British Vehicles for Trans-desert Service
Page 11
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Number of Interesting F eah2res Included in Specification of Thornycroft Oilers for Service in Northern Iraq
/A
A N order for 11 Amazon rigid sixwheeled cross-country vehicles has recently been completed by John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., for the Iraqi State Railways, through the Crown Agents for the Colonies. These units form part of a large contract for both goods and passenger vehicles for transdesert service in Northern Iraq, and the specification includes many interesting features.
In the first place, the chassis has a mean wheelbase of 16 ft. 6 ins., the power unit being a Gardner 6LW-type six-cylindered oil engine, developing 100 b.h.p. The drive is taken through a single-plate clutch and a main gearbox having four forward speeds, to twin fully floating axles, incorporating the well-known Thornycroft patented system of rear-axle suspension, which permits 9 ins, difference in driving-axle levels without distortion of the frame members.
For the more difficult'cross-country routes, an auxiliary gearbox is provided, by means of which a further reduction of 1.5 to the main gear ratios is effected.
Other details in the specification include left-hand controls, a tropicaltype radiator with a 15-gallon reserve cooling-water tank, an oil-bath air cleaner, front and re.ar towing hooks, a front buitiper and 11.25-20-in, single low-pressure tyre equipment. Thorny croft leaf-spring drawbar gear is fitted.
The driVer's cab is of the double-roof type, so as to .ohtain the maximum cooling for the interior, with a fourpiece windscreen having both top glasSes adjustable, drop windows in the door, a large sliding window at the rear and a ventilator' in the roof.
The open fixed-sided body has inside dimensions of 19 ft, 9 ins. long, 6 ft. 9 ins, wide and sides and tailboard 3 ft. 4 ins. deep. The floor, which incorporates wheel-arches, is made of hardwood and there are six detachable hoop-sticks With a tarpaulin cover which extends to the bottom edge of the sides; this sheet is arranged to roll up to the centre of the hoop-sticks. A hinged flap on the tailboard acts as either a step or as an'occasional seat.
Each of these. vehicles will tow a Brockhouse 6-ton overseas-type fourwheeled trailer, equipped with similar wheels and tyres to those on the tractor. In the same way, similar open fixed-sided bodieS have been fitted to these trailers, the inside dimensions being 14 ft. long, 6 ft. 8 ins. wide and sides and tailboard 3 ft. 4 ins. deep.
Trailer brake gear with a vacuum servo is provided, with piping connecting up to the " break-away " connection on the tractor chassis. Additionally, a parking brake for operation by hand, when the trailer is disconnected from the tractor; is utilized. In all, 16 of these trailers have been ,built to this order.