The New 50-cwt. Arrol-Johnston.
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Some months ago, when the writer had the pleasure of visiting the Arrol-Johnston works, he was lucky enough to find the first example ot the most-recent heavy commercial vehicles produced by that company under test, and although at that time he was already impressed with the very definite efforts which were being made by the company to desigit and produce a model in which the latest practice should be embodied, he was assured that the tests still to be carried out were of a very exhaustive nature, and that no circumstances would urge the directors to offer this machine, to purchasers until they were quite satisfied that they could do no better with the design.
This week we have been much interested to receive advance particulars of the new 50-cwt. lorry in its final state. Arrol-Johnstons put their first practical commercial vehicle on the road nearly 10 years ago, and the writer well remembers their running, in those times when all available machines without exception gave trouble, but those were rare opportunities for gaining experience, and no doubt the Dumfries firm did not fail to accumulate information. even from those earliest days which has borne fruit at the present time. The earliest Arrol-Johnstan did very well, in a comparative sense, and that is the best praise we can offer with our intimate knowledge of all the conditions which then pertained.
With regard to the new machine, of which we reproduce a photograph herewith it will be seen that P32
the general appearance is one of clean and workmanlike design. The usual four-cylinder engine has a bore and stroke, respectively, of 91.5 mm. and 140 mm. Its special features are an automatic governor and an automatic ignition advance. The drive to the camshaft, governorand fan is by silent chain. The magneto is, of course, of the usual H.T. pattern, and is driven by skew gears. Forced-feed lubrication is embodied, the carburetter is a Zenith, and the cooling is on the thermo-syphon principle, conjunction with a radiator with cast top and bottom headers and plain tubes. The petrol feed is by gravity from a 12-gallon tank fixed on the dash. The drive is by means of the usual leather cone clutch with three-spring adjustment, a universal between clutch and the three-speed gearbox, and two universals, of course, between gearbox and back-axle. The latter is of the worm type_, with a ratio of 9.2 to 1. The brakes are powerful, and consist of the handoperated expanding.pattern on the rear wheels, whilst the footbrake is of the external contracting type
situated behind the gearbox.
We will defer more _detailed consideration of the construction until such time as we have had an opportunity to drive this lorry on the road. In the meanwhile the following dimensions may perhaps be useful. All tires are 850 mm. by 85 mm., and the standard wheels are steel castings. The length of the standard lorry overall is 18 ft. 10 ins., the width overall 6 ft. 3 ins.., . the wheelbase 11 ft. 6 ins., track 5 ft., length and width of platform, respectively, 9 ft. 8 ins. and 5 ft. 10 ans., the tare weight of the whole machine 2 tons 5 cwt. and the price of the chassis with tires £495, with platform body £535, with platform body with sides 2550.