New Thompson trailers at '100-plus' display
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CK.ELETAL and coil-carrying additions LI to the Thompson Trailmobile semitrailer range were shown for the first time on Wednesday. They were among more than 100 exhibits at a commercial vehicle display staged at the Hucclecote factory by the transporter division of the parent John Thompson company.
The group's transporter division comprises two tanker manufacturers— Thompson Bros. of Bilston, and Darham Industries Ltd., of Newcastle and Basildon-and Thompson Trailmobile. As well as the semi-trailers there was news on Wednesday that Thompson Bros. had secured an order from BAC for two 12,000 gal. refuellers to be used on the British-based Concord project at Filton.
One of the new semi-trailers is a coil carrier—the first offered by this maker— which will be produced in 28ft and 32ft lengths with 16ft and 20ft coil wells respectively. Maximum coil diameters will be 7.5ft in both cases and both models will have 20,000lb axles on the standard short-rockerbeam tandem-axle suspension.
The other newcomer was a perimeter framed skeletal to carry both Freightliner and ISO containers. Designed to take containers of 20, 27 and 30 ft length, it has twist-locks that can accept both thicknesses of corner casting to be found on existing ISO containers.
All the Thompson Trailmobile semitrailers have two-speed landing gear operable at either speed from both sides of the trailer. Running gear, a full range of trailers, numerous containers and about 40 tankers were among the exhibits on Wednesday.
The two refuellers will be constructed in aluminium and will have a pumping rate of some 900 gpm through two metered delivery hoses. They will be capable of offloading an aircraft at approximately the same speed and through the same meter gear. The tanks will be single-compartment with corrugated surge baffles.
Fodens are supplying the 6 x 4 tractive units, which will have Leyland 0.680 engines.