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LONG-LIFE ELECTRICS
Page 102
Page 103
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at Wallasey
AREMARKABLE circumstance in connection with Wallasey Corporation's refuse-collection service is that, in the past live years, the average number of loads dealt with per day by electric vehicles has increased by approximately 25 per cent., yet the average weight per load has declined by about 5 per cent.
The explanation is, of course, to be found in the changed habits of the people, the improved methods of distributing retail merchandise, involving the use of bulky fancy packages and containers that ultimately find their *ay into the dustbin and, finally, the practice ofgreater economy by the housewife. For several years, Mr. R. C. Thomson, the superintendent of cleansing, has been exhorting ratepayers to burn their refuse at home and to use the dustbin only for dry refuse. Slogans to this effect are inscribed on each of the vehicles.
Wallasey Corporation has eight Electricars engaged on refuse collection, six of them being of 21-ton capacity and two of 3i-ton capacity, in addition to three S.D. Freighter 24-tormers. Horsed vehicles are also employed on this work. In addition, they are responsible for the miscellaneous cartage of the department, but the replacement of herses and carts by mechanical vehicles .continues, and will do' so until eventually they may be completely superaeded. Within C52 the past 12 months the stud of a dozen horses has been reduced to seven.
It is Mr. Thomson's firm conviction that, under the peculiar conditions that prevail in the scattered county borough of Wallasey, where there are good road surfaces of fairly level contour, electric vehicles are eminently suitable for refuse collection.
"In fact, I go so far as to say," he remarked in an interview with a representative of The Commercial Motor, that it' is impossible to find any other type of vehicle, to give such uninterrupted continuity of service as we have experienced." They have, however, only a limited radius of mileage.
More Vehicles May Be Required.
If, as is anticipated, there be a further extension of refuse disposal in the recently added Moreton areas, by controlled tipping, it will be necessary to consider the purchase of petrol vehicles, when new machine are required, in order to allow for the greater distances to be traversed to the points of disposal.
Mechanical vehicles collect 67.75 per cent, of the refuse of the borough and horse-drawn carts 32.25 per cent. The average length of haul to the point of disposal, generally the Gorse); Lane incinerator, is two miles—the farthest distance is four miles—but, in the case of the Moreton refuse, whichis disposed of .by controlled tipping, the average length of haul is1i mile.
There are-three electric vehicles which have already been in commission for 10
or more years. Except for battery replacements and certain alterations to the bodywork to make them as near dustless loaders as is possible by improvisation, they are considered roadworthy for another few years..
The writer was given the history of an Electriear bought in September, 1923. Up to the end of September, 1932, this vehicle had traversed 57,000 miles and, calculating on a battery life of eight years, it was estimated that this unit was good for a life of 110,000115,000 miles, before replacement would really be warranted.
In the past, liberal allowance has been made for the depreciation of rolling .stock by means of a transport renewals fund, Mr. Thomson's view being that it is more.in accordance with commercial practice to buy replacements from revenue than to incur expenditure on capital account. When it became patent that the only replacements or renewals necessary with electric vehicles were batteries, the contribution to the transport renewals fund was reduced from £1,000 to £500 per month.
Old machines have been transformed out of all recognition since we first inspected them, some six or seven years ago. Open bodywork has given way to a system of protection for loads and, at the same time, to motors of smarter appearance. The old steel bodies of the 21-ton electrics have been discarded and replaced by wood and canvas bodies, resulting in a saving of 3 cwt, in unladen *eight. The front of the substituted body is built of wood with a partition at the rear of the driver's cab containing a window in alignment with that in the cab. The framework consists of 2-in. by 1-in. ash bolted to iron struts fixed to the sides of the body. The top part of the frame is stiffened by four lengths of timber running from end to end.
An endeavour has been made to introduce a streamline effect in the curvature of the roof, which is covered with zinc and canvas. The sides of the bodies are in three sections, each of which may be opened and closed. The canvas •at the rear may also be lifted, enabling it to be used as a means for access. The canvas side curtains are fastened with straps. Altogether, this has proved to be an interesting as well as useful conversion, at comparatively modest cost.
The refuse-collection system in Wallasey is remarkable for its simplicity and easy balance. Vehicles are timed to commence and finish loading by the hour and the number of bin-men employed is regulated accordingly, Although some of the districts are farther from the refuse-disposal works than others, the former, being residentially of better class, yield lighter refuse and, therefore, are more easily dealt with.
Each district is provided with two mechanical vehicles and seven bin-men, the first vehicle carrying the operatives leaving the depot at 7.45 a.m. to permit of work being started at 8 a.m. An hour is taken to load this vehicle, by which time the second has arrived and commences loading at 9 a.m. In the meantime, the first vehicle travels to the refuse-disposal works and, after tipping the load, returns to the district in time for the third load at 10 a.m. Each electric vehicle carries four loads per day, travelling about 25 miles.
Approximately half the working day is occupied by standing time, while the wagons are being loaded. That is not an unsatisfactory division, because, in Mr. Thompson's opinion, the principal point of this relay system is to keep the bin-men fully occupied from the time they commence work until they finish.
He considered it more important to keep the men busy than the motor busy, but admits that in no circumstances can one afford to have a vehicle breakdown.
One gang will load 140 bins in an hour. Statistics show that one man will handle an average of 5.5 cwt. per hour, and one vehicle an average of 19.25 cwt. per hour, the figure for the months of May to September being 18 cwt. and October to April 20.25 cwt.
One S.D. Freighter is engaged on three days a week in the collection of fish offal and is occupied for the remainder of the time on various duties, mainly the collection of refuse, deliveries of mortar, etc. The other S.D. Freighters are engaged on routine duties and special work.
Of the total of 24,945 tons of household refuse collected during the past
municipal year, 14,634 tons were conveyed by electric vehicles, 2,264 tons by S.D. Freighters and 8,046 tons by horsed carts. It should be explained that the horse-drawn vehicles work within a radius of a mile of the destructor.
The electric vehicles carry. an average load of 38i cwt., this figure being a decline of 2 cwt. on the average of the past five years. S.D. Freighters transport an average load of 291 cwt., representing a decline of 8 cwt. as compared with 1927-28. Horsed carts average 24 cwt., compared with 24,1 cwt.
five years ago. Ever since 1924-25 there has been a variable, but steady, decline in the month-to-month tonnages in respect of the transport allocated to each class, owing to the bulkier material which passes through the department's hands.
The all-in cost of working S.D. Freighters is 10s. 2d. per ton, electric vehicles 10s. 7d. and horsed carts
12s. 2d. These respective figures include loan and depreciation charges. The average cost of running the eight electric vehicles works out at 1s. 6.3d. per mile, including drivers' wages, licences, insurance, electrical energy, maintenance, etc. Current is purchased at 2.25d. per unit and the per-mile figure is 2.8d. Each S.D. Freighter gives an average of 6.3 m.p.g. and costs 1s. 4d. per mile to run, this figure being inclusive of drivers' wages, licences, insurance, petrol, oil, maintenance, etc.