A Normal t ward Control Conversion f
Page 26
Page 27
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
cialized Duty
fi HE transport and delivery of household coai in
rurban areas, where there are many tenement build. ings and where individual storage capacity is small, presents a number of special problems ti, the operator. The delivery vehicle must be capable of carrying a fairly large quantity of coal in bags, and a number of men is required for unloading purposes, for whom some form of protection is desirable during adverse weather conditions.
A: rather important feature, too, is the facility with which unloading can be ctriducted, and this should be made as easy as possible for the men. Unless a cab be particularly roomy, it is difficult to accommodate more than. one man, beside the driver, and, in the conventional type of vehicle, there is a considerable "step up S' into the cab, which not only causes some delay but can becon;ie extremely fatiguing to anyone who has to be jumping in and out continuously.
Regarding body . capacity, with the normal size of platform on such a vehicle, the bags of coal have to be piled in a minimum of two layers, which, naturally, involves some awkward work for the carriers until the top layer is cleared.
All these problems were in the mind of the transport manager of the Coatbridge. (Lanarkshire) Co-operative Society—Mr. A. Prentice, M.B.E., A.M.Inst.T. —who. undertook to rebuild a vehicle on lines which would conform with something approaching the ideal for this specific form of haulage and delivery.
The machine selected was an Albion 3-ton normal-control type, delivered in January, 1928, being one of a large number of this make in the service of the Coatbridge Co-operative Society. This vehicle, we understand, has been continuously engaged on local delivery work since it went into service, and was "mixed up" in an " incident ". during the period of heavy air raids on Clydeside in.
March, 1941. ,
It was earmarked for use bly the N.F.S., and it was following a call to the scene of a particularly energetic effort of the enemy that it became buried by falling debris, from which it'was dug out and recovered three days later.
Extensive damage was caused to the cab, and one side member of the frame bad been penetrated by a bomb splinter.
Despite this, however, the Albion was driven back to Coatbridge under its own power. The fact that a vehicle which was then 13 years old, and which had survived premature burial, should be thought worthy of being so modified for further service is certainly a tribute to the qualities of Albion products.
The rebuilding, which was carried out entirely in the Coatbridge Co-operative Society's maintenance shops by its own staff, involved the fitting of a stepped extension to the front durnb-irons to carry a low-floor over
• type cab, the back of which is approximately in line with the original position. taken up by the radiator on the bonnet-type chassis.
As will be seen from the accompanying illustrations, • 04 the radiator is mounted at a much lower level than formerly ; it is carried by the forward ends of the extension immediately in front of the cab.
To provide a sufficient head of water, a small auxiliary tank is mounted on the root of the cab, and, in practice, this has been found to obviate any tendency for the cooling water to boil, even under the most severe running conditions. An extension shaft at the front ot the engine carries the fan at its forward end, and the.starting handle engages with a dog secured to the foremost end of the same shaft.
The engine, which comet behind the cab and above the level of the extensiOn of the platform, is neatly boxed over by a structure which is strong enough to enable it to carry sacks of coal piled on top.
By this arrangement it has been possible to increase the length of the normal platform by no less than 7 ft.—from 13 ft. to 20 ft., which is equal to the length of the bonnet plus that of the cab on the original machine.
Engine accessibility is excellent as the covering for the unit has detachable sides, the top being carried on three angle-iron supports, the outer two of which are bolted direct to the frame, whilst the centre one is secured, by two bolts on each side, to two angle-iron uprights fitted to the frame.
When the four bolts are removed, the top cover, complete with the centre support, to which it is bolted, may be removed, to leave the end supports in position. If required, therefore, the engine can be lifted out of the frame quite easily. Minor adjustments may be carried out either above or below the body platform; that is, of course, when the sides of the engine cover have been removed.
Considerable ingenuity has been displayed in the use of existing material in carrying out the conversion. For instance, the original dash-type tank has been fitted to the side of the frame, and the standard steering, gear lever and hand-brake controls have been mounted in the stepped extension carrying the cab.
The tubular connecting rod for the steering, running back to the front axle, had to be set in two planes to clear various portions of the structure. To prevent any sign of flexing, a web piece was welded on the tube at the point of both sets. This has proved completely satis factory in practice, and we are informed that the steering is notably light in operation. One of the accompanying illustrations shows clearly the disposition of the controls and other details.
It is possible to accommodate 80 1-cwt. bags of coal on the platform, and this without resorting to two
layers. The low floor level of the cab makes for extremely easy accesis and exit, and three men, in addition to the driver, can be carried in comparative comfort. Both these features are highly desirable on a machine used for this class of work.
It must be agreed that the general appearance of the vehicle, although, perhaps, slightly unconventional, is, • nevertheless, not displeasing, and that it has proved popular with the crew which operates it, is saying qnite a lot.