Built for Exacting Transport in Turkey
Page 44
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
RECENTLY completed for the .British Geco Engineering Co., Ltd., of London, is the interesting Thornycroft outfit shown in the accompanying illustration. This concern approached the manufacturer with a particularly difficult transport problem in Turkey, for which a vehicle was required for dealing with mining machinery, steel work and other equipment.
These supplies had to be conveyed from a port on the Black Sea to the INIurgul Maden Copper Mines, involving a journey of 33 miles, during which there is a rise from sea level to 3,000 ft., with a gradient of 9 per cent. for l miles. Rough road surfaces had to be taken into account, as well as the many steep bends, another factor being the temperature range, which varies from 90 degrees F. in the shade in summer to 50 degrees F. below freezing point in winter.
These requirements were met by a Thornycroft Amazon-class rigid sixwheeled oil-engined tractor chassis, coupled to a 10-ton semi-trailer made to be easily detachable, so that, on occasions, the tractor could be used as a solo machine carrying 6-7 tons on a platform body.
Considerable special equipment was deemed necessary for the tractor, including an auxiliary gearbox (giving eight forward and two reverse speeds), Goodyear Suregrip 10.50-20 lowpressure tyres, non-skid band tracks, oil-bath air cleaner, radiator thermometer and immersion heater. Lefthand steering was also necessary to &inform with the Turkish rule of the road.
The body of the semi-trailer is 20 ft 6 ins, long and has divided sides, whilst the smaller platform body for the tractor is 13 ft. long. The driver's cab is provided with the maximum ventilation by means of a four-piece windscreen, a sliding window in the back panel, and doors which can be held partially open by fixing quadrants.