Special "Artics" for Service to Continent
Page 43
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RAPIDLY growing freight carried between this country and the Continent by Continental Ferry Trailers, Ltd,, and experience gained in this field over the past year, have prompted the company to acquire a number of vehicles specially adapted to suit their crossChannel traffic.
Obviously the primary requirement for this work is that the semi-trailers used should be completely interchangeable with all tractor units employed by parti
cipating organizations in any Continental country.
This has been achieved by the use of .Four-in-line 12-14-ton semi-trailers built by the British Trailer Co., Ltd., and fitted with standard S.A.E. upper-half couplings set back 1 ft. to allow a tanclem-axled tractor unit to couple. The semi-trailer brakes fitted may be operated either by the Westinghouse .twin-line air-pressure sy-stem, or by a twin-line inverted vacuum.
The 24-ft.-long by 7-ft. 6-in.-wide semi
• trailer platforms have no side or end raves, as most of the goods carried are loaded by fork truck. The semi-trailers are equipped to comply with Continental lighting regulations.
The tractor units for use with these semi-trailers in England have been specially adapted by Continental Ferry Trailers in collaboration with Spurling Motor Bodies, Ltd., who have carried but the work on the Bedford forward-control 7-tanners, These have Leyland 0.350 oil engines producing 98 b.h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m. and 250 .1b-ft, torque at 1,400 r.p.m.
Mounted in unit with the engine is the newly introduced Bedford five-speed gearbox wAh constant-mesh engagement on third, fourth and top ratios. The standard -Bedford spiral-bevel rear axle, with a pinion-to-crown-wheel ratio of 5 to 34. is fitted.
Unfortunately the necessity of fitting a fifth-wheel semi-trailer bottom-half coupling precluded the use of the normal Bedford tractor chassis designed for Scarnmell coupling gear. Therefore the most suitable chassis for-modification was the 116-in, wheelbase model normally used for tipping work.
The rear spring hanger brackets were. brought forward to shorten the wheelbase to 96 in.. and the frame side members and propeller shaft shortened accordingly. This reduced the turning circle to 32 ft. Braking on the tractor units is of the standard Bedford vacuum-servo type, but a larger vacuum tank has been fitted and a reaction valve in, the system caters for semi-trailer braking.