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A Tan] let Solves "Sticky" Problems

6th November 1953
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Page 50, 6th November 1953 — A Tan] let Solves "Sticky" Problems
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South Western Tar Distilleries Use 44 Motor Vehicles and 16 Trailers for a Variety of Tasks

By A. E. Sherlock-Mesher

AN, outstanding example of a C-licence fleet as an integral part of a manufacturing undertaking is provided by South Western Tar Distilleries. The group's transport system, based at three points, is one of the most highly specialized in the country and covers practically the whole of the south of England.

Although at peak periods vehicles are hired from hauliers, much of the work is such that only direct operation can ensure that customers receive the standard of service which, over the years, they have grown to expect. This is particularly the case in tar-spraying, which forms a large part of the business, and in the distribution of tar to users.

Of the 44 motor vehicles in the fleet, 35 are equipped for tarspraying, the apparatus being designed and made by S.W.T.D. The vehicles concerned are 16 Foden FG6/7i1,250-gallon tankers, each of which works with a trailer of 1,000gallon capacity, 14 Dennis Max 1,100-gallon outfits and five Bedford 800-gallon tankers weighing under 3 tons unladen.

There are also two Foden FG6/15 2,600-gallon, five Dennis Pax 1,000gallon (1,250 gallons when carrying white products) and two Pax 800gallon tankers. The Fodens have been supplied in the past two years by Munn and Underwood, c14 Ltd., 97-117 Commercial Road, Southampton. • — The tanks are of Butterfield, Steel Barrel, Yorkshire Engineering and Vospers makes and are constructed of 10-gauge mild steel. S.W.T.D. lag them with 211 in. of resin-bonded Fibreglass, which is held in place by wire netting and encased in a skin of 18-gauge aluminium. This aluminium is polished, so that it is easy to clean and vehicles can always be kept smart with a minimum of labour. All the tar tankers are equipped with 2-in. gear pumps driven by a power take-off from the vehicle engines.

Aesthetic and Useful

The Fodens are distinguished by attractive polished aluminium side panels which extend from the back of the cab to the rear. This fairing not only makes for an impressive appearance, but facilitates maintenance by preventing tar from being spilt on to the chassis, where it would damage the paint and pos sibly clog the mechanism. As an additional precaution against the effects of spillage, the filling orifice of each tank is surrounded by a large rectangular tray.

Most of the vehicles are based on the principal distillery at Totton, Southampton, where the main construction and repair shops are located, but others are operated from distilleries .at" Plymouth and Sin ham-by-Sea.' The division of fleet between these three del depends on seasonal demands.

Shoreham serves a radius of 2f miles, Southampton 70 'miles Plymouth upwards of 70 miles: area covered_ by the group exte from West Sussex to West Corny) excluding Somerset, but incluc parts of Wiltshire and Berkshire far north as Swindon.

Their sphere of influence is t large and provides a wide varlet} conditions, ranging from nar4 lanes to trunk roads and conge: streets.. The diversity of eonditi affects the construction of vehicles. For instance, in tanl habitually operating in narrow la in the West Country, the fairing n be placed close to the tank, whet those working around Southarnp can have panelling built out to width of the cab without suffei damage from hedges and walls.

The products carried are which is supplied in bulk to the macadam 'industry as well as bc sprayed on the roads under di contract to highway authorii coal-tar fuel 200, creosote, crude refined benzole, toluene and soh naphtha. In 1952, the fleet can 28.2m. gallons of these cornrnodi and covered 1.2m. miles.

Loading at the distilleries is either gravity or stationary pumps. At Totton, eight vehicles can be

loaded at a time. For unloading there is a 3-in, gravity run-off at the rear, or the gear pumps can be used to transfer material into customers'. storage tanks or to supply the spraying equipment at a constant pressure.

Problems of handling are largely similar to those of any liquid product, with the addition of the need for maintaining tar at a high temperature in transit and when spraying. The avoidance of spillage, as I have already suggested, is also impo rta nt.

High Temperatures Tar is loaded at a temperature of up to 285 F. and is sprayed at temperatures. varying from 240°.F. to 260° F. The tolerance for loss of heat in transit is thus not large and efficient Jagging is vital. While spraying, when the vehicle is travelling extremely slowly in bottom gear, the loss of temperature is, however,

The width of the spray bar is 7 ft. 6 in. and the rate of spread ha& to be controlled with extreme accuracy. The density of spraying is based on the condition of the road, the amount of traffic using it and the size of the chippings, and is, of course, governed by the speed at which the vehicle travels. Each of the tar-spraying vehicles is equipped with a revolution counter and the driver has a chart which interprets the rate of spread in terms of engine revolutions.

