Ferodo Go Articulated
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WHEN it was decided to erect the new VY Ferodo factory at Caernarvon, N. Wales, the transport department at Chapel-en-le-Frith was faced with problems, e.g., the transport of raw materials and finished products between the respective factories.
It was obvious that additions to the fleet were necessary and, in view of the loading and unloading problems at the factories and at various places en route, Ferodo engineers decided to conduct a survey into the possible advantages of articulated transport. Accordingly, at the beginning of 1961 Ferodo engineers and representatives of Boden Trailers, Ltd., carried out a series of dummy test runs, timing duration of the journey, stops, loading and off-loading times, etc.
The journey is one of 120 miles and takes approximately six hours. However, vehicles call at associate companies at Hindley Green, Rochdale, and Trafford Park, Manchester, which increases the trip by a further four hours. The company's standard vehicles were rigid fourwheelers with 21-ft. by 7-ft. 6-in. platforms; it was estimated that to cope with the extra work eight additional vehicles would be required per day, font running in each direction.
Following investigations, it was decided that costs could be cut considerably by adopting artics., in view of the variable nature of the loads and the resultant time involved in loading Loads usually consist of bulky raw materials and drum. of liquids, and extra floor space is more important than maximum load carried Loading times vary from one to foui hours per vehicle.
A number of Baden 12-ton-capacity single-axle trailers were therefore purchased, having Cary-Laminaire suspensior and 2-ft drop sides, to be used in con. junction with A.E.C. Mercury prime movers. As a result of the increasec platform length it was possible to reduce the number of vehicles required &off eight to four per day; also by havirq spare trailers loaded in advance the standing time of the vehicles by approximately 50 per cent.