LORRIES HELP TO BUILL A 1,500-ACRE RESERVOIR
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ROAD transport is playing a vital part in the construc tion of a large reservoir to serve south Essex. With the demand for water in that part of the county glowing each year, it has become necessary for the South Essex Waterworks Co. to build a new reservoir, with a topwater area of 1,500 acres, at Abberton, near Colchester.
The 5i thousand million gallons of water required to fill it will be pumped from the River Stour at Stratford St. Mary. The object of the project, as explained to a representative of The Commercial Motor by Mr. S. S. Allderidge, M.Inst.W.E., the resident engineer, is to conserve a water supply for -use during the dry months, when the level of the Stour sinks appreciably and it is impossible to draw water from it.
Road transport's principal contribution to the work is in the supply of ballast for the construction of the dams. Autos (Tiotrce), Ltd., Tiptree, Essex, is deliver u32
ing about 340,000 cubic yds. of ballast for this purpose, employing a fleet of 10 Bedford 3-ton short-wheelbase steel-bodied lorries exclusively on the contract. Two further Bedford vehicles supplement the fleet when required.
The major part of the building operations is taking
place at Abberton, where Autos (Tip-tree), Ltd., is delivering 250,000 cubic yds. of ballast for the construction of an embankment about 40 ft. high and 800 yds. long. Work, which is directed by Mr. Carter, was commenced a year ago and is so far advanced, despite the bad winter, that haulage to this section of the
reservoir site is likely to be finished by August.
In addition, the company has a contract to supply 55,000 cubic yds'. of ballast for the building of another dam, about 20 ft. high, at Layer Breton. The road passing beside the site will become part of the reservoir bed and a new road will be constructed on the 20-ft. embankment. Additionally, 33,000 cubic yds. of material will be supplied for further works.
A constant procession of lorries leaves the sand pit at Layer de la Haye en route for the main site, about 21 miles away, and for Layer Breton, four miles distant. So far as possible, the programme of work is arranged so that there is always a vehicle under the Ruston Bucyrus loader, but none waiting. Loading 4 cubic yds. of sand occupies an average of 1i mins., whilst, by means of Anthony hydraulic gear, that quantity is tipped on the site in about 10 secs.
For 10 hours each working day the column of vehicles passes to and fro, each lorry carrying an average of 27 loads and covering some 150 miles. Part of the credit for the high pay-load figure must be awarded to the use of Avon 7.50 by 20 low-pressure twin tyres on the rear wheels.
This equipment, compared with high-pressure tyres, has made a vast difference to wheel adhesion on the long stretches of loose soft ground that have to be covered, and has accordingly speeded up operation. In addition, the drivers are thoroughly familiar with the conditions and are able„, without excessively stressing their machines, to work at full pressure.
Even so, the past winter has sorely tried all concerned. Vehicles, wallowing axle deep in mud and clay, have sometimes had to be towed on to the site by a track-laying tractor. Nevertheless, the l3edfords are well able to with
stand the gruelling that they receive.
Mechanical appliances, in addition to the lorries, are busily engaged in the constructional work. A Fowler bulldozer track-laying trador, with a grading attachment at the front, distributes the sand tipped from the lorries and levels the site.
Nearby, a. colossal 20-ton roller, the rear wheels of which are some 10 ft. 6 ins, in diameter and 3 ft. wide, is engaged in consolidating the embankment. It was built at the Marshall works and has a Sentinel 125 h.p. poppet-valve steam engine, whic4 enables it to climb a gradient of 1 in 2-i. The articulation of the axles has to be seen to be believed!
A John Allen mechanical scoop, cable-hauled between two powerful Fowler tractors, is employed on some extremely rough ground involving a steep drop of about 10, ft.
As in the case of all the 36 vehicles run by Autos (Tiptree), Ltd., the Bedfords engaged on this contract are carefully maintained under the supervision of Mr. A. E. Stratton, and are, indeejl, among the smartest sand and ballast lorries that we have ever seen. In common with the otltar machines, they are greased and tyre pressures are checked every 400 miles, whilst the oil is changed at 2,000mile intervals, On account of the arduous nature of the work, involving a great deal of intermediate-gear running, the engines are dismantled after 20,000 miles, new piston rings, connecting rods and big-end bearings being fitted. After a further 10,000 miles of running, the cylinders are rebored, the crankshafts reground and new bearings fitted. Thus, the " cross-country " contingent is kept at a high level of efficiency, Bedfords predominate in the fleet, which, however, also includes Dodge and Dennis vehicles. Every vehicle is carefully checked over and adjustments made once a month, each lorry being dealt with in rotation. Instead of the more usual inspection pits, ramps, which have the advan a34 tage of adequate natural lighting, are provided for vehicle examination.
Among the garage equipment are a B.E.N. spray-painting plant, a Laycock Niagara hydraulic washer and a welding outfit.
Entries on blackboards in the garage (where the resident manager is Mr. E. Swann) afford a ready guide to vehicle condition. One of the boards shows the mileages at which the plugs, contact-breaker points, valves, brakes, sump-oil filter and main-oil filter of each vehicle last received attention, the mileage readings when the last previous general overhaul took place also being indicated.
Another board sets out the days on which each machine is due in for greasing and the checking of tyre pressures. A third record sets out the identification numbers of lorries due for top overhaul (in the case of the Bedfords, at 15,000mile intervals).
During the six weeks of the strawberry season the company is busily engaged in the transport of this fruit to London. Tiptree is a strawberry-growing district and Autos carries up to 12,000 baskets a night to the Metropolitan markets. For this service a framework, not unlike a sheep pen, is mounted in the body and trays rest on the angle-iron members. In this way some 2,250 baskets can be carried on each vehicle without risk of the fruit being crushed. The company has handled this traffic for a number of years and has acquired a creditable reputation among growers and salesmen.
Sugar-beet is another seasonal commodity handled in large quantities,
Autos (Tiptree), Ltd., is one of those personally conducted, well-managed haulage businesses that should do much to uphold the prestige of the road-transport industry in these troublons times, when there is a tendency to reserve the limelight for its less creditable phases. Particular care is devoted to the payment and conditions of service of drivers, who, in addition to a regular weekly wage, receive certain bonuses.