Got this message from 'AtkiPete' Lynch who has supplied me with a few more shots of the recent auction at Gatton in Queensland. Looks like it was good day. Anyway Pete says:"G'day Brian, After all those shiny new trucks at Birmingham here are some more old bangers from Gatton, thanks to Cameron McFadyen again. No clues on the Leyland, some of your UK fellows should know what it is." Hm,mm...well it's an Ergonomic (used on Buffalo) cab but I wonder if it is a Leyland. Could this be a 6x4 AEC in disguise? Answers BLB anorak army please!
And speaking of experts what's this Foden--come on Bob or Roy, fill in my knowledge deficit please.
Now a cracking International harvester---Pete, next time can you ask Cameron to move the 'fence' (Nicely as I understand he's a big bloke!)
Now click through here for an AEC and an immaculate Aussie Atkinson--well it has come from "AtkiPete!"
First the AEC...who can tell me anything about this old-timer? And last but not least this terrific Aussie Atki.
Pete says: "I hope that big Atki went to a good home, a new tyre and it will be good for another 30 years work." And thanks to Cameron for the shots Pete. It looks like it had only just finished raining too.
The truck in the top picture is a Leyland Bison.
Brian - although we admire your talents with a mike and a TV camera (as per the NEC Show coverage) your Army tears its hair out as to your lack of real knowledge.
As you say, the Ergomatic cab with a Leyland badge can hide all manner of products but the Buffalo model you mention was always a 4x2 so it couldn't be this six wheeler. Perhaps a Hippo or even a Bison but a better look at the hubs might be a give away - and going for export created all manner of model names.
The Foden is of course an export version of cab to the Micky Mouse S21 - the extended version always looked better so why didn't we have them over here. While the AEC looks like a Mammoth Major. And of course, wouldn't it have been great to have had more Australian style Atkinsons of old in the UK. I'm sure Hansons of Wakefield brought some over in the late '60s if my memory serves me well, but that is fading fast.
I am sure I drove a Buffalo six wheeler for Cleanaway in the eighties
Wasn't the Bison the eight legger?
Tim - Leyland generally named their modern day eight wheelers as Octopus although if you go to parts of Africa or even perhaps Cyprus or Malta then you'll probably see all manner of local bitsa mongrels and probably old Leyland eight wheelers with Bison / Biffalo badges.
The cab on that AEC is interesting, has vents above the windscreen as per Atkinson and a four piece screen. I think these cabs were made in Sydney by Hastings Deering ( AEC agents)but maybe someone out there has more info. I wonder did Hastings Deering copy Atkinson or did Atkinson copy them ?
Your memory is correct Bob, but as far as I know it was only one Aussie Atkinson that went to Hanson. One of the Reinforced Plastics cabs was sent back to the UK where it was fitted to an 8 wheeled tipper. I understand it was shown at the 1968 London motor show and sold on to Hansons.
Why Atkinson in the UK didnt pick up the idea and run with it I do not know. It was a far better cab, easy to make changes to it and the method of construction was quite clever.
Bob is right in that Hanson's did operate just one "Skippy"-cabbed Atkinson, but it was just the cab that was brought over by the factory, and the complete (UK Chassis)vehicle was shown in the demonstration park at the 1968 Show.
It was also fitted with Holset "Velvet Ride" rear suspension as a trial.
It was sold to Hanson and registered as MWT 100G, but I understand that it was written off without living to a ripe old age.
Your Army is facing defeat at Gatton, Brian unless the Brochure King can save the day. That big red Inter was the classic interstate prime mover when I was a lad.
A 20 and 30 tonnes of tipper needed