Caledonian's New Preston Depot
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ANEW Preston depot for Road Services (Caledonian), Ltd., has been completed on Liverpool Road, Little Hoole, Preson. It will house some 25 employees, consisting of Fitters, clerical, bench and loading bay staff, besides accommodating 38 drivers and three van boys between their deliveries.
Situated on the main road between Liverpool and Preston, the L-shaped building stands in a little over six acres of ground. About 50 ft. intervenes -between the depot and the road, allowing for the possibility of a dual carriageway being built in the future.
The total length of the building is 331 ft., and it covers an area of 23,000 sq. ft. The storage space measures 9,720 sq. ft. and is easily accessible to fork-lift trucks. A 4-ft.-high loading bank has a total area of 3,400 sq. ft., and space has been left on it for the possible innovation of sorting parcels into open cages. The loading area in front of the bank covers approximately 3,600 sq. ft. and could, if necessary, accommodate 12 vehicles at the same time. The 'loading area is enclosed by 90-ft. sliding doors.
Separating the loading bay from the workshop on the ground floor are a rest room for staff, complete with electric cooker, and a reception room for visitors, in which there is a 10-ft. by Vt.' mural design inspired by the Ml. The mural is incorporated in Hardee by the Meldec process, which covers the painting with a layer of rnelumine plastic. Above these two rooms are the general office for the clerical staff. and the office of Mr. L. Meulenbergs, the concern's co-ordinating officer for English depots. Being in a lofty, central position the general office has an unobstructed view of practically all parts a the depot.
The workshop space of (her 4,000 sq, ft. is also enclosed by a span of 90-ft. wooden sliding doors, both sets' of which were shade in Caledonian's workshop. New equipment in here consists of a preset air meter from Pneumatic Components, Ltd., Sheffield, a steam-jet cleaner from Bastian and Allen, Ltd., Harrow, a Laycock hydraulic press, a Felthan 2-ton capacity electric hoist, and a Dravo Counterflo oil heater made by the Coventry Radiator and Presswork Co., Ltd.
One of the two concrete-based inspection pits is fitted with automatic lubrication equipment by Tecalemit, Ltd. Safe access into the pits is provided by steps, and the lighting is recessed into the walls. Outside the loading bay and workshop, the road is sufficiently wide to allow the parking of semi-trailers, when not in use.
The last section of the building is the vehicle wash, nearly 2,000 sq. ft. in area, which is equipped with a Niagara washer with two swinging-boom sprays. The waste oil tank and the oil reservoir for . the inspection pit are also situated in here. A Tatmoy system serves the whole • building for rapid communication. '
At the narrower end of the building is a car park for visitors. it is fed by a road, 'built by Caledonian, which also serves the entire length of the rear of the building. This obviates an entrance immediately off the trunk road in front of the depot. Provision was made during the construction of this road for a lay-by, which houses a gravity-feed petrol tank of 5,000-gal. capacity; complete with a Cleveland flow meter.
The Preston depot serves an area within a 30-mile radius, as well as maintaining 10 trunk services a night. Five Leyland Beaver tankers, each of 3,600-gal, capacity, three 4-ton B.M.C. vans, a 5-ton Thames and a 15-ton Leyland acid tanker make up a substantial contract fleet. But the main occupation is smalls traffic, performed by 15 articulated units, • mainly Albion Chieftain, four 5-ton Thames, a 10-12-ton Leyland Comet and two flats, one a Thames Trader, the other an Albion. ,
It is the aim of the Preston depot to Ulm over completelyto caged pallets on this traffic.