By our Northern Correspondent
Page 31
Page 35
Page 36
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Eric Strongitharm Oswahltwistlie.
As part of Spagthorpe Motor Company's support for civic activities, Sir Jos has loaned a prototype of the new Glidealong MkII luxury coach to the organisers of the Annual Mill Owners and Capitalist Despots Beauty Pageant which attracts lissome lovelies from afar afield as Throgston-in-the-Mire and Whipplesthwaite Magna. The contestants are pictured outside the legendary Ironworks where they were treated to a tour of the Drawing Office by long-serving engineering overseer Isaac "Slide-Rule" Frazackerley, followed by a cold collation prepared personally by catering manager Neville "Black Padden" Giggjesethwaite.
Pictured, leaning from the driver's window, is none other than Gracie Spagthorpe, niece of SMC chairman Sir Jos, who is representing SMC in the event. "Eeee I'm that excited," she said. "First prize is a new pair of dancin' clogs and a trip to Skeggy! Uncle Jos is chairman of judges, tha
Flash: The Annual Mill Owners and Capitalist Despots Beauty Pageant has been cancelled following accusations of vote rigging. When asked to comment Sir Jos said: "Booger off afore I set bloody dogs on thee!" Even before this, a number of the contestants had been been taken ill with a mystery case of food poisoning.
The 2628B, which comes in tipper and mixer versions, is based on the 2628 on-road haulage 26-tonner. The main differences are the shorter wheelbase with a lower final drive ratio and a larger clutch. On and off-highway 26285 all come with the 28ohp six-cylinder engine, six-speed splitter transmission and SE extended day cab. There's no lying down on the job for construction workers as they don't get the option of a sleeper cab. Other detail differences are a vertical exhaust and a glazed rear cab wall on the 2628B.
PRODUCTIVITY
This Atego's fuel economy reflected the fact that, although 28ohp is enough to get the job done at 26 tonnes, the little 6.4-litre engine is worked fairly hard—another zo or so horses would provide that extra comfort zone to cope with the unexpected. That said, the Atego's overall figure of 8.4mpg shouldn't bankrupt anyone, and Mercedes does not expect its impending Euro-3 power units to carry a significant fuel penalty.
The 16m3 (2 rycli) alloy Weightlifter body is lifted by Edbro CXr3 front-end gear and sheeted with Weightlifter's PVC rollover system. Mercedes specced the body with an i8rnm plywood lining to keep it looking smart, but it still weighs in at a respectable 1,820kg. The chassis itself weighs in at a whisker over 7,500kg ready to roll, giving a body/payload allowance of 18,48okg, which is average for the class.
The Atego looks well able to deal with the rigours of life on the rough. A vertical exhaust stack is standard, as are break-back steps and sturdy light guards. Access for windscreen cleaning is via an ingenious parallelogram folding step. The steel front bumper is in three pieces, while the vulnerable cab extremities are in easy-to-replace plastic. The only obvious chink in the Atego's armour is the indicator repeater lamps in the front mudguards, which we managed to knock off while climbing aboard (fortunately replacement was just as easy!).
In any case, with an unlimited-distance first-year warranty and a second year of driveline cover up to zoo,000kin, there should be plenty of opportunity to sort such niggles. Not that it should see the workshop too often— apart from Ministry safety inspections, Mercedes' extended service intervals should mean that this Atego will spend less than five hours off the road in its first year.
ON THE ROAD
A dozen forward gears should ensure the right one for each occasion, but the Atego's
performance against the proving grou clock again shows that a few more lion would turn a good truck into a great o) Fortunately, what the Atego lacks in outriE punch it more than compensates for with flexibility. In fact, if Mercedes spent a few qi to provide a bit more power, then it cot recoup its investment by speccing a few fete gears.
The change on the six-speed splitter bo) fine, although changing down to seco requires a little extra concentration, due to proximity to reverse and the relatively WE reverse detent.
Once the Atego is up to speed momenft can be easily maintained thanks to its exe plary handling. The inevitable price for tl crisp steering is a firm ride but it ne, became uncomfortable, even on the m, kidney-threatening stretch of our test rot from Brackley to Buckingham.
A sudden monsoon at the proving grou meant that measured brake testing woi have been irrelevant, but out on the road I full set of ABS-equipped discs fulfilled th promise. The single-stage engine brake neE the revs to be well into the yellow zone to g any appreciable retardation, but the triN effort involved in changing down a gear v pay off handsomely.
Sharing the engine brake lever, the st dard cruise control incorporates a driv programmable road speed limiter but, rather irritatingly, lacks a "resume" function. The control lever for the PTO is sensibly mounted Out of the way just behind the driver's right hip, with a large warning light on the centre of the dash.
CAB COMFORT
The standard cab on the Atego 2628B is the SE extended day cab. As the name implies this is not a home from home, but the amount of extra storage space and the generally spacious feeling is a good compromise. This airiness is helped by the standard cab rear windows; access to the extended cab is through the Atego's excellent wide opening doors.
The construction versions of the 2628 come with two seats as standard, with the central area occupied by a handy multi-compartment storage tray; the extra cab length is used to provide some deep storage bins across the rear of the cab. All of the other usual Atego storage features are provided, including a fold-out table, removable dash litter bin and header rail storage pockets.
The air-suspended driving seat offers fourway adjustment, although adjustable lumbar support is not included. The passenger gets the same seat but without the air. The build quality of the Atego has come on considerably since its launch, but this example suffered from an annoying (and no doubt easily cured) creak from the cab's nether regions every time we encountered a bumpy road.
A steel roof hatch gives extra ventilation, and the passenger is not neglected either, with an electric passenger window provided. For no obvious reason, the extended cab is equipped with more than the usual complement of coat hooks. Entertainment is provided by the standard-issue Merc-branded RDS radio-cassette unit.
As you might expect on a fairly basic workhorse, the dash features a relatively minimalist set of con
trols. The vast bank of available switch positions is only occupied by the switches for the passenger window and an isolator for the ABS system, with the rotary knob to control the cross and inter-axle diff-locks. The instrument panel contained a comprehensive set of gauges, backed up by the diagnostic display panel, with its default to external air temperature. The usual reliability of Mercedes' control gear was rather let down by the fuel gauge, which only functioned fully when encouraged by barometer-style tapping of its face.
SUMMARY
The Atego might not be quite the fastest tipper on the site, nor quite the most economical. But its flexible engine and driver-friendly road manners mean that, although a day's work might take a little longer, it will definitely feel shorter.
Its extended cab is a useful halfway-house between a typically cramped day cab and the wasted expense and space of an under-utilised full sleeper.
The reasonably competitive list price and low scheduled maintenance requirement make for appealingly low running costs. All it needs now is a bit more power—and Mercedes' price list happens to include a useful sounding 3ichp gritter chassis. Now where's that tape measure?
IN by Colin Barnett.