A better pic
A couple more from me
I guess this is technically a MK 1 ---- anyway - the Atki gritters are well-known but relatively sophisticated oddities --this one is being restored by a mate of mine
never drove an Atkinson on the road 
drove the yard shunter we had at Carryfast’s Droitwich depot once though 
we had two when i drove for NCL in Leicester,the top boys had them though,the rest of us had to suffer D series Ford’s,and old Leyland’s…and even an ancient Albion 
Stanfield:
A couple more from me10
That last one is on the show scene now
Atkinson Silver Knight arriving back at the showground by fryske, on Flickr
Atkinson Silver Knight OBM148H by fryske, on Flickr
Sorry Chaps, been busy rioting. 
What a great thread again. From my first proper paid job and before, it was Atkinsons and Flame Red coach paint with anti-etching primer. J Holt & Son in Newport bought around 10 Atkinsons which were used on a bulk contract with IFF and also on his general haulage fleet. They did timber from Hull docks and Massey Ferguson tractors back from Coventry to the docks. I have never seen a picture of these lorries since they packed up in the late 70’s early 80’s although the founders son is still involved in haulage. They did run other marques that included Scammell, Volvo, Scania and Leyland.
One I saw today, sorry about the picture quality, I only had the phone with me. Looks like ex. Lowe’s Paddock wood?
Trev_H:
One I saw today, sorry about the picture quality, I only had the phone with me. Looks like ex. Lowe’s Paddock wood?
Pandoro then Killingbecks IIRC
fryske:
Trev_H:
One I saw today, sorry about the picture quality, I only had the phone with me. Looks like ex. Lowe’s Paddock wood?
Pandoro then Killingbecks IIRC
Certainly got LOWE in the headboard, unless the roof leaked 
Contrary to popular belief I do not wish to cause any unrest on this fine upstanding thread!! However,with regard to Atki sleeper cab conversions I acknowledge that they were never meant to be “dragged” into the modern era (well in the mid 70’s) and expected to compete with the imported sleeper cabs.So when I decided to convert the last two Borderers we’d bought (not one of my better decisions) I looked at the options available,Ridings,Locomotors? ect.ect.but IMO these were big ungainly,ugly conversions that made the Borderer look H-O-R-E-N-D-O-U-S to say the least!! The Jennings conversion,on the other hand,was neat and tidy and still kept the character of the Atki in tact! A far better proposition altogether,and not I would emphesize? anything to do that it was Bewick Transport who’d chose Jennings.!! I still would have recomended the Jennings conversion even if we’d not had one done!! Cheers Dennis.
Wheel Nut:
fryske:
Trev_H:
One I saw today, sorry about the picture quality, I only had the phone with me. Looks like ex. Lowe’s Paddock wood?
Pandoro then Killingbecks IIRC
Certainly got LOWE in the headboard, unless the roof leaked
It was separated from its original cab when John Kilingbeck rebuilt it with one from a 400 Series. The original cab is now on an 8-legger.
Dennis I know a hell of a lot of drivers who would have given an arm & a leg for any kind of sleeper which would have replaced the 6X2 piece of ply which was rested across the cab from door to door. 
240 Gardner:
Wheel Nut:
fryske:
Trev_H:
One I saw today, sorry about the picture quality, I only had the phone with me. Looks like ex. Lowe’s Paddock wood?
Pandoro then Killingbecks IIRC
Certainly got LOWE in the headboard, unless the roof leaked
It was separated from its original cab when John Kilingbeck rebuilt it with one from a 400 Series. The original cab is now on an 8-legger.
Thanks for that 240, bit puzzled by the non Kent reg and the Lowe sign on the roof !
Trev_H:
240 Gardner:
Wheel Nut:
fryske:
Trev_H:
One I saw today, sorry about the picture quality, I only had the phone with me. Looks like ex. Lowe’s Paddock wood?
Pandoro then Killingbecks IIRC
Certainly got LOWE in the headboard, unless the roof leaked
It was separated from its original cab when John Kilingbeck rebuilt it with one from a 400 Series. The original cab is now on an 8-legger.
Thanks for that 240, bit puzzled by the non Kent reg and the Lowe sign on the roof !
It looks like the only thing that is original is the registration plate. The round fuel tank on the green rigid and the standard bumper are not from the other two
The Jennings conversion just lacked a full roof conversion in my opinion, i think
then it would have looked a complete cab not just stuck on the rear,
The few problems with them was the sealant between the original cab water gutter and the
Jennings pod which fitted under that would dry out and crack with the cab flexing and the driver would get a cold shower when it rained.
The bunk base would come undone from its mounts and would rest on the top of the air filter and power steering fluid
res making it a nice drafty night’s sleep.
The hinges for the fold down part needed metal brackets fitting to the side panel not just holes drilled in them as they just opened up the wood and fibre glass if left and would rattle like hell.
