News and Comment.
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This journal is the recognized Users' Organ it has a genuine circulation (Home, Colonial and Foreign), genuine advertisement support, and an Editorial Stall whose members have had experience
in road transport.
First publication about the Lacre Co.'s policy and intentions in respect of fresh developments will be found on pages 26 to 28.
A standard Foden wagon was on view at the recent Bakers' and Confectioners' Exhibition, held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, N., where it attracted much notice.
The attentioh of all owners of commercial motors is particularly directed to the announcement concerning the C.M.E.A.'s third annual parade of vans, wagons, tractors, etc., which is to take place, in London, on the 30th prox. See page 24.
Thornycroft Military Tractors.
Three tractors, similar in design to the one which gained the first prize at the War Department's trials in March last, have been ordered by the British War Department from John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd. A few small modifications will be made in these, to meet the special requirements of the Army. Each tractor is specified to be capable of taking a load of eight tons up a gradient of one in six, of hauling that load 100 miles without replenishment of fuel or water, and of travelling at eight miles an hour on the road, whilst the unladen weight must, not exceed eight tons.
The French Commercial-Vehicle
Trials.
The entries, at ordinary fees, for the French commercial-vehicle trials which will take place during the month from 15th October to 15th November, closed on 31st August with a list of vehicles totalling no fewer than 57 in the various classes. These trials are held under the joint auspices of the Automobile Club de France and the French military authorities, who have adopted this method of certifying chosen makes of machines as being suitable for subvention purposes. The trials will take place from Versailles as a centre, and additional interest will be forthcoming from the fact that, during November, certain days have been set apart upon which the competing machines will consume alcohol, and on other clays benzol.
The list of competitors and the number of vehicles entered by them to date is as follows: Automobile Aries, 4; Berliet, 4; Berne Commercial Motors, Ltd., 1; Clement, 4; Cohendet et Cie.. 2; de Dion, Bouton, 5; Delaugbre, Clayette et Cie., 4; Desmarais et Morena, 4; Kritiger, 2; Lorraine-Dietrich, 4; Malicet et Blin, 3; Panhard-Levaesor, 4; Peugeot, 4; Societ4 de Poids Lourds, 2; S'aurer, ; Schneider et Cie, 2; and Vinot, 2. Of these machines, eight are to be sub
mittecl to the French War Office tests only; 17 to the A.C.F. requirements and 32 to both of these trials.
Bauly's of Bow.
Mr. 11_ C. l3auly, of the Bow Wagon and Wheel Works, evinced the greatest personal interest in the annual outing of his staff and employees, to Yarmouth, at the end of last month. This works, which undertakes the whole of the maintenance for the Eastern Motor Wagon Company's fleet of Foclen wagons, is doing an increasing trade in such work generally; it has also turned to good account the business of the late Tangent Wheel Co. Mr. Bauly's modifications of this wheel are likely to prove of much interest to steamwagon owners during the winter, as their non-skid properties render them of practical value for running under winter conditions.
Motor Contracting.
The Central Motor Transport Co., Ltd., of 18. Smithfield Chambers,4 and 5, West Smithfield, E.C., is another company which is developing a progressive business in motor contracting. Its methods differ essentially from the hiring-out of one or more vehicles by the year, and it is giving special attention to regular daily services to various points round London, with its headquarters at Smithfield. Places already served include Harrow, Pinner, Wealdstone, Sevenoaks, Guildford, Rochester, and Chatham, and fresh routes will be ,added as additional vehicles are acquired. Any consignor who has to send goods into these neighbourhoods is invited to communicate with the above-named company, and the facilities offered should certainly appeal to many who cannot find full and exclusive employment for a motor vehicle.
The Cartage of Aeroplanes.
The moving of aeroplanes from centre to centre is a matter of some delicacy, but we are not surprised to hear that Commercial Car Hirers, Ltd., has already undertaken commissions of the kind. With suitable and careful handling, aeroplanes have only to be partially dismantled before transportation, whilst, in a number of cases, it is possible to carry them without any dismantling whatsoever. On Wednesday of last week, a " Commer Car" vehicle owned by the abovementioned company was dispatched to Salisbury Plain, at eight hours' notice, for a job of the kind, and it brought the aeroplane back to London most successfully.
