A Trailer Meets a Pressing Need
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ONE of the most difficult problems V./facing the Port of London Authority, and all the more so for being almost a daily one, is to provide adequate facilities for the large numbers of women and aoldren who have to spend long, tiring hours on the dockside waiting to embark on liners or while Customs formalities are concluded. Once again the solution has been found by means of a wheeled vehicle, in this case a mobile cloakroom.
Three of these vehicles were recently completed and delivered by Carrimore Six Wheelers. Ltd., North, Finchley, London, N.12. Standard Carrimore four-wheeled trailer chassis were used. the complete trailers being 22 ft. long and 7 ft. wide. The tow-bar enables an ordinary tractor to be used for towing. The cloakrooms can thus be easily moved to berths where ships will be embarking or disembarking passengers.
Panelled in 18-gauge aluminium on the outside and in plywood on the inside, the bodies, which have internal headroom of 6 ft. 9 int., are divided by a central gangway which runs from the rear entrance to the rest room at the front of the van. A full-width bench extends across the front, fitted with sprung cushions so that it can be used as a bed in case of need.
A 11-gallon electric water heater in this compartment draws water from a 50-gallon header tank mounted in the roof and feeds it to the two wash basins fitted in the adjoining compartments. A 60-gallon waste tank is situated under the floor, dischargeable from the outside.
Six small closets occupy the remaining space in the van, fitted with Elsan caravan equipment. The closets are 4 ft. long and 2 ft. 31 ins, wide, and each has an individual dome light and switch. In all, 11 40-watt lamps are fitted in the various sections. Four tubular heaters are also installed, two in the central gangway, which is 2 ft. 21 ins, wide, and two in the rest room. Mains current is used, a power plug being provided.
On each side of the body there are five windows glazed in opaque glass. Louvred vents above each window and eight Flettner rotary extractors in the roof ensure proper ventilation.