The wide Poly-V belts of the Wabeco drive system gave all the advantages of flat-belt drive - smooth, silent running at very high speeds - without the (alleged) drawback of slippage under high levels of torque transmission.

The clever but simple "double over-hung" countershaft unit could be quickly set to tension both belts equally.

The carriage drive motor was combined with its speed-reducing gearbox in a unit that looked remarkably like a windscreen wiper motor assembly. It was mounted at the headstock end of the lathe behind the rear bed rail; a toothed belt was used to drive the centrally-mounted leadscrew.  The use of 12 (or preferably 24-volt) automotive windscreen wiper motors was once a popular amateur conversion for small lathes and the author has experience of a converted Drummond M-Type that was transformed by just such a modification.

Graduated Dial and handwheel fitted to the leadscrew end were both supplied as standard. Though probably subjected to a rigorous mathematical stress analysis before being approved for production, the appearance of the fixed steady did little to inspire confidence in its ability to withstand the wayward inclinations of a large steel billet