The Outgoing Sec. M.T.C.
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An Interview. — By the Editor.
A Club in Pall Mull, on a Saturday afternoon in November, is not the place where one usually looks for work. Yet, on Saturday afternoon last, after a foregathering at the War Office, two men—if no more—were busy : the one, Captain Ralph Kirkby Bagnall-Wild, R.E., M.I.Mech.E.,
the outgoing secretary to the Mechanical Transport Committee of the British Army ; the other, the Editor of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. Think of it, with all those alluring surroundings: " B.W." was being interviewed. Poor fellow.
We—he and I— had got through most of the preliminaries, before a carefullyselected luncheon had disappeared. Thereafter, choosing a quiet " sitting-out" place for the completion of my mental and other notes, the main points around which this short interview is woven were adduced. He bore the ordeal well, but he was clearly at this disadvantage: the date of his taking up control at 221, Tottenham Court Road, W., is the 15th inst. In the circumstances, he naturally elected to defer any detail references to what may be done after lie has assumed charge of the big organization in question. There were, none the less, not a few plans which he told in my " private ear," and they appealed to me as soundly conceived in all respects.
A Modest Soldier.
Nearly four years of per
sonal intercourse iv i t It " B.W." have taught me to like and respect him. His record in in the Sappers is known to me from sources other than his own lips, which is just as well : he does not talk much. [It remains to be seen whether the Burfordian mantle will descend with the inheritance of the chair.] July, 1893, saw him pass out of Woolwich, and November, 1897, witnessed his arrival at 1-long-Kong; the East claimed him for a full term of four years. Brennan-torpedo work ; electric lighting ; a triangulation survey of the newly-acquired Kowloon territory ; the whole-hearted conduct of the Royal Engineers' Variety Club: these special and incidental duties sped the time. Prince Henry of Prussia, we may here remark, was a not-infrequent visitor to the R.E. Mesa and the Variety Club: he, no doubt, enjoyed the difficulties in the way of applying grease-paint at a temperature of 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit behind the scenes, as much as any of the finished performances. Back to England at the end of 1901, Captain BagnallWild was at once appointed A.I.I.S. (Assistant-Inspector of Iron Structures), and he worked under Captain (since Major) C. H. H. Nugent. Then began his " christening " in matters motorial, for Captain Nugent, who had been one of the War Department's delegates to the third Liverpool Trials (June, 1901), was already more than absorbed in mechanical-transport developments.
So much by way of introduction. Now for the interview.
Ciptain Sao
This latest photograph, by It for the first dime. Note the want the photographer u Settling Military Specifications.
" You really landed home, then, while the lessons of the South-African war were being digested?"
" Exactly," agreed our victim. " Certain heavy engines had been tried during that war, and their bad points had been observed. I shared with others the duty of carrying out instructions to secure improved types. The fundamental constructional change upon which we insisted was a near approach to railway-locomotive a ta n dards in material : %ye preached the abandonment of mildsteel axles and shafts, of only 28-32 tons tensile strength, and their replacement by lighter parts which tested 40-45 tons or more. The makers soon found that they could turn out tractors at the old costs. For example, John Fowler alone, in the years 1903 and 1904, supplied 30 Lion-type engines, so modified, for use in South Africa.
went from Leeds to Westbury, via Grantham, Kettering and Swindon, with three of these engines, each hauling ñvs trucks, with a gross weight of 60 tons, in 3i days for the 245 miles. The War Department estimated seven days, and Fowler's gave me five, so you can judge how pleased I was that greater speed was demonstrated to be a concomitant of the new standard."
"Very interesting, and very promising, of course," we assented. " When was it that you began to work for the employment of tractors and wagons under the Heavy Motor Car Order?'
"That, naturally, interests you more. I quite understand. It was due to the limitations of military bridgebuilding, and to the weakness of many highway bridges, that the claims of modern tractors were first recognized ; as you know, the Army had a number of heavy motorwagons prior to that. The earliest tractors were bought in 1904, but they were too small and too light ; in fact, the troubles with them accounted for the extra ten which the military authorities enjoy under Article XVII of the Order in question, and we want that six tons unladen. It was due to work done by the I.I.S., and communicated to the M.T.C., that engines of such weight were ordered : they have done very well."
(London), is published absence of a pipe: we consplipon his persuasive powers.
Major Lindsay-Lloyd's Successor.
" When was it, by the way," we asked, " that Major Lindsay-Lloyd resigned the post of Secretary to the Mechanical Transport Committee?" " Officially, in November, 1905," came the date which had not been fixed by us. " I had been in the closest touch with the work for the whole of that year and part of 1904, so it was not a change of occupation."
"And those duties?"
"Well, so far as I am at liberty to say anything, they have included long series of testa upon paraffin carburetters, the settlement of designs and details for ambulance bodies, various specifications for mechanical-transport vehicles, extensive trials of the Hornsby chain-track caterpillar,' innumerable inspections, the regular meet, ings of the M.T.C., conseitations with the Colonial Office. the India Office and the Crown Agents, and the recent tractor trials."
To this incomplete summary of Captain Bagna11-Wild's labours, there should be added a note : he is vice-chairman of the Royal Automobile Club's Technical Committee, a member of its Competitions Committee, and of the Committee on horse-power rating and formuhe which was formed by the Institution of Automobile Engineer.'. On the Executive Committee of the Commercial Motor Users' Association, he has represented War-Department interests for several years. He has been a judge in important trials, sueb as those for commercial motors in 1907, the 2,000-mile motorcar trial of 1908. the Isle-ofMan trials of 1908 and 1909, and this year's competition for makers of headlights. He has also been sent to works and trials, both at home and abroad. on every important occasion, whilst, to all the foregoing obligations, he has voluntarily given that close attention of which he is so well capable. The results must be obvious.
