Atkinson Vehicles Ltd.
Preston, Lancashire, England.
Atkinson Vehicles Limited was formed in 1907 in England with Commercial vehicles built over many years.
History
Atkinson Vehicles Limited, founded in 1907, specialised in vehicle repair, as well as the manufacture of gasoline-powered carts and other miscellaneous things. With the advancement of road transportation, the Company began to produce steam vehicles of its own design, the majority of which were manufactured between 1914 and the late 1920s.
Edward Atkinson, the company's founder, was born in 1875. The prototype of the 'Pullcar,' which Atkinson assisted in the creation of in 1921, ran until 1934. During the First World War, Atkinson was given the chance he had been yearning for. The larger manufacturers had shifted their focus to munitions production, and the urgent necessity for internal road transport, as well as the railways' inability to provide a complete transportation network, allowed Atkinson to step in and fill the void.
Chassis building lessened as the demand for steam-powered vehicles declined and the Company turned to the conversion of vehicles from solid to pneumatic tyresand chassis were also converted from two-axle to a patented three-axle design.The popularity of this waggon spread rapidly amongst local hauliers, during 1916 and 1917 quite a number were made. After the war the short boom period made Atkinson realise the potential, and he purchased a five acre site in Fenchwood for the erection of a new factory.In 1918 the new factory at Frenchwood was completed and production recommenced, 125 chassis had been built at the old factory of Kendal Street.
In 1919 a further 100 chassis were completed in the new factory. By 1921 a new waggon design was completed a 2 1/2ton, low chassis height made for easy manhandling of goods on local delivery work for which the design was suited. Of extremely short wheelbase the vehicle could turn in a 20ft roadway without reversing. 1923 saw the introduction of a 4 wheeled steam tractor which with tractor and trailer was designed to carry 12 tons.
The established firm of Walker Brothers (Wigan) Limited, and a new company was formed — Atkinson Walker Waggons Limited.Walker Brothers who had started business in 1866, were well respected thrdughout the world as makers of mining machinery, air compressors and ventilation equipment. With the merger withAtkinson the work was split up, with Atkinson carrying on to produce his steam waggons whilst Walker Bros., produced light steam rail locomotives.Eventually in June 1933 a new company was formed Atkinson Lorries (1933) Limited,with diesel engine and six wheeler conversions.
Atkinson & Co, Preston, Lancs, sold Alley & McLellan's 'Sentinel' wagon until this company moved to Shrewsbury and took over its own sales. Not to be beaten, the Preston firm designed its own wagon, incorporating the best features of the 'Sentinel' and other types it had experience of, as a steam wagon repairer. The first was a 6-ton "undertype" with a vertical boiler containing inclined water tubes, expanded rather than screwed into position, and with a 2-section boiler shell. A tubular superheater and a 2-cyl compound engine were also used, and speed and power were regulated by a steam throttle. By 1919 a Stumpf-type "uniflow" engine was fitted, admitting steam through ball valves at one end of the cylinder and exhausting at the other. A site at nearby French- wood was taken over at the end of World War I to build what was now known as the 'Uniflow' wagon, incorporating 2-speed epicyclic gearing. The 'Uniflow' range covered capacities from 5 to 8 tons by 1920, but was joined in 1921 by an uneconomical 21/2-tonner with mechanical stoking and in 1923 by a 12-ton artic— making the Atkinson range the largest available from any British manufacturer •at that time. By 1924 the company was also building municlipal equipment to boost sales but much of the workforce had to be laid off and in 1925 a loan from engineers Walker Bros (Wigan) Ltd, manufacturer of Pagefield vehicles, provided capital to finance new model development and led to new work for the Wigan firm's machine shops. As a result, Atkinson-Walker Waggons Ltd was founded. Under Walker's influence, light railway locomotives went into production but competition was fierce and in another attempt at a revival the company purchased the remains of the Le land Motor Co Ltd's steam interests in 1926, but this only served another nail in the coffin. In 1927 a new 6-wheeled model pipped at the post by a ' Sentinel of similar design and by 1928 various wagon production had com to an end, and only a few railway locos and steam plants kept the company in business. The following year a few wagons of Mann de sign were assembled using spares acquired from the old Mann Patent Steam Cart Co, Leeds, but later that year, unable to returnWalker Bros' financial hospitality, Atkinson-Walker Waggons Ltd returned to the original Preston premises where it again took up wagon repair. A receiver was appointed in 1930 and three local businessmen acquired an interest in the firm, which now became Atkinson & Co Ltd. Axle conversion work was now the company's speciality but in 1931 it was announced that vehicle productionwas to resume with a range of oil- engined trucks. Three prototypes a bonneted Dorman-engined 6- ton 4-wheeler, a forward-control Blackstone-engined 6-tonner and a similarly-engined 12-ton 6- wheeler were constructed in 1932 and within a year Atkinson Lorries (1933) Ltd had been formed, production being transferred to a new plant in 1935. The company was soon standardizing on Gardner engines, David Brown gearboxes and Kirkstall axles, and an entirely new range of 4-wheeled 7- and 71/2-tonners and 6-wheeled IO- and 12-tonners was announced. Even the new factory had limited facilities, however, and only six vehicles were built in 1935, the grand total up to the outbreak of war being fifty trucks, including some 15-ton 8- wheelers introduced from 1937.
