Topless bodies
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By Bryan Jarvis
FOUR CURTAIN siders with a difference have gone into service at William Youngers' Acton, West London depot.
They are topless dray bodies designed by Scottish and Newcastle group fleet engineers and built by Al International Motor Engineering of Ma!don, Essex.
The design, less costly than bodies with roof sections, helps overcome the brewery's access headroom problems and allows fork lift loading without the risk of damaging superstructure.
There are two pvc loadbearing curtains each side, up to 3.35m (lift) long fore and aft of a removeable centre post. Each curtain has poles stitched into its outer ends which locate top and bottom in the centre and corner post.
Ratchet-type tensioners are fitted at each corner of the body below floor level, while horizontal side bars at mid height between the posts provide additional load restraint.
Transparent pvc side windows allow the driver to inspect his load from ground level.
The new 1.5m (5ft) high curtain sides have been built on to existing platforms on Bedford TL 1470 chassis which formerly carried bar and chain dray structures.