The conversion was a good bit of kit at the time but not in the same ball park as the Mercs rest/cab etc of the time but they
came as sleeper cabs not just a conversion from a coach builders…
Evening all, full of corn dust and wheezing like a Detroit powered TM! Dennis, you are right about the Jennings conversion, but the best looker must have been the conversion drafted by the late John Jones, (Adam Jones and Sons, Blackheath Birmingham,) and moulded by Vanplan for them. I have some photos here when they were engineering the extension onto the cab, it was a big job, but the finished article was quite superb, both estheticaly, and functionaly. You will find a photo on the Adam Jones thread, of the finished job, kindly posted by “dwaftruck” (Aout 12,) John was an exceptional engineer, and like the whole family really good company, why Vanplan did not market the conversion I can only surmise was down to production capability, market potential, and I expect manufacture cost viz sale value. It really was a bellter!! When we have finished harvest I really must try to get up todate with this www. business, as I have got many photos that may be of interest to everybody, I only know that the stuff I see posted really stimulates the little, (gradually fading) grey cells, and I would like to make a contribution. Shower, tea, and something to lay this dust! Cheerio for now.
I fully accept that, without doubt, the longer a conversion (Jennings) was in service problems would more than likely arise! But the main thrust of my opinion was my,then,intention to keep the conversion work to the minimum and retain the “stylish” looks (yes,stylish,you philistines!!!) of the Borderer,which, I think IMO,were achieved with the Jennings conversion! Having said all this we didn’t run these two Atki conversion longterm,I think they were gone in about 3 years or maybe less! The scandinavian invaision was,by '76,in full swing and never to be stemmed!! Finally,when my thoughts and opinions are underwritten by a chap that is only £1 behind Chris Kelly I can’t be so wrong surely!!! Cheers Dennis.
[/quote]
On the Spiers mandators subject what happened to them ,were they all scrapped apart from the 1 you bought and didn`t you fancy a sleeper version?
[/quote]
Once I can find my photos again we’ll have a Spiers of Melksham thread, but if the Atki boys will allow us a bit of leeway Ramone, at least one sleeper cabbed Spiers Mandator was preserved by Steve Bolton of Chelmsford, but it hasn’t been seen for a few years. I got my Mandator from Spiers at the time they were being taken over by TDG and they only had one other Mandator left by then, their yard shunter. The one I had was recabbed with one of the last new tilt cabs available in 1984, about 6 months before it came out of service with Amoco, verified by a date found inside one of the doors when I stripped it all out for repainting, and also John Hudson at Bawtry who fitted the cab and also serviced the Amoco fleet. Spiers never put this one into service and it was still in Amoco’s colours when I got hold of it. Structually that cab is probably the best on any tilt-cabbed AEC on the preservation circuit today, now owned by Jim Leeson of Scotlee transport, Irvine.
Wheel Nut:
It looks like the only thing that is original is the registration plate. The round fuel tank on the green rigid and the standard bumper are not from the other two
Oh, be fair Mr. Nut - the main frame is original too!
It started life as a day cab unit, with an NT-290 ■■■■■■■■ 9-speed Fuller & an Eaton back end, and it was coupled to a Tasker F6 with a 3.5" pin. The sleeper conversion was added by Riding’s for Pandoro (I collected it one Sunday when it was completed, about 1981) and then it worked a little longer.
When John Killingbeck first ran it, he was traumatised by its fuel consumption as a general haulage 38-tonner, and first added a pair of 2-speed axles to raise the top speed above a screaming 53 mph. It was better, but still not good enough, so he dropped an 8LXB in it. It was driven for much of its time at Killingbeck, I think, by an ex-Atkinson works test driver.
The next change was for it to become one of John’s “Mk.3” conversions, when he fitted a 400 Series sleeper cab to it - he did several of these.
I did see it on the way to its new home one Saturday on the M6, on a suspended tow as an engineless chassis cab, and it finally emerged as we see it now, with a Mk.2 day cab and a 14 litre ■■■■■■■ once more. The original cab, without the big bumper, is now on a restored Defender.
There were fewer changes to this compared with some of the Killingbeck fleet - at least this one started life as a tractor!
Bewick:
I fully accept that, without doubt, the longer a conversion (Jennings) was in service problems would more than likely arise! But the main thrust of my opinion was my,then,intention to keep the conversion work to the minimum and retain the “stylish” looks (yes,stylish,you philistines!!!) of the Borderer,which, I think IMO,were achieved with the Jennings conversion! Having said all this we didn’t run these two Atki conversion longterm,I think they were gone in about 3 years or maybe less! The scandinavian invaision was,by '76,in full swing and never to be stemmed!! Finally,when my thoughts and opinions are underwritten by a chap that is only £1 behind Chris Kelly I can’t be so wrong surely!!! Cheers Dennis.
Well, I’d have to disagree with you on this one Dennis - I think that the ‘Nightingale’ (the ‘official’ Atkinson sleeper) and the Riding conversions were far smarter, with their one-piece, full-length roof. More expensive, of course
