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Roll-on boat for indivisible loads
Page 49
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CHANGE IN METHOD WILL LENGTHEN JOURNEY TIMES AND ROAD MILEAGE
ROLL-ON, ROLL-OFF facilities have been introduced by the Manchester Ship Canal Company at Pomona Dock, Manchester, to handle awkward loads to power stations—such as transformers up to 300 tons.
As a result of discussions with the Ministry of Transport, the Central Electricity Generating Board, port authorities, and some major heavy electrical component manufacturers such as AEI, English Electric and Ferranti, many of the biggest components to power stations in other parts of Britain which until now have been carried by road will travel the greater part of their journey by sea in future.
The Ministry's representations to the electrical component manufacturers and the dock_ owners have resulted in the Manchester Ship Canal Company spending over £30,000 to modify Pomona Dock to provide lowloader vehicles with roll-on facilities. Two special shins will be used, and will have a draught of only 12ft., enabling them to dock at small ports. The ships will be the only ones of their type.
The first vessel was launched last week, the second is nearing completion, and the first sailing of the new vessel is expected to be from Manchester in May or June.
The ships will have hydraulic ramps which can cater for 10ft. variation in ship and dock level for loading and unloading. A number of ports throughout Britain are making arrangements to handle the ships.
A spokesman for Robert Wynn and Sons (Manchester) Ltd. told COMMERCIAL MOTOR: "Already the first two years' loads for the ships have been programmed, starting with a load in May or June from AEI Stafford to Manchester and on by the special ship to Barry Dock where it will be taken by road to Aberporth Power Station. Our vehicles will now do more mileage because, as in this case, we will now have to carry the load to Manchester, split the load on the ship, and then run solo down to Barry with the tractor, to collect the load off the ship, instead of running from Stafford to Aberporth direct with the load".
A big advantage will be in avoiding difficult journeys with wide loads which has sometimes necessitated road and bridge widening work in the past.
He added: "Whereas we could normally schedule for a load to London taking 4 or 5 days, I can now see it taking 8 to 10".
There would be no difference in the rates or difficulty over demurrage due, was Wynn's comment. A committee on which manufacturers and hauliers are represented has been working on the problems for two years.
A comment from Pickfords heavy haulage depot in Manchester was that a number of large loadsfor London have already been carried by sea, although this was by conventional vessels from Liverpool to London where their London-based units completed the delivery by road.