An Instance of British Servicing Abroad.
Page 52
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(NIP late years definite indications X./have been forthcoming of the increasing sales of British commercial motor vehicles in overseas markets. This factor is, perhaps, due to a variety of causes, one being the large growth in the employment of road motors for all classes of transport, and another the preference of many purchasers for the British product, but it is undoubtedly also largely attributable to the improved servicing facilities which the most prominent British manufacturers have organized in countries abroad, some of them often many thousands of miles from the works. of the maker.
It would be difficult to conceive a better example of the thoroughness of a British service Organization for motorvehicle users overseas than that provided by a task which was recently undertaken by Thornycroft (Australia), Ltd. Amongst a number -of Vehicles which this. branch Organization of John I. Thornycroft and Co.. Ltd., supplied to the Main Beads Board of NeW Smith Wales, was a Thornycroft typeQ, three-way tipping wagon. This machine became involved in a serious collision with a railway train at a levelcrossing with dire results, for what was left ofthe vehicleis indicated in one of the accompanying pictures. After
the accident the parts of the lorry were gathered up and returned to the Thornycroft service depot in Sydney, New South Wales, some of them being badly misshapen and others damaged to such a serious extent as to be almost beyond recognition.
Although the vehicle was very badly shattered, the owners decided that it would be worth their while to have it reconstructed at a cost of, approximately, £600. Each and every part was subjected to careful examination before being reassembled in the chassis, and badly fractured Parts were replaced. After this work had been carried out, the vehicle was redelivered to its users in the condition shown in our other picture, the lorry, it will be noted, having every appearance of being brand new.
An interesting item in connection with this extraordinary repair task was that the original estimate for carrying out the work was within £10 of the ultimate cost, thus giving a good indication of the efficient costing system adopted by Thornycroft (Australia), Ltd.
Users of Thornycroft vehicles in this country will hardly need a reminder of the fact that the company's service organization, operating through its works and provincial depots, has resources at its command which enable all classes of work to be undertaken, although it is unlikely that the staff will ever be faced with such a task as confronted the members of its Austra lian branch, for, fortunately, there are . now .not o many level-crossings, and ordinary accidents would not be likely to cause such extensive damage.