Keeping the faith of old traditions
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Steve Gray takes a look at some of e manufacturers based in the \o East and the products they offer
MTH EAST BRITAIN has histally been considered a de)ssed area, and despite the orts of various governments introduce new industries to region, it has in the main iyed faithful to mining and lel production.
Unlike the North West, which probably the largest vehicle d component producing area tside the Midlands, the North st has no actual vehicle )kers in its area — apart, that from York Trailers at Northalton.
Northallerton is actually in )rth Yorkshire but comes ider the Northern area. York is it just a trailer manufacturer, ough, for the company also is a separate organisation — irk Truck Equipment Ltd. This impany carries out specialist Drk on tractive units, rigid :hides and existing trailers. It 30, as the name implies, offers wide range of truck equipent.
The York Big 'D' fifth-wheel Id mounting kit is just one of ete. For those tractive units hich are no longer suitable for ng-distance work but which in suitably be used for yard lunting, York offers a hydraulic ling fifth-wheel. This neat dece, the Dockspotter, enables )eedy coupling and movement 'tractive units and trailers, as it Is the trailer while coupling. It 3s a capacity of 12.19 tonnes 2 tons) and will lift to a maxiium 254mm (10in).
To change a two-axled tracve unit into a three-axle rig, the onus Loader is a single-axle oily with a forward-reaching eck. The neck is fitted with a ingpin, so can be mated to a uitably located fifth-wheel. iross capacity is thus ncreased by up to 10 tonnes (9.8 tons), regulations allowing.
Again on tractive units, York has a conversion from automatic couplers to fifth-wheel which is called the Yorkamatic. Finally, to increase the capability of tractive units, York will also add a trailing axle, strengthening and lengthening to suit each individual operator's requirements.
On rigid vehicles, too, York offers a trailing axle but can also make many modifications. One of these is the conversion from four, six or eight-wheeler rigid to artic unit. Drawbar tow-hitches fitted to rigid vehicles are a other York Truck Equipme speciality.
Obviously though, York
offer many different additiol and conversions for trailers. TI Hobo tandem suspension s) tem, which offers the facility raise the first trailer axle, can c tyre costs by 30 per cent a save fuel too, when runnil empty. Dollies for short ser trailers then connect to dra bars. Any number of conyi sions to length, height and so are yet more of the compan, special services.
In the trailer field itself, 11( makes virtually every ty around, from ordinary ser trailers for 38-ton operati through to heavy haula models. Trombone traile dropnecks — you name it, )1( will build it, as well as tank and dry freight vans.
The grp Fridgemas.
refrigerated semi-trailer is i latest addition to the range has one-piece composite si and front panels faced with g and the front is reinforced accept a refrigeration ur There are two types of roof ci struction, depending whether it has meat rails or r For dry freight the York FreiG master is said to be the m popular frameless semi-tra van on the road.
Another member of the Y group of companies which firmly located in the North E tern area is Anthony Carrim of North Road, Harel Stanley, Co Durham.
For the last 40 years or mc the company has been mak hoists and bodies for tippen the construction industry. To the company builds a w variety of other products, eluding car transporters, scissor-lifts for airplane loadi Bodies supplied by the comp are either made from stee alloy.
Some years ago, Anthi Carrirnore decided to introd continued over standard stock kits for tipper rams, so that much of the waiting could be taken out of the business of ordering a tipper. With the kits — designed for 24 and 30-tonners — delivery time is substantially reduced. Varying chassis brackets allow the ram kits to be fitted to most popular chassis.
There is one engine manufacturer in the North-East — Cummins. Cummins set up its Darlington factory in 1963 to build vee engines, and since then the plant has expanded. It now produces 23,000 units and kits per year.
These of course are not all automotive power units. Cummins, like most other'engine makers, sells a lot for marine purposes. The engines built at Darlington are the V504, VT504, V555 and VT555. Those without the 'T" designa tion are naturally aspirated an those with are turbocharged.
The two 504s have capai ities of 8.3 litres and produc 147kW (197bhp) and 156k), (210bhp) respectively. Bot 555s are 9.1 litre and giv 160kW (218bhp) and 16810) (225bhp). The Darlington plar is a very modern one, with eiglengine test cells. Cummin makes its own injectors an nozzles and has some of th most sophisticated equiprner for boring the spray holes.
Another component make very much in the North East i Eaton with its Axle Divisiol located at Hilton Road, Aycliff Industrial Estate, Darlington The division manufactures a the components which make ui rear axles, as well as making th, complete assembly. Additio nally it makes S-cam brakes hubs and brake drums.
Bodybuilders of any size an few and far between in thi North East, but Britain's larges manufacturers of coach bodiei Plaxtons — are located a Scarborough. The compam produces a range of luxur) coach bodywork suitable for number of different chassis.
There are a fair number o ancillary component makers ir the Northern area, includinc Kangol Magnet, the safety bel maker located at Carlisle.
Tyneside Safety Glass cr Gateshead makes all types icy safety and security glass as wel as laminated windscreens. Fue tanks, sumps and other pressed steel items for vehicles are taker care of by Tallent Engineering, the Aycliffe Industrial Estatebased company, of Darlington.
Also on the same estate is the British off-shoot of the Swedish SAB company which manufactures automatic slack adjusters for vehicle braking systems, as well as brake parts for railway rolling stock.