mrprise uprating (mica but.
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y A. J. P. Wilding
EHE increase in maximum gross weight from 22 to 24 tons for plated three-axle tics, with an outer axle spacing of at least 3 ft. which was slipped into the consolidated onstruction and Use Regulations, has surised many people.
The reason for this uprating, says an cplanatory letter from the Ministry • of ransport, is "to remove the anomaly wherey an unplated three-axle articulated vehicle Lay have a gross weight of 24 tons whereas plated one is only allowed 22 tons". This rather confused wording, for it was not assible in the previous regulations for a three-axle" artic to gross 24 tons. An artic, hich has a twin-oscillating axle semi-trailer, an gross 24 tons because it is accepted as four-wheel trailer. But if the semi-trailer is lated, it becomes a single-axle unit under ie wording of the new regulations and when perated with a two-axle tractive unit, can perate at only 22 tons maximum. If there ad been no change, it would have meant that 1968, outfits comprising a two-axle tracve unit and a twin-oscillating-axle semi ailer, would have been downrated by 2 tons ecause from then all vehicles will have to e plated.
Increasing the permitted maximum gross Tight of a three-axle artic to 24 tons is a igical step, so that the twin-oscillating-axle urn-trailer is not downrated and it is a move ported to have been requested by trailer takers offering this type of machine. But at ie same time, it surely puts another nail in le coffin of semi-trailers with this layout, rhich now have no gross-weight advantage ver conventional single-axle semi-trailers. It ; also inconsistent that a three-axle rigid is till to be restricted to 22 tons, with the same 8 ft. minimum outer-axle spacing.
11EXT YEAR'S SHOW DATES FIATES are now known for most of the commercial vehicle exhibitions next year. The rst will be the Brussels Show, from January 18 29, and next is Belgrade, from April 22 to 30 neither Amsterdam nor Geneva will include ommercia1s in 1967). The Frankfurt Show will e on September 14-24. Both the Scottish and 'urin exhibitions in November will have comciercial vehicles, but Paris, in early October, will lot.
lOODS DOWN—BUSES UP & TOTAL of 30,246 goods vehicles were pro duced in Britain in October, 5,504 less than a the same month last year. But production of uses and coaches in October-2,023—was omewhat higher than in the same month last .ear-1,323. Since January, 373,200 cornaercial vehicles have been produced, 11 per cent Dwer than in the first 10 months of 1965.
_ord Brown opens 3utterfield plant
& NEW £150,000 plate store, shot blast cham
ber, plate preparation department and forge vas opened last Friday at the Division I Works If W. P. Butterfield (Engineers) Ltd., Shipley, rorksbire, by Lord Brown, Minister of State, bard of Trade. The factory produces cryomnic vessels, road tankers and industrial plant.