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Delivering a British Six-wheeler in the Argentine.

4th September 1928
Page 10
Page 10, 4th September 1928 — Delivering a British Six-wheeler in the Argentine.
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BR1T181-1 six-wheeled vehicles of different makes and types are being shipped overseas in increasing numbers and, from information that periodically reaches this country, it is obvious that they are achieving much success.' John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., is a manufacturer that continues to receive reports of remarkable journeys accornplished.by rigid six-wheeled Vehicles of its make, which are operating under extremely difficult conditions in different parts of the world.

• Following the recent run by a Thornycroft type-A3 vehicle into the interior of Brazil, when a journey of about 1,000 kiloms, was undertaken from Sao Paulo over a route containing stretches which had hitherto been regarded as impassable, even by animal transport, comes the news of a long and difficult run recently successfully accomplished by a Thornycroft typeXB lorry from Buenos Aires to Bahia Bianca. The vehicle, which forms the subject of the accompanying group of illustrations, has been purchased by the Cia Agricola y Industrial San Lorenzo, Ltd., which has large agricultural interests in the extensive areas of the irriguous

virgin lands of. the Rio Negro district of the Argentine.

At the instigation of Thorn ycroft of Brazil, from which the vehicle was purchased, it was arranged that the lorry should be delivered by road loaded with• approximately 5,000 kilogs. of machinery and general merchandise consigned to its purchasers, in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the vehicle and to undertake certain propaganda work an route.

For the first 200 kiloms. from Buenos Aires to Monasterio the route was mostly over earth roads which, On account of the increasing motor traffic which uses them, are maintained in a fairly good condition, but from this point it stretched aercfss country for 250 kiloms., along a rough camp road quite typical of that to be found in many parts of the Argentine. Leaving Ayacucho for Tandil, had weather was

encountered and, as the result of much rain, the surfaces became treacherous, with the result that the lorry landed in a ditch at a point where many ordinary touring cars had previously skidded. Fortunately, no damage resulted to either the lorry or to the load, but, before continuing the journey, the precaution was taken of fitting 'non-skid bands of Thoroycroft design which are supplied • as part of the standard equipment of this maker's six-Wheeled vehicles intended for overseas service.

Farther inland, the roads degenerated to a marked extent and were' often mere earth embankments. At one part, the whole surface was thickly covered with . slimy mud and a bare'9 ins. of clearance separated it " from hogs on either side' out of which it would have been extremely difficult to retrieve the vehicle had it side-slipped. For this reason it was decided to call a halt for a few days in the hope that conditions would materially improve. The final stages were through sandy tracks, many sand dunes having to he crossed, but the journey was successfully completed on the fourth day's run.

We are told that the average life of the light American lorries previously employed by this concern for similar work to that which will be tackled by the Thornycroft six-wheeler was the almost incredibly short period of two months, but it is confidently anticipated that the six-wheeler will be better able to withstand the arduous conditions associated with road transport in the area.


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