WW2
World War Il brought the company its largest orders so far, comprising of sixty Gardner-engined 6 wheelers for the Ministry of Supply in 1940, 100 more in 1941 and 100 8-wheelers at about the same time. The sheer size of these orders resulted in the last 200 vehicles having 7.7-litre AEC engines instead of Gardners. Peacetime enthusiasm. brought new Gardner engines were in short supply as were David Brown boxes, so in 1946 the company announced its own 5-speed box. By 1948 the company had moved to near Preston, Walton-le-dale, where the same basic range was built.
In 1931 two designs of oil engined chassis were announced, 6ton 4 wheeler, and the other a 12ton 6 wheeler rigid.The 12 ton named the 'Al' lorry was the first to appear, made up of various vehicle parts left over from conversions work, fitted with a six cylinder Blackstone BMV6 producing 55 b.h.p. at 1000 rpm; four speed gearbox via a multi-plate clutch to a double reduction rear axle. Starting was by an auxiliary petrol engine. The third axle was the trailing or dead axle type, and the bogie incorporated Atkinson's patent compensating gear.The diesel engine was bv this time coming into use in commercial vehicles and in the early thirties Atkinson's converted many petrol- engined vehicles to diesel power. By 1933 the first Atkinson diesel-powered vehicle appeared; the early models used Blackstone or Dorman engines but soon the Gardner diesel engine was standardized.The first, all Atkinson diesel was made in 1932, a bonnetted 4 wheeler with a Dorman ERBL diesel engine. The drive was transmitted through a Meadows four speed gearbox to a Moss worm driven rear axle. Once in service, the 4 wheel mechanical brakes were modified to Westinghouse vacuum servo operation by the Nightingale Garage.The next and final chassis to appear prior to 1933 was a rigid 4 wheeler fitted with a forward control cab to conserve loading space.However, by 1934 the new company Atkinson Lorries (1933) Limited had produced a number of chassis designs for consideration for production.
vehicle production and so a move was made to Marsh Lane, Preston which remained the home of the Atkinson company until after the second world war. The policy was to manufacture quality heavy commercial vehicles chassis using bought out components. The proposed vehicles were namely 4 and 6 wheel forward control chassis with Gardner 4, 5 or 6LW diesel engines, a 20 seater bus with normal control, and a Meadows 4 cylinder diesel engine and a 4 wheel tractor chassis. Only the forward control chassis were produced, 4 and 6 wheeler versions followed in 1937 by an eight wheeler version. Various diesel engines were tried, such as Dorman, Blackstone, Tangye, Lister, Paxman, Ruston, Thornycroft, and Crossley automotive engines and eventually Gardners diesel engine was chosen on starting ability. Up to the outbreak of world war two fifty chassis were built in Marsh Lane.
On Government direction a 6 wheel rigid vehicle design was produced for the Ministry of Supply until 1942 when the order was changed to a 8 wheelers. During the war a contract was signed with the Ministry of 6 wheeler rigids and powered by Supply to produce 60 vehicles Gardner 6LW diesel engines, intended for civilian use. Atkinson and E.R.F. were the only two companies permitted to sell to the civilianmarket. The following year another contract was received from the 6 wheelers but to be Ministry of Supply, this one for 100 chassispowered by AEC 7.7 litre diesel engines. A third and final order was 8 wheelers again with AEC diesel engines. Atkinson's reputation was enhanced after the appearance of the 260 chassis built to Government contracts.
