Police Escort for 115 Miles THE second of two steel vessels
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weighing 16# tons, with a diameter of 18 ft. 7 in. and an overall length of 47 ft., started on a journey last Sunday between Tipton, Staffordshire, and Widnes, Lancashire, over a route of 115 miles. The first vessel successfully reached its destination on Monday of last week after two days on the road. A police escort was provided for the entire journey and in many localities other traffic on the road was brought to a standstill.
The bogies and superstructures for carrying the vessel, which formed the backbone of the outfit, were supplied by J. D. Rose, Ltd., 1 Fordhouse Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham. 30, who also planned the route and contracted for the transport of the load. The vessels are for a chemical engineering plant and were fabricated by Wright's Forge and Engineering Co., Tipton.
The bogies were of the standard eight-wheeled type with front tyres of 29-in. by 8-in. section and rear tyres of 36 in by 8 in., and the vessel was supported between two special superstructures attached to the bogies. Builtin hydraulic jacking systems at the front and rear were fitted to enable the load to be raised up to 14 in. when required by route conditions, the usual travelling height being 21 in.
For normal conditions the rear bolster was locked, but when necessary it was steered by hand or with a second vehicle.
The tractor was an A.E.C. Matador powered by a 7.7-litre engine and fitted with a Turner 7-ton built-in winch. The vehicle was equipped with a short jib crane which could have been used in an emergency.