A vehicle Can spray tar faster than the gritters can work, and to grit, spray and roll 3,000 yd. ,of normal country road is a good day's work for one tanker-trailer outfit and its attendant services.

The tar-sprayer's day is a long one and the vehicle may have to travel more than 70 miles to the site. The tankers start loading at about 3 a.m. and half-an-hour later the first crews depart for the scene of work. Double shifts are sometimes used, the relief crews being sent out by private car. The last vehicles to cease work return to their depots at about 10 p.m.

Seasonal demand has a great effect on the operation of the fleet. The tar-spraying season is at its height from May to August, when the maximum number of vehicles is engaged on this work. Like farming, road maintenance is keenly affected by the weather and a typical English summer is apt to cause emergencies in the transport department.

Urgent Traffic Orders for refined tar are normally accepted up to about 5 p.m. on the day before delivery is required. This is important, because tar macadam manufacturers have limited storage capacity and they frequently do not know what demands they will receive

in the next24 hours. Moreover, spraying is stopped in wet weatherand the progran-nne of work has to be extremely flexible.

During the summer peak, rail transport is extensively used for crude tar, but in the winter, when the production of crude tar is higher and there is little road spraying, the spraying vehicles, as well as the other tankers, are used to bring it to the distilleries.

In addition, the fleet is engaged throughout the year, but particularly during the winter, in delivering coaltar fuel 200 to industrial undertakings. " This fuel is used to fire steam-raising plant and for industrial processes. Creosote is also transported throughout the year.

• Benzole Haulage The white-product tankers bring crude benzoic from the gasworks to the S.W.T.D. refining plants and then deliver the refined benzole to the depots of the National Benzoic Co., Ltd. They also deliver toluene and solvent naphtha.

The fleet is controlled from Totton, where all major repairs are carried out, but the Plymouth and Shoreham distilleries are responsible for the day-to-day administration and -routine maintenance, including decarbonizing, of the vehicles based, there. They are also equipped to undertake emergency repairs.

Overhaul's can be done only during the winter. Petrol engines are_

cifi decarbonized about every 10,000 miles, the Dennis Max engines at 20,000-25,000-mile intervals, and the Gardner engines of the Fodens at 50,000 miles. The Foden FG6/7i, the Dennis Max and Dennis Pax 1,000-gallon tankers average about 20,000 miles a year each, whilst the Foden FG6/15, Dennis Pax 800gallon and Bedford tankers cover some 30,000 miles a year.

Maintenance during the summer is restricted to routine work and is

done by night. The service staff works in two shifts, one from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the other from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Every Sunday morning, gearboxes and back axles

are checked. This is particularly important, because a great deal of stationary pumping is done and first gear is normally employed when spraying.

Itt winter, the hours of the two maintenance shifts are reversed, one working from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the other from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. During the period from Oct( to March, each of the Dennis Bedford tankers goes through servicing bay every week for c plete lubrication and examinat but the Tecalemit Syndromic lu cation equipment fitted to the Fodens enables the maintem interval of these vehicles to extended to a fortnight.

Specialized work, such as en shaft regrinding and cylinder rel ing, is sent out, but the engines completely stripped and reasseml at the Totton works. The t exchange system for major c ponents is employed.

Dennis engines are fitted with piston rings at about 50,000 rr

and rebored at 120,000 miles. Gardner engines have not been use long enough to need rebor Engine oil is changed at interval! 5,000 to 7,000 miles.

Tar-spraying equipment is ret every year, being washed in creo! before stripping. Revolution cc ters are also completely overhat annually. The maintenance a high degree of accuracy in spreac is important.

Costs are calculated by the I mile and per mile. Vehicle histoi which record all major repairs d to each tanker, are kept separa from the cost records.

The company's fortunes are clo: linked with Government policy road expenditure, for the bulk their sales is to the home trade. suppliers of road-making mate and as users of commercial vehic they have a double reason dissatisfaction with the pre5 inadequate road-building and mi terrance programme. .

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Locations: Shoreham, Southampton

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