WHEELS of INDUSTRY
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"The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the
roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
Show Attendances.
Below we give a table of attendances at the Commercial Motor Show, from the opening day, November 5th, to Wednesday last, November 11th. The corresponding figure for 1929 is given in parentheses beside each 1931 figiire.
Commers on View in Scotland.
During the period of the Scottish Motor Show, from November 13th-2Ist, at which only private vehicles will be on view, arrangements have been made for staging a special display of Commer commercial vehicles at the premises of Wylie and Lockheadi Ltd., 97, Berkeley Street, Glasgow.
There will be nine models on view, as follow :—A. Raider 121-ton chassis; a Centaur 2-ton long-wheelbase chassis, as well as a similar model with a dropside lorry, body ; a Raider 2i-ton sixwheeler with Longframe conversion ; 2i-ton and 61-ton lorries with drop-side bodies; a Centaur 20-seater with
Waveney body, an Invader 20-seater coach with bodywork by Holbrook and Taylor, and a Corinthian 24-26-seater long-distance coach, having a body by Grose, Ltd.
After the exhibition the vehicles will proceed to Manchester, where they will be on view at the showrooms of the maker's Lancashire and Cheshire distributor, Lookers, Ltd., Hardman Street, Deansgate.
A Gathering of Designers.
At the invitation of the Clayton Dewandre Co., Ltd., the principal designers in the commercial-vehicle world were brought together last Tuesday evening at the Trocadero. The party numbered 55, and included representatives of the Ministry of Transport, India Office, Mechanical Warfare Board and a few members of tlae technical Press.
The chairman of the Clayton Dewandre Co., Ltd., Mr. 0. H. Dade, presided, and the dinner was followed by an excellent cabaret, the whole function proving most interesting and enjoyable.
Dennis Dividend.
The directors of Dennis Bros., Ltd., recommend a final dividend of is. 3d. per share, making is. 9d. per 1s, share for the year ended September 30th, 1931. It is not proposed to add to the reserve, but the carry-forward will be increased by about £4,000. For the previous year a total distribution of 2s. 10d. per share was made, whilst £75,000 was added to the reserve and £95,345 was carried forward.
A Midland Bus Registration.
The Associated Trentham BUS Co-, Ltd., has recently been registered, with offices at Central Garage, Campbell Road, Stoke, the object being to "take over the businesses of various persons or firms operating motorbus services between Stoke and Trentham." The nominal capital is £8,000 in £1 shares, and the directors are Messrs. J. Hawthorne, E. Davies, T. Woodfint, G. Townsend, W. Tomlinson and W. E. Brindley.
Salford Bus Accounts.
A statement of accounts of the transport department of Salford Corporation for the year ended March 31st, 1931, shows that the income from the operation of motorbuses totalled £187,382, whilst working expenses amounted to £153,613, so that the gross Profit was £33,763. After meeting loan and other charges, this figure was reduced to £7,951, which was transferred to the reserve fund.
On a per-bus-mile basis income amounted to 12.974d., and working expenses to 10.636d., the gross profit being 2.338d. and the net profit .55d.
A Delivery Sidecar Outfit for £51.
In the past a considerable number of sidecar combinations, equipped for commercial delivery work, has been of a relatively expensive character. A striking new introduction, which, whilst it is soundly constructed, is sold at a low price, is the new Matchless outfit, known as the Light 500. It will carry 2-cwt. loads at speeds up to 50 m.p.h., and its reputed fuel-consumption rate is in the neighbourhood of 70 m.p.g.
An. outstanding feature of this model is that, by reason of its low weight, it is taxed at only £2 10s, per annum, whilst the first cost, with an electriclighting set, is £51 7s. 6d.
A Four-in-one Press.
An addition to the range or equipment marketed by the Laycock Engineering Co., Victoria Works, Millhouses, Sheffield, is a 60-ton hydraulic press which should meet certain of the requirements of repair depots and garages. Actually four presses are incorporated in the one appliance, from the 3-ton rack-and-pinion press for dealing with small bushes, etc., to the sturdy 60-ton hydraulic press for tackling such tasks as straightening heavy axle beams. The press has open sides thus enabling long shafts to be easily handled, and the adjustable table can be quickly raised or lowered by a hand-operated winch. The overall height of the appliance is 6 ft. 4 ins., and its overall width 5 ft. 10 ins., its weight being 131 cwt.
Northampton Buying More Buses.
Northampton Corporation is recommended to buy eight Dennis chassis costing £545 each (for 26-seater bodies), three Crossley oil-engined chassis with automatic gear-changing devices at £1,165 each (in this case for doubledeck bodies), eight Grose 26-seater bodies at £855 each, and three English Electric double-deck bodies at 1650.
Demonstrations have been carried out with Leyland, A.E.C., Guy, Dennis, Thornycroft, Crossley and Daimler double-deck petrol-driven buses and a Crossley oibengined double-decker. The Daimler had a Fluid Flywheel and preselective gearbox.
A New Metal-covered Plywood.
Frederick Braby and Co., Ltd., advises us that it has recently secured the sole rights of a new invention in metal-covered plywood, and a special factory has been equipped at Eclipse Works, Glasgow, for its production.
The invention consists of the use of .thin sheets of plywood, to which galvanized sheet steel, or other sheet metal, is cemented, by hydraulic pressure, on one or both sides, the cementing composition being of such a nature that moisture, heat, water or force cannot separate the component parts, whilst the finished panel is claimed to be flat and
smooth. This class of material is specially suitable for van bodies, etc.
In addition to galvanized steel, the plywood can be supplied covered with stainless steel, bronze, copper, zinc or aluminium.
• Experienced Engineer Available.
Having recently spent some time perfeeling a new suspension system, an engineer with considerable experience of development work and experimental design is now available. In the past he has been employed by the RollsRoyce, Lanchester, Napier, Sunbeam, Beardmore and Morris-Commercial concerns. During the war he served in the Air Ministry and is experienced in the design and• development of highspeed compression-ignition engines. Communications addressed "D," care of The Editor, will be forwarded.
A.E.C.s in Demand.
Recent repeat orders placed with the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd, include the following :—Rhondda Tramways Co., Ltd., for 10 Regal single-deckers; City of Oxford Motor Services, Ltd., for six Regent double-deckers; Cooperative Wholesale Society, Ltd., for five Majestic 6-tonners; and the AngloScottish Transport Co., Ltd., and 'Messrs. I. W. Holdsworth, each of which is buying three Mammoth Major 12-tonners. This constitutes a small selection from a long list of repeat orders and of names of transport operators who are buying A.E.C. products. Heavy Traffic Increasing.
Durham county engineer's report on the traffic census reveals the fact that this year the average daily tonnage of vehicles traversing the Great North Road is 12,945, as compared with 12,889 in 1929. Heavy motorcars are considerably increasing in numbers, this class of traffic constituting 50 per cent. of the total vehicles using the roads.