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Semis for Bottled and Draught

20th December 1963
Page 44
Page 45
Page 44, 20th December 1963 — Semis for Bottled and Draught
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Articulated outfits are used exclusively for long-distance trunking runs by AnseIls Brewery and play an important part in local delivery SINCE January 1 of this year AnselIs Brewery Ltd., Aston Cross, Birmingham, has run a fleet of eight Leyland Comet 12C.4R tractive units with York and Scammell 12-ton semi-trailers on trunking runs to Newport and Leicester, and provisional returns show a highly favourable fuel consumption. This is the first application of the tractive-unit version of the Leyland 12S series of chassis, which are equipped with the Power Plus 0.370 diesel engine developing 110 b.h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m., air-pressure brakes, a five-speed constant-mesh overdrive gearbox and a hub-reduction rear axle. The unit has a wheelbase of 8 ft. and an overall length of 14 ft. 4.5 in., whilst its unladen weight is approximately 3 tons 11.75 cwt. The vehicles were supplied by Burton and Cole Ltd., Ruston Street, Birmingham.

The number of semi-trailers employed in conjunction with the Comets will be increaSed progressively from 11 Yorks and four Scammells to a total of 20, all the trailers being fitted with automatic couplings and with air-pressure brakes that can be separately applied by a manual lever in the vehicle cab. The cab is of the Vista-Vac type, giving wide-angle vision, and auxiliary features include heating and demisting equipment. Two of the Comets are equipped with Varivane thermostatically controlled radiator shutters. The outfits are part of a 274-vehicle fleet operating in a radius of 50 miles of Aston and Newport, the Leicester area baying a radius of about 25 miles. Deliveries are made to some 4,000 tied and free houses and to a large number of clubs, institutions and so on. Recent developments have included the discontinuance of bulk delivery of beer for bottling in articulated tankers to the depots in favour of using flat-platform trailers for the carriage of both draught and bottled beer, the latter being pallet-loaded by fork-lift truck. The bulk tanks are now employed for delivery of draught beer to 60 public houses equipped with tanks of six-barrel capacity, the first of which was opened in 1956. In the year ended September 30, 1962, the 234 Aston-based vehicles covered a total of 2,475,000 miles, whilst the total for the 22 Leicester vehicles was 188,600 miles and the 18 Newport lorries were credited with 201,700 miles.

Trunking runs to Leicester, a distance of 45 miles, are co-ordinated with runs to Newport via M5 and M50 (100 miles) to the best advantage with regard to overall operating time, drivers' hours and vehicle utilization. On the Leicester route the Comets average almost 12.5 m.p.g., and consumption returns for the Newport run indicate that operating on motorways will materially increase the m.p.g. obtainable. Overdrive is used extensively on the motorways run and to a lesser extent on the Leicester route.

Design of Timber Bodies The timber bodies of the trailers were built to the design of Mr. S. R. Hunwick, the transport manager, with the co-operation of his colleagues and local bodybuilders. These trailers are equally suitable for the carriage of draught beer in containers or bottled beer on pallets, important features of the bodies including cross-bearer centres of not more than 18 in. and low, metal-buttressed chock rails. The bodies are constructed of Keruin hardwood or Sapele and have a deck thickness of 1-5 in., with cross-bearers of 4-in. by 2-in. or 5-in. by 2-in. section.

Pallet-loading crates of bottled beer (by Lansing Bagnall fork-lift truck) at Aston, and unloading by the same means at the depots, enables one man to complete the job in 8-10 min., whereas manual loading occupies three men about 50 min. The fork trucks are used in conjunction with hand trucks, and the ease with which the pallets can be moved is particularly valuable because of the necessity to arrange consignments in strict rotation according to age. It also affords a considerable saving in storage space at the depot.

A loaded trailer is exchanged for an empty vehicle at the depot and this enables turn-round times to be reduced to about 15 min. If rigid vehicles of comparable capacity were employed turn-round time would be increased to more than 2 hr. and extra personnel would be required for loading and unloading. Articulated outfits are also used for local deliveries, 12 B.M.C. tractive units being operated in conjunction with 10 Scammell flat trailers and 10 insulated stainless-steel tankers with capacities of 40 barrels (1,440 gal.) to 70 barrels (2,520 gal.), makes of tanker-trailer, including Metropolitan-Cammell, Thompson Bros. and York.

Introduced last year by Mr. Hunwick, a preventive maintenance scheme can best be described as " intensive " in that it aims at eliminating breakdowns from every cause apart from tyre failure, and so far it has achieved its objective. All vehicles are serviced at 3,000-mile intervals by a staff of highly qualified fitters, and this includes a thorough inspection of all external components as well as renewal of engine oil and comprehensive greasing. If a doubt exists regarding the possibility of any part operating reliably until the next dock it is replaced immediately.

The same policy is applied to power units, transmission components and other major assemblies, despite the fact that this reduces the useful life of the units by upwards of, say, 10 per cent compared with operating on a " renewal-bynecessity " basis. All overhauls are performed in the workshops, and it is pertinent that the relatively good condition of the units due for reconditioning simplifies planning and enables strict limits of accuracy to be rigidly enforced at all times.


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