DIESEL POWER FOR COAST FREIGHTING OPERATIONS NOW
Development of a Diesel unit especially designed for medium to heavy duty and suitable for use by Dominion operators where long hauls are involved, has been achieved by British manufacturers who already have placed their product on the New Zealand market. Two trucks of the Diesel type are now operating on the East Coast main highway under Ward’s Transport Limited, and experience to date indicates that the manufacturers will find plenty of New Zealand users for their product. The district haulage firm placed an order for three of the Diesel-powered trucks, produced by Leyland Motors, Limited, a leading British firm. One of the trucks has yet to be delivered, but should be on hand shortly. The first two have met all the tests of normal operation on the long run between Gisborne and Tc Araroa, and their economical running is one of the factors which promises heavy competition for petrol-driven trucks. Diesel oil is still well below petrol in cost, and its availability is not in question. Transport operators whose services have reached the maximum development, and who are now seeking methods of affecting economies in running costs, are showing a decided interest in the new British machine.
Except for the power unit, the new lorries follow conventional designs, and have a load capacity of six or seven tons. The examples now operating in this district have a 14ft. 2in. wheelbase for freight work, but variations in the wheelbase are available according to the purpose for which the unit is required. Passenger buses, tip trucks and tractor types are among those produced for export. The power unit is the same in all variations of body type, producing 75 h.p. with an estimated maximum speed of 44 miles per hour, and a consumption of 14 to 16 miles per gallon. The introduction of the Diesel unit on the East Coast highway marks a further step in the development of motor traction on this route.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22850, 21 January 1949, Page 6
Word Count
330DIESEL POWER FOR COAST FREIGHTING OPERATIONS NOW Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22850, 21 January 1949, Page 6
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