Mclielvie's Application for 30 Vehicles Adjourned
Page 37
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ALTHOUGH they had been given 80 per cent. of new traffic in car bodies from Scotland to the Midlands, British Railways strongly opposed an application and Co.by MeKelvie (B.M. and P.), Ltd., Fiarrhead, for 30 vehicles and 30 trailers remaining 20 per cent. There were also two
on a new A licence to carry the re
independent objectors at the Glasgow hearing.
Mr. J. Law, for McKelvie, said the manufacture of car bodies and accessories at the Linwood, near Paisley, factory of the. PressedSteel Co., Ltd., was new to the area. They had been informed that the weekly total of car bodies eventually to be moved by road would approximate 224 and the application had been made on that basis. Mr. T. Stroud, a director of the Pressed Steel Co., told the Scottish Licensing Authority, Mr. W. F. Quin that, despite the present recession in the car industry, they were going ahead with a factory extension to meet the car body requirements of Volvo, Rover, Jaguar, Ford and B.M.C. An extension of 250,000 sq. ft. was already in production, and building had started on a new factory covering 500.000 sq. ft.
Many of the first bodies carried by rail arrived in a rusty condition because they
were carried without protection, against the advice of the Pressed Steel Co., and at one stage Rover refused to accept those sent by rail. As a result McKelvie had carried the whole output until recently, when fresh arrangements were made. They were prepared to give rail the major share on a reciprocal basis. Mr. A. Wilkinson submitted that British Railways had gone to considerable expense in providing a new depot in the Midlands, special pallets and vehicles for this traffic. There was, however, no guarantee that full production would he reached in the forseeable future and if the application was granted in full, McKelvie's, at eight would have to a vehicle and trailer, have the capacity to transport 480 weekly. The inquiry was adjourned until the New Year.