Perkins Stratos for BOC
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• South London operator BOC Interbrand is taking on the first Seddon Atkinson Stratos fitted with the 298kW (400hp) Perkins 400 Tx engine, including one with an experimental low-emission engine.
The five vehicles, which go into service at the end of November, will be based at Leeds, Widnes, Hemel Hempstead and Gloucester. They join a fleet of 16 ERFs and seven Seddon Atkinson tractive units and about 100 rigids.
Seddon Atkinson was the second manufacturer after ERF to announce it was fitting the 12-litre 400 Tx engine.
BOC Interbrand, which ran a trial with the Eagle Tx in 1990, told CM in July that it was likely to buy two ERFs with the engine at the end of the year (CM11-17 July). However, the firm's fleet engineer Terry Gregory says he changed his mind: "We buy Seddon Atldnsons and ERFs, and we've been taking a lot of ERFs lately," he says. "We don't like anyone becoming too confident."
Perkins remains guarded about the experimental engine, although it has confirmed it meets the environmental emissions limits which become mandatory on new trucks from October 1993. The engine is understood to be a prototype rather than a final design.
ERF is currently preparing a top-range E12 with the 400 Tx, but has not won any orders yet. Seddon Atkinson said in July it was increasing the engine choice on its Stratos, with 279 and 298kW (374-400hp) Tx Eagle alternatives. Until then the highest powered Perkins option on a Strato was the 242kW (325hp) engine.
The 400 Tx has already been fitted to a Strato, but by Perkins rather than Seddon Atkinson. Sudbury owner-operator Clifford Batley was the guinea pig.