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FINDING NEW USES FOR THE F.W.D.

23rd December 1924
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Page 20, 23rd December 1924 — FINDING NEW USES FOR THE F.W.D.
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Amongst Recent Products from the Slough Works are a Dual-controlled Railcar With Wide Spring Centres and Westinghouse Braking, Fire-fighting Equipment and Chassis Fitted With Powerful Winch Gear for Hauling Vehicles, Trailers, Logs, etc.

AN ENVIABLE reputation for the quality of their products has been won by the Four Wheel Drive Lorry Co., Ltd., 46, Charing Cross, London, S.W.1. This company, apart from turning out standard F.W.D. vehicles far road use, have specialized in the making of vehicles to meet particular require meats. Such vehicles have included railcars for various parts of the world, chassis equipped with powerful winches for foreign armies and for such work as timber haulage, six-Wheeled tractorlorries and efficient fire-fighting appliances, of which a number has been supplied to the Egyptian Government. Also, a week or two ago, we illustrated and gave a short description of a F.W.D. chassis equipped with RoadlessTraction drive. Numerous vehicles have been supplied to the Norwegian State Railway, some of these equipped with the highly efficient Dennis-Tamini pump, whilst winch-fitted lorries have been built for the Finnish Government for use in the Plying Corps of the Finnish Army.

One of the most recent products is a special railcar chassis, which is the first for delivery to the Norwegian State Railway. The F.W.D. vehicle has proved itself particularly adapted for rail use. The fact that the drive is conveyed to all the wheels enables better cohesion to be maintained between the wheels and the track, for spreading the drive in this way reduces the risk of wheel slip.

The railcar, in its general construction, has been built to conform to railroad practice, although retaining the features of a petrol lorry and the main units, such as the engine, clutch, gearbox, axles and radiators, as used in the standard F.W.D. machine. This is advantageous, as it enables interchange ability of the parts to be retained. Flanged railroad wheels are, of course, fitted, and the frame is built up of heavy-section channel-steel to withstand the shunting and other shocks. To reduce these, it is provided with standard railroad buffers. Standard drawhooks are also employed.

To enable the vehicle to be driven in either direction with equal facility, the driver's controls are duplicated, and, so that the engine may be kept cool and an efficient flow of air obtained in all circumstances, two radiators are fitted, the water passing through each before returning to the engine. One radiator has a closed circuit, the water being taken from the top of the engine to the top of the rear radiator, and from the bottom of this radiator to the top of that at the front, thence from the lower part of the front radiator to the water pump, from which it is sent to the lower part of the cylinder jackets.

In addition, two three-way cocks are provided in the water-circulating pipes, so that, if desired, the water may be passed through hearing coils in the body of the car. In addition to these, louvred shutters are fitted on the front of each radiator, so that the temperature of the water may be controlled by the driver, for which purpose an operating lever is provided in each Cab and a temperature indicator is fitted on each radiator cap. .

The engine is a four-cylinder type, giving 54 b.h.p. and driving through a Hele-Shaw multiple-disc clutch. Between the clutch and the main gearbox is a subsidiary box, and the ordinary gearbox being immediately behind this, and in its turn giving four speeds; these speeds are consequently available

in either direction, as required. The most important feature in the design is the method of duplicating the change. speed control. It consists of an ingenious but simple system of swing links, the operation of which can best be seen by examining the diagrams which we reproduce.

The short gear-operating levers are pivoted to the centres of the links, whilst the control rods are connected to the link-ends, the arrangement being such that when the change-speed lever at one end of the car is placed-into neutral the link fulcrums on the rod for this lever, and the changes are effected by a control at the other end of the car.

Similarly, if the other change-speed lever is placed into neutral, and the former used for the control, the swing link filer ms on the rod for the second lever and the gears are operated in exactly the same way. When a gear is engaged from one end it is impossible for another person accidentally to engage another gear from the farther end. A similar arrangement is adopted for controlling the reverse gear.

Two pedals are provided at each end of the car—one for operating the clutch and the other for controlling the sanding valve. These valves are of a particular type, with what may be termed a knife-blade shutter, and so arranged that, normally, a small opening is given, this being controlled by a spring attached to the pedal, but if jamming of the sand occurs, the pedal is further depressed, and a second spring opens the valve still wider.

Great attention has been paid to the braking, and, in addition to a hand brake, which acts on the transmission, Westinghouse air-pressure brakes can be applied to all four wheels, the air for these being supplied from a =all eom' pressor driven from the front end of the gearbox. There is a conductor's valve outside each cab for use in emergency. The pressure supply given by this valve is reduced, so that, however quickly it may be operated, it gives a smooth application of the brakes. There is no release for this valve, except that under the control of the driver.

The controls are so duplicated that the driver does not have to stop to think when he changes from one end of the vehicle to the other, and, incidentally, the single brake-control handle fits on to a square, and can be lifted off only when the brakes are in neutral. This handle is then taken to the other endof the vehicle if it is to be driven in the other direction.

A knob on the control pillar at each end controls a valve which provides a supply of compressed air for operating a whistle: An interesting feature of the Westinghouse braking system is that quick. release valves are provided for each set of brakes, so that the exhaust air does not have to pass right round the piping of the system. Also the pressure is automatically controlled, any excess opening the pump inlet valve so that the pump merely idles. Two air reservoirs are provided—one for the whistle and one for the brake—and there is a non-return valve on the brake cylinder so that, in the event of the whistle cylinder being exhausted, that for the brake remains under pressure.

The springing system is most unusual, as a new • design of spring carriage is mounted an each axle, and is so arranged that the springs are transferred to outside the, wheels, thus giving a much steadier vehicle, as the spring centres are actually increased from about 3 ft, 6 ins. to 6 ft. 6 ins. One of our illustrations shows clearly one of these spring frames.

It is interesting to note that the car is provided with a dynamo, an accumulator, electric lighting and a self-starter, the eontrol for this starter being available at both ends of the car.

This railcar is capable of speeds between 30 and 35 m.p.h., and under ordinary conditions can haul a total load of about 40 tons, although, in an emergency, twice this amount can be moved. If desired, however, the vehicle could he made to haul much greater loads at a proportionately lower speed.

Another railcar of this type, with a wheelbase of 7 ft. 6 ins, and louvres on the radiators, but with a hand brake operating on all four wheels, instead of Westinghouse brakes, has just been ordered for use as a tower wagon on the Leeds tramways.

One of the primary reasons for the success of the F.W.D., as produced at the works of the Four Wheel Drive Lorry Co., Ltd., at Slough, for rail use, is that several interesting and effective modifications have been made to the gearing. For instance, in the railcar which we have just described we have alluded to the special reverse situated in front of the box, which enables the

whole of the four gears to be employed in either direction as required. Actually, the normal F.W.D. -gearbox provides three speeds only, but in the railcar the ordinary reverse pinion is removed and an auxiliary fourth gear employed.

Certain of the railcars have been turned out with a booster gear, so arranged that the ordinary gears may be employed direct or through the booster, So that, actually, the number of speeds is doubled, and, consequently, the value of the vehicle for railway use greatly enhanced. Incidentally, there is no difficulty whatever in fitting the booster gear to an ordinary lorry, and, as a matter of fact, we have tested such a vehicle and have been greatly impressed with its speed capabilities We have not yet been afforded an opportunity for testing the new F.W.D. fitted with Roadless-Traction drive, but we expect that this will give most favourable results, for with driven front wheels Lunch of the trouble experienced with the machines at present in existence should be overcome.


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