Pottering around at Peterborough I tried to keep away from the obvious bling-encrusted motors nice though they are. Funnily enough, chatting with Bob Beech we both felt that 'less is more' these days. In other words many of the trucks at the East of England Showground are, whilst looking very smart and being clearly-beautifully prepared, are begining to look at little how shall we say... 'Samey'? Or is that Biglorryblog speaking heresy? Well no one could accuse this old timer of that! Any idea of the year?
Classic high-roof, extended sleeper 'XXL' Atkinson Border 'Eurotrotter'...well almost. One for Chris G anyway. I wonder how many of these they made..was it to special order or a special coach-built cab job?
They was an attractive sprinkling of old vans at Truckfest including this Austin Six. Great parcel delivery van... And knock out the back panels and put in etched glass and you've probably got a decent hearse too!
If the car was the Hillman Minx, the estate the Hillman Husky... What was the van called? (For a pie naturally).
Nice little F86 tipper..looking as ready for work as the day that it first rolled off the dealer's forecourt! Now click through here for more...
Dutch treat... Kermit IV from Holland, I think the owner was the big bloke with the impressive shoulders who's looking at me as I take the picture...
Is it me or is this sliding fifth wheel positioned just a tad too far back? I'll take opinions on the matter...
OK call me biaised... (And yes I know it's a Foden) but I still reckon this is one hell of a cracker-jack working truck... So whjat do other BLB readers think... Bling is best or less is more?
Less is more. Everytime!!
Brian, Further to our recent conversation (as it says in most solicitors letters), the Atkinson tractor used to belong to Dens transport from Wrexham who converted the cab, I believe North West Freighters owned it originally. After Dens it passed to John Hundleston, who sent it as far as Italy and sold it a few years ago. Chris Gardner/Bob Tuck will know far more.
To me Bond's Foden is the ideal mix of traditional/modern bling and it looks that clean every monday morning when it goes to work, as do the rest of the fleet Rgds Bob
There was a larger van called the Commer Express which was based on an earlier version of the Hillman Minx (You had one illustrated in an earlier post), the van in the picture was a Commer Cob but there was also a later van based on the Hillman Imp that was also called Commer Cob.
Obviously that fifth wheel is positioned much too far back for towing a loaded semi-trailer, but there are advantages in having the ability to slide it right back if required. It means that the tractor can tow small light semi-trailers if necessary or semi-trailers which have the landing legs positioned very close to the kingpin.
I'm way behind with correspondence here... Bob is absolutely correct about the converted Borderer, formely KED 505P.
It was indeed new to North West Freighthers at Haydock, but was supplied new as a sleeper cab, with the 'official' Atkinson sleeper conversion, the Atkinson "Nightingale".
(Anyone who knows a bit about Atki history will recognise the play on words and the link to Nightingale Lane, Balham).
The extended roof had certainly been done by the time that Den's were running it, but I don't know if they were actually responsible for building it. It was then operated by E&E Transport in North Wales before John Huddleston bought, and toned it down a little.