Australian News.
Important bills are now before the New South Wales Legislature in respect of motorcar and traction-engine traffic. We took steps, a few months ago, to protest against, the non-recognition of commercial-motor traffic, and certain suggestions which would have had a prohibitory effect. As a result of correspondence on this matter, a meeting took place, early last month, in Sydney, of users and agents, under the chairmanship of Mr. Eric F. Boult, and resolutions were passed to secure proper representation to the authorities. The result has been a request for suitable amendments to the bills, and these will receive official sanction, of which we hope to give fuller particulars shortly.
The Sydney agents of the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd.. on the 2nd August, gave an interesting and highly-successful demonstration of the hill-climbing and control powers of Albion vehicles. Two 16 h.p. vans were borrowed from local customers, one a firm of bedstead manufacturers, and the other a firm of grocers. A steep hill, leading from the docks. was chosen, inclusive of a gradient of 1 in %, and one ton of salt was put into each vehicle. The vans climbed a 300-yard length in just over e minute each, after which they were turned and backed on the steepest part of the gradient. A large crowd was present, and much has been heard of the test since it took place, as people are evidently talking of it. One may mention, incidentally, that Australian bridges are generally constructed to carry 18-ton traction engines ; hence, the use of commercial motors should not be hampered by weak structures. The heaviest axleweight allowed is N. tons, and there is, at present, no limit to the number of trailers which may be drawn behind a motor-propelled vehicle.
Herbert's Berlin Office.
.Alfred Herbert, Ltd., the wellknown maehine-tool makers of Coventry, has opened an office in Berlin, in order that it may deal promptly with enquiries and business from Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Ambulance Accessories.
The Metropolitan Asylums Board has accepted the tender of J. "Lucas and Co., Ltd., of Birmingham, for headlights, side lamps, electric tail lamps, and horns, for its new motor ambulances.
Flying at Boulogne.
Until Sunday next, the 19th inst., aviation week at Boulogne continues. Readers of this journal who desire to make good their inability to get to Rheims should note that the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Co. is offering special bookings.
Buenos Aires 1910 Exhibition.
Mr. Enrique M. Nelson, general secretary of next year's Argentine International Agricultural Exhibition, which is to be held at Buenos Aires, advises us that all classes of motor vehicles, whether for use on roads or on the land, are eligible for display.
Extra-long Platforms.
A .30-cwt. lorry with a platform space suitable for the conveyance of tubing in lengths of 16 and 20 feet is something of a novelty. The Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., of Scotstoun, Glasgow, has delivered a special order of the kind to the Whiteinch Galvanizing Co., Ltd., and we illustrate the vehicle herewith. Horse haulage has been displaced, and the collection of the material to be galvanized is now accomplished in much lees time than was formerly the case, whilst expenses are reduced. There is every likelihood that this company's example will be
A Collective Exhibit.
Next year's exhibition at Brussels will include a collective exhibit from the British motor industry. These will be arranged by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and we trust a few commercial vehicles will be included.
Why Use Horses ?
A company styling itself Ailion, Ltd., with its offices at Halton House, Holborn, B.C., is pushing a system of perpetual advertising. This chiefly consists of a series of horse-drawn saloon cars, fitted in a suitable manner, and having the necessary attachments for biosoope demonstrations, as the vehicles travel throughout the country. Initial trips have proved the attractiveness of the programme, but we regret to see that the company is using horses. We should prefer to see the work undertaken by a firm of motor contractors, or, better still, the purchase of commercial motors for the purpose. Between the exposure of different cinematograph films, lantern slides present various advertisement matter to the admiring crowds, and the company has been able to work out its scale of charges for this form of publicity to very reasonable figures, whilst it already has received some highly-gratifying testimonials. Its itinerary for October includes the following towns, and intermediate villages: Torquay, Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Plymouth, Devonport, Saltash, St. Germans, Liskeard, Lostwithiel, St. Austell, Truro, Penryn, Falmouth, Helston, Penzance, St. Ives, Redruth, Bodmin, New Quay, Padstow, Camelford, Launceston, Holsworthy, etc.
