Bison Hill, near Whipsnade Zoo, was used for the hill-climb
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and brake-fade tests. It is thre•-quarters of a mile long and has an average gradient of 1 in 10/. Its steepest section is 1 in 61. The ambient tern'perature during the climb was 49° F. and before the start the radiator temperature was 165° F.
At the end of the five-minute climb the coolant temperature had risen by only 8° F., although bottom gear had been used for nearly two minutes, with resultant high fan speed.
A descent was then made in neutral and I kept the foot brake lightly applied to restrict the speed to 20 m.p.h. This test lasted 21 minutes, of which time half a minute was spent in top gear at full throttle opening because the gradient at the lower slopes is not steep enough to necessitate full braking.
Fade Test
At the end of the hill, a" crash" stop from 20 m.p.h. produced a Tapley meter reading of 47 per cent., showing that fade had reduced the braking efficiency by 20 per cent. To obtain this figute I had to press the brake pedal on to the floorboards, indicating an increase in travel of 5 in.
This test was far more severe than was likely to occur in normal service, however, and does show that even under such extreme conditions, the braking system is not by any means made useless.
A return was then made to the 1-in-6-'f section where, although the brake drums were still hot, the hand brake held the vehicle in complete safety without excessive force on the lever. With bottom gear engaged, several smooth re-starts were made on about.half throttle, and the engine response was marred only by a slight "cough immediately after the clutch was fully engaged on each occasion.
Pleasant to Handle
This new Bedford handles extremely well on the road, and is comfortable and in no way tiring to drive. A 17+-in.-diameter steering wheel is used, compared with the 20-in, wheel fitted to the Bedford 7-tonners, and I found it easier to manage than the larger one.
The steering-gear ratio is 26 to 1, giving 6+ turns from lock to lock. Self-centring action is slight, with the result that the steering is light but without there being any tendency to wander. •
All three pedals are light to (-6
operate, and the gear-change and hand-brake levers are well placed. The gear-Change is smooth in operation and the synchromesh works well when changing either up or down at any engine speed.
Over good roads or bad the sus., pension was above reproach. Simi larly, engine noise in the cab was unobtrusive and conversation in normal tones was possible even at high speed. The good all-round visibility gives a sense of confidence .vhen. driving in congested traffic or
manoeuvring in really tight corners.
The test occupied only a day and I was unable to conduct an unladen fuel-consumption run or do maintenance tasks. The layout of the chassis, however, follows previous practice and existing Bedford operators will find the 6-tonner no different to service from vehicles in the 7-ton range The double-skinned engine 'cowl an be hinged right back or corn. pletely removed, and simple snap fasteners secure the two side panels so that they can easily be detached to give full access to the lower components of the engine.
With '219-cu.-in. petrol engine the 6-ton forward-control chassis has a basic price of £806. The cab Costs an additional £70 and a 14-ft. drop-sided body can be supplied for £105. The total purchase tax -payable ,on the vehicle is £185 9s. 6d.
When fitted with the Bedford oil engine, the basic chassis price is increased by £188, whilst the basic price of the chassis with the 300cu.-in. petrol engine is £869.