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THE ALBION VIKING SIX.

6th November 1928
Page 27
Page 28
Page 27, 6th November 1928 — THE ALBION VIKING SIX.
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Striking Improvements in a Popular Model Available in Bonneted Form or with Forward Control. The New Sixcylindered Engine.

ONE of the most handsome of modern coaches is the Albion Viking Six, the original of which, the Viking model, was first developed by the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., Scotstoun, Glasgow, in 1923, and remained for a considerable time the most -advanced example of the modern low-built fast' coaCh. During the years since its inception the former model has built up a wonderful reputation for economical running, lowmaintenance , costs and

general efficiency. • • For 1929 it has -been developed into the . model with which we are dealing, i.e., the Viking Six, embodying 'aii en= tirely new six-cylindered . engine. of Albion manufacture and other improvements, including a mud' deeper -radiator through which the starting handle is passed, this adding greatly to the appearance.

The engine being the main new feature, we will deal with that first. It has its six cylinders cast en bloc, but with detachable heads arranged in pairs. The bore And stroke are 31 ills. and 5 ins. respectively, and the R.A.C. rating is 36 h.p. The power developed is 47 b.h.p. at 1,000 r.p.m., 86 b.h.p. at 2,000 r.p.m. and 90 b.h,p. at just under 2,200 r.p.m., although the exceptionally rigid crankshaft and excellent balance permit the unit to run up to 2,800 r.p.m. without torsional vibration.

The valves are all at the near side and actuated by mushroom-ended tappets, the inlet valves having. Ricardo

, type masked seats. Nickel-chrome Steel IS employed for the connecting rods-, which have bronze big-end shells lined with white metal, whilst the pistons are the BUD. pattern with four rings. The gudgeon pins float and arc located by gunmetal buttons. Four bearings are provided for the crankshaft am) four for the camshaft.

A submerged pump, driven by helical gears from the camshaft, sucks oil through a large filter, thence it passes through an external Auto-Klean filter and on to the main bearings and big ends. Oil from the relief valve is thrown in jets direct upon the cams, the remainder flooding the timing gears. It should be noted that the avoidanee of cam wear is of great importance in high-speed engines. Water from the centrifugal pump is fed to the centre of a pipe which diminishes in size at the ends. It flows j.nto the cylinders at four Points, and the purpose of the sinaller-diameter piping is to ensure even distribution.

The interior surface of the crankcase is apositive network of stiffening ribs; and the bolting of the monobloe cylin flers to the case helps ti"; make the whole structure most rigid.

All the auxiliaries are positively "driven, the fan by means of an enclosed roller chain, the timing gears being of the single-helical-spur type with a cross, shaft driving the magneto and pump. The drive for the C.A.V.-type D.A. dynamo is entirely separate from that of the magneto.

To ensure good carburation there is an excellent hot-spot induction system, the exhaust being carried right through a jacket around the inlet pipe and having a separate tube leading to the silencer. Incidentally, this makes three exhaust pipes in all, and they are carried outside the frame.

Three-point suspension is employed, there being a solid bearer at the rear and a trunnion-mounted bearer passing through a bulkhead in the crankcase at the front. Both engine and gearbox are canted to give straight-line drive, . although they are separate units.

-A gear-type universal joint is carried within the single-dry-plate clutch, and the clutch shaft has a Hardy universal joint at the rear end. There is a large annular clutch brake with two adjustable springs.

The gearbox is a one-piece 4lumiuium casting with exceptionally robust shafts and wide pinions, the teeth being ground at each side. The ratios are as follow :—Top, direct: third, 1.63 to 1; second, 2.81 to 1; first, 4.24 to 1; reverse, 5.41 to 1. The standard axle .ratios are 51 to 1 and 61 to 1 for the 26-passenger model, but for exceptional work a ratio of 7 to 1 can be provided for the forward-control 31-32-passenger type. The reverse gear is idle on top, and there are positive drives for a pump and a mileage recorder. The whole gearbox is three-point suspended and can be dropped.

The centre bearing of the two-piece propeller shaft is a spherically seated I-Toffmann roller and there is n Hardy disc at the forward end of the shaft, whilst the second portion has all-metal star-type universals with oil reservoirs in the centre and blind bushes, The plunger joint is at the forward end. The shaft can be run up to 3,000 r.p.m. without whirling.

An underneath D.B. worm drive with a patented layout for the worm-shaft bearings is employed, and the bevel differential has two satellite pinions, whilat the axle is fully floating and with a casing of the Albion patented type.

As regards the braking, there are side-by-side shoes in the rear-wheel drums, one set of these being of extra width and operated by a Dewandre servo in conjunction with the front brakes with compensators between them. The braking power is propot/ tionate to axle weight, thus avoiding any risk of front-wheel skid. The operating cam spindles are concentric, but the hushes for the inner spindles are not carried by the outer sleeves, so that there can be no binding between the two at each side. An important feature is that the drums can be removed without disturbing the huh bearings.

With regard to the steering, this is by worm and sector. On the bonneted model the steering layout is of the or,. dinary pattern, bat in the forward-control type the drag link is brought back to the steering arm.

The frame is straight when viewed from the top, but seen from the sides it slopes down to the rear of the gearbox, is humped over the axle and has a further drop at the ends, So giving luggage space under the rear seats.

The rear springs are undershing, and the hanger brackets ate bolted through in tubular cross-members, whilst the gearbox supports are arched channels.

Spherical bearings prevent binding of the brake cross-shafts.

There are two batteries, one at each Ei lie of the first section of the propeller shaft and mounted on cross slings.

The main dimensions of the Viking Six chassis are :—Wheelbase, 16 ft. 3 ins.; track, ,5 ft. 7i ins, front and 5 ft. 6i ins. rear (between the twin tyres) ; overall length, 25 ft. 01. ins.; dash to end of frame, forward-control model, 20 ft. 2i. ins., 26-seater coach, 20 ,ft. 10 ins.; frame height, 1 ft. 11i ins. and 2 ft. 0,iins, respectively; minimum ground clearance up to rear axle, 114 ins. The tyie equipment is 36-in, by 6-in. (singles at the front and twins at the rear), and 38-in. by 7-iu. (singles at the front and twins at the , rear), whilst the chassis weights are 3 tons 1 cwt. and 3 tons 2 cwt.

The chassis prides with lighting sets, ex works, Glasgow, are : 26-passenger, £1,050; 31-passenger, £1,100.•

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Organisations: US Federal Reserve
Locations: Glasgow

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