MORE THORNYCROFT PASSENGER MODELS.
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The Introduction of the Al Long-wheelbase Chassis and of a Chassis to Accommodate a• 24-seater Bus.
THE chief feature of the plang of the earliest of the modern school of constructors o self-propelled vehicles, John I. Thornycroft and Co, -Ltd., is the provision for a more extensive range of models suitable for passenger carrying. The type Al 30-cwt chassis, which was introduced over a year ago, is one of four, by different makers, which have been accepted by the War Office for the subsidy of _1120 (provided it be equipped with a suitable body, fittings and tools). In the short period during which the chassis has thus been qualified for the subsidy, the number of Thornycroft 30-cwt vehicles to which the subsidy has been granted has reached a figure which, we believe we are correct in saying, has not' been surpassed by any other make. Messrs. Thornyerofts have, in fact, done a very great deal to make-the scheme popular and workable, so much so that no more can now be subsidized until the commencement of the new official financial year on April let next, although certain arrangements have been entered into with regard to vehicles sold in the interim.
It is.very interesting to learn, however, that many buyers are not now looking to the subsidy for any part of the justification for making the Thornycroft their choice when seeking vehicles of 30-ewt. capacity. Large numbers have been sold which, in the matter of tyres, of the tyre inflator, or some other items of the equipment, do not conform to the subsidy specification, showing that, quite irrespective of the subsidy grant, the purchasers regard the 30-cwt. Thornycroft as excellent value for the price charged and as a very satisfactory commercial proposition. It is sold with 36-in. by 6-in, pneumatic tyres,and a speedometer and mileage recorder at £480. It will be remembered that this chassis has a fourcylindered engine, 3fin. bore by 5-in, stroke, driving through a single steel-plate clutch, a four-speed gearbox and worm gear to the rear axle. It has a 5-in, frame, is well sprung, and its wheelbase is 11 ft. 6 ins.
As a modification of this chassis there is now produced thz, "Al long" chassis for passenger work only. This has a 14-ft. wheelbase, and is mounted on 34-in. by 7-in. pneumatic tyres, the springs being longer than on the subsidy model. It has a 12-volt five-lamp lighting set, and is priced at 1525 for the chassis, plus .127 5s. 9d. for the spare wheel and tyre, and £25 for the lighting set, an 18-seated coach body known as the Dragon, which is a high-class job with a bulbous back, the seats trimmed in red leather, antique grained, and hood and side screens, being offered for £345. A single-deck bus for 20 passengers, such as the Great Western Railway is buying, sells at /885 complete. This chassis fully conforms to the proposed M. of T. regulations and is not intended for goods carrying at all.
The J, JR, Q, and )3X-type chassis are not altered beyond the fact that, in the case of the Q-type chassis, a 17-ft. wheelbase can be provided for large loads, such as a 1,500gallon tank for carrying petrol, an example of which will be shown at Olympia. The J-type chassis is designed for 4-toa loads, and has a four-cylindered 50 h.p. engine (type BB/4),
41-in. bore by 6-in, stroke, driving through a cone clutch, Ferodo-faced, a four-speed gearbox wad overhead-worm gear. It has cast-steel wheels with solid tyres front and rear, and has a wheelbase of 13 ft. 7i ins.
The JB-type chassis is similar to the J type in power unit and transmission, but the final gear reduction is slightly greater, so that, at the same engine speed and with the same size tyres, the road speed is slightly less. The controls are all taken forward so that the driver may sit beside the engine. This chassis is suitable for a 38-seater single-decked bus body or for a 50-seater double-deck bus body, its springing and ther details making it eminently suitable for bus work. as it will stand up to the strain of continual stopping and starting, which is such a feature of omnibus service, and which finds the weak spots in a chassis not definitely desigtied for the 'work. ThornYcroft buses in London have
given extraordinarily good service. .
The 0-type chassis again has-the 50 h.p. engine, A largediameter Cone clutch, four-speed gearbox and overhead worm drive, its maximum road• speed being 13-i m.p.h. It is designed for dealing with 5 to 6-ton loads, and has a standard wheelbaSe of 14 ft. 6 ins. Cr an extended wheelbase of 16 ft.
The BX-type chassis: is a 24,ton model with the 35 h.p. engine, Whilst the Boadicea model of the same order has a 16-ft. wheelbase, arid is designed for 26 to 30-seater coach bodies. A modification of the BX1-type chassis is the new
BZ-type, with a stiffer frame, a wheelbase of 14 ft. 6 ins. (which is 18 ins. longer), a single propeller shaft, and other slight alterations, making it suitable for a 24-seater bus body.
Thus it will be seen that Messrs. Tisnrnycrofts are fully alive to the needs of the passenger side of the carrying business, and that their customers have a wide range of models from which to choose.
"Hathi," the 100 h.p. four-wheeled-drive tractor developed for War Office purposes, is intended for heavy haulage over surfaces too difficult for ordinary four-wheeled vehicles. It can cross gullies with vertical banks 3 ft. high, exert a drawbar pull of 9,000 lb., haul a 10-ton trailer up a gradient of 1 in 10 at 7 m.p.h., and travel through soft sand. It has made a very great impression upon all who are concerned with transport for the Army.