SPEC IALIZED BODY CONSTRUCTION.
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Some Details of the Activities of a Company which is Giving Increasing Attention to the Building of Passenger-carrying Products.
A S is well known, the Royal Body An-Corporation, Ltd., deals with both the private and commercial sides of coach-building and specializes in fabric. covered bodies, although it produces bodies of other types. It has an up-todate factory at Weybridge, which is one of the largest works in the country devoted to the construction of automobile bodies. It is certainly a spacious building, its total floor area being in the neighbourhood of 240,000 sq. ft. Lately the number of orders for bus and coach bodies has increased considerably and, consequently, it has been found neceseary to enlarge the works for this class of construction. Hence the reason for
the company's No. 3 shop—a vast single room which covers a space of about 42,000 sq. ft —being set aside exclusively for work in connection with the building of commercial bodies. It must be understood, however, that this concern is only on the fringe of its commercial activities, being a comparative newcomer to this section of the motor trade.
We were particularly impressed with the efficient organization under which thework is carried out in this factory. A method of systematic production has been adopted, with the result that the artisans, almost everyone of whom is engaged on one special operation, are able to carry out their jobs in the shortest possible time consistent with a highclass standard of work.
A large stock of timber in a rough state—approximately 10,000 cubic ft.— is kept in the company's yards and as this is required it is passed into a mill where it undergoes a preliminary cutting, being sawn into pieces of a suitable size for handling in the main sawmills. The cut lengths are further reduced, shaped and finished ready for erection in the latter department. Owing to the pressure of work, a special sawmill has been constructed for dealing
with timber for commercial bodies.
While the timber is being prepared for erection, a number of smaller shops are dealing with the metal fittings and parts for the same bodies. These departments include a comprehensive machine-room where screens, door-securing apparatus and similar equipment are
produced. Certain completed articles are taken to a department where they are plated—incidentally, a bath for nickelling pasts up to 10 ft. in length is, at the time of writing, about to be installed. The blacksmith's shop is well equipped and has eight hearths, whilst a department is devoted to operations in
connection with welding. There are also, of course, large panel-beating and trimming shops.
Both the timber and metal parts for the bodies are, when ready for erection, conveyed on trolleys to the main construction shops for assembly, subsequently passing through other shops in their progress towards completion.
It is interesting, to note that a number of saloon coaches with bodies' constructed by the Royal Body Corporation, Ltd., is used on long-distance services in various parts of the country. These include vehicles operated between London and Leeds and London and Folkestone. The latter service is worked by the Westminster Omnibus Co., Ltd., 91, Pentonville Road, London, N.1., and the Hoyal body is in this case mounted on a Dennis chassis. We learn that this concern has recently placed repeat orders with the company for several bodies built on similar lines. It will doubtless be remembered that the vehicle was prominently exhibited on the chassis maker's stand at last year's Commercial Motor Exhibition at Olympia.