A " West minster " Lament.
"The Westminster Gazette " announces, with all the sapient air of experience, that " as yet, there is comparatively little use of the motor for carrying goods." It proceeds : " As to the cause of this, we on the Westminster Gazette' can speak with some authority. The chief disadvantage that one encounters in the change from horses to motors is that few of the makers seem to have made any deep study of what is required in a vehicle that is to carry a dead weight." May it not be, we ask, that "The Westminster Gazette" has not made any deep study ? There are numerous manufacturers of approved types of commercial motors who can demonstrate, either by actual service for our contemporary, or by reference to satisfied users, that the abovequoted general condemnation view is by no means of general application today. Have our friends on " The Westminster " made a wrong choice?
Results in the Steel Trade.
An early but sturdy example of Straker-Squire steam-wagon construction is shown on page 39 with its load on board. This vehicle has now reached the age of six years, and it still works regularly with, it is said, a daily average load of eight tons per Journey. A very good account of the machine's behaviour is given at the NMe-Elms depot of the owners, where it is on record that during one stretch of work—the building of a tube station —the wagon carried girders to the length of 40 ft. Generally speaking. this steamer works at half the cost of doing the same work in the steel trade by horses, whilst, over a specially-observed period of 28 days, when it was " well on " in years, it ran at a cost of 7.5d. per mile compared with is. 00. per mile for horses on similar work. Wheels, at one time, gave the owners some trouble; the present set, made by themselves, are doing well.
Mr. Dugald Clerk's Latest Book.
No word of recommendation is needed from us in introducing the new and revised edition of Mr. lDttgald Clerk's standard work on "The Gas, Petrol, and Oil Engine," published by Messrs. Longmans, Green and Co., of 39, Paternoster Row, London, price 12s. 6d. net. Much of the matter contained in this book was first published in 1886, under the title of "The Gas Engine," whilst, in 1896, a further edition appeared bearing the title of " The Gas and Oil Engine." Since the publication of the lastnamed edition, considerable progress has been made in the science of internal-combustion-engine design, and so much important matter is incorporated in the new edition that the author has required two volumes. . Vol. I, 1% hich is now to hand, deals with the " Thermodynamics of the Gas, Petrol. and Oil 'Engine," whilst Vol. II, which is shortly to appear, will be devoted to "The Gas, Petrol, and Oil Engine in Practice." In Vol. I, the work of various investigators is described in a manner that should prove useful to all engineers and designers. In chapter VIII, the author deals with explosion and cooling in a cylinder behind a moving piston, and he is thus, for the first time in any book on the subject, able to put new and highly-important data before readers. The results now made public should prove of service to all students of the thermal and mechanical efficiency of internal-combustion engines. Of the science of
gas-engine design, much more accurate knowledge exists now than at any previous time, and, as the latest and mostauthentic records of investigators are contained in Mr. Clerk's newest book, we offer to him our sincere congratulations on its compilation, production, and publication.
The Development Bill: An Irish Enquiry.
In the House of Commons, on the 2nd inst., Mr. Ginnell asked the VicePresident of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if, in preparing any draft scheme of development for Ireland in view of a Development Act, he will have included for favourable consideration the institution of a regular motor service for goods and passengers between Castlepollard and Athboy The Attorney-General for Ireland (Mr. Cherry) replied :—I think this question is premature. I must ask the Hon. Member to wait until the Bill is passed.
Manchester Show, 1910.
We have reason to believe that next year's show, at Manchester, will be well supported by rubber-tire manufacturers. Owing to the manner in which the granite setts round that city increase the wear and tear upon steel-tired vehicles which travel much above 5 m.p.hr., there is every likelihood that the next few years will witness a big increase in the number of rubber-tired petrol lorries, and possibly of three-ton steam lorries similady fitted. The demand for higher speed renders it expedient that the claims of rubber-tired machines should be considered, although the wide use of steel-tired five-tonners will not be materially affected, their work being more generally in the heaviest classes where a speed of five m.p.h. is sufficient for normal demands.