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Nippy to Serve the Southern Railway R ECENTLY completed for the

8th November 1940
Page 25
Page 25, 8th November 1940 — Nippy to Serve the Southern Railway R ECENTLY completed for the
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Southern Railway is a batch of five Thornycroft Nippy 5-6-ton articulated six-wheeled vehicles, of which one, with the semi-trailer uncoupled, is shown in a picture on this page. The basis of the outfit is the chassis maker's HF/TC4 forward-control tractor chassis, and the cab, which is of the fully enclosed type, was built by B. Walker and Son, Ltd., of Watford. The painting of the chassis and cab was carried out by the Cunard Commercial Body Building Co., cf Wembley. The turntable coupling and the semi-trailer attachment, including the platform body, were supplied by Taskers of Andover, Ltd.

The design of the tractor chassis

incorporates the maker's four-cylindared side-valve petrol engine, developing up to 60 b.h.p. It has an ample reserve of power and, combined with well-selected gear ratios, gives good acceleration under traffic conditions and enables a high average speed to be maintained.

The drive is taken through a singleplate dry-type clutch to a four-Speedand-reverse gearbox. The overall gear ratios and road speeds at 2,400 r.p.m. are as follow:—Top---5.86, 40 m.p.h; third-10.65, 22 m.p.h.; second-19.1, 12.25 m.p.h.; first-33.4, 7 m.p.h.

The braking system on the new Southern Railway vehicles comprises Lockheed-operated Girling equipment, with a break-away coupling to connect

up with the vacuum-servo brakes on the semi-trailer attachment. Other features include a fully floating, straddle-mounted spiral-bevel rear axle, 32-in. by 6-in, truck tyres, a deep-section frame (7 ins, at its maximum), and cam-and-lever steering. The wheelbase of the tractor is 8 ft. and it can turn in a circle of approximately 35 ft. The complete outfit weighs, for taxation purposes, under 4 tons.

The chassis is built on straightforward lines and in its construction light alloys have been used wherever possible to reduce weight consistent with strength. By this means, a liberal allowance for the weight of the semi;trailer and bodywork is secured.

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