5thwheel:
This is my only Atkinson I “drive” these days!
Improperly dressed !! where is the Big “A” Dave ? 
Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
5thwheel:
This is my only Atkinson I “drive” these days!Improperly dressed !! where is the Big “A” Dave ?
Come on Dennis theres no room for the A bit, But the Knights Head says it all IMO, 
, Regards Larry.
Hi Dennis, Another Atkinson of John Raymond with a coil trailer,
This 6LXB 180 was sold to Robert Baillie in the 1970s, and as you
probably know is now in preservation. ETX 993K also spent many
years in Guernsey. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Bewick:
5thwheel:
This is my only Atkinson I “drive” these days!Improperly dressed !! where is the Big “A” Dave ?
Yup,you’re right Dennis,in order to fit the A on,I would need a bigger “tractor” though!!
David
Having been associated with several Mk 1 & 2 Borderers (Bewick) in the early 1970s I am a big fan of these old tractors, but I’m trying to pin down why everyone seems to be so full of praise for them.
At that time Dennis (Bewick) also had ERFs and at least one Seddon, both of which seemed to be far more advanced, with such luxuries as winding door windows (don’t laugh!) doors you could easily get in and out of, and that were positioned relative to the driver’s seat.
In the Atkinson actually getting into the cab was akin to a minor feat of mountaineering, one you accessed those little rectangular wooden framed doors, you then had to kind of walk around the driver’s seat to sit down, the door windows were reminiscent of a Victorian sash, and when you wanted to get out you had to fumble behind you and to the right (near the parking brake mounted on the back wall) to find the door handle.
They had the same options on engines, gearboxes and axles as many of the other marques available at the time, so the ‘pulling power’ would have been down to choosing the right combination of all three, likewise the fuel economy, so what made them so highly rated among their peers?
i will second that question.they were very uncomfortable.worse solo.bloody loud ,well the 220 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ 9 speed one that i drove was.but you have to admit to it going like a train,and i do like the 'sit up and beg ’ look of it.and the sound of that ■■■■■■■ going up through the gears sends a shiver down my spine…oh god i am starting to sweat, nurse! more sedative please.bob.
Good point well made,bender Ive also been puzzled as to why they were considered so great. I only ever drove one and not very far ,not impressed !
Ive heard it said the chassis was bomb proof but not much good if the cab was falling off it which it invariably was. But like it or not its become an iconic wagon,
and seems to get more so as years go by. Need to hear from drivers who drov em day in day out for years on end .
A nice example restored by David Edwards ( M A Evans ).
They are certainly popular with a current Classic Vehicle mag that rarely has an issue out that doesn’t have an article on an Atkinson and mostly the Borderer. The fact that it seems to be the most often restored 32 ton tractor also indicates the style was around for a long time, which it was, when other makers had brought out new models, Atkinson still turned out the MKII style cabbed vehicle which by the end of its reign did seem dated. You have to admit it opitimised the look of the British Sixties haulage lorry, I would say only the Seddon Diesel Pennine Coachcraft built cabs gave that similar stance until the change to the motor panels cabs to get away from the Fifties look that Atkinson prefered, they even kept the external radiator even though it was a dummy by then and of course once Seddon had bought them out customer pressure helped to return the big A badge to the grilles of Seddon Atkinson vehicles, a shrewd move by Seddon to retain old Atkinson customers. To be honest I think the vehicle is remembered with the same kind of affection that we use when we talk about the Summers when we were kids, always hot and sunny and the wet and boring days are forgotten. Only those that drove them regularly can say whether they deserve the praise they get, as long as they arn’t wearing their rose coloured specs as they do it. Franky.
It’s a difficult question, and have drove a few, including going over the water with one, I think if you put aside the Scanias and Volvos of the late 60’s, they were considered a mans motor, the driving position was higher iirc, the big rad, plenty of glass, I remember coming up the A 449 towards Raglan in 1981 the was this blue one with extended sleeper I’d seen on the docks, single stack up the back big bumpers, with the smoke pouring out and that big rad, it could have been a Kenworth, they just looked good, but i gladly swopped mine for an F88. Still would like to have a go again now.
I loved em,i drove quite a few and loved the perks you got with them.Leaks were one issue the ones i drove al’ways leaked like a culinder.Then there was vibration,noise and the ones i drove had gardners in them.Following on there was the steering having to virually stand up to get round corners pulling the big red wheel,AND if you had an early one with ratchet handbrake the added perk of catching it, with your leg jumping out and then chasing after it,aah happy days 
On the serious side they were reliable and in their day were considered a power house and when they got power steering and the lower mounted black wheel they were a lot easier to handle.I drove thousands of miles in them.Looking back the heater wasnt the best and getting to sleep in them with no pod on a balancing work of art
regards dave.
