This Leyland Octopus HEO 557(new into service Nov '61) and it’s sister JEO 192 (new into service May '62) would probably be the pinnacle of waggon and trailer combinations.680 Power Plus engine,power steering,6 speed O/D box, high geared heavy duty double drive diffs.Only drawback was they were only 6 wheeler braking,for some reason best known to the “Leyland Hierarchy”, so meaningful braking was non existant! You sure did keep your eyes “skinned” on the road away in the far distance !! Cheers Dennis.
Should bring back a few memories and listen to that 240. awesome and she aint a bad driver either
Yet another amateur driver using the clutch. And STILL making a b*lls-up of it. 
Got to agree with ur there, she’d have got them gears a lot easier with out the clutch, just listen for em, like the gap in drivers door, air conditioning for real men {
I dont. the motor is running fast if you listen and revs not dropping as she admits.
I thought she was doing a fair job, can’t be many split-a’s out there that can drive an old Atki, I would’nt use the clutch either though once rolling because all the Atkis I drove the clutch was too ■■■■ heavy!! and yes if you listen to it the revs are not dieing down so not too bad a job. I’d probably be just as bad now because when I do a couple of shifts these days it is in Scania 480’s, some being autos. Regards, Mizzo.
richgriff:
8)
CJA1:
Iconic Atki Badge used to see em all over, Cheers Chris.
CJA1:
richgriff:
8)21
CJA1:
Iconic Atki Badge used to see em all over, Cheers Chris.It`s a Seddon/Atkinson Big A badge on an Atkinson,the original Atkinson badge was a lot
more stylish in appearance.
richgriff:
8)
Splendid pics of a splendid lorry, thank you! 
8LXBV8BRIAN:
CJA1:
richgriff:
8)CJA1:
Iconic Atki Badge used to see em all over, Cheers Chris.It`s a Seddon/Atkinson Big A badge on an Atkinson,the original Atkinson badge was a lot
more stylish in appearance.You are quite correct there Bri ! Seddons did actively try to kill off the Big A badge until they had to give up through sheer weight of objection from their customers,at Bewick Transport,we like numerous other operators fitted the Big A to the Seddon Atkys and to rub it into the Redmonds
we stuck one onto the grille of a new Seddon 32/4 !! We said ■■■■ 'em with the two fingered salute !! Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
8LXBV8BRIAN:
CJA1:
richgriff:
8)CJA1:
Iconic Atki Badge used to see em all over, Cheers Chris.It`s a Seddon/Atkinson Big A badge on an Atkinson,the original Atkinson badge was a lot
more stylish in appearance.You are quite correct there Bri ! Seddons did actively try to kill off the Big A badge until they had to give up through sheer weight of objection from their customers,at Bewick Transport,we like numerous other operators fitted the Big A to the Seddon Atkys and to rub it into the Redmonds
we stuck one onto the grille of a new Seddon 32/4 !! We said [zb] 'em with the two fingered salute !! Cheers Bewick.One with a Big A and one without uh!
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This is a 1960 4 weeler with the original Aki badge of course, Regards Larry.
I looks right, the old Atkinsons with the aluminium rad with the water cap on the top great.
Bewick:
8LXBV8BRIAN:
CJA1:
richgriff:
8)CJA1:
Iconic Atki Badge used to see em all over, Cheers Chris.It`s a Seddon/Atkinson Big A badge on an Atkinson,the original Atkinson badge was a lot
more stylish in appearance.You are quite correct there Bri ! Seddons did actively try to kill off the Big A badge until they had to give up through sheer weight of objection from their customers,at Bewick Transport,we like numerous other operators fitted the Big A to the Seddon Atkys and to rub it into the Redmonds
we stuck one onto the grille of a new Seddon 32/4 !! We said [zb] 'em with the two fingered salute !! Cheers Bewick.So that’s the story why you run a Seddon with the Big A badge.
8LXBV8BRIAN:
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This is a 1960 4 weeler with the original Aki badge of course, Regards Larry.I looks right, the old Atkinsons with the aluminium rad with the water cap on the top great.
In fact, Larry, to have that ally rad, they don’t need to be quite as old as you might imagine!
Atkinson1973b by Travancore Transport, on Flickr
The reason the Chinese Six and Trailer could be considered the best combination was to do with gross vehicle weights i.e. a 4 wheeler was 14t gross as was a twin wheeled trailer = 28t gross when the max allowed was 32t gross, an 8 wheeler was 24t gross + 14t for trailer = 38t gross so a 4 wheeler and trailer could not carry a max load and the 8 wheeler had 6t of spare capacity where the Chinese Six with its 20t gross and trailer at 14t gross was the closest you could run at the legal 32t gross, also, the lack of an overhang on the Chinese Six was thought to give the best following characteristics. Now for the real world on Suttons and a lot of other companies, I’m sure, the law was ignored, and the 8 wheelers with trailers would be used as 16t on the Waggon, as on any solo 8 wheeler. and the Trailer would carry 10t regardless of whether they were twinned wheeled, single balloon tyred or in the case of the one single wheeled 10 x 20 tyred trailer. On Inter - City they had two Leyland Steers (Chinese Six) with Dyson single wheeled 900 x 20 tyred Trailers these would carry 12t on the Waggon and 8t on the Trailer. I have known on Suttons an Octopus and trailer with a load of Orr’s Zinc White with 18t on the Waggon and 14t on the Trailer i.e. the load was 32t, but this was unusual but the three companies I worked as a Trailer Mate and then as a Driver never worried about gross weights and this included BRS. only carrying capacity i.e. 8 wheeled rigids and artics including 4-in-lines (horible) 16t, straight 6 rigid and artic 12 to14t, Chinese Six 12t and 4 wheelers 10t…Tony
