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New Dumper has 17.9—litre Turbocharged Engine CLAIMED to be one of the largest mechanically propelled units to be manufactured in Britain. the new A.E.C. 18-cu.-yd. Dumptruk announced on Tuesday is powered by a 17.9-litre turbocharged oil engine developing 340 b.h.p. Its unladen weight is 25 tons and it can climb a gradient in excess of 1 in 3 when operating at 50 tons gross vehicle weight.
The new dumper is unusual for a British vehicle of this size in having Suspension at the rear axle; normally a solid mounting between the frame and axle is employed. The use of springs is claimed to relieve the frame and axles of excessive shocks while loading, in addition to giving increased tyre life and reduced wheel-slip incurred by bouncing when traversing rough surfaces.
First Vehicle Application An A.E.C. AVT 1,100 oil engine -powers the new Dumptruk. This unit was introduced in 1958, but this is its first application to a wheeled vehicle. Its governed speed is 1,900 r.p.m. and its maximum torque output of 1,050 lb.-tt. is developed at 1,200 r.p.m. A Ho!set Switzer blower is employed.
Unit-mounted with the engine is an 18-in.-diameter twin-plate air-assisted clutch, which drives into the Twin-Disc three-stage torque convertor. From the torque convertor a short shaft takes the drive into a three-speed auxiliary gearbox, whence it passes into the doublereduction rear axle. The transmission ' gives a maximum speed on the road in excess of 30 m.p.h.
Rolled-steel joists, 16 in. deep with 6-in, flanges. are employed for the sidemembers and there are six cross-members welded in position, four of which are heavy section tubes which pass through side-member webs.
Robust steel brackets at the rear of the frame provide the body tipping pivots ahd the location points for the rear end of the rear suspension.
Semi-elliptics All Round
Semi-elliptic springs are employed at both axles and these are free to slide in the frame brackets at each end. Trailing radius arms provide the location for the front axle, whilst at the rear axle there are two short leading radius arms. This form of axle location is frequently practised on the Continent and in the U.S.A., but is not common in Great Britain.
As might be expected with a vehicle of this size, power-assisted steering is fitted. The steering gear and power valves are Marks equipment, and the power rams (there is one each side) have been specially built to an A.E.C. design. Hydraulic power is employed. The tyres are 18.00-25-in. (28-ply) • mounted on detachable 13.00-25-in, rims, with twins at the rear.
The body and tipping gear have been built by Edbro and there are two threestage rams which are -double acting at RI 2 the last two stages to give power return for the body. The rams are supported in the frame on two deep cradle members and power for them is provided by a Hamworthy gear-type pump mounted on the three-speed auxiliary gearbox.
The cab is constructed of heavy-gauge steel panels, and an interesting feature is the use of reverse-sloping windscreen panels which are claimed to provide a wide field of vision with reduced glare and dust settlement.
As with all other dumper vehicles produced by A.E.C., the new Dumptruk is being marketed by the Scottish Land Development Corporation. who are the sole concessionnaires for these vehicles in the United Kingdom.
BIG ATTENDANCE AT M.P.T.A. CONFERENCE
THERE was a near-record attendance L at the Municipal Passenger Transport Association conference at Edinburgh which opened on Tuesday. There were 350 delegates representing 90 transport authorities and more than 200 trade representatives.
Mr. A. F. Neal, general manager of Manchester Transport Department, is to be installed this morning as president for 1959-60. He will be succeeded as vicepresident by Ald. S. P. Hill, chairman of Nottingham Transport Department.
An outstanding achievement in the Association's essay competition was marked on Tuesday by the presentation to Mr. Harold MacDonald, of Leeds Transport Department, of the premier award of a silver medal and 15 gns. for his paper on staff discipline. It was-the third successive year in which he had appeared among the principal prizewinners.
Ald. J. H. Whitaker, of Todmorden, by tradition opened the discussion on the first paper—by Mr. Ronald Cox, general manager of Rochdale Transport Department.
The conference is reported on pages 219-221.
COMMITTEE SANCTION WITHDRAWAL NO objection was made by the East Anglian Transport Users' Consultative Committee to the withdrawal of a bus service between Murrow and Wisbech after they learned that the operator, Mr. A. Brown, Guyhirn. was losing Is. a mile. The service had been run on Tuesdays for the benefit of shoppers, but there were insufficient passengers to make it pas.
CONVERSION TO SAVE £10,000 Bv, replacing trolleybuses by motorbuses on one route and extending the service at peak periods, Portsmouth Passenger Transport Committee hope to save £10,000 a year. The South Eastern Traffic Commissioners are to be asked to approve the conversion.
Twenty-three surplus trolleybuses in need of extensive repairs are recommended for disposal.