Prototype vehicles for Southern Gas
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0 prototype vehicles have been introduced by the Southern Gas Board— an emergency lorry and a mobile service layers' van. Both are manufacturers' basic models with special modifications for the jobs they are intended to do. The aim has been to keep problems of spares and maintenance to the absolute minimum: all the modification components are also standard parts. Both vehicles are for the distribution department, which requires a highly mobile, but self-contained, transport fleet.
The emergency vehicle is a Ford supplied by South Hants Motor Co. Ltd., Southampton, and the mobile service layers' van was supplied by Wadhams Ltd., Southampton. Both vehicles were supplied in their complete, modified form.
Basically the emergency vehicle is a Ford D-200 with boxvan body and separate cab. The engine has a four-blade cooling fan instead of the usual two-blade fan and a throttle control has been fitted for compressor operation. The auxiliary gearbox is a standard Martin-Harper component fitted between the main gearbox and the rear axle.
A Hymatic 13004 compressor of 150 cu. ft. per mm. output is mounted on cradle secured to the rear of the chassis frame. Drive shafts run from it to the compressor along the top of the chassis. The compressor incorporates an oil/air toroidal heat exchanger, which provides sufficient cooling for the compressor. The cab has the normal controls layout with the addition of two extra levers—one to engage the p.t.o. and the other to control the throttle adjustment modification.
A great number of fittings have been incorporated into the body of the van. There is a toilet compartment with washing facilities, hot water, and a small galley for simple meals. The object is to enable the emergency team to be as independent of their base as possible.
The mobile service layers' vehicle is basically a standard Morris 30 cwt. van. Discussions between Board's transport department and BMC experimental staff led to the adoption of a standard Austin Gipsy gearbox and power take-off, suitably modified to drive the compressor. A Gipsy engine oil cooler is alsO incorporated.
The compressor is a Hymatic SR 6600 of approximately 75 cu. ft. per min. output mounted on a cradle secured to the chassis. The compressor oil is circulated to the Bowman heat exchanger fitted in the engine cooling system between the bottom outlet of the radiator and the water pump.
As in the emergency vehicle, the air is piped to the rear and the outlet is also fitted with a hose failure device. The engine of the van, again like the emergency lorry, is fitted with a different fan, in this case with eight blades instead of four.
The body is fitted with racks as required by the distribution department for tools, and there is a toilet and hot-water facilities.