Post war
By 1945 the position had altered once again and it was obvious that there would be a considerable post-war demand for vehicles. Marsh Lane factory, like Kendal Street before it, was now becoming too small for the rapid expansion.Production was transferred to the new factory at Winery Lane, Marsh After World War two, the Company made a strong bid for overseas markets and in 1954 both single and double-deck bus chassis were introduced. Many varied types of vehicles are now produced, powered by Rolls Royce and Cummins diesel engines in addition to the Gardner diesel, and these are in use all over the world.Atkinson Lorries designing and their own five speed gearbox in 1946. The new factory continued to expand, with Overseas markets were explored on a scale as never before, and a comprehensive dealer network was established covering the whole To facilitate the exports, agents were appointed in major of the British Isles.overseas countries and later subsidiary companies established in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The Gardner-engined 'Alpha' passenger chassis appeared 1952 and in 1954 the company was re-registered as Atkinson Vehicles Ltd. A year later two double-deck bus chassis were built. In 1957 the bonneted 'Omega' on/off-highway heavy haulage tractor was announced, the first being a 100-ton 6 x 6 with 275bhp Rolls-Royce diesel engine, followed by four examples with Cummins and supercharged Rolls-Royce diesels of up to 335bhp output. Other specialist types included both 4- and 6- wheeled Cummins-engined half- cab dump trucks called the 'Hy-Lode', a few 8 x 6 gritter/ snow- ploughs and a subsequent fleet of some 400 6 x 6 gritter/ snow-ploughs for the Ministry of Transport and for its successor, the Dept of Transport. By 1958 the 4-,6- and 8-wheeled general haulage range had a fibreglass cab with wrap-round screens, AEC, Cummins, Gardner and Rolls-Royce diesel engines being specially popular, although Perkins units were used in the lighter models. Other changes included optional 2F gearboxes and a few Fuller units, been developed in association with Pickfords Heavy Haulage GCW, followed by a heavier 6- wheeled version in 1963, the same year that normal haulage models were optionally available without exposed radiators. In 1964 the 'Guardsman' cab was advertised for use on Cummins V8-engined tractors, while a speciality of the company's overseas subsidiaries was a 300bhp Rolls-Royce engined 100-ton heavy haulage tractor based loosely on full-width cab versions of the 6-wheeled dump truck chassis. In 1966 a Perkins V8-engined low-line crane-carrier and the amazing 'Viewline' cab on a double-drive tractor chassis appeared at the Commercial Motor Show. This was to prove popular plus one or two examples of the Detroit Diesel engine, even on the home market. By 1962 a semi-bonneted 4-wheeled tractor had only on 4- and 6-wheeled heavy haulage tractors. By 1967 the company's first production 6-wheeled twin-steer tractors, with air-sprung second steering axle just ahead of the drive axle, had also been launched. The 1968 Commercial Motor Show saw 4 x 2 tractors named 'Borderer', 6- wheeled rigids 'Searcher' and 8- wheelers 'Defender'. A new model, brought about by changes in UK Construction and Use Regulations, was the 6-wheeled 'Leader' tractor, one of the first British commercials to be powered by Gardner's 8LXB 8-cyl diesel. Also at the Show was the very last bonneted 'Omega' heavy haulage machine for Pickfords. A series of takeover bids by ERF Ltd and Fodens Ltd in 1970 failed to find favour with shareholders but placed the company in
a most vulnerable position. A further bid, by Seddon Diesel Vehicles Ltd, was accepted and later that year the Walton-le-Dale operation became Seddon's Atkinson Divn. New models were well overdue and the parent company developed an entirely new range which was shown both at Brussels and Earls Court, soon after the new company's takeover by International Harvester, as the Seddon, but re-named the Seddon- Atkinson for its production launch. Although patriotic Atkinson operators regularly fitted the familiar Atkinson motif to this model, there were no more true Atkinsons.
A merger was accepted and completed with Seddon Motors Limited in January 1974, to form the company of Seddon Atkinson Limited. Again there was another take-over bid, this time from the American International Harvester Corporation, and this was completed in June 1974, and now the company of Seddon Atkinson Limited remains a subsidiary of the
great International Harvester Corporation.
