Snow Vehicle for British Market
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ASWEDISH cross-country tracked vehicle of novel design was demonstrated in Scotland last week-end by Innes Ireland, the well-known racing driver, who hopes to go into the British market with this machine. The vehicle is the Westerasmaskiner Snow-Trac ST4, and has a payload capacity of 10 cwt., in addition to which it can haul a sledge carrying a further 10 cwt. The manufacturer is A. B. Westerasmaskiner, Margongava and Stockholm, Sweden.
The Snow-Trac is powered by a VW air-cooled petrol engine mounted at the front of the chassis, driving through a four-speed gearbox to the sprocket wheels, which are at the front of the vehicle. A normal-control chassis layout is employed, and the standard open version can be equipped with enclosing metal or canvas tops to afford weather protection. The tracks have double-rubber belts, and run over large disc wheels at the rear, and one single and three paired sets of idler wheels, all these being equipped with rubber tyres. Steering is by means of a conventional type of steering wheel, which acts through a differential transmission, and there are hydraulic brakes on the front sprockets, these brakes being mechanically operated by the handbrake lever also.
Because of its low ground pressure of 0.75 p.s.i., the Snow-Trac has a particularly good performance over loose snow, whilst it is claimed also that it can negotiate slopes of 1 in 1.65 severity. Seven people can be carried, and top gear gives a maximum speed of 14,5 m.p.h.. the average fuel-consumption rate being quoted as 1 gal. per hour.
The Snow-Trac is 12 ft. long. 6 ft. 3 in. wide and 6 ft. tin, high to the top of the windscreen, and the ground clearance is 1 ft. Turning circle is stated to be 16 ft. 6 in.. and the vehicle has a dry weight of I ton 2 cwt. Listed options, in addition to the superstructures already mentioned, include foam-rubber upholstery, petrolfired heating equipment, hour meter, engine governor, winch and a Porsche engine instead of the VW unit.
Bus Order to Help Employment IN order to help in relieving the unemployment situation in Scotland, a further 50 new Leyland Atlantean buses with Alexander bodywork have been ordered by Glasgow Corporation transport department earlier than was origin
ally intended, The additional vehicles are similar to 150 at present in production and the manufacturers have agreed to treat the new order as an extension of the original contract placed in 1961 and to produce the extra buses at the prices then ruling. The chassis, which will be built at the Scotstoun. Glasgow, works of Albion Motors Ltd., are to cost £2,940 each, whilst the bodies, to be built by Walter Alexander and Sons (Coachbuilders) Ltd., Falkirk. are to cost £3,761 each.