In Touch with Owners.
The next question was this : " Ave you accustomed to deal with owners of commercial motors ? " It may have sounded rather bluut, and it inay hare indicated an assumed degree of ignoranee. There were reasons.
" Well, rather. What do you think the registration seheme involves ? Whv, I have been to see many scores of owners personally, and my correspondence has concerned hundreds in all parts of the country." " Don't you think the present registration payments ridiculously inadequate? " " I am a believer in more-liberal terms, and I should like to see as much as £10 per tractor per :Innen) sanctioned. It. is certainly very necessary to pay a substantial
sum in order to develop the support of owners. An equally-important matter is to extend arrangements with the manufacturers as regards spare parts: these 511001(1 bo rapidly forthcoming, and strictly interchangeable, in time of war. The "R.A.C. is. in respect of private cars, aiding the registration of owners and repairers."
Lorry or Tractor ?
The recent preference of the War Department for treetors led on to an inquiry about the scope for each.
" They don't clash, and both are essential, lea I am no believer in the steel-tired wagon, and my references are only to those with indiarubber tires. The tractov is better on country haulage where speed is not a consideration of moment; the lorry is better for camp work and quick road work. A tractor ean only make half the pointto-point speed of the average rubber-tired lorry. It is only on granite setts that the steel-tired steam lorry scores over a tractor, or in warehouse and dock service where backing is needed : its eight-ton load on the back axle is, in other cases, a disadvantage. and I do not limit that opinion to military cases."
Paraffin or Petrol ? IlagnalI Wild's impartial opinion about paraffin as a general fuel for use in road motors. He said this : " Paraffin is very tricky.' Ordinary drivers mess up their cylinders soon and often. Hence, with petrol prices and supplies within reasonable bounds. which seem assured. now, thanks very largely to the enterprise of the Samuel family. it is extremely doubtful that there is any material gain. One must be an expert to use paraffin. although the heavier engines of larger power, such as those made by Thornyeroft for slow-moving tractors, and with a fairly-constant load. reduce the difficulties." Confidence in the Future.
" I have every confidence," was the ready answer to the next inquiry, " that the whole of the delivery work of London and other great towns will be done by motorvans in the near future : the loads for these will vary, I think, chiefly between 15 cwt. and 40 cwt. Outside runs will call for the use of vehicles which can take from :10 cwt. to four -tons, and to six tons for particular jobs in the country; for heavy haulage, such as of contractors' supplies, coal, cement, materials, etc.—especially for house-building off good roads -I give the palm to the tractor. It will often, I feel sure, be an internal-combustionengined tractor that will do the trick.'
" The internal-combustion-engined tractor has a great future in foreign countries and certain colonies, where roads have not been fully developed, or where water is scarce or coal is not obtainable easily. " People who have purchased an odd van or two have been great stumbling-blocks in the past. It is far more economical to run a fleet which is sufficiently large to warrant the establishment of a small repair staff and shop. The cautious and tardy method may have been wise five years ago; to-day, with so much proved, with ascertained costs, and with the minimum life known, there is no occasion for experiments on a small scale by individual firms. Such hesitancy, such lack of system. is foolish. " As to London omnibuses, 1 am sure the present double-deckers are too heavy to last: the only hope for them is to reduce their road speeds, This, I am glad to note, has been done to a large extent, hut we may see smaller express buses."
Long.-distance Journeys.
Captain Bagnall-Wild does not favour the idea of economy in general transport where the destination is mare than 100 miles from the base. He, however, makes these exceptions:
" There are unlimited possibilities for road motors in cases it here the points of collection and delivery are remote from a. railway furniture-removal contracts are, perhaps, as good an example as one can quote. I am of your opinion, too, that so-called dangerous goods, or any others which are adversely classified by the railways, should be regarded as exceptions, for they may be economically carried over both short and long runs by road."
Milnes-Daimler Redivivus.
" I mean to come into line with to-day's needs, and I am absolutely sure that it can be done. The Milnes
Daimler works are, in fact, ready to compete now. Owing to our large sales all over the world, we can lower prices without impairing the quality on which a great reputation has been won. Every load requirement from 1 to 6 tons can be met, and Colonial types, including the four-wheel drive, are available as well. " I look forward to the laying-down of a new factory in England. Already, in London. we employ close upon 100 men continuously on the production of patented parts, gears, shafts, and small fittings : that is more than many an all-British maker has on motor work_
" Bona-fide agents are wanted, and we shall not ignore genuine introductions. I do not approve branch depots or tied areas, unless in exchange for considerable orders. Any spares whatsoever may he had in London, and I intend to revise the prices for them. " My attention will not be confined to lorries, as there is. I think, a big scope for rail motorcars, motor boats, and engines for aviation. Milnes-Daimler has already a large experience in these directions, as well as for Met.ce'des cars. I confidently hope, too, soon to see Mercedes cabs on the London streets.
" Good-bye. My exact title is Manager of the Commercial-Vehiele Department and Technical Adviser.' I shall look after renewals and repairs, and I shall not fail to keep readers of your journal well informed about all happenings. I officially take op my new work on the lsith of this month."