Next Week
Page 4
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WE'RE reporting from Tipcon next week. We'll have several pages of photos from the Road Haulage Association tipper show, and a report of the conference; other features will include two tipper tests, and an account of a visit to a tipper bodybuilder.
In addition, Noel Millier looks at a highspeed coach operation run by London Country.
• We scrutinise two of those grafters of Britain's construction industries — the 30 ton eight-wheeled tippers. Foden's S108 is particularly interesting to the more traditional operators. It has one of Gardner's latest engines, the 6LXDT, among a wide choice of power units available to operators.
Dats FAD 2500 DHS is built to last and plugs a gap in CM's 8x4 road test reports. It was introduced in 1982 with a turbocharged and charge-cooled version of Des smaller 9.25 litre engine. While it is no lightweight, it sets a pace for others to match over our tough on/off-road route. Bryan Jarvis tested the 270hp Foden and Bill Brock put the 240hp Daf through its paces. • Metal Industries is not a name likely to ruffle the feathers of the bodybuilding world, so when the company moved into a new factory 18 months ago, the Barnsley firm changed its name to NMI Truck Bodies. Since then, Bryan Jarvis reports, its business has expanded. Tippers, curtainsiders and boxvans bearing the NMI logo now appear much further afield.
• Few operators run eight-wheelers with curtainsider bodies. So F. Ball & Co of Leek thought hard before specifying its small but unusual fleet. David Wilcox explains how this own-account operator arrived at this choice.
• One of the most successful and intensive coach services operated by London Country is a high-utilisation coach operation where vehicles are never far from base. This 24-hour operation is a tough testing ground for coaches but is easy for the operator to monitor. Noel Millier has been looking at the service in order to provide a specific and highly relevant vehicle evaluation.