■ PECIAL NORTH AMERICAN LEYLAND
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1UL in Montreal next Thursday on / board the icebreaker " Ritva Dan" a special three-axle tractive unit lipped by Leyland Motors Ltd. to the anadian Motorways group for extensive sts under North American operating )nditions. The chassis has been designed
co-operation with N. -American igincers and operators to give what is msidered to be the maximum specificaan ever offered in this market by a eyland group company. _ Capable of cruising at over 60 m.p.h., le new tractive unit is designed for a 'ass train weight of 314 long tons and is swered by a 210 b.h.p. Power-Plus .680 diesel engine. This drives through five-speed Pneumocyclic semi-automatic :arbox to the rearmost axle, a two-speed sit with electropneumatic shift.
Three extra-heavy-duty axles are used n this 9-ft.-wheelbase unit, the front de being rated at 11,000 lb. A load ansfer system allows weight to he lifted from the dead forward axle of the ndein bogie onto the driving axle to
give greater traction in bad conditions, while the bogie itself has no-hop bellcrank lever suspension. Special wheels with detachable rims are used, carrying 11.00-22.5 12-ply tubeless tyres.
Self-adjusting full air-pressure brakes are employed, with low-pressure warning and anti-freeze devices in the layout. Both the handbrake and the steering are power assisted. Quick-release valves are fitted in the braking system and, to suit American drivers' preference, an adjustable air-pressure device controlled from the cab enables front-axle braking effort to he reduced or removed completely.
The glass-fibre reinforced plastics cab is 6 in. wider and deeper than the standard Leyland cab and has sounddeadening insulation and a high-capacity heater. Equipment includes radio, dual headlamps, large, braced mirrors and a typically American array of lamps and horns on the cab roof.
Fuel .tanks with a total capacity of 120 Imp. gal, are fitted, giving a range of about 1,000 miles under good road conditions.
This Leyland tractive unit is fitted with a fifth-wheel coupling whose position is adjustable to suit varying Provincial and State laws for axle loadings; the vehicle is designed for use with a 42-ft.-long semi-trailer, making an outfit some 50 ft. long overall.