Leyland 2-tonner in 18 New Guises
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THE biggest and most varied range of bodies yet produced under Leyland Motors new scheme of collaborating with bodybuilders to supply the Leyland 2-tonner as a ready-for-work lorry or van has just been announced by Cravens Homalloy Ltd. of Preston and Sheffield.
No fewer than 18 different bodies are included in the new Cravens Homalloy range with 10 bodies in pressed steel and eight in aluminium alloy and hardwood construction. The range covers both short-wheelbase (9' ft. 4 in.) and long wheelbase (11 ft. 3 in.) models and includes a personnel carrier, an ambulance, a pick-up and a walk-through van as well as more conventional dropside, platform and van body types.
The personnel carrier is constructed of welded stressed skin steel on a steel frame and there is a choice of seating arrangements for each wheelbase model accommodating 14, 18 or 20 passengers. Access to the passenger compartment is through the side cab door or rear double doors.
The ambulance is on the long-wheelbase chassis and is of welded steel construction with a clear inside height of 6 ft. and an overall body width of 7 ft. n in. Interior equipment is according to users' requirements.
A steel-framed pick-up truck is also of welded steel construction. The pickup body, which is available in an overall length of either 10 ft. 2 in. or 12 ft. 10 in,, has a 0.5-in.-thick resin-bonded plywood floor, with steel sheeting if required, and 20 s.w.g. steel outer sections with steel covings on the inside at floor level. A tailboard is fitted with quick release catches, drop hooks and chains and there are detachable skirt panels. Sockets are provided in the body side to carry bows for a canvas tilt.
Four van bodies—an independent boxvan in two designs, an integral van with walk-through facility and a pantechnicon design—with capacities ranging from approximately 310 to approximately 775 cu. ft. have been produced to carry bulkier cargoes.
Independent boxvans in the range include cab-height 310-cu.-ft. and 390-cu.-ft.-capacity types having 20 s.w.g. steel bodies with steel frames, resinbonded plywood floors and double-hinged rear doors, and 430-cu.-ft. and 550-cu.-ft. capacity aluminium alloy-framed bodies standing 9 ft. 6 in. high with 18 s.w.g. alloy panels and floors.
Another independent-bodied van is a hardwood-framed Luton type with capacities of approximately 595 and 775 cu. ft. Panelled in 18 s.w.g. aluminium alloy it has a floor of i-in.-thick timber with reinforced plastics wheel boxes and a full-height timber rear shutter.
Completing the van range is a walkthrough unit built on a chassis and half cab. Supplied in 330 cu. ft. and 410 cu. ft. sizes with double hinged rear doors, the body is of welded stressed steel on a steel frame and the floor is resin-bonded plywood.
The 2-tormer is also available from Cravens Homalloy with softwood-floored dropside truck bodies—l-ft. 3-in.-high double drop sides for the long-wheelbase and single dropside for a short-wheelbase version—and with hardwood timber-floor platform bodies framed in either aluminium alloy or hardwood.
Smedley's Contest
I-1 A RECORD entry of 62 drivers took part in the annual "Driver of the Year" competition organized by Smedley's Ltd. at its Evesham factory last week. The drivers represented 19 depots and factories in England and Scotland and the contest was divided into three sections: oral questions on the highway code, traffic law and vehicle maintenance; a road test; and driving tests similar to those used in the national competition. The winner was Mr. D. Amies of Whyteleafe, who received the Smedley Challenge Cup and a trophy presented by the Ford Motor Co., whose Thames vehicles were used throughout the tests. He also received a tankard and a cheque for 7 gns. Mr. J. Wilkinson of Wisbech tied on points with the winner but took second place after a further test; third was Mr. R. Elliner of Wisbech and Mr. L. Axworthy of Blairgowrie was fourth. These four drivers will be entered in the national L.D.O.Y. competition.
QUALITY CONTROL PLEA
DEFERRING to the declared policy I N. of a well-known component manufacturer at the annual dinner of the Traders Road Transport Association (Wolverhampton area) on Monday. Mr. D. Miers, chairman of the Road Haulage Association (West Midland area) congratulated the component company for establishing a reliability and quality control department and said he looked forward to other makers adopting the same policy. Earlier in his speech, Mr. M:ers commented on the minority of operators who couldn't care less about maintenance and regulations and were spoiling the image of the bulk of reputable operators in the eyes of the general public.
This was also the theme of an observatio,n made by Mr. E. A. Betteley, divisional chairman of the T.R.T.A., who said that the Association should take the offensive in creating a favourable image of the typical operator in face of unfavourable Press and television publicity. Unfortunately, the subject was "hedged in politically" and the situation was exacerbated by the driving of the lunatic fringe of operators. In fact, the average transport driver was a skilled man doing a skilled job of work.
On the subject of the proposed weight regulations Mr. Betteley said it was deplorable that they were tied to dimensional requirements and that the regulations were framed to cater for the deficiencies of 7,000 obsolete bridges. A laden eight-wheeler with 26-ft. axle centres would be unmanageable; in the case of a tipper the load could break the back of the vehicle. As far as he knew there had not been a single case in 10 years of a bridge collapsing under the strain of a heavy vehicle load.
New Guy Service Premises
ANEW showroom was opened last week by Ouse Valley Motors Ltd., of St. Ives, Hunts, main Guy distributors for the counties of Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon and Norfolk.
The newly formed company was incorporated in April to continue and expand the motor trade interests of Coote and Warren Ltd., a member of the Charrington, Gardner, Locket organization.
The St. Ives premises of Coote and Warren were until recently largely taken up by construction of Charrold bulk delivery hopper truck bodies. Charrold Ltd. now operate from separate premises in Huntingdon, so that the new company is now able to devote itself to other types of bodywork and vehicle servicing.
E.E.C. More Delay
THE transport session of the E.E.C. Council of Ministers, has been postponed yet again; it is not likely to be held before June 20.
The main reason for the postponement is to enable France and W. Germany to try and find an acceptable compromise on vehicle weights and dimensions, especially on single-axle weights; Germany has stood by the E.C.M.T. figure of 10 tons and has refused to accept the 13 tons applicable in France and recommended by the IRU. Meanwhile, it has been announced that this week's plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg will include transport matters. Yesterday (Thursday) the assembly was due to hear a report on harmonization of provisions affecting transport competition, a report on the introduction of forked rates, and one on transport between member states.
Fined by Union TWO Birmingham lorry drivers have each been fined £2 by the Transport and General Workers' Union for contravening the law determining working hours. The maximum is £50. They were not named.
A union official said that when the two men were called before their branch committee, they admitted working more hours than laid down in the Road Traffic Act. They promised not to do it again, The official said that the Birmingham branch of the T.G.W.U. had increased the membership of its commercial transport section from 1,879 to more than 13,000 in the past six years.