Carrying Coals, But Not To Newcastle
Page 35
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Fine Service obtained from a Guy Fleet which is engaged on the Arduous Work of Coal Haulage in the Midlands. Operator's Carefully Planned Maintenance System Well Rewarded
VEHICLES used for coal haulage often operate under more onerous conditions than those engaged in many other classes of work. ' Apart from the rough usage entailed in loading, with its consequent effect upon bodywork, and the constant deadweight of large loads, the engine is liable to take in more than the average amount of foreign matter during loading operations.
Nevertheless, C. P. Perry and Son. Ltd., which is believed to operate in Birmingham and district the largest privately owned fleet of .vehicles for coal haulage, finds that a good-cia=6 vehicle is not only reliable in everyday service but gives long lift.
In the early post-war days of 1918 the company took delivery of its first Guy 2+-ton vehicle and operated this type until August, 1937, after one of the machines had seen 15 years' service. In the meantime, the company had been standardizing on-the overhead-valve type which is now the leading Guy design, and to-day its fleet of vehicles consists of Wolf, Vixen and Otter lorries, and• two lower-pricc.1 vehicles which were purchased specially for purposes of comparison as regards running costs and reliability.
The bodies are mainly of the end
tipping type and have high sides, but there are also flat platform and open lorry. bodies. All of them have steellined floors and metal body runners. As the sides are detachable, the vehicles can be used for bag work or for milk delivery. While dealing with the body question, it is interesting to note that the original paintwork carried out at the Guy factory has been found to last from three to four years, INA no other attention than routine washing.
Although the vehicles are engaged largely on short runs and local deliveries in traffic, the rate of petrol consumption has averaged 10-12 m.p.g. on No. 3 petrol.
In service, the Guy vehicles have proved to be eminently suitable for this class of work, and the following two examples show their capabilities. One machine, which has been on the road for nearly seven years, and is still in regular service on local deliveries, has covered about 150,000 miles. During this time the engine has been rebored once, but otherwise, apart from the usual maintenance attention and replacements of axle sleeves (a design superseded some years ago). little work has been required. The other case is of a forwardcontrol Vixen delivered in July, 1935,
which has now oyer 96,000 miles to its credit: it has had two engine " decokes," a new set of plugs (after 94,000 miles) and a set of brake facings. Although the vehicle is designed to carry 3-4 tons it more regularly handles loads of 5 tons.
With two exceptions, all the Guy models come within the £30 taxation class, but one of the 1935 Vixens and the Otter are over 2+ tons unladen, because of their special equipment which, in addition to the hydraulic tipping gear, includes 4-ft. 6-in. sides.
The Otter lorry, of which the operator has a particularly high opinion, has been regularly engaged on journeys from various collieries into Birmingham with average, loads of 7 tons, and has been consistently handling 20 tons a day.
The busiest season in the coal merchants' business is, necessarily, that when weather conditions are the most severe, Throughout the great frost just before Christmas of last year, when many vehicles were off the road owing to frozen radiators, each of the Guy machines put in more than its average amount of work and performed • most Creditably.
The policy of the company is always to keep one of its fleet of vehicles in the garage,for maintenance attention. The garage personnel conducts all this work, although if a major operation, such as, a rebore, be required the assistance of the maker's factory at Wolverhampton is usually sought,