I drove A mk2 Atki 1972-3 with a 205 ■■■■■■■■■ then got a brand new Borderer NTY 683M which I drove for 3 years I can honestly say I absolutely LOVED it.The sound of that 220 ■■■■■■■ was an dream to listen to. Yes it was noisy and a bit cramped. No power steering either and I was a bit envious of those mates who had "88"s or"111"s . Then I got a new 1418 mercedes, sleeper cab,power steering warm, comfortable, I drove it for seven years and loathed it!! It couldn’t pull your cap off and i’ve got better brakes on my mountain bike. To me the Atki and ERF were iconic but doomed to extinction as they had barely moved on since the 50’s/60’s,so the answer is yes I loved the motors but with hindsight I don’t know why. kevmac47
It was the only lorry I drove that once inside you had to rope the doors together to stop them opening, you wore wet weather gear when it rained, if you sneezed the windscreen could pop out and you could grow your own mushrooms on the rotting wood frame.
A good lorry? pardon I’m still deaf!
They were a good gaffers lorry in the 60’s 70’s but once you’d been in a 110 or an 88 there was no going back!
hiya,
Drove them for years and loved them, only “breakdown” if you could call it one the nearside windscreen once dropped out on a return to depot when empty, yes i got a telling off but it was a bit like water off a ducks back, they was as reliable as the day was long and as Kev said the ones with the 220 ■■■■■■■ was something else a bit thirsty but who cared i was’nt buying the fuel, they gave me a Scania 80 to replace that so i chucked it and went to a firm still punching the old Borderers about,
thanks harry long retired.
kevmac47:
I drove A mk2 Atki 1972-3 with a 205 ■■■■■■■■■ then got a brand new Borderer NTY 683M which I drove for 3 years I can honestly say I absolutely LOVED it.The sound of that 220 ■■■■■■■ was an dream to listen to… kevmac47
The only wagon I heard that sounded better than the Atkis with the ■■■■■■■ 220 was an ex Simons Leyland Roadtrain high level tractor (EKP187Y) I drove for Geest which had a 320 (I think) 14 litre ■■■■■■■ turbo.
That thing would fly up Wrotham hill fully loaded, it was a bit tatty and tired looking but boy could that thing go.
There were others the same spec, but only that one seemed to go like the wind, and the sound of the ■■■■■■■ with that turbo whistle was magical.
Bender:
kevmac47:
I drove A mk2 Atki 1972-3 with a 205 ■■■■■■■■■ then got a brand new Borderer NTY 683M which I drove for 3 years I can honestly say I absolutely LOVED it.The sound of that 220 ■■■■■■■ was an dream to listen to… kevmac47The only wagon I heard that sounded better than the Atkis with the ■■■■■■■ 220 was an ex Simons Leyland Roadtrain high level tractor (EKP187Y) I drove for Geest which had a 320 (I think) 14 litre ■■■■■■■ turbo.
That thing would fly up Wrotham hill fully loaded, it was a bit tatty and tired looking but boy could that thing go.
There were others the same spec, but only that one seemed to go like the wind, and the sound of the ■■■■■■■ with that turbo whistle was magical.
As a former operator and driver of Atkinson’s,ERF,Seddon and Guy as well as Sed/Atk,B and C series ERF I do not hesitate to say that the Atkinson Borderer was by far my favourite.We used to fit all our Borderers with Bostrom drivers suspension seats which improved the ride no end and if we could we spec’d the ZF power steering.Coupled with the 205/220 ■■■■■■■ and Fuller box,either 610 or 9509 you had the creme de la creme of British built tractors.As we never condoned kipping in the cabs we did buy two new late '75 Borderers ex stock and had them fitted with the Jennings sleeper pod(our first sleepers)which while not the answer they did the job.You may say I’m biased but I assure you I am not.The Borderer is and was a true classic.Cheers Bewick.
The only time I drove an Atki was at Marchon Whitehaven.One of their Borderers was parked in the offloading bay I wanted one sunday morning so shifted it and it was the first motor I drove with spring brakes.I have to say that the ■■■■■■■ engine sounded far superior to the AV760 in my Mandator.I remember getting a lift in an Atki Borderer that belonged to the Golightly Group from Co Durham area.It was new,an “L” reg 1972 with the 240 Gardner and I was really impressed,same as the driver.
.