wry description amused me! Robert

ERF-NGC-European:
This wry description amused me! Robert

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Yes, it was quite well expressed!

ERF-NGC-European:
Here’s what Pat Kennett had to say about it in his book, ‘Seddon Atkinson - World Trucks 3’. Robert

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The clip does show some of the detail inaccuracies littering the book, though: the 44 ton tractor dates from the late 1960s, not the early 70s, the tractor at the bottom right isn’t an Omega at all, never mind no.1, the little bonneted tractor is called a ‘Semi Bonneted Tractor’, not ‘Special’, and Pickford’s took them all, but not all for heavy haulage.

The 44T tractor in the photo went on to serve with Heanor Haulage, and has since been restored privately.

Well done Chris !! :laughing: The main reason i was badgering you Chris is that i did not know anything about
the Viewline,and had pretty much forgotten about them until you posted a pic of one. The thing that raised
my intrest was that you said the factory reckoned they made around 200,but you reckoned that figure
was wrong and it was less than that. Therefore a bit Like Robert’s Europeans i thought it would be
intresting to see what we could find out about them. Maybe do a register like Robert has for the
Europeans,and see how many between us we can find ? :unamused:

Advert from 1970.

Click on it twice to view.

One Paul Gee took.

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I remember the first one I ever saw. It was truly a stunning looking vehicle in its day.

But the nearside mirror on the first photo in this thread was placed in an odd position. Or was I wrong all these years?

David

Out of intrest is the sleeper one a factory built one or did companies use someone like Jennings to do
a conversion ■■

Oh fgs

Dunno why they didn’t finish the job off and make them all full-cabbed - looks better too! ■■■■, just remembered the unions… Robert

That sleeper can’t have been made by Jennings- looks like you could almost get a full size bloke in that one! :unamused:

Lots of similarity in the Australian model to the View line except maybe not as much View due to our warmer climate I would say,but the tropical roof worked well and were a comfortable truck to operate and the sleeper models were roomy.

Dig

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