GPO Vehicles

Jointers' Vehicles
Taken from External Plant News - No. 49 January 1979

In agreement with the POEU a large-scale evaluation is being undertaken of two new types of jointers' vehicles. These are:-

1. A 15cwt High Top vehicle which is intended for use by singleton jointers employed on construction and maintenance duties, or by a two-man party where the second man is required for safety purposes, e.g. manhole working.

2. A one-ton vehicle for use by two-man jointing parties who need to carry two sets of jointing and road guarding equipment.

The features of the design are:-
Head room for a standing man, interior ladder stowage, pump suction hose stowage, shelf for testers, boxguards and cones with lamp storage box underneath, road sign shelf, three shelves for stores and tools subdivided by Bins, Storage No. 1 as necessary, in single or stacked formation and accommodation for the manhole cover lifter No. 4 and lifting keys.
More storage space is provided over the top of the driver's cab, and an adjustable vice mounting is provided adjacent to the road cones.

An air cylinder loading carriage may be fitted in the position shown, if required. The one-tonner is built on a 35cwt CF Bedford chassis and has a one-ton payload. At the rear of the vehicle roller shutter access is provided, together with red and white curtains for use on site, making the vehicle more conspicuous. Two complete jointers' kits are stowed in the vehicle, the left side being for stores and tools which require a dry situation, and the right side housing the tents, road signs, cones, duct rods, and the ladder etc.

Figs. 4 and 5 show electrical sockets which would not be present on the standard version of the vehicle. Propane cylinders are housed in an external locker at the forward left-hand side of the vehicle adjacent to the domestic shelf and cupboard. The low floor enables air cylinders to be loaded on and off without difficulty. The wide access to the rear makes loading of heavy or awkward objects, such as some generators or pumps, convenient for two men.

Seventy-five vehicles of each type are being issued. It is intended that every Area will receive at least one of each type and that during the period of trial (approx. three months) each should be used on both construction and maintenance duties. We would appreciate the views of actual users of these vehicles and a simple questionnaire will be issued in due course for completion by any staff involved in the evaluation exercise.

An additional 25 vehicles of each type are also to be equipped with a 6 kVA, 110-volt generator, driven by a power take off (PTO) from the vehicle engine. These will be used to assess fully the improvements in jointing equipment and working conditions which will be possible when an ample electric power source is available. Due to the additional work involved in fitting PTOs and generators, issue of powered vehicles will be somewhat later than the standard vehicles and they will probably need a more extensive trial in the field before firm conclusions can be drawn. The photographs of the one-ton vehicle are actually of a prototype vehicle with a generator, and a further article in the next issue of the EPN will describe the electrical facilities in more detail.
 

Last revised: February 04, 2021