H a ndswo rth, Sheffield by Carolyn Hyams • One
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lesson that operators would do well to learn from the result of the first vehicle to go through the Ministry test at the Handsworth, Sheffield station is that brakes with new liners or drums are not at their most efficient until they have been running and given the opportunity to bed down.
The National Coal Board at Bolsover had booked in a 1950 AEC Monarch for the first appointment at 8 a.m. fitted with new liners and drums and when the service brake was tested the efficiency was well down. Mr. E. Walton, NCB transport manager, said they would be bringing the vehicle back the following day to gain the advantage of the free re-test. This had been a common problem during voluntary testing, said the station manager Mr. Green.
Sheffield had six vehicles booked in for the official test on Tuesday as well as a number of voluntary submissions. The first one to re ceive the orange plating disc and certificate was a 1956 Karrier Gamecock belonging to Post Office Telephones North Eastern region. The design weight was 6 tons 9 cwt. but because of the tyres fitted, the Gamecock was plated at 6 tons 7 cwt.
Due to poor road signs directing drivers to the station, the first haulage vehicle was 40 minutes late but was allowed through out of turn. It was a 1956 Foden eight-wheeler but it failed because a perished brake hose was leaking fluid and the vacuum warning gauge was broken. This was the first vehicle to have a transmission handbrake and it passed the test requiring it to hold the vehicle on the l-in-6.25 gradient ramp. Another Foden submitted by this company in the afternoon was failed because of a loose chassis cross-member and a broken front nearside spring.
The next C licensed vehicle was submitted by a Sheffield steel manufacturer and was a
1953 six-wheeled Leyland Hippo of 20-ton g.v.w. but was failed for poor reflectors and badly aimed lights.
One operator who found voluntary testing had paid off was John Aizlewood Ltd., whose 1948 Leyland Octopus returned for "the real thing" and passed.
The station staff seemed well organized, although some essential equipment such as some microphones for driver instruction, is still to be installed.