Motors for Southern Nigeria.
Page 15
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During the course of its long career, in the manufacture of self-propelled vehicles, John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd., of Basingstoke, has probably never had to work to a more complicated or exacting specification than that set out by the engineer to the Crown Agents for the Colonies, for a wagon recently shipped to Southern Nigeria. Apart from the many annoying restrictions as to the finish of trivial and unimportant details, there were a number of implied conditions in the specification, the fulfilment of which was absolutely necessary in order to ensure the vehicle's giving a good account of itself, in a land not provided with such goodsurfaced and well-laid roads as are to be found in Europe.
One of the conditions, to which the Crown Agents attached much importance, was that the engine should be capable of consuming petrol, benzol, or paraffin, without alteration or adjustment to the carburetter other than that which could be effected from the driver's seat.
The engine is one of this maker's standard, four-cylinder type, of 30 h.p., fitted with a special vaporizer, the fuel supply to which is constant, but the air inlet, and the jackettemperature are both variable, and are controlled by means of suitable levers. The temperature of the vaporizer may be regulated by means of an exhaust cut-out. A high rate of economy was secured during the trials to which the vehicle was submitted, before being. packed for shipment, and during these it was found that, when running on bonsai, about 50 ton-miles could be obtained per gallon, and 48 ton-miles per gallon for paraffin. So far as the running tests of the vehicle were con-. eerned, it was required to ascend a gradient of 1 in fit with a full net load of two tons, a test which was carried out to the entire satisfaction of the inspecting engineer, and, we may remark, that during the course of this, hill-climbing test, the vehicle was stopped and restarted,, on the gradient. We give herewith an illustration of this machine, taken.
after the completion of the tests, and it will be seen that a tilt body, with rolled-up side curtains, is fitted. There are three rows of transverse seats provided, and the second and third rows behind the driver may be moved fore and aft, and secured in any desired position. The seats are also provided with hinged backs. In the roof of the tilt. over the driver's seat, provision is made forthe carrying, by means of suitable straps, of a mail bag_ The chassis, generally, is one of this maker's standard type, of which many good examples may be seen working in the hilly districts of Yorkshire.